With a day of hikes and drives ahead we decided a full sit-down breakfast was in order to tide us over. The Buff restaurant in downtown Boulder is a breakfast/bunch only joint with fantastic food. Full up we drove up towards Flagstaff Mountain and Summit. Just minutes away from downtown is one of the world’s best mountain driving road. Flagstaff road is a jumble of twists, turns, switchbacks and very steep climbs, decorated with incredible roadside scenery of mountains and jagged and curved boulders. Our anemic and pathetic Hyundai made us long for a sports car as we mashed the pedal of the Korean junker creating only noise without motion. We soon got revenge as the nicely paved roadway suddenly turned into loose dirt and gravel. The twists and turns continued but the loose footing made things more exciting as we four-wheel drifted towards the unblocked drop-offs and cliffs.
Eventually we reached Arvada, CO home of famed author Clive Cusslers auto Museum. (www.cusslermuseum.com) It seems this vast and stunning collection of amazing cars is only a part of the collection and that the vehicles are regularly rotated out and driven.
En route to our first brewery stop of the day we passed the historic White City (now called Lakeside) Amusement park. Looming large over the roadway is the wooden Cyclone roller coaster. Looking to be long abandon we were happy to discover it is functions on weekend.
Call to Arms Brewing is located in a small community of recently refurbished craftsman style small homes.
A few minutes away is Hogshead Brewery located in a converted gas station serving up British style ales overlooked by its namesake Hog head.
Dead Hippy Brewing located in an ugly strip mall builds its enjoyment from care-free attitude, classic pinball machines and quality brews.
This historic Little Bear Saloon in Evergreen CO is known world-wide. It has an atmosphere of many past adventures. If only the walls and tables could talk… well they do in a way; Names and dates are carved into every wood surface. Upstairs more carved woodwork seats abound overlooking the bra surrounded stage.
Looks like the kind of drive where I would have had to tell you to take the edge off 🙂
You would have been screaming