Another Day, Another Trip

Well, it’s been two weeks since our last trip…time to get back on the road. This time we’re heading to Fruita, Colorado. Fruita is an up and coming mountain biking mecca of the West. Miles and miles of newly constructed trails traverse the Rocky Mountain foothills. We’ve only heard great things so we are eager to explore a new place!

But there’s more to Fruita than the biking. This is a town with a sense of humor. Each May they throw their annual Mike the Headless Chicken Festival.  Now this is not a small, sidestreet celebration.  Mike the Headless Chicken has a statue on town square.  Schools close, parades march, people celebrate.  It’s the real deal.

We’ve shared bits of the tale before, but it’s worth repeating because Mike’s story is a fascinating one.  In 1945, the young chicken was going to be dinner.  Lloyd Evans took Mike out back and took off his head.  But Mike, unfazed, continued to peck for food.  Lloyd was amazed and began to feed Mike his seeds and water with an eyedropper.   A week later, he took the indomitable Mike to the University of Utah.  The shocked scientists determined that Mike still had enough brain stem to continue on, and for 18 more months he did.   His unusual situation earned him national fame and he traveled from coast to coast.  Mike’s robust health was impressive and he grew from 2 1/2 lbs to 8 lbs.   Now 6 decades later, Mike’s amazing life is celebrated each year.  You’ve got to like a town that has got its priorities straight.

Tonight we planned our trip south to this very cool little town.  While we’ll miss the Chicken Fest, we’ll be there for Halloween.  I can’t wait to see what surprises may be in store for us!