Colorado Road Trip July '07

We decided to get away from the heat of Denver and spend some quality time out west. It was time to see some of my favorite parts of Colorado. We went up to Summit County to see how things were going at Keystone Science School summer programs. They have been doing some extensive landscaping and it is taking shape. I was quite impressed with the progress they have made. We were heading to Redstone, near Glenwood Springs. Bob and Linda Byers, my parent’s friends (and neighbors), have a home in Redstone and we spent the evening and morning with them. They were such gracious hosts for these imposers. We started heading south on the West Elk Scenic Byway toward Ouray. We passed by Black Canyon of the Gunnison, another place of great heights. Vicki had some difficulties with the drive near the rim and in most of the scenic overlooks. It combines all aspects of sheer walls, deep and narrow walls which makes it one of the most impressive canyons in the country. It is an amazing site and not a bad detour on our way to Ouray. Ouray is one of my favorite towns in Colorado with eclectic shopping and beautiful scenery everywhere. It is such a quaint mountain time with towering canyon walls just behind all the buildings. It is such a gorgeous setting with Cascade Falls looming over the town. We went over Red Mountain Pass to Silverton where walked around town in the cool drizzle. We could see our breath which is a welcome change from the heat of the Front Range. After talking to a weaver in Silverton and snapping some quick pictures of the train as it departed to Durango. Vicki and I were off to Durango for our next stop. We stayed in a dingy old hotel but all we needed was the bed. We exited the mountains and entered the San Luis Valley, primarily agricultural land, on our way to Alamosa. We decided we should go to the Great Sand Dunes National Park since we were down this way. Phoebe had love frolicking in the light sand and open spaces. We had to limit her movement most of the trip but she took advantage of the dunes. She love the small creek we had to wade through to get to the massive dunes. She could spend all day there and the temperature was unseasonably mild that day. This week was a great wildlife spotting session too. We watched a molting black bear foraging on a nearby hillside, followed a mother coyote and two cubs along the road, watched many turkey vultures soaring and roosting on the sheer cliffs of Black Canyon, rescued a tiger salamander from the center line of the highway, and spotted several pronghorn, elk and mule deer along the roadside. We love connecting with the outdoors in this wonderful state.