Running the Rainbow

 The word Durango originates from the Basque word “Urango” meaning “water town” or “well watered place.” Durango was formed in 1880 when the railroad was developed for gold mining. It was a 6 ½ hour drive from Castle Rock so we stopped at Colorado Grille in El Norte for lunch.  I thought their soft serve ice cream was the best! Durango has a huge abundance of outdoor recreation.  There are hiking trails, biking trails, ski resorts, and a college.  It is also known as one of the most dog friendly cities in Colorado. With hundreds of miles of single-track trails, rugged downhill rides, and even multiple flow trails, the trails surrounding Durango, Colorado provide some of the best mountain biking in the state. With wide open roads, big western skies, and spacious bike lanes, Durango is more than a bike-friendly town. Here, cycling is a way of life where you’ll find more bikes than cars and hundreds of paved miles to explore. Connor, Lloyd, and I brought our b...

  Eagle is west of Vail and East of Glenwood Springs.   The town has an extensive trail system for mountain biking, hiking and trail running.  It is about 10 degrees cooler in Eagle than Denver and only about 6,000 people live in the town.  On our way up, we saw snow.  We also hit some significant traffic, due to a rollover accident.  Thankfully, we did arrive by 4pm and Connor got to do his pre ride. We stayed at a hotel that allowed dogs.  We brought Lola and she slept on the floor.  I went for a run around town while Connor did his pre ride.  I met one of his friends on the mountain bike team that he used to play basketball with.  I also met Annabelle and her father.  The team really tried to encourage the girls to be on the mountain bike team.  Carly is definitely committed to swimming but Camilla said she would think about it. After Connor’s pre ride, we went back to the hotel to shower.  We discovered that C...