But the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullabye
Rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullabye
Rocky mountain high
There are so many great John Denver songs, but Rocky Mountain High may be Debra’s and my favorite. I can’t say that this song planted the seed for our 10-day trip to Colorado in June 2015, but Rocky Mountain High was definitely on our mind as we planned our vacation!
This was Debra’s first trip to the Centennial State, and my second if you count a business trip to Colorado Springs in the 80s. As we researched “things to do,” we decided to focus on southwestern Colorado with Durango as our base camp. This proved to be a great choice, as we filled each day with sightseeing and activities in and around the city and day trips to outlying areas.
Durango (pop. 20,000) is almost 500 miles north of Tucson, which was where we lived at the time we took this trip. It was a 10-hour drive if we drove straight through…but, of course, we didn’t because there were sights to see along the way.
Our first stop was in Winslow, Arizona, a throwback town to the days of Route 66 that was made famous by the Eagle’s song, Take It Easy.
Durango (pop. 20,000) is almost 500 miles north of Tucson, which was where we lived at the time we took this trip. It was a 10-hour drive if we drove straight through…but, of course, we didn’t because there were sights to see along the way.
Our first stop was in Winslow, Arizona, a throwback town to the days of Route 66 that was made famous by the Eagle’s song, Take It Easy.
Well, I’m standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona
Such a fine sight to see
It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford,
Slowin’ down to take a look at me.
Such a fine sight to see
It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford,
Slowin’ down to take a look at me.
We spotted Jackson Browne still standing on that corner, and he was kind enough to allow me to take a photo of Debra and him. That girl and her flatbed Ford? Well, she too was still hanging around that corner. What a hoot!
|
|
|
We spent the night at a Best Western Plus in Winslow, a little more than halfway to Durango. It was nearly 100 degrees when we left the next morning – fortunately, the A/C in our Jeep worked just fine! As a navigator, I was still a bit old school, with a map and printed directions in addition to a dash-mounted GPS.
|
|
As we headed north from Winslow, we passed through many small towns - Indian Wells, Greasewood, and Round Rock, to name a few. Our route took us through the Hopi and Navajo Nation reservations. The scenery was magnificent!
|
|
|
We arrived at the Four Corners Monument three hours after we left Winslow. This monument marks the point where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet – the Four Corners region. It is unique – the only place in the United States where you can stand in four states at one time. And this was what Debra and I did.
|
|
|
|
|
We entered Colorado as we left the Four Corners Monument. Yep, time for another photo op!
|
|
Soon, we spotted those Rocky Mountains that John Denver sang about (on the horizon past the red barn in the photo below), and then we were in Durango. It was about 90 degrees – hot but still cooler than Winslow! – and the sky was blue with a few clouds. I checked the extended forecast – much the same through the duration of our trip.
|
|
We rented a condo on the northern outskirts of town – our home away from home. The rest, as they say, is history - we explored ancient ruins, rode on a narrow gauge train, rafted on a river, took a scenic drive through the mountains, and did and saw much more. I look forward to sharing our experiences and memories with you.
My Stories, One Day at a Time
I will post stories about our travels throughout Colorado,
with a new story every month or so.
I will post stories about our travels throughout Colorado,
with a new story every month or so.
Mesa Verde National Park
Rafting on the Animas River
