On the road from Colorado to Michigan - 2008 . . .
on our route
from the Pacific Northwest

 

Updated: 11/30/08

 

Colorado . . .   

Kansas and miscellaneous photographs on the way home.

 

Colorado . . .

a f1013utco rd_133 co sign_1.jpg (32625 bytes)We were basically driving straight through Colorado. However, we hoped to connect with some friends on our way. We did not make prior commitments, planning to contact them a day or two ahead.

 

 

 

 

 

   a f1013utco rd_142 creek_1.jpg (26503 bytes)

 

 

 


This bench was at the welcome center in Fruita just 19 miles into Colorado.

 

 

a f1013utco rd_156 farm_1.jpg (28568 bytes)   a f1013utco rd_157 hill white_1.jpg (34374 bytes)

 

 

   

Maybe because we live in a metropolitan area of flat terrain, we appreciate the rivers and mountains of the West. So, we have a fascination with the related dams, tunnels and other features we do not see regularly.

 

 

The Colorado River . . .

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

   a f1013utco rd_196 hwy mtns_1.jpg (27643 bytes)      a f1013utco rd_208 co river_1.JPG (42553 bytes)

 

 

 

a f1014 co rd_100_1.jpg (37064 bytes)     

 

 

At West Glenwood Spring rest area, the Colorado River was moving fast.

 

 

 

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a f1014 co rd_138 tunnels_1.JPG (50160 bytes)           a f1014 co rd_139 tunnels_1.JPG (47394 bytes)           a f1014 co rd_143 tunnel is_1.JPG (28536 bytes)            

 

 

 

 a f1014 co rd_146 trees_1.jpg (62549 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_149 co river road_1.jpg (52220 bytes)

 

 

 

We found the highway elevated up the side of the mountain at various heights and using various methods to reduce rock removal interesting. 

 

   a f1014 co rd_150 road elevated_1.JPG (43736 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_152 road elevated_1.JPG (54588 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_155 road elevated_1.JPG (46075 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_160 road elevated_1.jpg (47802 bytes)

 

 

The valley shared the space with the Colorado River.

 

     

 

 

      

 

a f1014 co rd_168 2 tunnels_1.JPG (38457 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_169 2 tunnels_1_1.JPG (49698 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_170 2 tunnels_1.JPG (32634 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_171 2 tunnels_1.JPG (37344 bytes)

 

 

 

This elevated part of the highway had its own personal tunnel.

 

   a f1014 co rd_183 road elevated_1.JPG (65055 bytes)               a f1014 co rd_185 tunnel one side in_1.JPG (49202 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_190 tunnel one side in_1.JPG (50948 bytes)

 

   a f1014 co rd_191 tunnel one out_1.JPG (54963 bytes)               a f1014 co rd_192 tunnel one out_1.JPG (64959 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_194 road elevated_1.JPG (41933 bytes)

 

 

   

It was a beautiful drive.

 

 

  

A passenger train was passing through the valley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  a f1014 co rd_215 mtns_1.JPG (37554 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_217 road water_1.jpg (39119 bytes)

 

 

  

    a f1014 co rd_240 road mtns_1.jpg (29709 bytes)

 

 

Location, location, location . . .

 

      

    

 

a f1014 co rd_247 houses brown _1.JPG (48237 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_248 house brown_1.JPG (69151 bytes)

 

 

 

        a f1014 co rd_261 mtn snow_1.JPG (21687 bytes)       a f1014 co rd_264 mtn snow_1.JPG (24776 bytes)

 

 

 

a f1014 co rd_275 card mtn top_1.JPG (45373 bytes)   a f1014 co rd_277 card house on hill_1.JPG (60348 bytes)   

 

 

 

Karen and Steve are long-time friends from our church. When we called them, they were returning from a trip to California. They caught up with us a couple miles from their home. 

 

   a f1014 co rd_304 cord trish w dog_1.jpg (73119 bytes)

We had heard that their daughter Trish had come to visit at the same time. As we drove into their complex, she was walking her dog.

 Steve prepared a great dinner. We had a nice visit.

 

 

 

a f1015 co rd _100 frost on ram_1.JPG (45562 bytes)Their house is in the mountains. We spend the night in a parking lot in their complex.  When we got up the next morning, the frost was on the 'pumpkin' . . . aka: 'truck'.

 

 

 

 

   

 

a f1015 co rd _120 house setting_1.JPG (60739 bytes)      a f1015 co rd _131 bh area_1.JPG (33908 bytes)

a f1015 co rd _117 house on ridge_1.JPG (29469 bytes)

 

 

 

Driving by Vail, we saw a mix of multiple and single homes, located in clusters and on hillsides and on mountain ridges.

a f1015 co rd _153 vail_1.JPG (71383 bytes)      a f1015 co rd _156 vail_1.JPG (34265 bytes)

 

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Construction was heavy in Vail.            

 

 

The snow was nearby, not just in the distance, as we drove over Vail Pass.

 

a f1015 co rd _191 snow_1.jpg (51807 bytes)   a f1015 co rd _196 mtn snow_1.JPG (32782 bytes)

 

 

 

a f1015 co rd _231 summit_1.jpg (17550 bytes)   This was a nice spot for a break from driving.

 

   

 

 

 

a f1015 co rd _253 hh_1.JPG (37880 bytes)  

 

 

This tunnel appear to be used occasionally for traffic going the opposite direction - green arrows and red Xs marked the lanes.

 

   a f1015 co rd _289 tunnel green arrows_1.JPG (32909 bytes)   a f1015 co rd _295 tunnel red arrows_1.jpg (39032 bytes)

                                a f1015 co rd _303 tunnel end_1.JPG (42254 bytes)

 

 

A cable car . . .

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a f1015 co rd _395 unicyclist_1.jpg (59206 bytes)We often see bicycles on the road.     

Unicycles are not as popular.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gene and Karen are HitchHiker owner friends we have toured with and see frequently at HitchHiker rallies. They live a short distance for US 285 and agreed to meet us in  Morrison for lunch. As the rally in Texas was cancelled this year due to the hurricane, we were glad to see them.

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch, it was obvious we were traveling on mostly flat land.
The mountains were behind us.

a f1015 co rd _413 two blades 2_1.jpg (23631 bytes)      a f1015 co rd _437 tower section_1.jpg (25137 bytes)

Wind generator blades and a tower section were on the move.

 

 

 a f1015 co rd _422 bldg_1.JPG (31052 bytes)

 

 

A short distance down I-70, we were going to be close to another HitchHiker couple we see regularly at HitchHiker rallies. Bill and Rita were one of the couples we met at the first HitchHiker rally we attended.

We met them for lunch at our overnight location - a Flying-J near Limon. It was nice seeing them again.

      

a f1016co_100 guys in hats_1.JPG (45432 bytes)

Cowboys wearing black hats
are seated behind Rita.

 

 

 

 

a f1016co_123 lv co sign_1.jpg (48643 bytes)

It didn't take long to reach the state line
only 77 miles down the road.

 

 

Kansas and miscellaneous photographs on the way home.

 

 

a f1016ks_128 ks sign_1.jpg (47887 bytes)

 

 

a f1016ks_125 free coffee_1.JPG (39948 bytes)
Too bad we don't drink coffee.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Some of the terrain was not totally flat - most of it was flat like a table top.

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There was a lot of standing water in the fields. A campground owner told us they had  five inches in three days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We met a guy in a campground who worked with his bother-in-law building plants that turned field corn into packaging peanuts. They are better than the Styrofoam peanuts because they are all organic.

a f1017ks rd_213 field corn_1.jpg (27879 bytes)   a f1017ks rd_206 field corn_1.jpg (42774 bytes)   a f1017ks rd_207 field corn_1.JPG (71447 bytes)

 

 

 

 

Fred wondered if these tires are big enough to float the HHII to Hawaii.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someone is shipping a surprise package.

   a f1017ks rd_216 surprise package_1.jpg (37066 bytes)

 

 

 

a f 1017 wpch_109 sign_1.jpg (33280 bytes)We stopped in Ellis, KS to tour the Walter P. Chrysler boyhood home. It was a quaint little town with brick streets.

Our visit to this attraction is posted on a separate page.

 

 

a f1017ks rd_339 caboose_1.jpg (52074 bytes)      a f1017ks rd_343 brick street_1.JPG (48747 bytes)

 

 

a f1017ks rd_349 cows_1.JPG (57629 bytes)We had lunch in a small cafe on the edge of town. A group of local men were sitting at a large table across the room. As they were checking out, Fred noticed that each man has a pair of pliers in a leather sheath on their belt. He asked one of the men if the pliers were for fence repair. The guy responded, no, its just a farmer thing.

The cows were wondering where the city folks came from. > > >    

   

 

 

 

a f1017ks rd_356 deisel soot_1.jpg (24422 bytes)The pickup truck pulling the half a house was pumping out the diesel soot. He was driving hard. He passed us like we were parked. 

 

   

 

 

 

More soot but the reason for the photograph is the size of the wind generator compared to the box trailer. 

 

a f1017ks rd_394 wind gen_1.JPG (36819 bytes)   a f1017ks rd_392 wind gen trk_1.jpg (21429 bytes)   a f1017ks rd_395 wind gen_1.JPG (26175 bytes)

 

 

 

a f1017ks rd_404 standing water_1.jpg (39991 bytes)      a f1018ks rd_103 church_1.jpg (53401 bytes)
More standing water . . .

 

 

 

e ctr_473_1.JPG (60565 bytes)a f1018ks rd_485 de mural_1.jpg (40168 bytes)We visited the Eisenhower Center in Abilene, KS as our last attraction in Kansas. 

Our visit to the Eisenhower Center is posted on a separate page.

 

 

 

 

 

Back on I-70 East . . .

   a f1018ks rd_499 hill color_1.jpg (37252 bytes)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missouri . . .

 

 

a f1019mo_125_1.jpg (37542 bytes)   A helicopter hitchhiking . . .

 

 

 

This is the only operating Stuckey's we saw. All the others were abandoned or converted to another business use.

It looks like a Dairy Queen - maybe, somebody assumed the name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We crossed the Missouri River on our way East.

 

 

 

 

The sun was setting as we headed into St Louis, MO.

 

 

 

The sky was pretty as we crossed the Mississippi River.

 

 

 

 

 

a f1019mo_185 sl arch_1.JPG (28656 bytes)This is the St. Louis Arch at night, photographed at 55 miles per hour from a moving vehicle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found a spot to park for the night at a rest area in Illinois just East of St. Louis, MO. We we up early enough to see the sunrise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a f1020ilin_118 ind sign_1.jpg (42198 bytes)
Heading home for us usually includes a stop-over to see our family in Southern Indiana. 

 

 

 

  You never know what you'll see parked beside the road.

 

 

 

Looking at the Cincinnati skyline from Kentucky.

 

 

 

 

a f1026tosh_131 mi sign_1.jpg (38242 bytes) We are really headed home now. 

 

 

 

Detroit skyline, getting closer . . .

 

 

 

The HHII in position for unloading.


No. They weren't that clean after our trip. We washed them at Fred and Becky's.

 

 

We were on the road a little over fourteen weeks, traveling 10,307 miles. But, no matter how much we enjoyed our Pacific Northwest journey, it is always nice to be home. 

 

 

           

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