Day 20. Be Chill. Or Freeze.

Saturday January 28, 2023.

Have I really been on the road twenty days? Hard to believe actually. I'll be spending the next few days with my daughter Arianna at her and her husbands place in Fountain Colorado. He's serving in the military and is off on a month long training detail so it'll just be her and I for the three days. I don't have much planned other than a little exploration around here and Colorado Springs to see what the towns are like. I think a couple of down days to rest the legs and just not be moving everyday is soooo needed. Seems nearly every night or morning I'm either setting up in a new location or packing up an old one. Wears on ya a lil' bit!

The temperatures are set to plummet to like 15 degrees for a HIGH over the next three days so I don't feel the urge to hike up a mountain or cycle in snowy minus 5 degree temperatures (the mountain temps are lower...just crazy!). So I guess it's time to chill huh? Like it's time to not move. Time to just freeze where you are and be chill. Because if you're not chill and move and go outside you will freeze for sure. Dang I got myself all confused here. I think that's what the weather is tellin' me anyway. Just chill where you are 'cuz it's freezing outside.

Either way this duck ain't goin' no where! Ha!

I do plan on visiting a few more peoples that I know in the area over the next week too so maybe that's perfect. Keeping a balance between checking out towns, re-connecting with friends or family and hitting the bikes.

I went out after lunch to explore the town of Fountain and although it looked like it hit its peak around the late 1800's (with nine saloons and two jails lol) it's seen a recent resurgence as a supplement to the housing of all the military folk in Colorado Springs.

I found the 'old' Main Street which looked like it's being freshened up...awesome...but all that was there so far was a library and City Hall. Small coffee shop around the corner too. Cute but pretty sparse!

I left Fountain and drove over to check out Colorado Springs. Having the mountains off to one side as I'm driving is just amazing to me. They seem to be almost as sheer of an ascent as the sides of the canyon walls I just left! But just a lot grayer , not the clay red. One of those is Pikes Peak...

I stumbled upon downtown Colorado Springs and wow I really liked it! Quite a few blocks of restaurants, breweries and all kinds of shops lining the lit up sidewalks. Other than a few of the 'unhoused' walking around it had a really good feel to it. Not sketchy or unsafe in anyway and I'd go back for a pint if ever given the chance for sure.

Any takers?!

I found a cool local bike shop too. I stopped in to chat and ask about road rides and such and she handed me four different maps of the local streets. All marked with cycling compatible roads for pretty much the entire Springs area and more! So good that someone put this all together. To bad the weather was not cooperating! I haven't seen one cyclist since I've been here actually. I heard Boulder may be a little bit more active with cyclists and I'll be heading up that way in a few days so we'll see. I have a few other stops first!

I did purchase a few quarter pound cookies (yup you read that right) from Mary's Mountain Cookies to bring home for dessert. Ari's eye's lit up too when we looked at the flavors I bought. Caramel Macchiato, Blueberry Iced Oatmeal...Peanut Butter Cup...just crazy good.

We both felt like hunkering down for the night so we brought in some great local BBQ food for dinner. Killer pulled pork, baked potato, Mac-n-cheese type food. With jalapeño's of course. I like my bbq like I like my...taco's...SPICY! : )

We ate the sandwiches and followed 'em up soon after with some of Mary's cookies...

I decided to catch up on the blogging before I passed out for the night. Actually, I think I'm going to take a day off from it. No plans for Sunday other than to just chill with Arianna and play some board games or cards and go to Sunday brunch. So there! That's the Sunday blog lol!

Inside

Having spent so many days in transition and camping its nice to settle in with family for a couple of days. Just not having to think about which stop is next for 48 hours will be great. The bonus!? Going to take some time and just be with a daughter now living halfway across the country...

Outside

Freakin' cold!

Upside

Having places to stop and hunker down along this journey! Good friends and family, make that great friends and family just accommodating and letting me interrupt their daily lives for some time together...so good!

downside

Freakin' cold!

Wait I used that already...

Every Which way but East!

Not moving at all! Hunkering down here in Fountain 'til Monday and then I'll move on.