Good Morning. After riding 525 miles yesterday and starting the day with a hotel continental breakfast, I was ready for some really good food this morning. Yesterday’s ride took me from Tonopah, Nevada on the 6 east to the 318 east to the 93 east all the way to the 15 north. I started out in Nevada and ended in Green River, Utah. There is not much in-between those two places except high desert and cows. In fact, I had to ride 200 miles on one tank of gas before finding a station in Caliente, Nevada. Thank God my bike has a 6 gallon tank because I arrived with just a half gallon left, so if you’re riding a bike with less capacity, don’t take this route or you’ll be pushing your bike allot of miles. These are open range roads, which means cattle roam free in-between grazing areas and they can be found on the road and they get an attitude when you ride up to them. They look at you and its like there saying, “Fuck you pal, this is my road and I will move when I am good and ready”. LOL. Anyway, I did make it to Green River without incident and arrived at the motel safely.
So today, I got up a little late for me, 6am and loaded the bike. I was going to my sister’s house in Monument, CO which is a modest 390 miles of mainly major highways. So I was in no rush to get started and took my time getting ready. I had already done my routine of gas, oil, loose parts check the night before so I just walked up to the only sight in Green River which is ‘the river’ and finished a horrible Motel 6 cup of coffee. I thought about the day’s ride because your mind-set for major highways is different than back roads. You can fall into a false sense of security on these highways so you need to prepare for the ride mentally. Trucks in these states can go the same speed limit as cars, which is not the case in California, so you need to be totally aware of their presence. That being said, I got on the 15 north to the 70 east. Now the 15 north is not much to talk about but the 70 is a different story altogether. I actually rode my 100 mile rule (107) before stopping to have breakfast and wound in a little town called Clifton, CO. I pulled in to get some gas (I always top off when I stop for breakfast, you never know when the next gas stop will be) and while I was filling up, I asked a local to direct me to a good breakfast place. Now I know this is taking a chance but what the hell, live dangerously. I was told that ‘Starvin Arvin’s has really good food. Since I will probably never see this person again, I can say their taste buds must be in their ass.
Now, I must say, when I walked in I was greeted immediately and directed to a table which of course is not where I really want to be, but their counter which has only 5 seats was full. I was promptly attended to by a waitress whose name escapes me but she was very nice and asked me what I wanted to drink. I ordered coffee and orange juice but I did notice her uniform blouse was so wrinkled it looked like it sat in the dryer a day or two before being put on. It’s interesting that the restaurant let that go. Oh well, I looked over the menu and decided on their special, which was rib-eye steak and eggs with hash brown potatoes. Since I was still a little pissed off at those cows on the road I wanted a little revenge by eating their cousins. LOL. When I ordered, the waitress asked me would I like toast, English muffin, biscuits or a cinnamon bun. I wanted toast with my breakfast (sourdough of course) but I love cinnamon buns so I ordered that for an appetizer. The meal started off well; the orange juice was freshly squeezed, the cinnamon bun was really tasty and the coffee was excellent but that is where it stops. I had asked for the hash brown potatoes to be cooked a little extra because I like them crispy and by the way, there is no other choice of potatoes. The eggs were cooked right, but the steak was so filled with fat, that I had to cut away a quarter of it before eating it. (The cows are getting back at me.) The hash browns were deep fried and although crispy, oozed in grease. This is only the second time since Hope and I have been doing this that I left my food at the table and not because I was full, but because it was awful. To be fair, the service here was very good, the people very nice and the restaurant very clean, including the bathrooms and all of these things are important but without good food who gives a shit. I finished what I could stomach because I still had a long ride ahead of me and got back on the road. Now, I have a choice… I can let this bother me and ruin my ride or just chalk it up to being an experience. Since I am a biker, I let nothing ruin my ride. Life is full of experiences and this is one that will make me laugh when I think about the wrinkled waitress and oozing hash browns.
I got back on the road to complete my journey to Colorado. Now the 70 is a major highway but it is still a beautiful ride. You ride through mountain passes with abundant pine trees, fantastic rock formations that are awe-inspiring and scenic view stops that allow you to see for miles. You pass all the major ski resorts, including Vail where even a gas stop is scenic. All in all it was a wonderful day, the weather was less than perfect with rain every now and then, but who cares. It becomes a game to beat the scattered thunderstorms that you can see coming at you and they are gone as fast as they come so if you get a little wet, you’re dry in the next 10 miles. It makes for exciting riding and intensifies the feeling of freedom that motorcycle riding affords us. I arrived at my sister’s house in Monument safely and I am now visiting family and friends. What a way to finish this leg of the journey. The only thing is, avoid Starvin’ Arvin’s in Clifton, Colorado. This place is definitely a ‘don’t bother’ place. This is one time I am relived Hope was not with me. Her tolerance for bad food and wrinkly waitresses is not quite the same as mine. She would have recommended an iron to the waitress and a new cook to the manager. LOL.
Safe riding.
Gary
Starvin’ Arvin’s 3247 F Rd
Clifton, CO 81520 (970) 434-0777
Clifton, CO 81520 (970) 434-0777
