Mon, May 30, 2011 Memorial Day

Monday, May 30, 2011 Memorial Day

Terrorists kill themselves in order to kill innocent people; our brave soldiers serve and sometimes die so that innocent lives may be saved. God Bless them! - Donna Downey

As we get ready to head out today we want to say Happy Memorial Day to everyone.  A special thanks to all who serve in the military and support those who do as well.  We owe so much to those heroes who serve so we can enjoy the freedoms we are blessed to have. 

We have posted one photo this morning that I took a couple of days ago in the small Utah town of Escalante.  There were several ladies going thru the cemetery putting out these flags in celebration of Memorial Day.  In the late afternoon light it was such a beautiful sight. 

We slept late today… very happy sleep.  The wireless service in the motel was down last night but was working this morning so we took a little extra time to upload my journal and photos and to take care of some emails.  We opted for coffee and toast before finally heading south toward Ouray, CO. There is a forecast for snow in the upper elevations and since we will be going thru several passes in excess of 10,000 feet we figured we would again see some snow. 

Ouray is just ten miles south of Ridgeway and there begins one of the more famous highways in the US.  The “Million Dollar Highway” which was featured in VISA commercials many years ago will definitely curl your toes if you have even the slightest misgivings about hanging out on the edge of a mountain.  The climb to the summit of Red Mountain Pass through the Uncompahgre Gorge is characterized by steep cliffs, narrow lanes, and very few guard rails.  When you think about it if an avalanche takes out a section of the road what difference is a guard rail going to make if you are unlucky enough to be there at the wrong time.  It seems like it is just one sharp curve after another on a road literally carved out of the rock.  However, if you can bear to look out the window there are also some incredible views.

Due to the time of year and also the large amount of snowfall received this past winter (and continuing even now) waterfalls, creeks and rivers were running full and water seemed to be leaking out of every crevice we passed.  It was almost like being in a rain forest although a cold one.

Once you reach the summit of Red Mountain is seems like a piece of cake the rest of the way to Silverton.  Just out of Ouray we got in a very light snow and they had gotten about an inch of fresh powder in the passes.  We made a quick stop to let the pups have, possibly their last playtime in the snow.  They chased and ate snowballs and then chased each other until they wore out and we resumed our drive.

Once in Durango it was time to replenish our picnic supplies and run our filthy Jeep thru a car wash again.  Several days of dirt roads, dust storms, snow, rain and melting snow had left our vehicle looking very road weary.  So it was time for a pick me up.

Due to our late breakfast we opted for a snack and another late lunch/early dinner in Pagosa Springs at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  We enjoyed a leisurely meal as we enjoyed a view of the San Juan river and the Pagosa Hot Springs.

It was still only about 5:00 pm and the weather was beautiful so we decided to drive over Wolf Creek Pass and then on to Creede, CO.  We are staying in a small family owned motel where we have stayed before and feel at home so to speak.

We just watched an interesting program on the Battle of Gettysburg on the History Channel and a touching show on ABC honoring some of our military heroes.  We are reminded once again how grateful we are on this Memorial Day to those who serve and protect us.

We are well tonight and hope that y’all are too.

Happy Memorial Day!

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger