Working on four hours of sleep the previous day, I made myself sleep in, and I see that I departed the hotel at 9:42 am, gassed up, and hopped back on I-80.
Nothing gets me more excited on a road trip than seeing the “Welcome to Colorful Colorado” sign. And departing Lincoln, I knew it would be a few hours before I’d anticipate seeing it shortly after merging onto I-76 in western Nebraska. There is a new interchange, as I nearly missed the turn. In the past (and in Street View from 2018), I-76 exited on the left side of I-80. This time, I-76 was a long exit ramp on the right side of I-80. Indeed, in a satellite view, I see that the interchange was rebuilt at some point between my last drive on I-80 in 2018 (2019’s road trip took me north across I-90) and 2022.
Maybe three miles past the interchange…
…I have arrived!
My goal for the day was Manitou Springs. I left home a day early so I could take a day’s break from driving, as the rally would be four days straight in the car. I had a chance to give the ExpressToll transponder a try–it had been sitting here, nearly forgotten, on my desk since I ordered it in late 2019. The E-470 freeway around Denver is a major toll road and bypass, avoiding the congestion of I-70 and I-25 through the heart of the Mile High City.
At 4:35pm, I arrived at the Villa Motel in Manitou Springs. An independent motel, it is decades old but is continually updated and refreshed, so the rooms are always clean and modern looking. I have stayed here at least a half dozen times, and it is the closest motel in the Manitou Ave. corridor to downtown.
Dinner, of course, was planned at The Loop, a Mexican restaurant downtown at the corner of Manitou Ave. and Ruxton Ave. I’m not big on cocktails anymore, but it’s been four years since I’ve had their Blue Margarita, made from tequila and Blue Coracao. It packed a bit of a punch on an empty stomach, but after a helping of shredded beef flautas, I was good to go.
After walking off dinner, and my numerous aches and pains from 20 hours of driving over two days, I headed back to the motel to unwind. The next day would be my day off, but I had to be at the next hotel, south of Denver, the following evening.