Colorado High

After several days of crossing the plains, we finally reached the magnificent Rockies in Colorado.

It was an amazing contrast in landscape from the flatlands of Missouri and Kansas as the mountains began to form on the horizon.

We began the day with a visit to Bent's fort, outside La Junta.  This was a great place to visit, being an exact reconstruction of the old trading post, originally set up on what was at the time the border between Mexico and the US, on a prestigious spot along the Arkansas river.

Bent had gained a reputation for fair trade with the Indian villages, the main trade being buffalo furs.  The fort replicated life in that era, on the frontier.  It was amazing to learn that the traders would have had to have travelled for 50 days from the nearest town to the fort.  Puts our journey to shame.

From La Junta, we headed west to Canon City, which is surrounded by towering peaks of 14,000 feet plus.  We paid a visit to the Royal Gorge, which was absolutely breathtaking.

The gorge was spanned in 1929 by what was the highest suspension bridge in the world.  It was awe inspiring, looking down at the white water rafters on the Arkansas, thousands of feet below.

Alarmingly, whilst trying to film the bridge wobbling in the wind, I set my sunglasses free, which gracefully descended the gorge and disappeared from view.  Hopefully, they didn't injure anybody below, but we'll never know.  Sadly, though the remainder of the roadtrip will be driven without shade from the relentless sun.  More fool me.

After the bridge, we ascended the pass over Monarch mountain, which was an alarming 11,318 feet.  The views were epic, as the trees were changing colour and the mountainsides were coloured deep gold.  Absolutely stunning.

We descended into Gunnison, which initially seemed quiet, but we discovered the best bar of the trip so far; the Alamo on Main Street, run by a fantastic guy called Russell.  The locals were extremely friendly, giving us advice for the remainder of our trip - the loneliest highway.  The advice basically consisted of taking lots of water and writing our names on snacks so we don't fight over them.

Sounds good to me.

Tomorrow, we will be leaving Colorado, as a fond memory.  We're aiming for Utah, and a town called Green River, as in the Creedence Clearwater Revival song.

So, from 7500 feet high in the Rockies, we'll see you in Utah, getting ready for the Loneliest Highway. :0)