It's spring break, and that means travel time for the family once again. This trip was much different than what we had originally planned. There was no spring break in my wife's new work schedule so she wouldn't be coming with us. Then, at the last minute my son became ill and unfortunately had to recuperate at home. So it was just my daughter and I, headed off for a combination flight and road trip. We landed in Denver and headed west in a rent-a-car. It wasn't long before heavy snow slowed us down. An icy highway and a massive wreck involving 75 vehicles closed 1-70 for about 10 hours. We retreated to the small town of Frisco, Colorado and revised our plans.  Over the next few days we would cover over 1400 miles and see spectacular scenery, some that you'll see on this page.

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Frisco, Colorado

Icicles in Frisco	A chilly morning	Snowy times in Frisco, Colorado

Yes, your Gatorade is frozen	Even after I-70 re-opened it was bumper to bumper until Vail

Utah and the Canyon Country

In the same day that we cleared Vail Pass we drove into Utah's high desert. The scenery was amazing. We took many more photos than you see here, but this is a good sampling. The morning temperature in Frisco was well below freezing. By afternoon the weather in the Moab area was sunny and in the high 60s.

Our first hike in the park	Arches National Park

Arches, the Windows	Desert flowers	A stroll down Park Avenue

Our  little red wagon	Near the Windows area	Courthouse Tower

The Needles Overlook, Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Arizona and the Navajo Nation

Heading down Highway 163 into Monument Valley	Looking to the east end of Monument Valley

Just off the beaten track on Highway 160	One spot, four states

The ruins at Mesa Verde National Park	Cliff Palace

Back To Colorado

We drove back into Colorado and went to see the historic ruins at Mesa Verde. From there it was through Durango and up the Million Dollar Highway, into the interior of the Rocky Mountains. Red Mountain Pass is narrow and high, meaning the margin of error is very small. We took our time and carefully navigated the winding road. That night we spent a snowy evening in Ouray. The town folk pronounce it "You-ray." Its history traces back to the mining days of the late 1800s. Many of the historic buildings still stand.

Heading toward Red Mountain Pass	Silverton, Colorado. Guess what they used to mine there?

Ouray, Colorado

The Beaumont Hotel	The Elks Lodge	The Old Courthouse	The Walsh Library

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park	The air was thin