Thurs, Sept 30, 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Ok, it was a perfect day.  Left Grants, NM about daylight and the temperature was delightfully cool!  No more of that stuff in the 90s.  By the time the sun was up, it was windows down and they didn’t go back up until we pulled into our motel in Creede, CO just about dark.  The high for the day was probably about 80 but most of the time it was in the low 70s!

North of Grants we entered the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation which covers approximately 1 million acres and is also home to the second largest natural gas field in the United States.  Our drive took us thru the more remote areas of the reservation.  We started out in the high desert with little vegetation, as we gained elevation there was more vegetation and the roadsides were bright yellow with copious amounts of blooming snakeweed.  Then there were cedars and pine and juniper and just before entering Colorado there were the towering ponderosa pines.  There were numerous stops for walks and puppy playtime and photography of course.  And there was the return of the beautiful crystal clear rivers… today’s river of the day was the San Juan River followed closely by the Rio Grande.

By lunch time we were in Pagosa Springs and after a good Mexican meal made the gorgeous drive thru Wolf Creek pass and entered the colorful world of fall in Colorado.  Although it has been very dry, the aspens were still full of color.  After a quick stop in Creede to get a room we drove out toward Lake City and took a dirt road that wound thru the colorful mountains to North Clear Creek Falls.  As we began our drive back to Creede the sun was just beginning to dip behind the mountains behind us.  As we came around  a curve to our right in a small stream was a moose with her calf.  We were lucky enough to get a few shots in the low light before she wandered back into the dense woods.  We made a couple more stops to enjoy the vistas and then one last stop to watch as the last red rays of the sunset disappeared. 

After splitting a cheeseburger and fries we enjoyed a cup of coffee as we sat out front of our room and enjoyed the silence.  Yes, it was a perfect day for four who love a road trip!  Great roads, beautiful scenery, multiple wildlife sightings, clear rivers and good food all topped off with ideal temperatures. 

We are tired but doing pretty well (except for the quick fall I took when my foot slipped in some gravel and the resulting torn jeans and skinned knee).  I did not, however, let my camera hit the ground!  We hope yall are well too.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger