Up Bear Creek Canyon and into Evergreen, Colorado
- Continue on Bear Creek Ave - 7.8 mi
Visit Evergreen, Colorado, including The Little Bear and Cactus Jack's
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Up (West) Into Bear Creek Canyon
As you leave Morrison toward the west and up the canyon (Bear Creek Canyon), Morrison Road becomes Bear Creek Avenue. The speed
limit on Bear Creek Avenue starts at 25 MPH near Morrison and then varies from 25 MPH to 45 MPH to Evergreen, Colorado.
Bear Creek Avenue is very twisty in parts, with blind curves as the road turns along the cliff walls in the canyon. For this reason,
the road has 'rough dividers' between the 2 lanes; the bumps that make your tires 'burp' if you run over them. Watch for
bicyclists on your side of the road, but more importantly, watch for cars, trucks and other motorcycles that may cross the divider from the
other lane into your lane as they round the curves. There are a lot of small and not-so-small parks along Bear Creek Avenue. You
can stop to relax next to Bear Creek or take a walk at a number of locations, often as the lone visitor.
On your way up the canyon, you will pass through several small towns including Idledale, Colorado and Kittredge, Colorado.
Idledale has a post office, and occasionally a Jefferson County Sheriff with a radar gun waiting for speeders. Kittredge has
several restaurants. As you enter town from the east, the Bear Creek Inn is on your left, set alongside Bear Creek.
The Bear Creek Inn is my favorite place to hang out in Kittredge for a drink or for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The restaurant/bar is situated alongside Bear Creek and provides amazing close-up
views of deer, elk, and a large variety of birds from hummingbirds to blue herons. The Bear Creek Inn also has very nice outdoor seating
for when the weather is too nice to sit inside. Further into Kittredge, you'll find Cuppa Joe, the new coffee house in Kittredge
that has live music nearly every night. If you're hungry for an excellent meal with a higher price tag, try the
Black Hat Cattle Company for lunch or dinner. There is one gas station
in Kittredge, and the gas prices there are not good. Continue a few miles to Evergreen for better gas prices.
Evergreen, Colorado
Continue west out of Kittredge approximately 3 miles to Evergreen, Colorado. As you approach Evergreen, you will see two gas stations
on your right. The second gas station on your right, on the corner, has the least expensive gas in the area. Continue west on
Bear Creek Avenue, staying at 25 MPH or less as you enter Evergreen. The little town of Evergreen, Colorado has an interesting past
and is becoming more of a tourist destination as the town continues to grow. The best breakfast in town is at the Wildflower Cafe,
on the right (north) side of the street, in the strip of wooden buildings lining the street. The Wildflower Cafe offers delicious
and reasonably priced breakfasts and lunches. The Wildflower closes at 2 p.m. and is closed for dinner, except on Thursday nights
when the Wildflower hosts a special sushi night. The Sushi at the Wildflower Cafe is excellent, though a bit pricey. That's what
you get when you must have fresh, sushi-grade fish in the mountains of Colorado!
A few doors down from the Wildflower Cafe, you will find The Little Bear.
The Little Bear is a motorcycle rider's
landmark, and there is often a long row of motorcycles parked in front. The Little Bear has live music every night of the week, and
there is usually a band playing there on weekend afternoons, too. The interior is large and dark, with women's bras hanging from
the rafters above the stage. The food is reasonably priced and pretty good, though I mostly eat the pizza.
There are a variety of other restaurants and places to relax in Evergreen. Down the wood-plank boardwalk from the Little Bear,
past the Wildflower Cafe, there is a BBQ joint and a Chicago Hot Dog restaurant. Across the street from the Little Bear, there is a winery
that is open for lunch daily, a Beau Jeau's Pizza, and even a Baskin Robbin's Ice Cream store.
Motorcycles line the street in front of The Little Bear.
Another "motorcycle rider's paradise" in Evergreen, Colorado is Cactus Jack's Saloon & Grill.
To get to Cactus Jack's, continue past The Wildflower Cafe and The Little Bear to the stop light (the only stop light in Evergreen), and
take a left onto Route 73. Cactus Jack's is on your immediate right, so after your left turn, prepare for an immediate right turn
into the parking lot at Cactus Jack's. Cactus Jack's has a very different feel compared to The Little Bear. Cactus Jack's is brighter
and better lit inside, with an excellent creekside patio, video games and a pinball machine (!), and good food at good prices.
The music on the juke box and the pictures on the wall quickly let you know that this is a Widespread Panic and Grateful Dead-friendly establishment,
though the general music lover is always welcome. Cactus Jack's has music on the creekside patio during the summers and music Thursday
through Saturday nights all year long. On the menu, you'll find some good chicken wings, over 20 styles of burgers, and hand-cut french fries,
among other reasonably priced items.
Motorcycles often fill the parking lot of Cactus Jack's.
We'll see some "fancier" restaurants on our way out of Evergreen, Colorado. In case you're in the mood for seafood, steak, or other
specialties.
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