Pueblo, CO to Garden City, KS

The day started off with a trip to the Honda dealer in Pueblo, CO. Bryan needed new tires & Boyd's Wing was suffering from an engine miss. Bryan got a new set of Metzlers & the tech quickly diagnosed Boyd's problem as a cracked spark plug boot. The shop did not have a replacement wire in stock so the tech wrapped the cracked insulation with electrical tape. That temporary fix allowed us to get under way.

We have decided to avoid the Interstates as much as possible so we headed east on US-50. After a few hours, we stopped at Wendy's in La Junta, CO for a drink. We struck up a conversation with a local couple who told us about a nearby restored fort dating from the time when the area south of the Arizona River belonged to Mexico. We decided to take a look & were glad we did.

Bent's Old Fort is a walled adobe structure near the north bank of the Arizona River. Built in 1833 by Charles & William Bent, the fort served as a trading post for trappers, buffalo hunters & local Indians. Touring the place we were amazed at how much space there was inside the seemingly small structure and how cool it was inside the adobe walls compared to the nearly 100 degrees outside. While the normal population was about 60, the fort sometimes accomodated up to 200.

We left once again thankful we listened to the advise of the local residents. A few more hours on the road brought us to Garden City, KS where we have stopped for the night.

Gunny