Today was full of ups and downs. They were expected.
The Route
We drove 145 miles east to Golden. The route was simple ... get on I-70 at Glenwood Springs, get off I-70 at exit 259, and drive 2 miles on US-40 to the campground.
About the Day
It was gray and cool until we crossed to the eastern slope of the Rockies. The sky was clear and the temperature was pleasant by the time we got to Golden.
The drive along Glenwood Canyon was dramatic in that we followed I-70 deep into the canyon and the westbound lanes were elevated.
 |
| Leaving Glenwood Springs on I-70 |
 |
| We took the low road. |
 |
| The canyon walls close in sometimes. |
 |
| Hanging Lake Tunnel |
 |
| The route descends into wide valleys |
 |
| Aspen brighten the mountainsides. |
We climbed some really high passes. The Vail Summit is 10,603 feet and Loveland Pass is 11,158 feet at the Eisenhower - Edwin C. Johnson Memorial Tunnel. We could barely maintain 35 mph on sections of the Vail and Loveland climbs.
 |
| Descending into Vail |
 |
| Descending Vail Pass |
 |
| Yipee! |
 |
| We reached our last high summit. |
 |
| And down we go. |
 |
| Central City is the back way to Nederland. |
 |
| Ahh ... our last tunnel of the day. |
Though the pictures don't show it, the trip was slowed by lots of orange barrels, cones and construction projects. Work at the Eisenhower Tunnel alone reduced traffic to one lane each way and created long backups.
This route presented beautiful, dramatic scenery. We passed huge homes overlooking the canyons and got to see the land of the rich and famous as we passed Vail, Copper Mountain and Breckenridge exits.
The Campground
We're staying at Dakota Ridge RV Resort on the outskirts of Golden. We learned during our first stay here to expect a very nice stop. They didn't disappoint us.
Evening Fun
We stopped in the Denver area to visit Carol's brother-in-law, Stu Horowitz. Stu stopped by around 4 and we began an evening of catching up.
On the recommendation of a park receptionist, we went to dinner at Table Mountain Inn in Golden. The experience was delightful. The atmosphere, the service and the meals were outstanding ... the conversation was pretty good, too.
 |
| Carol and Stu ... just horsing around. |
FYI - the statue is of a small boy helping a small girl mount a horse. It's located on the Corner of Washington Ave. and 13th St.
No comments:
Post a Comment