September 16, 2015

Last morning in the Aspen.  While out to eat last night,  the waitress told us about a place to see.  It is called Maroon Bells and is about 10 miles up a side road.  Because we were headed for the Arches NP today we were up early and arrived just after sunrise when the best pictures are usually taken.  There are over 200,000 visitors yearly.
We drove up to the entrance to the park and the women working there noticed our Maine plates.She asked where we lived and we told her Newport, about an hour North.. and she cut in and said I know where is is, I lived in Maine for 30 years.  Tom asked her where she lived...Readfield.  I told her I was from Winthrop.  To make a longer story short, she let us in for free.

Maroon Bells is a spectacular location us a side canyon that reportedly has the best sunrises.
The Maroon part of the name comes from the sun's reflection off the red rock.  This morning the weather didn't quite cooperate but we got some great shots anyway.

A Brit who works in the area had his drone up and about.

Finally the sun starts peeking through.

For more spectacular pics that have been taken over the years, go to the link  Maroon Bells

On the way out of Snowmass, we got a couple more pics.  Flowers are so beautiful,

Further along the road the red rock becomes more apparent.

The Colorado River

The Arches National Park features rocks...and since no 2 are the same, we took lots of pics

This rock outcrop is called the 3 gossips.

Balanced Rock

Landscape Arch

Petition Arch

Petition arch above

Navajo Arch

A view from the top of the trail

Looking at the way back down

Found Grammie!

Tunnel Arch

Mountains to the East

A great day for visiting a National Park.  The food at the Moab Brewing Bar and Grill was also great and another full day ahead of us.

Today we went over 3300 miles since we began, reached our westernmost point and still have quite a few more things to see.

September 15, 2015

Today we drove a shorter distance but it took a longer time because we were driving through the Colorado mountains from Denver to Aspen.

Once we made a pretty rapid ascent from the mile high city to well over 10,000 feet things got a lot more

B E A U T I F U L

The construction of the Eisenhower shortened the drive by 9.2 miles. One could have taken the Loveland Pass instead.

The view of Silverthorne coming into the town. 

The changing of  the Aspens is really starting to change.  Another 2 weeks....

 I want to take you higher...  Boom laka-laka-laka.  Sly  12,095 feet

Route 82, just a little below Leadville, to Aspen was a wonderful but slow and curvy, and sometimes narrow road.  It is 40 miles long and is known as the Top of the Rockies Highway.  The following video has more pictures of what we passed along the way.  Road to Aspen

Aspen is a thriving City. So much so that before we got out of the car, Tom took all of the credit cards.  Two ice creams...$11.40

We spent a good amount of time at the John Denver Sanctuary.  John Denver Sanctuary  It has 2 parts to it, the first Natures Water with quotes from prominent people on different topics.  The second which has John's songs engraved in rocks. Both surrounded by many flowers.

 Grammie in the Sanctuary

John's Autograph in song

 

After strolling the streets of Aspen with $11.40 worth of Ice Cream, we headed to Snowmass where we are spending the evening.

In 2007, the song  Rocky Mountain High became the state of Colorado's 2nd Official State Song

September 14, 2015

Yesterday (13th) was a travel day.  We stopped at the World Headquarters of Cabelas in Sidney, NE.  Do you really save money by spending money?  We had hoped to have dinner with nephew Tod but recently he has been busier (as we might say in Maine) busier than a 1 arm paperhanger.  Besides he was still in Larmie, 3 hours away on Colorado's superhighway. We spent the first of 2 nights at Buckley AFB in Aurora Co.

Today (14th) we spent a good part of the morning catching up with Mick, a friend from National Guard days.  Good to see him again.  He really enjoys the Colorado area, and is currently a resident in the mountains west of Denver.

Next on the days activities was a drive up Mt Evans.  It is the highest mountain in the US where one can drive up to.  Pikes Peak being the 2nd.
Pictures will never do such beauty and justice but here are a few.

We made a quick friendship and swapped selfies.

Part way up at Summit Lake we were greeted.

Grammie doesn't like looking over a steep edge so she took pictures of other things to help ease the stress.

 A view from the top

 This is the first week of their prime season.

Lastly we visited Aunt Helen and Cousin Betty and between the three of us, we coaxed her to give up more of the family history.  Looking back, I wished that we were expected as an assignment to interview a grandparent (or an older person) to see what time gone by had to offer....before it is lost.

Tomorrow, back through the mountains headed further west.