Donuts

Who doesn’t like a good donut? I know I do! We found a fantastic little shop tucked away in a small strip mall on the east side of Cortez, Colorado called Southwest Donuts. They have an fine selection of cake donuts, yeast donuts, fritters, and filled donuts that are made fresh each morning they are open. The breakfast treats all looked delicious, but we would have put on 50 pounds if we tried each one, so we limited ourselves to the Lemon & Berry Glazed cake donut, the Strawberry Dream yeast donut, and the apple fritter. The vibrant colors and flavors of the glazes complimented the light and airy texture. It would be hard to pick a faviorite, but the crispy edges on the yeast donut put it on top for me. It was late in the morning and not very busy when we stopped, allowing us to talk with the owners and the other employees, which we greatly enjoyed. They made this stop one of the highlights of our visit to Cortez

The donut shop was a perfect conclusion to a morning of riding our bikes around town. We enjoyed the bike lanes on many of the streets through town, as well as the meandering trails at the Geer Memorial Open Space Trails Park. There are about nine miles of single-track trails divided among five or six loops, all named after popular Beatles songs. We rode the Revolution Trail, which runs along the perimeter of the park. These paths wind through out the park and are great for hiking as well as biking. Wildlife likes this area too, as evidenced by the snake that scooted across the trail as Tom rode past. Another nice feature is that some of the plants along the trail have signs to identify them. Of course, we had to notice the one called "Winterfat" (something we are still working off). It was not a motivational sign to exercise, but upon further research, I learned it is a small, somewhat uninteresting shrub until it blooms, when every branch is covered in silvery white blossoms. It provides excellent winter food for a variety of wildlife, thus the name.

Carpenter Natural Area is another hiking and biking space adjacent to Geer Memorial Park. It offers more than 10 miles of paved and dirt trails for everyone to enjoy. We ventured off on one of the dirt trails, but a very rocky, steep section had us second guessing our decision, and we headed back to the paved trail, which lead us back into town.

When we had enough time in the sun, we swung by Parque de Vida. It is a large area with ball fields, tennis courts, open spaces, and pathways. We rested under a shaded pavilion while gazing at the fountain in the pond and an idyllic sculpture honoring petroglyphs found throughout the region.

I also want to thank Kokopelli Bike and Board for adjusting the derailleur on the XPremium and clearing some of the dust from the shifter. They did not charge for the service, but Tom is very grateful that downshifts are holding and it ka-chunks much less than before!

It was a wonderful day of adventure, plants, and treats. We might have to make another detour to Southwest Donuts before before we move again and try some of the other creations they offer.

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