Finally, On the Road Again I: Colorado

When the cases of coronavirus had almost completely waned and people had heralded the success of good vaccination rates, we planned on resuming our road trips. And then there was the dreaded resurgence of cases due to the Covid variants. But we decided not to change our plans. After not seeing family for almost two years and having been fully vaccinated, we went on a six-week road trip visiting them in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Alberta, Canada. This is the first part, the one to Westminster, Colorado where my husband’s daughter and her family live.

On the Road Leading to Grand Junction

The usual attractions—Rocky Mountain National Park, Downtown Denver, and the ski resort areas—are quite familiar to us. On this visit, we looked for more “under the radar” places.  Bill’s daughter took us on day trips to the first three of these landmarks. And, on the way to our week at a timeshare in the Grand Junction area to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary, they suggested stopping at the fourth which we did. Finally, when we were on our vacation week,  we took a day trip to the last one.

The Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado

Just seven minutes southeast of Westminster is Morrison, best known for the Red Rocks Amphitheater, one of the best concert venues in the US. Owned and operated by the City and County of Denver, it is a masterpiece of minimal architecture, making the best use of the 300-ft. high Creation Rock to the north and the 200-ft. high Ship Rock to the south. Between them lies a 320x480 feet open space that drops 100 feet to a small Stage Rock to the east. The combined rocks acoustic properties, enhanced by technical wonders, created the platform for notable performances such as the Beatles in 1964, Johnny Cash in 1965, Jimi Hendrix in 1968, John Denver in 1974, Bruce Springsteen in 1978, U2 in 1983, Bob Dylan in 1986, and Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross in 2019. 

Beau Jo’s of Idaho Springs, Colorado

Another 30 minutes west from Morrison and you will come upon Idaho Springs. The main draw here is Beau Jo's, the maker of the famous Colorado mountain pie. I do not understand why this fabulous “pizza” is not as famous as the Chicago deep-dish or the New York thin-crust. In fact, it is a combination of the two: thin crust in the middle and deep mountains of crust on the circumference that holds in the bountiful toppings. And it is not just unusual in form. The edge crust is your dessert, dipped in oodles of honey served at every table.

The Georgetown Loop Railroad in

Georgetown, Colorado

Just 16 minutes from Idaho Springs is the beautiful town of Georgetown. We went here to ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad, a narrow-gauge steam train ride that hugs the hillsides, taking you to vistas of colorful mine tailings on mountainsides, a view of the tumbling rapids of Clear Creek down below, and even a tour of the silver mining camp of the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush. Only open-air cabooses were offered during these Covid times. It was a trip down the Wild Wild West memory lane. Actually, this was my first adventure of this kind.

The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail, Colorado

An hour from Georgetown is Vail, Colorado, better known as one of the celebrity ski resort areas. But we went there for the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, a small specialty botanical garden of alpine shrubs, trees, and flowering plants next to the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. The slogan “the Bush’s brought the world to Vail” is quite apt as the many species of alpine plants have been brought to this quaint little garden from many parts of the world. It was so refreshing to visit this small relaxing area, reminiscent of the Berry Ford Gardens we visited in Grand Rapids, Michigan, adjacent to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. A visit to the cute little cabin gift shop was also a treat for me.

Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Another hour west from Vail is the town of Glenwood Springs where a beautiful red mountain lords over the city from every angle. But I was most fascinated by the huge public pool/hot springs that all city residents and families enjoy. And that is not all. My husband had a kick doing a short but moderately difficult hike up the hill to Doc Holliday’s supposed gravesite at the town’s Linwood Cemetery. 

Around Grand Junction, Colorado

We used to just pass through Grand Junction when we went from my husband’s daughter’s home in Westminster to his son’s home in Boise, Idaho, or vice-versa. This time we thought of staying for a week. And soon, we were asking ourselves: “Why didn’t we think of this before?” We have been practically everywhere but we were pleasantly surprised.

Colorado National Monument

The Colorado National Monument should not be missed because of its spectacular viewpoints of towering rock formations amid a panoramic landscape. It also has many hiking trails, including Otto’s Trail which we did. We loved the Coke Ovens Overlook among the viewpoints the most. Still, the most significant highlight of our visit was when a group of three bighorn sheep posed for us among the rocks for about a full 30 minutes before they went on their way!

Grand Mesa

We stayed at the Goldenwoods Condominium at the Powderhorn Resort, up in Mesa, Colorado. Little did we know that Mesa is the small ski area that bounds Grand Mesa National Forest to the north. This Mesa is the largest flat-topped mountain in the world, all 500 square miles of it, with steep cliff sides.  At its southern slopes is the bigger town of Cedar Edge. Between these two towns are pristine mountain meadows, as many as 300 alpine lakes, and evergreen and aspen forests at maximum heights of 11,000 ft. It is a haven for hunters, fishers, and hikers. We even found three ladies painting by a lake. And there is a Grand Mesa Visitor Center to cater to tourists' needs.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

And about two hours from Grand Mesa is the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (the South Rim is more accessible). Finally, we had the chance to get a taste of this mysterious-sounding national park. And it turned out to be quite an adventure indeed. I tried to keep pace with my husband on our hike to Exclamation Point, the best view of the national park. It was a 3-mile round trip that was supposed to take 1.5 hours trek. It ended up to be a 4.5-hour ordeal for me, with a ranger and an ambulance waiting for me at the end. I have learned my lesson and will keep hydrated!

Note: Headline Photo is of Mt. Garfield in Grand Junction, Colorado

Next: On the Road Again II: Idaho and Montana

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