If you do decide to stick to the Boulder area, here are some family-friendly ideas:
- The easiest, pretty climb to a cute mountain town is to Jamestown <https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15254763>. The only question is whether the road repairs from the 2013 flood will be completed by the time you arrive. They are rideable now but with some dirt / temporary portions and some temporary closures for work. It could very well be completed by the end of August. In Jamestown, stop at the Merc for lunch or a snack. There is also a pretty park across the street. - A very pretty, low-traffic, mixed surface (pavement and dirt road) route through Boulder County farmland is to do this expanded version of the Boulder Roubaix <https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15255067> cyclocross route. I would start at the parking lot on Neva Road and plan to have lunch in Hygiene at either the Purple Door Market <http://www.purpledoormarket.net/cafe-and-deli/> (great sandwiches and outdoor seating; formerly known as Mary's Market and many people still call it that) or have a sit-down meal at the Crane Hollow Cafe, which doesn't have a website but is right at the main intersection. This is mostly flat with a couple of very short but fun hills. - As an add-on or variation, a short but very pretty mostly dirt but not single-track route around Boulder Valley Ranch and the Boulder Reservoir <https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15255115>. I always include a stop at Coot Lake because the views are beautiful and it is fun to watch the dogs swimming. As you come around and through the the south side of the Reservoir, there is a snack shack where you can have lunch and a swimming area. - There is a fun, rambling trail from Boulder to Longmont called the LOBO trail <http://www.bouldercounty.org/os/parks/pages/lobotrail.aspx>. If that interests you, I can send the gps route. The website map can be hard to follow. I like to have lunch at the Comida <http://www.eatcomida.com/the-cantina/> in Prospect Park. Of course, there are tons of road only rides that you can find on mapmyride and elsewhere. Cherryvale road is really nice and can be a nice combo with the South Boulder Creek trail (which often has friendly cows on the route). Jay to 75th to Baseline Lake and back via the bike path is pretty. NCAR is a short climb with a gorgeous view. The town of Nederland is very cute and your child might enjoy the Carousel of Happiness. <http://www.carouselofhappiness.org/> You could do a ride along the Peak to Peak highway to Ward -- another iconic location. Re dinosaurs, I've never been but I gather Dinosaur Ridge <http://www.dinoridge.org/> is a fun experience.Googling offers this bike route <https://coloradobikemaps.com/tag/dinosaur-ridge/> near there. It is not obvious to me how long or hard that route is but I imagine you can adjust as needed. Hope this gives you some ideas. I am happy to make more suggestions if one direction or another is most appealing. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
