Leaving on a 10 day ride from Texas to Colorado and back. Our general destinations are listed below. We can easily do 300 to 400 miles in a day on other trips in other areas of the country, but are not sure about the mountains of Colorado.

Are we being to optimistic on the number of miles we can travel in a day in Colorado?
Anybody have any experience with these general routes that they want to share? Any must see or must ride areas that we shouldn't miss?

1. Cleburne to Amarillo (370 miles)
2. Amarillo to Taos (330 miles)
3. Taos to Durango (200 miles via Tres Piedras, Chama and Pagosa Springs)
4. Durango to Glenwood Springs (262 miles via Silverton, Carson, Sapinero and Somerset)
5. Glenwood Springs to Steamboat Springs (105 miles via Toponas)
6. Steamboat Springs to Estes Park (165 miles via Kremmling, Granby and Rocky Mtn Park)
7. Estes Park to Wheeler Junction (217 miles via Central City, Granby, Kremmling and Silverthorne)
8. Wheeler Junction to Pueblo (210 miles via Leadville, Salida and Canon City)
9. Pueblo to Amarillo (322 miles)
10. Amarillo to Cleburne (370 miles)

 

We need to know some of those routes for more inpute. But in general distance, you should make those per day, no problem. Avoid the interstates!

 

I didn't really want to get too specific, but I guess more detail is in order, so I edited my original post. And yes, we almost always avoid the interstate unless we need to make serious miles.

 

Those are all fairly realistic daily goals.

But be sure to start early enough to give yourself some time to walk around some of the towns you're driving through. If'n it was me, I'd use this trip to set the groundwork for another trip next summer. There are lots of things to see in Northern New Mexico and Colorado...besides the roads...and you need to come back again and take all the little side-trips in.

Good luck and have fun. If you get to Pueblo and see a blue & white RKC on the road, give me a wave.

Ride safe.

 

On the day you ride from Taos to Durango...I suggest you include the "Enchanted Circle"...it's sort of a loop around Taos. I'm actually doing that ride from Santa Fe on our first day going to Sturgis...from SF, it's 374 miles through Taos, Enchanted Circle, Chama, Pagosa Springs, and into Durango. For you, it'll be around 300 mi since you're starting in Taos. That riding isn't too technical compared to the mountains you'll encounter in CO, so 300 mi is very do-able.

Google it. It's well worth the extra time.

Ride sounds fantastic!!

 

Just got back from there.
Check out the Silver Dollar Saloon in Leadville.
Great place for beer. Original bar from the 1800's, the girl behind it will tell you the history of how the wood was brought over by wagons from St Louis.
Check out my website http://www.virtualhale.com/cruzn/colorado.php
I have some good links to that area. Also some pictures in my Photo Gallery of the last 4 years of riding the mountain passes and canyons of that area.
http://www.virtualhale.com/gallery2