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From Washington to Oregon to Idaho to Utah to Colorado we have traveled some of the most beautiful parts of the country and no picture can capture what we have seen. We have sought out the back roads when possible moving through canyons, valley’s, foothills, and mountain elevations. We seen apple groves, peach groves, wineries, farm lands, ranches, small towns, ski resorts, mountain chalets and fly fishing sanctuaries.

We have crossed the Chief Joseph Bridge and the Columbia River, passed Sun Dry Lake, Dry Falls State Park and Dead Man Pass in Oregon. At or near North Powder, Oregon we crossed the 45th parallel which is half way between the North Pole and the Equator. From Idaho to Utah to Colorado we have passed through the Strawberry Reservoir, the Salvation Reservoir and the Stagecoach Reservoir. We went through Rabbit Ears Pass, Muddy Pass Lake and so many Canyons I won’t bother to name.

Thursday, we stopped in Salt Lake City, at a REI store to buy a Seniors National Parks pass (we have lost our $10 card bought years ago). Unfortunately, REI didn’t have the Senior pass. We did find a nice little park behind the store where we had lunch, i.e., peanut butter and jelly, grapes, a protein bar and water for the third day in a row. Then, we drove on until a weird stop in Duchesene, Utah where the visitors center women representative told us the time of 4:20 pm was correct even though it was only 2:20 pm. That town was so strange. We may have been in the twilight zone.

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Today, Friday was a particularly interesting day. We started our day in Vernal, Utah with the intent to visit the Dinosaur National Monument which is a 200 acre park in Utah with portions in Colorado. We were on the road by 7:30 am. We unintentionally missed the turn to the main entrance in Utah. So, we drove on to find ourselves at the Colorado entrance by 8am. But, we had a problem. I needed to make a scheduled phone call to my client, L’Arche St. Louis, by 9:30am. If we drove 31 miles up the mountain to see the most interesting parts of the park I was afraid to loose telephone reception. So, we bypassed Dinosaur National Monument driving on to Maybel, Colorado a town of 2 gas pumps, a tiny convenience store, a grade school with eight students some of which drive 50 miles each way to get to school.

I stood under the only shade tree I could find to make my conference call. Madeline and I had a brief conversation before we were back behind the wheel.

After Maybel came Craig, Colorado which provided the photo opportunity above. We, then, arrived in Steamboat Springs in time for lunch on the Colorado River waterbed. We had more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, etc., etc.

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We decided to continue our adventure by driving highway 40 headed to Idaho Springs, are so we thought. Along the mountain road drive we arrived in Winter Park, Colorado another magnificent popular Colorado Ski town, We had to stop there just to try a local beer and to buy my souvenir t-shirt. Oh, btw, we learned how to use our voice commands on the car GPS system for the very first time. It only took me 7 weeks to discover how to use this thing.

Then back on the road until we arrived in Idaho Springs. One look around at the available accommodations in this town and we headed for Golden, Colorado where we stayed for the night.