Bedrock, Colorado

The Bedrock Store stands alone in the middle of a wide red rock valley.
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On a bend in Colorado Route 90, in the middle of spectacular Paradox Valley, lies the town of Bedrock, home to 230 hardy Coloradans.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=bedrock,+co&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=image

A granola bar and a beer

We stopped at the Bedrock Store, just past the Dolores River boat ramp turn off, and by all appearances the only commercial establishment in the tiny town.  The Bedrock Store is a combination gas, convenience, and liquor establishment, where one can purchase a granola bar and a beer, and glance at the antique tobacco tins and other items that decorate the walls of the old store.  And feel the nice cool air inside after walking in from the unremitting sun.

Paradox Valley landscape, view from the Bedrock PO
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It's a quiet place, out here in the wide open flat Dolores River valley.  But I could imagine a Sunday afternoon at the Bedrock Store, with about 50 Harleys parked off the road, and a large canopy with picnic tables under the sole tree.  A pony-tailed barbecue guy would be turning ribs on an oil drum grill while old rock tunes or country music blared from somewhere nearby. The Bedrock Store just seems like that kind of place.  But I open my eyes, and again it's just a quiet spot in a quiet valley.

Bedrock Post Office
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Driving on toward the Utah state line, we passed the Bedrock Post Office, definitely the smallest Post Office I have ever seen.  It sported an air conditioner and an outside privy, displaying, I thought, some interesting Postal Service priorities.

Paradox Valley is ancient, and has some interesting geologic history.  For those of you so inclined, you can read more here: http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/html/paradox.html

And we never saw Fred or Wilma.