I had lunch at JV's in Chama, NM today on the recommendation of two teenagers at the visitor's center.  I figured they'd know where to get a good burger, and they were spot-on. Yum.   I sat outside at a picnic table alongside Chip, a rider from Pagosa Springs, CO who rode to Chama for lunch.   JV's brought the only mishap of the trip: the parking lot was gravel and I lost my footing while pushing the bike out of the parking spot: plop.  One of the kitchen guys helped me pick it back up.  Ah well, only a small scratch on the saddlebag and a slightly bent brake lever.  I've done worse.

I went over the Rio Grande Gorge, near Taos; I'd read about it in a guidebook and thought it sounded pretty neat. There were rafters on the river, which gave a great sense of scale and a splash of color.  There were lots of other bikers around, too: a couple from Australia, 2 guys from Oklahoma and Texas, a guy from Texas on an FJR.  Lots of FJRs on this trip -- it's making me jealous! Sadly, I've heard that lowering FJRs doesn't work very well. In my next life, I swear I'll have a 34' inseam.

Rio Grande Gorge.

I spent most of New Mexico sneezing -- there were these beautiful yellow flowers everywhere that, apparently, I'm very allergic to. I guess it's a good thing they were so pretty.

Picnic area, rife with allergens.

I ducked up into Colorado instead of following New Mexico straight across to Arizona because I really wanted to go through Four Corners eventually. Plus, I'd never ridden in Colorado and, in fact, it'd been years since I'd been there at all. I'd met a couple from Durango while on our Alaska trip, and I spent the ride through it scouring for a Triumph Bonneville and a KTM, but sadly, there was no sign of Nom or Cindy.

Crossing into Colorado.

Between Bayfield and Durango, CO.

Cortez, Colorado is definitely my kind of town -- every 3rd storefront is a restaurant and the first billboard entering town was for the Main Street Restaurant/Brewery.  I finished the day there with a Maibock that tasted heavenly after dry counties and Michelob.  I have to adore a place whose dessert menu says "try a Schnorzenboomer Amber Dopplebock for dessert -- delicious and healthy!"  

Main Street Brewery.

356 miles today; 4878 miles total

Next Day --> June 19: Cortez, CO - Kingman, AZ