Travel: Roadtrip Home

After finishing at the Grand Tetons & Yellowstone National parks, I headed east back towards Virginia and home. On the way, I stopped in Colorado for a week off of work to explore the south western part of the state and get some downtime. I started in Denver and got to catch up with my friend Kristen for an evening before heading out.

I stopped by Red Rocks Amphitheater which was mostly closed due to the pandemic and continued down to Salida. In town I got pizza at Amicas & then some epic ice cream.

I continued on to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This place was gorgeous. I drove the rim stopping at a variety of viewpoints along the way. It’d be nice to return and do a hike down into the canyon.

This was called Painted Wall. It is the highest cliff in Colorado and just barely shorter than the Burj Khalifa. It gets its name from the dramatic strokes across it’s face.

That night, I slept nearby at Mountain View Winery in Olathe. They had so perfectly set up their farm area with tiny little pull in spots beneath pear trees. It was so restful.

Early the next morning I headed to Orvis Hot Spring for a dip. I loved their waterfall that pounded on my back to work out my sore muscles. Then I got the single best meal of the whole trip in Ridgeway. The tiny little coffee shop was called Provisions. I ordered their daily special and was not disappointed.

After lunch, I set a path towards some GPS coordinates a friend sent me to find a hidden hot spring. This was so special. Did I cut myself while walking down for a quick soak? Yes. Was it worth it? Also, yes.

Next I stopped in Ouray for a snack at Mouse’s Chocolates & Coffee. Someone I had met in the hot spring earlier in the morning gave me the tip.

The rest of my drive that day was along Million Dollar Highway. This was so windy and dramatic.

I passed through lots of old little mining towns and stormy vistas. In the evening I stopped in Durango for dinner, a beer and a book. I slept in the forest that night.

The next morning I went to Pagosa Hot Springs. I soaked the morning away and made friends resting.

The resort had a bunch of different pools all with different temperatures. It was fun to try different ones and see how long I could stand some of the hot hot ones.

I had lunch right outside the hot springs before driving on to another National Park.

I was racing to beat a thunder storm to Great Sand Dunes. The park was filled with people sand boarding and sledding.

Once the thunder storm passed, and brought in the cooler temperatures, I went to “The Colorado Farm Brewery.” I got some minestone soup and some classic wheat beers. I spent the night hanging out with a bunch of helicopter pilots and emergency nurses. It was a blast.

I woke up the next day to do a hike called Paradise Cove in Guffey Gourge.

The hardest part about this was finding the hike itself. The reveal of the actual paradise cove was worth it.

In the evening I met up with friends in Colorado Springs for a final evening.

I drove north to South Dakota the next day and got to see Mount Rushmore.

The best part was learning about the construction. In the evening I slept nearby at Naked Winery. They had a creek outside which was super peaceful.

Bright and early I drove through Badlands National Park. I spent way more time here than I had expected which is also to say, not enough.

The colors were magnificent and the animals stunning. I did a few small hikes but nothing heavy.

Entering from the west and driving east into the sunrise was perfect.

I wrapped up and continued on to see some family in Minnesota. They gave me a small tour of the town where my grandfather grew up. They drove me through the old family farm, tiny graveyards and to the train-station where my grandmother first arrived.

After family time was friend time. I went to Wisconsin to see an old college buddy.

She lives in Madison so the first morning I was there we woke up bright and early for a sunrise paddle. We actually even completed the day with a moonrise session.

During the middle of the day we rode bikes around the lake and stopped by her parents for a garden visit. Leaving was hard but I was headed to Indiana.

My brothers in-laws was my first stop on the way across the country so it was fitting to be my last too.

I stayed for two days through labor day weekend before heading back to Virginia.