Next morning we got away about nine o’clock and headed northbound on I-25 for Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). We hit some heavy traffic again but not so bad as coming into Denver the day before, and soon enough we were at the speed limit and making good time. We exited the freeway at the highway 66 junction and traveled west for a bit, then northwest as the road becomes Highway 36 toward the town of Estes Park, the gateway to RMNP.

Add Highway 36 to the list of fabulous scenic drives through the mountains of Colorado, as it ascends relentlessly from around 5,000 feet to 7,522 feet, the elevation of Estes Park. Of all the beautiful natural settings I’ve ever seen for a city, this one has to rank near the top. The town is situated in a bowl completely surrounded by mountains, with lovely Lake Estes spreading out before you as you come into town.

As we passed a city park we noticed a number of people congregating near the lake, and saw several groups dashing across the grass grasping their cameras. I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about, but pulled in and parked. Then I saw them, a large herd of thirty-five or forty Rocky Mountain Elk meandering near the lake’s edge. We soon joined the knot of gawking tourists gathered around the huge beasts, and started snapping away with our cameras like everyone else.

(Rocky Mountain Elk in Estes Park, Colorado)

Continue reading “Rocky Mountain National Park” →

We got out of Springfield nice and early Tuesday morning, traveling north on Highway 287 through a land of grain fields and giant, tri-blade wind turbines. We’d seen similar turbines on our first day in eastern Washington, but there was something more impressive and mighty about the ranks of these massive wind machines marching across the Colorado flatland where the next tallest structure was a two-story farmhouse.

Within forty-five minutes we hit Lamar and immediately realized my instinct had been on the money and we should have pushed on to here the previous night. Lamar is a much bigger town than Springfield and would have afforded us more choice in motels and restaurants. I didn’t regret our evening in Springfield, but if you’re ever traveling through this area and want a larger playing field for your touring dollars, Lamar will offer you more.

(Cheyenne Canyon at Seven Falls, Colorado Springs)

Continue reading “Day Seventeen – Tuesday, September 28: Colorado Sights” →

We didn’t actually leave New Orleans until early afternoon on Sunday, planning to drive only as far as Shreveport before stopping for the night. Big mistake. Not leaving late, but rather stopping in Shreveport.

The drive itself was fine, with only one blip when we got held up for a while by a nasty four car pileup. Traffic barely squeezed by on the right shoulder of the freeway, but after that it was smooth sailing. The problem came with our choice of motel. We’d had no real complaints to this point with any of our accomodations. Sure, we could nitpick about this or that detail, but when you’re traveling on a budget and not staying at the Ritz, you don’t expect perfection. The Merryton Inn in Shreveport, however, provided us with a new low water mark to measure everything else by.

(Sunset over wheat field in southeast Colorado)

Continue reading “Days Fifteen and Sixteen,September 26, 27:On The Road Again” →