Amarillo By Morning

After a few last minute chores, I locked up one last time and headed out. There is no big hurry to get where I am going but I do want to enjoy the last few days of fall weather. Winter is coming and the leaves are getting heavy with color. We didn’t get much fall foliage this year so I wanted to see at least some autumn before the snow flies. My planned destination for this bit of travel takes me through the rockies so I didn’t want to run into any snow so no time like the present to get out.

DAY 1: 319 miles

I try to avoid interstate driving as much as possible because they are boring. The trouble with living up in the Northwest though is that there aren’t many routes out of it that don’t involve an interstate. Additionally, the price of fuel these days does not make for cheap backroad Mom & Pop fuel stops. So I was obligated to the I-84 for most of the drive until I got to Boise. Pretty uneventful but to spice it up I made an effort to find some preserved wagon train ruts from the 1800’s. I pulled off at a state park whose only claim to fame are wagon ruts at the end of a 1/2 mile hike in the middle of nowhere. It didn’t live up to the signage though. I got all the way out there and only found a gully, overgrown with prairie grass. I’ll look again next spring because I know they are out there.

I kept driving into the darkening sky with an eye for a place to bed down. I ended up at a rest stop next to the Snake River. After some underwhelming night photography, I crawled in back and went to sleep. For a few minutes at least. A semi truck pulled in next to me with a refridgeration trailer. The compressor ran all night so not much sleep for me.

Needless to say I was up and out before the sun came up.

DAY 2: 620 mil

This was a really uneventful drive. Mostly backroads to bypass the Salt Lake City traffic. It was a much slower trip so I didn’t get to the pass that cuts through the Wasatch mountains at Provo until sunset. I think it’s a pretty drive but after sunset, It was just darkness and idiots with high beams or LED headlights.  Repeatedly driving a curvy mountain road while blind is tiring. No place to stop until the other side though. A small no service reststop at the other end was a welcome find. Tried some more night photography but only caught the halogen lights from the parking area.

Day 3: 424 miles

I was up and driving while it was still dark. I had come this far, no reason to see any bit of the Wasatch mountains, right? I stopped for a quick cup of coffee just as the eastern sky was lightening up. To be honest the real reason to get to the other side of the range was to have a clear view of the Eastern sky. Mercury was supposed to be visible for a couple of minutes before sunrise. I scanned the horizon until the sun popped up and still have it on my must see list. 

It was a pretty sunrise colored drive through the wind carved sandstone mountains into Colorado. By the time I crossed into Colorado, I was aching to stretch my legs and little stroll around the downtown area of Grand Junction fit the bill. I Came away thinking it is a place to check out longer the next time I come through. 

I headed south from there because of the no Interstate rule. Although I-70 might just have the highest pretty scenery to mile ratio that I have seen in all my travels, I have driven it before. South it would be. 

I turned east at Gunnison and was directed to Rte 92 because of construction on 50. Never said this before but couldn’t be happier for the road construction. Rte 92 goes up through the mountains with views of the little known Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park. The Aspens were just past their peak color but it was plenty for me. Thus is a link to some of the pictured from the drive…

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BTeLqwNEbD6zgxH67

Once I got back on 50, I was was glad I stopped at the little mountain town of Salida. I had heard good things about it years ago a tried to visit a while back. I went through at night in a driving rain storm and was lucky that I didn’t stay there permanently, 6 feet under. This was a warm blue sky day. The kind of day this town of river guides and rich 2nd homers from Denver live there for. Deck bars and restaurants and all kinds of interesting things going on. Alas, Like most of Colorado, it is beyond the normal person’s budget now….. by a LOT.

So onward to Colorado Springs for the main event. I had a uncomfortable sleep in Walmart there so i was less than tip-top for today’s effort. HereHere is a separate post for that.

Day 4: 390 miles

Relatively late hitting the road today. I had gotten a room in Colorado Springs to get a shower and a good sleepDidn’t get a good sleep so I took to showers to get my money’s worth. I was surprisingly not much the worse for wear and tear. It was another pretty day. Before I left, i decided to check out the Garden of the Gods city park. I generally dont get too motivated about looking at big rocks. But after I summon the motivation, i am usually happy I did. GotG was no exception. I was planning to drive through but 4 miles on the pedometer later, i was glad I got out of the car. Here is a link to some pictures I took along the walk…..

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vrT13MUQH5bCojds6

No more procrastinating though, pedal to the metal an off to Texas next.

That was a whole lot of nothing drive. And nothing to shift my focus from getting to Amarillo. It was dark when I arrived but you don’t need 20/20 to know when you are there. The nose will let you know. Couldn’t see them but there are definitely a lot of cows in Amarillo. How something can smell so good on the grill can smell so bad in the field is beyond me. 

I found. Walmart with some overnighter in the parking lot so ended my day there.

And one more thing about taking the backroads. I can take these stupid pictures with trucks and cars flying by at 80 mph  a few feet away…..