Schwieterman Summer Adventure Series 2025: Part Two- Colorado
Our travels continued on i-70 into Colorado. Driving through the entire state on interstate covers 450 miles. We had another long day ahead of us. The drive through eastern Colorado doesn’t offer much in terms of sightseeing. It’s pretty desolate with drought-stricken prairie lands and wind turbines as far as the eye can see. The Rocky Mountains came into view as we approached Denver, and we were stunned to see the caps of the mountains were still snow covered in July. After Denver, the route begins to climb, and the views turn even more spectacular. If you’ve never experienced this route through the mountains, it should be on your To-Do List. You pass iconic ski towns like Vail and Aspen, but the highlight, in my opinion, is the section called Glenwood Canyon. The scenic drive is only twelve miles, but it’s breathtaking. The interstate follows the Colorado River as it snakes through the towering canyon walls, and you pass through a couple of mountain tunnels (the kids love that!). There are a few rest areas to take in the beautiful sights. We chose to explore exit 121, Grizzley Creak Rest Area, which has access to the Colorado River and a decent amount of parking (which was packed full). There are miles of hiking trails and an area to launch watercrafts into the rushing rapids of the Colorado River. Can I just say how much we love that these short excursions and the many, many rest area breaks were ventilator free? Our trachie is sprinting off the vent and leaving it in the truck as we venture out just never gets old! With our feet in the refreshingly cool waters, we joyfully watched the rafts floating by. We could have stayed there for hours but we were eager to get to our stop for the evening.
We stayed at Palisade Basecamp RV Resort right on the Colorado River. We arrived early enough to enjoy the campground, including the pool and a walk down to the banks of the river. Eventually, Daddy and the girls made their way into the river, which had a gentle, yet surprisingly powerful current. It was a very nice campground, and the area has so much to offer. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to explore the town of Palisade since we only stayed the one night, but we would certainly consider a return visit to the area.
We really started to feel the vacation vibes as we journeyed through Colorado. Maybe it’s because the other states looked too similar to our Ohio farming landscape or the fact that we spent so much time in the truck covering around 1,000 miles in just two days that we weren’t feeling like we were on vacation yet. But that all changed once those mountains came into view. Let the journey begin!
Add comment
Comments