One Tank Trip: Colorado Highway 72
Colorado Highway 72, Coal Creek Canyon may be one of the undiscovered treasures of Front Range driving. Time to say goodbye to Jefferson County and hello to the mountains.
"We're in Gilpin county now, where the roads are crooked and the gambling is straight. And way over there is where Central City and Blackhawk are located. We'll never get close to them today," Bill Clarke said.
And we're up, all right, well over 8,000 feet and climbing. Coming into the small settlement of Wondervu.
Where the RTD bus line ends, the mountain driving turns serious.
And for all the frustrated sports drivers who've never been able to negotiate some of these turns faster than 25 or 30 miles an hour, this is what it looks like at sixty. Kids, don't try this with a real car, okay.
Better you should stop and take some pictures, not far beyond the town of Pinecliff, we'll turn right and begin heading toward Boulder.
We're going to the town of Nederland, gateway to Eldora ski area and further north, Rocky Mountain National Park.
Nederland is a colorful town with an international flair and nothing so prominent as the Black Forest restaurant.
The building is nearly 20 years old built way ahead of its time.
The new owners moved here a year ago, when they say gambling ruined the town of Blackhawk.
The menu is a combination of German, American, and Colorado cuisine. Where else can you get sauerbraten or elk for lunch?
Where else for under $10?
Getting There:
Our first one-tank trip starts out just about anywhere in the Denver area. Your first destination is the Sixth Avenue Freeway westbound. Take US 6/Sixth Avenue all the way into Golden. When the highway turns left to go up Clear Creek Canyon, you go straight ahead on Colorado 93. You'll go several miles north on 93 to Colorado 72, Coal Creek Canyon. This is where the fun begins as the climbing starts. RTD actually has a bus route up here as well. At the Conoco station, one local resident told us that all mountain people aren't crazy. But, he added, it sure helps. Once you get past the settlement of Coal Creek, headed toward Wondervu and Pinecliff, the magic of the road will overcome you. There's a small motel at Wondervu that is open during the summer season and may be open from time to time otherwise. It's called the Cascade Motel. And if you want to get away from it all, this is the place to do it. Beyond Pinecliff, you come to the intersection of Colorado 72 and Colorado 119. If you turn left on 119, you'll head toward Rollinsville and the east opening of the Moffat tunnel. In the summertime, the gravel road above Rollinsville is a great way to get to Winter Park. And to see how the original railroad line crossed the Continental Divide before the tunnel was created. It's a real eye-popper. But if you turn right on 119, you'll head toward Nederland and Boulder. At Nederland we ate lunch at the Black Forest Inn. Though elk and roast duck were on the luncheon menu (in the middle of the week, in late April), we chose the more conventional chicken-fried steak (photo-journalist Steve Coppin did) and the ground sirloin steak (dieting Bill Clarke chose that one). Lots of good mountain biking near Nederland. But if you take our one tank trip past Boulder Falls and on into Boulder, you wind up on Canyon Avenue. A couple of blocks north is the Pearl Street Mall. And on Saturdays, between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., Canyon takes you right past the best Farmers' Market along the Front Range. 13th Avenue, between Canyon and Arapahoe is the location. And this Farmer's Market may be the best stocked and most authentic in these here parts. The Boulder Farmer's Market has a great Web site. It's at www.boulderfarmers.org. Gives you the basics on the market, some recipes from the vendors, tips on parking as well. Later in May, the BFM will also be open Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. There's plenty of prepared food at the BFM as well, though if you want something a little more sit-down style, the Pearl Street Mall has plenty of very good restaurants. And there's free parking on Saturdays at the RTD Park-N-Ride Garage at about 12th, between Canyon and Pearl. You'll get back to Denver with some fuel left over. Enough to get you started on next week's trip to Colorado's newest tourist attraction!
Our first one-tank trip starts out just about anywhere in the Denver area. Your first destination is the Sixth Avenue Freeway westbound. Take US 6/Sixth Avenue all the way into Golden. When the highway turns left to go up Clear Creek Canyon, you go straight ahead on Colorado 93. You'll go several miles north on 93 to Colorado 72, Coal Creek Canyon. This is where the fun begins as the climbing starts. RTD actually has a bus route up here as well. At the Conoco station, one local resident told us that all mountain people aren't crazy. But, he added, it sure helps. Once you get past the settlement of Coal Creek, headed toward Wondervu and Pinecliff, the magic of the road will overcome you. There's a small motel at Wondervu that is open during the summer season and may be open from time to time otherwise. It's called the Cascade Motel. And if you want to get away from it all, this is the place to do it. Beyond Pinecliff, you come to the intersection of Colorado 72 and Colorado 119. If you turn left on 119, you'll head toward Rollinsville and the east opening of the Moffat tunnel. In the summertime, the gravel road above Rollinsville is a great way to get to Winter Park. And to see how the original railroad line crossed the Continental Divide before the tunnel was created. It's a real eye-popper. But if you turn right on 119, you'll head toward Nederland and Boulder. At Nederland we ate lunch at the Black Forest Inn. Though elk and roast duck were on the luncheon menu (in the middle of the week, in late April), we chose the more conventional chicken-fried steak (photo-journalist Steve Coppin did) and the ground sirloin steak (dieting Bill Clarke chose that one). Lots of good mountain biking near Nederland. But if you take our one tank trip past Boulder Falls and on into Boulder, you wind up on Canyon Avenue. A couple of blocks north is the Pearl Street Mall. And on Saturdays, between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., Canyon takes you right past the best Farmers' Market along the Front Range. 13th Avenue, between Canyon and Arapahoe is the location. And this Farmer's Market may be the best stocked and most authentic in these here parts. The Boulder Farmer's Market has a great Web site. It's at www.boulderfarmers.org. Gives you the basics on the market, some recipes from the vendors, tips on parking as well. Later in May, the BFM will also be open Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. There's plenty of prepared food at the BFM as well, though if you want something a little more sit-down style, the Pearl Street Mall has plenty of very good restaurants. And there's free parking on Saturdays at the RTD Park-N-Ride Garage at about 12th, between Canyon and Pearl. You'll get back to Denver with some fuel left over. Enough to get you started on next week's trip to Colorado's newest tourist attraction!
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