Ridgway, Colorado

We extended our stay at Ridgway State Park because we were enjoying the area so much; and it didn’t hurt that we had great cell phone and internet signal at our camping site.  So that gave us a couple extra days to explore the area.  There is a wonderful 5-mile concrete bike trail that actually goes all the way from the state park to the town of Ridgway, and we had another cool weather day to make the trip.

There is major road construction just south of the state park, so the bike ride is a nice option to the long wait  on that same stretch of road.  The signs say to expect 30 minute delays, so a biker on the bike trail can easily get to Ridgway before a car on the highway.

 

 The highway road crew has been blasting away part of the mountain right beside the highway.  Then the blasted boulders have to be loaded onto trucks to be hauled away.  Thirty minutes later, the long line of cars gets to continue down the highway.

We had no real plans for our trip to Ridgway, but we were very excited to see a farmer’s market in the park.  They usually set up on Friday, but the annual Arts and Crafts show is this weekend, so the farmers have to come early this week.  We are more interested in buying produce and fresh baked goods, rather than arts and crafts that we don’t have room for in the motor home.  We probably would have bought more produce, but we remembered we had to get all of it home on our bicycles.    We bought some delicious peach/raspberry/almond bread; Colorado peaches and nectarines, granola cookies, tomatoes, white chocolate macadamia cookies, green beans, and new potatoes. That’s the kind of art we buy now, and our shopping bag of goodies turned out as pretty as a picture.

We’ve really enjoyed these simple pleasures of our time in Ridgway.  We also love the delightful blue birds that live in the forest around our campground.  Denisa has been chasing these birds through the trees with her camera with no success.  When coming home from a swim in the lake, there was a blue bird just waiting for her at our camp sight.

 

We made another trip into Montrose on the day of our anniversary.  We have determined that it is hard to plan a special day when we live so many special days.  So Denisa wished for more Colorado peaches and Olathe sweet corn, and Mark made all her wishes come true.  We also took another bike ride on the nice cement trail that wanders north and south all the way through Montrose.

Mark even tried an anniversary selfie picture while riding his bike. We will assume he doesn't look happy because he is concentrating on taking the picture and not crashing his bike.

 

While at the White Water park in town, we took a picture for a couple.  They then took an anniversary picture of the two of us together on the bridge over the Uncumpahgre River.  Denisa was happy to see that Mark was smiling this time.

We had an evening at a local barbecue place complete with live entertainment, but Denisa had one more anniversary wish.  For the last 12 evenings we have been treated to great sunsets from the shore, but we hadn’t put the kayak in the lake yet.  So proving that he still loved Denisa after 34 years of marriage, Mark pumped up our trusty kayak.

We chased the waning light across the water.  The setting sun was lighting up the side of the hillside where our Elk Ridge campground is hidden behind all those trees on top.

We got our last glimpses of the Cimarron Mountains with Courthouse Mountain and Chimney Rock,

and a final look of the San Juan Mountains that we have been playing in for the last 12 days.

 It was a beautiful sunset, and a gorgeous way to end a special anniversary day.

There was only one other boat on the lake—a sailboat cruising through the sunset as well.

We got the last view of a beautiful sunset sky, and then it was time to get some exercise as we had to paddle hard across the lake in the dark.

It also was a sweet good-bye to our time in Ridgway.  We’re heading down the road to another campsite and another adventure tomorrow.