Chilling in Summit

Woke up to temps of 27°F outside the van and 37° inside. Now that’s cold!  But there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the forecast for the next five days is pure sun.

We spent a relaxing day doing laundry and simply hanging out with Alex, who has a month off from work. 

After breakfast Joni and I drove to Leadville, which is 35 miles to the south.   Alex lived in Leadville for two years and made this drive everyday.  It’s a beautiful drive through the mountains, climbing over Freemont Pass, 11,319 ft.  The scenery is spectacular and there is no development.  Unfortunately the lack of development is due to the toxic waste created by the mining industry.  This area is now designated as a Superfund site because the air, groundwater, surface water, and soil are contaminated with radionuclides and metals including molybdenum, uranium, and uranium daughter products from uranium milling by Cotter Corporation. It makes you wonder if this is what will happen to the areas in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument once the Trump administration declassifies 85% of that area in order to allow industrial development.   A true tragedy; who needs environmental protection?

Arriving in Leadville we drove past Alex’s old home and Perry and Ed’s Guest House which was operated by former Patriots tackle Nate Solder’s parents.  Their home is now for sale; I think the Solder’s have moved on.  Parking the car on Main Street we first stopped at the City on the Hill Coffee & Espresso bar for a late morning break.  We’ve been there before and can’t go through Leadville without stopping.  We then took a leisure stroll along Main Street, window shopping and trying to figure out what shops were new.  We then went into Melanzana, an outdoor clothing store that makes all their own fleece garments.  They are a booming business that can’t keep up with demand, so they’ve shut down their on-line business and only sell to those who visit the store.  Joni ordered a hoodie which they will send to her once it’s made, and I was lucky enough to find one right on their rack.

We returned to Silverthorne along the same route. Many of the major truck manufacturers use this route to test their new vehicles and we noticed a truck that was completely camouflaged but obviously be evaluated.

We lunched at the Dillon Dam Brewery, where Alex and Alice both worked.  It was our first meal there and we really like it.

We spent the remained of the day hanging out at Alex & Alice’s place, re-organizing & fine tuning our camping gear in preparation of our two week trip into Utah.

For dinner the four of us went Mexican…great food and huge portions.  I think we brought home more than we consumed.

Mountains, Mountains Everywhere!

For our first morning in Colorado, we woke up to rain and deer in our campsite; both left shortly and we enjoyed a fabulous morning exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. Joni and I were last here 13 summers ago, but it seemed like the first time, the spectacular scenery overwhelmed us. 

We packed up and were on the road by 9 AM, our latest start since we left NH.  Within ten minutes we came upon 2 male mule deer with a huge racks grazing by the side of the road.   (Just like NH, you see the crowd before you see the animal.)  

Continuing on, we drove up to Bear Lake and enjoyed great color on the Aspens whose bright yellows contrast sharply to the dark green Ponderosa pines.  Retracing our route, we drove along a road just below our campground and encountered the same herd of elk that we’d seen the night before, but now we were much closer and we weren’t fighting the setting sun.  There was just 1 majestic bull surrounded by a harem of 40 cows. King Tut on four legs!

Continuing our drive across the park we followed Trail Ridge Road, which reaches a maximum altitude of 12,183.  The higher we ascended the colder and windier it got.  There were plenty of pull offs with spectacular views at every one.  It was hard not to stop at every one and take photos.

On our way out of the park we stopped at Milner Pass for the mandatory shot of us straddling the Continental, and finally a quick stop at the Kawuneeche Visitors Center.

We had a late lunch in the village of Grand Lake at a water front snack bar recommended by our son Alex.  His local knowledge paid off.  As we left Grand Lake the rain started as we continued our planned route through Winter Park, over the Berthoud Pass, where the temp dropped to 37°F.   The 11,306 ft. altitude turned the rain to snow.  The slippery roads and low clouds took all the joy out of this part of the drive.

It was still raining when we arrived in Silverthorne, but we were so happy to Alex and Alice again that the rain didn’t matter.  After catching up with each other for several hours, we went out for a delicious dinner of Indian and Himalayan food.  

Our first full day in Colorado was a good one!

The view from Alex's yard!

The Rockies...Finally!

We made it to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado today.  

Today we drove 438 miles in 9 hours.

Our four day totals from Sugar Hill, New Hampshire to Rocky Mountain National Park are 2121 miles in 41.5 hours.  Wow! 

The deer aren't spooked by humans.

We made it to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado today.  

Today we drove 438 miles in 9 hours.

Our four day totals from Sugar Hill, New Hampshire to Rocky Mountain National Park are 2121 miles in 41.5 hours.  Wow!  

That’s a lot of driving, but as we sat at our campsite, sipped a beer and enjoyed panoramic views of the park and Longs Peak, we agreed it was worth every minute and mile!

We were on Interstate 80 by 7:15 this morning.  As we progressed into western Nebraska the scenery became flatter and browner, and much more like Kansas than Iowa.  Occasionally there would be patches of green, irrigated wheat or corn fields. Interstate 80 parallels the Union Pacific’s main east west route, so we kept pace with a variety of trains along the way.  

We stopped in Cheyenne, Wyoming for a delicious brunch at the “Egg and I”. It’s part of a highly rated chain that we visited in Memphis last spring.  There’s a restaurant in Hyannis with the same name, but I’m sure it’s not part of the chain.

Before getting back on the highway, we took a brief driving tour through downtown Cheyenne, which has a charming main street with beautiful old buildings.  

Cheyenne’s is located in the southeast corner of Wyoming, so we were quickly into Colorado and by 4 PM we were at the park’s visitors’ center.  The traffic leaving the park was very heavy, and all the campgrounds in the park were full, so we were very glad to have reserved a spot. 

As we pulled into our campsite we immediately saw two mule deer searching for crumbs just three sites from ours’, and as we set up our gear we were treated to additional mule deer and a herd of elk that were grazing in the distance.  What a welcome!

Our dinner was very simple; grilled cheese with fresh tomatoes from Lisa Woodward’s garden.  As we ate we were serenaded by faint calls of trumpeting elk in the distance.  Amazing!

Saturday, 9/22

Daybreak in eastern Iowa...right out of "Field of Dreams".   Iowa is a really a beautiful state.  The farms are immaculate and in great condition and the cornfields are never ending, and it's much greener than Kansas or Nebraska.  Getting off the highway is always a treat!

As we drove along Interstate 80 in Nebraska all we saw were corn fields and windmills.

We arrived at our campground, Windmill State Recreation Area, outside Gibbon, Nebraska at 6 pm after 487 miles and 11 hours of driving.  Although this campground is crowded and each site is not that private it has showers and real toilets, something we haven't enjoyed since we left NH.

Heading West

Friday, September 21

We've spent the last two days just driving west on Interstate 80.   622 miles in 13 hours miles on Thursday and 572 miles in 10 hours today.   Traffic has been dominated by 18 wheelers and scenery by rolling farmlands in New York, Pennyslvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.  It is fall, so the soybeans have yellowed and the feed corn is brown, and in western New York we noticed migrant farmer workers were picking apples.

No photo worthy meals yet.  Lunches have been at Burger King & Culvers,  but our dinners have at our campsite:  corn chowder from the Littleton Coop on Thursday,  fish chowder from Sea Food Sam's tonight, French bread from King Arthur, and beer from Blue Moon.

Our night time entertainment was provided by the Sox who we've been able to pick up via the "At Bat" on our iPhone.

At the end of today's drive we crossed the Mississippi into Iowa at Rock Island.  Seeing the Big Muddy is always a thrill for this Missouri boy.  Our final ten miles took us south along west bank of the river, past grain elevators and petroleum depots.  Familiar sights from my youth.

Welcome

Yes, we're taking another road trip; it's one of the joys of being retired.  We plan to spend about a month on the road.  Until we get to Colorado, we'll be doing very little sight seeing, and lots of driving.  Once we cross the Continental Divide, we'll meet up with Alex and Alice and tour a number of National Parks and National Monuments in Colorado and Utah.

We have no reservations for this trip.  Joni's done lots of research, but we'll let our interests determine our pace.

Once we start back home, we will follow the old Route 66 through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri, taking our time and enjoying the "Will Rogers Highway, the Main Street of America, or the Mother Road."  

It should be fun.