To the Rockies and Beyond

It just so happens that the month of October got even more eventful last week. Upon returning to Denver from Minnesota, Joe got an extremely rare week off from his internship.  I quit my job of four days and we packed up the ol' Civic to embark on an extensive road trip across Colorado.  Turns out we covered a total of 1,100 miles in three days (that is nearly 24 hours of driving)!  Using the map below, you can route our trip that took us from the familiar city surroundings of Denver, southwest into endless scabby ranch lands juxtaposed next to snowy mountains, and back home via narrow county roads zigzagging through the Rockies. There is nothing quite like waking up to an intimate view of the sun rising over the mountains framed by the car window, and a body tingling with excitement wondering where the road ahead will lead...

Thanks to Google Maps.

Road trip itinerary:

Day 1

(A) Denver to (B) the Royal Gorge Bridge in Canon City  [2.5 hrs]

(B) Canon City to (C) the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Reserve in Mosca [3 hrs]

(C) Mosca to (D) Durango  [3.5 hrs]

Day 2

(D) Durango to (E) Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings near Cortez [1 hr]

(E) Cortez to (F) the Four Corners Monument near Shiprock, NM  [1 hr]

(F) Four Corners to (G) Telluride to (H) Grand Junction [4 hrs]

(H) Grand Junction to (I) Glenwood Springs [1.5 hrs]

Day 3

(I) Glenwood Springs to (J) the Maroon Bells Mountains near Aspen [1 hr]

(J) Aspen to (K) Leadville to (L) Vail to (M) Denver [5 hrs]

Our first glimpses at the famous bridge that leads nowhere.
The Royal Gorge Bridge is one of the world's tallest
suspension bridges, held up by 300 tons of US steel beams. 

Joe "planking" on the planks.

We took this Aerial Tram, one of the world's longest
single-span sky trams, across the Royal Gorge
to get another perspective of the bridge.

Gliding 1,200 ft above the Arkansas River at 11 mph.
Terrifying!

Our final activity at the Royal Gorge Park was riding the
world's steepest incline railways. This caged train took us
down 1,550 ft at a 45 degree angle to the Arkansas River banks.

Going down, down, down...

A view from the bottom.
Old electricity poles cower below
The Royal Gorge Bridge above.

Upon arrival at the Great Sand Dunes National
Park and Reserve, we couldn't stop snapping
photos of these seemingly misfit sand mountains.

We climbed to the summit of the "High Dune,"
which was not an easy task considering our
feet kept sliding back from underneath us.

The winds were strong that afternoon, making any
 exposed skin turn raw from the relentless assault
of fast moving sand particles. After we reached
the top of the dune, it was a race to the bottom.
Joe, who stopped to take more pictures,
is waving from near the top. 

Journey through the bluffs to Mesa Verde National Park.
We stopped to check out the views from the "Park Point" lookout.

Taking a tour to see the "Cliff Palace" dwellings.
Just one of many ancient and mysterious city
remnants from a time long past.

These Puebloan peoples built multi-level resident towers with
local stones and clay. Fires were burned as a heat source in the winter,
still visible by the thick layers of soot covering cliff "ceilings".

Maize, squash, beans and small game were food staples.
Here are some old corn kernel grinding stones.

The Four Corners Monument.
My body was in four states at once:
Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona!

You know you are in the Southwest when...

For the final day of the road trip we headed UP
to gawk at the Maroon Bells Mountains, one
of the most photographed spots in Colorado!
The aspen-lined trail itself was picture worthy.

Upon reaching our destination at Crater Lake,
we further explored the area and found this
fascinating terrain of crackled frozen mud.

The Maroon Bells rising up in the background,
wearing their famous snow-stripped winter sweaters.
This one's a keeper.

On the final leg of the drive back to eastbound I-70, we
stumbled upon The Top of the Rockies lookout point. 

Happy tourists!

This spontaneous trip across the great state of Colorado may be over, but I think we both pocketed a hearty sense of adventure that will serve as a compass as we journey through life's long, meandering road ahead.