After Saturday breakfast at the Red Rocks Grill in Morrison, we'll depart at 9am riding East to the "Wonder Tower" in Genoa. You'll find this to be a bit of P.T. Barnum _style_ entertainment. We then proceed North to Brush and the Drovers Restaurant. It's located at the Livestock Exchange so it should be an interesting Lunch. The prices will remind you of the 1950's, and the food is great(and what pies!), so eat a light breakfast. Then taking SR-71 North we are in Minuteman III & Peacekeeper missile country and a stop near one of the active silos. Ride options range from 208 to 364 miles.

The Wonder Tower in Genoa boasts 24 rooms stuffed with stuff. http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/COGENwonder.html

The Drover’s Restaurant at the Brush Livestock Exchange. http://chefmoz.org/United_States/CO/Brush/Drovers_Restaurant954324275.html
To learn more about the missile silos you can visit:
http://www.urbanadventure.org/main/2006trip/colorado.htm (the graffiti is a bit graphic)
http://www.coloradopeace.org/MissileMaps/ (great map of silo locations)


Garmin File Attached

Google Map
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=108664045840463383529.00044951e48158bb02c46&z=8

sounds like a great ride!

I find the map of missile silos rather intriguing. I wonder how close one can get to the silos? I would imagine there's fences, guards and what not?

duplicate to entry above...

Sounds like an interesting ride. I'll see you there!

Well these things are designed to withstand a nuclear attack, so do you think they are worried about a few people crawling around on top? Yes they have a fence, cameras, and neat antennas (if you're a ham), but very little is visible from the surface You can get within about 200ft legally. Apparently some are decommissioned and you can gain access, but that is not for this trip; BTW it is a federal trespassing offense. I understand the food at super max is quite good!

Image of a typical complex
http://www.strategic-air-command.com/missiles/Titan/Titan_II_missile_complex.htm

Above ground arial view of missile site
http://www.titan2icbm.org/misc/img0001.jpg

nice _link_s, thanks!

Looks like a beautiful weekend to discover the Colorado plains. So don't miss out on this opportunity to put a few early spring miles on the motorcycle.

Use these _link_s to keep an eye on the weather!

Limon, CO
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=limon%2Cco

Brush, CO
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=brush%2C+co

Stoneham, CO (Nearest the missile silos)
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=stoneham%2C+co

This is a great early in the year ride! AND the weather is going to be great.

See pics from a previous ride to Genoa here: http://coloradobeemers.smugmug.com/gallery/1411937_zD5uh

Wish I could go, but I'll do a morning ride, then wait for three eastern Canadian GS and KTM riders that are trailering to CO. They'll park at my warehouse, then ride to western CO and Moab area for a week. They'll arrive Sat. sometime.

Ride Report

Well with temperatures in the high 30's and low 40's the weather didn't quite cooperate with us, but we did have about 15 brave souls visit the Wonder Tower. Having made the decision last year that I would wait for this ride before roaming the Tower, I was as amazed as everyone else when I saw the diversity of items on display. Not to mention a Ham Radio Repeater on 146.3 MHz in the Tower, and what a view. With a Kansas wind blowing us from one side of the highway to the other and sputtering snow, we postponed the trip to Brush and the Missile Silo's. However, the interest is still there so count on seeing it return to the menu some time this summer. While I'm not a Pete Jessen, I did take a few pictures of the Tower, and they will be appearing here soon. Thanks to all those that participated, this was my first time as a ride leader and I found it to be an educational and rewarding experience. If you haven't done it, give it a try.

Ken Slough
Your Top O' The Rockies Rally Master

I had a good time on the ride. You have to see this place to believe it. More old "junk" under one roof than you could believe. The old guy running the place was quite a character, too. I wish I had remembered my camera. Geen chilli bugers in Limon were good, but I think that waitress was hitting on Hal.

Bob

Pictures from the Tower. If you were snapping away on the trip, and would like to see your handy work in the Gallery, forward them to me. I'll make sure you get Worldwide distribution.

Ken
topotherockies@coloradobeemers.org

And the Gallery
http://coloradobeemers.smugmug.com/gallery/4737218_dRRW3#280588686_mJjmo