Colorado Day 2

Saturday, July 25, 2009: Today was a very, very full day. We began by waking up at 7:15am to get ready for a mountain jeep tour we had scheduled. After showering, etc., we ate breakfast at the hotel and then waited for the jeep people to pick us up there. We had to go in 2 jeeps because our party consisted of 4 people. But that was OK. Bruce and I switched around who rode with who the whole time. The tour was close to 3 hours and took us up on top of a 12,000 foot mountain, Mt. Taylor. We passed by a few old mining camps which still had some of the old buildings there, falling down. This was sort of like a “ghost town” and was pretty cool! We saw lots of different types of trees and also some fools gold as well as some quartz. At the highest point, B2, Bruce and one of the guides walked up high enough to be able to make a snowball! They thought that was pretty neat! We also saw a fawn and a deer along with some little chipmunks. The drivers returned us to the hotel where we stayed last night around noon. We then went to a little townie restaurant called “High Country Hogies” for lunch and it was really good! After that…..we were on the road again! We ended up driving all the way to the 4-corners! Yeah, that is pretty far (we have driven over 600 miles these past 2 days!). Bruce managed to get pulled over by a Colorado state trooper for speeding, but since Bruce is such a “nice guy,” the cop only gave him a warning. Whew! We drove through Cortez, CO and checked into tonight’s hotel (Econolodge) before actually heading to the 4 corners. Once we got there (around 6pm), there really wasn’t much there. But it was still really neat. There were vendors there selling mostly jewelry and some t-shirts. The monument itself is pretty simple. We took a picture of our family, each standing in a different state. And the people (tourists) were just coming and going constantly. Like I said, there really wasn’t much there yet it’s a popular place to go! And I am glad we did. I think the girls thought it was cool and I’ve never been there. I have always been curious about it, so now I know what it’s like! After that, we drove back to Cortez and finally ate dinner about 8:15pm at a place called The Mainstreet Brewery. It was good. There is a casino about 11 miles from here, on an Indian reservation and Bruce is there right now. He dropped us off back at the hotel and headed there for a little while. I am tired. This was a very full day (of mostly driving). Tomorrow won’t be quite as full and a bit more relaxing (I hope!).


In the doorway of one of the old buildings at a deserted mining camp.

These are the jeeps we rode in for our tour.

You gotta look close, but that is Bruce and B2 by the snow! There is a little stream of water next to them.

Almost on top of the mountain!

Bruce is in Colorado, B1 is in New Mexico, B2 is in Arizona, and I am in Utah. How cool!