Day 18 - Blanding to Dolores - Hello Colorado

Today was a pretty uneventful day.  Roads were pretty good but the scenery was meh and the traffic was pretty heavy.  I had a nice smooth wide shoulder to ride most of the way.  There were also towns and convienience stores every 20 miles or so and that make the logistics way easier.

Yesterday when I got to my motel room they sold sodas for 50 cents ... I guzzled 4.  I think I am developing a Dr. Pepper addiction.  Normally, I very rarely drink soda but I'm knocking them back now ... maybe I should switch back to beer.

I dined at the Homestead Steak House across the parking lot from my room at the Four Corners Inn.  Ribs were meaty.  The mashed potatoes came with the "white" gravy.  Around here there is white gravey and brown gravy.  At the Slickrock when I asked the waitress what the difference was she looked at me like "How can anybody be this dumb!".  One is brown and one is white.  I remember once in Iowa or some other third world state in this one restaurant I could see into the pantry and remember seeing giant cans labled "Brown Gravy".  Ultimately, the difference must be the lable on the giant can.  What I really wanted to know was what they where actually made from.

I slept in a little until 5:00am and was on the road at 6:30.  There were a few up and downs and people were actually growing things.  A breakfast bagel and coffee in Monticello and on to the Colorado border.

I was glad to be out of Utah.  It just feels like all the people have a big poop in their pants.  I have never had so many surly, sour, grumpy wait staff, motel people, cashiers ... everybody I came into contact except for the people not from Utah seemed like they where barely tolerating people. The scenery was unbeleivable.

People brightened up as soon as I got into Colorado.  People just chatted to me.  "Must be a hot day to be out riding", "Be careful, cars go fast on that section and there is no shoulder".  Maybe it's just me.

Arriving at the Dolores Mountain Inn ... I'm not sure where the mountains are ... as I pull up I see Natalie checking how dry her kit was.

In my room after I pulled out all my gear and started to wash my kit, I realize there is no hot water.  I called the motel and "Oh, yeah ... he is fixing it.  It will be fixed today.  What? You need to take shower?"  They gave me access to another room and I showered there.  This didn't make much sense tome but I'm not in the motel business.

I found a giant bug in my bathroom.  No idea what it was and I should have taken a photo but I flushed him down the toilet.