July, 2020, Sarah and I set off on our Rocky Mountain High Colorado tour. Yes, we know it’s not a Rush song, but what else would you call a tour through Colorado? And it does encompass the name of one of our nation’s most popular national parks with the highest elevation visitor center in the national park system, Rocky Mountain. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The nationwide shut down that followed included three popular national parks and numerous visitor centers, not to mention hotels, restaurants, gas stations and even highway rest stops. We would be forced to postpone or alter several planned road trips and learn to travel within the ever changing and complicated rules put in place by not just the federal government, but any city, county, or state we visited. In April, Sarah and Jarad learned they were expecting their first child and pregnancy was taking a toll on her asthma. Looking back now it seems unlikely we would be able to complete our July visit to Colorado and strange that we chose to do so with a week’s supply of peanut butter and jelly sandwich fixings. In fact, the ever-changing COVID restrictions left us wondering up until the last week if we would be able to take our trip at all, but a short lull in the number of cases lifted the rules just long enough for us to make the 3,500-mile, nine-day loop through Colorado and four other states.

Logan, Utah | elevation 4,534’

Sarah’s favorite avocado toast from Crumb Brother’s Bakery

We left home on a Friday afternoon and drove six hours to Boise, Idaho. This afforded us time to take a short detour the next morning into Logan, Utah where we could have breakfast at one of our favorites, Crumb Brothers Bakery. From there we headed southwest towards Salt Lake City and Provo then southeast on US-60 and east on I-70. It was sad to drive past the Moab exit which led to Arches National Park but helped to know we would return there in about a week. For now, we headed east to Grand Junction, where we had secured a last-minute campground reservation. Also, as we passed the exit to Moab, we entered uncharted territory. Up until now one or both of us had at some time traveled on the routes we were taking. Colorado was a first for both of us. As if to accentuate that point, just as we crossed the border, a loud warning signal rang out. We both just about jumped out of our skin, thinking it was the car itself. It turned out to be a COVID related service bulletin coming from our phones and alerting us to the current conditions.

Colorado National Monument | elevation 7,028’

We entered the Colorado National Monument at 4:45pm on a Saturday evening. We were greeted by a Ranger who told us the gift shop was open but closing at 5pm. According to our GPS we were 12 minutes away, so we raced up the hill circling past fantastic red rock formations. This place was beautiful beyond words. We weren’t just impressed that we could get a camping spot here with only a couple days' notice, we were impressed that they would let us camp here at all. We made it to the top in time to collect a passport stamp at the visitor center then headed a short distance to our designated space on top of one of the red cliffs. It was 94 degrees and windy as we set up our new larger tent, so we were hot and tired when we finished and spent the first hour or so just sitting in our chairs taking in the beautiful surroundings. Eventually we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner and played cards. The entire time we sat outside in our shorts and short sleeves, and we realized we were not being eaten alive by mosquitos. In fact, there were no mosquitos. We decided this place was just so lovely they were not allowed to be here and mar the experience. We went to bed with our tent flap open so we could continue to enjoy the view and look at the stars. In the morning we packed up our campsite early and took the long way out, following the road along the rim of the canyon to the east exit. We stopped to walk the Ottos Trail and to enjoy several other viewpoints. We exited in the pretty town of Grand Junction and continued to Vail. Just past Glenwood Springs near the turnoff for Aspen we drove through a beautiful red rock canyon following the Colorado River. A bike and walking path ran along the river's edge. We saw a lot of white water and several rafts being guided downstream. The scenery was pretty much what you might imagine Colorado to look like.

Vail, Colorado | elevation 8,150’

The only image I had in my mind of Vail was from the movies and did not include the huge parking garage we came upon as we exited into town. Our GPS was routing us directly to the restaurant we were aiming for, but we soon discovered most of the streets were blocked to vehicular traffic. We retreated to the garage where we scored a prime spot on the main level, we were certain we could find our way back to. Exiting the garage on foot, we walked across an idyllic covered wooden bridge over a pristine little creek and into the town, which was a maze of twisting, curving streets lined with hotels, restaurants, and every retail establishment you had ever heard of and some you hadn’t. We were looking for the Big Bear Bistro and just missed getting the last outdoor table. Inside we ordered omelets and sat side by side at a counter table watching the comings and goings. The food was good, and it felt like a place a snowboarder would come and grab a bite before heading out on the slopes. Back outside we walked around and looked in a few shops, mostly high end, and lots of outdoor brands. Many of the restaurants were selling cocktails to go and a popular pastime seemed to be walking around the shops and drinking. It was too early for us to partake in this festivity, plus Sarah was pregnant and I don’t really drink. We had many more miles to travel that day, so we headed back to the garage and were on our way.

Longmont, Colorado | elevation 4,984’

Continuing east on I-70 we would cross Loveland Pass at 11,991 feet via the Eisenhower Tunnel, traveling under the Great Divide and through the Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately, an accident in the tunnel was forecasting an estimated two-hour delay in our travel time. I drove while Sarah laid in the passenger seat, inhaler in hand. We crept slowly up the western slope for about 45 minutes. As we neared the tunnel, we started to move a little faster, finally breaking through on the other side, but we would encounter several more slowdowns before we reached the outskirts of Denver. Our destination was Longmont, Colorado. After checking into our hotel and freshening up, we drove to dinner at The Roost, owned by relatives of my son-in-law, Logan. The restaurant is in the Artist District which appeared to be a trendy, updated older section of town. Tables were available inside, or on a covered patio in the back, or best of all, on the rooftop bar where we were seated. The food was delicious. We each started with house salads with blue cheese followed by candied bacon sliders and short rib beef tacos with pico de gallo which we shared. For dessert I tried the carrot cake with caramel sauce and candied walnuts and Sarah chose the key lime pie with a blueberry compote. Our total bill with drinks and tip was under seventy dollars. This was partly due to happy hour pricing, but we were still very impressed. The only suggestion in our imaginary culinary review was “raise the prices!” Back at the hotel we stowed the leftovers in the mini fridge and went to sleep with full stomachs.

Rocky Mountain National Park | elevation 14,259’

The next morning, we had less than an hour drive to Rocky Mountain National Park. Located 55 miles northwest of Denver in north central Colorado, it is our nation’s 9th national park. Not long before our visit the park had instituted a reservation system and Sarah and I had both, in fact, secured a 6 to 8am entrance time. However, as is our nature, we like to arrive at the national parks early before the crowds and heat. We drove through beautiful Estes Park (where we would like to return and explore one day) and entered the park well before 6am when the entrance station would open. We stopped at a turnout to watch the sunrise over the mountains then headed to the top to that highest elevation visitor center in the national park system, Alpine Visitor Center, at just over 11,000 feet. At this early hour it wasn’t open yet, but we got out and looked around outside. We watched a small herd of elk make their way across the road and down a trail. We enjoyed the view, but it was very cold and windy on top (and Sarah couldn’t breathe). The drive to the summit, with just that one stop, took us about 40 minutes. On the way back down, we took our time stopping at all the pullouts and viewpoints along the way. Near the bottom we walked a short boardwalk trail. It was after 7:30 when we arrived back at the Beaver Meadows visitor center just outside the gate. We made a quick U-turn and re-entered so we could pick up a park pamphlet, technically using one of our entrance passes, although the ranger barely took notice of it. At the visitor center we talked with a ranger while we waited for the opening. Just before 8am a woman came up and asked about the entrance reservation system. She and her husband had neglected to reserve a time but traveling through the park was going to save them several hours' drive to their next destination. I mentioned we had an extra pass in our car and although it was supposed to be accompanied by ID our recent experience had suggested it wouldn’t be a problem. The ranger encouraged us to share it with her and I ran to the car and sent her on her way with about seven minutes to spare. We didn’t see her again and assumed they made it through. At 8am the visitor center opened, and we were allowed to enter, in our masks, ten at a time, to shop and get our passport stamps.

Morrison, Colorado | elevation 5,764’

Back on the road we headed once again through Estes Park and detoured into Fort Collins to visit the graves of some relatives. Past Estes Park we drove through another beautiful canyon. In Fort Collins we stopped to pick up flowers before heading to the cemetery and successfully found the resting places we were looking for. By now it was getting hot, and we changed into lighter clothes before heading south to Morrison for a look at the Red Rock Amphitheater. We never saw Rush perform at this iconic venue, but what an experience that would have been! Neil wrote about the beautiful venue and featured it on the cover of his book “Road Show: Landscape With Drums.” The amphitheater is also a popular tourist attraction. Sarah and I parked on the hillside and walked down to the museum and gift store then back up to the car. It was really getting hot out now. We retrieved our leftovers from the night before and sat on a blanket in the shade of a red rock overhang. A cool breeze blew over us as we ate and had a short rest. After lunch it was back up to the top of the hill where we continued climbing up a series of ramps and stairs, too many to count. Another venue where, if I drank, I would not like to drink too much and have to stumble my way out. Sarah agreed. We entered the amphitheater between the upper and lower sections. “Up or down?” Sarah asked. I chose down and we headed towards the stage where we were surprised to find we could walk right up on it. We took selfies standing in what we imagined to be the exact spot where Neil Peart would have sat at his drum set, looking out on the vast arena. After climbing several rows back to the exit, the rest of the walk back to the car was still hot, but much easier heading all downhill.

Colorado Springs, Colorado | elevation 5,994’

From Morrison we headed into Colorado Springs for a one-night stay at The Broadmoor, a 5-star hotel. At check in we were told we had been given an upgrade to a Lakeside Junior Patio Suite. A bellhop greeted us and gave us a quick rundown of the hotel facilities. He would be taking the elevator to the second floor, but gave us an option of elevator, escalator, or a 100-year-old spiral staircase. We chose the staircase. He met us at the top and continued to discuss the history, architecture, and decor as we made our way to our room, then opened the door to our beautiful suite. Our room was equipped with large closets and coffee service in the entry. Straight ahead French doors opened onto a large balcony overlooking the lake and pool. A pretty writing desk and cozy fireplace enhanced the seating area to the left and a huge chandelier hung overhead. To the right was a large bathroom all shiny and marble and complete with a gorgeous soaking tub. We started out by sitting on the balcony then retreated back to the main building. We looked around and did some shopping in the various retail stores and picked up an afternoon jolt in the coffee shop. The hotel had just reopened after a pandemic induced shutdown, but several safety rules were still intact. Reservations, which we had already secured, were required for the pool in order to limit occupancy. At our designated time we walked to the pool house and checked in. The large walk-in infinity pool butted up to the lake and was surrounded by comfy lounge chairs with as many fluffy white towels as you desired. Lots of little kids played in the shallow end of the pool, but the busy water slides were removed just far enough to keep the noise level at a minimum. Poolside service was available, and we ordered lemonade and relaxed. When our time was up, we changed in our room and headed across the lake to our dinner reservation at Ristorante del Lago. Our table was next to a huge open window overlooking the lake. As we sat and dined, we watched other guests walking to and fro on the shoreline. I felt like I was transported to a different time. Women and little girls paraded in white sundresses and the men and boys in their starched and collared shirts. We could hear the sound of playful laughter wafting across the lake. As the sun began to set, hundreds of twinkle lights came on all around the property. There was no threat or worry in this place. COVID didn’t even seem to exist. Come to think of it there were no mosquitos either as we sat there by the unscreened open windows. Once again, we decided this place was just so lovely they were not allowed to be here and mar the experience. After dinner we took our time walking back to our room where we finished our dessert and finally settled in. In the morning we had breakfast at the Lake Terrace Dining Room and then enjoyed another pool reservation and took a turn in the paddle boats before checking out. While Sarah retrieved the car from the valet, I picked us up a couple salads for later from the coffee shop and then we reluctantly drove away from this beautiful paradise.

Great Sand Dunes National Park Visitor Center | elevation 8,170’

We headed south on I-25 into the eastern side of the state through the flat, dry desert, then circled back into the south-central part of Colorado and Great Sand Dunes National Park, our nation’s 58th national park. The visitor center was closed, but pre-stamped passport cancellations were available outside. Behind the visitor center they had set up a sort of virtual shopping experience. As we walked past the windows, items were displayed each with a unique number for identification. At the window a nice lady retrieved our choices and collected payment. They were surprisingly quick, and we were soon on our way to the campground. Our spot was a raised rectangular, raked bed of sand and fine gravel. On one end stood the picnic table and bear box and on the other was ample room for our tent. We thought we would enjoy our salads for dinner but discovered they had forgotten to include our dressing and the Caesar was full of anchovies. We found a snack instead, then with dark clouds building quickly set up our tent. We wisely decided to put on the rain shield which we had never practiced. Before we could finish the wind started to pick up. We had the pegs in the ground, but in the soft dirt they kept pulling up. We ran to the car and threw our gear into the tent, but with it still heaving under that weight we jumped inside and laid down. The wind was roaring by now and it seemed entirely possible our tent might take flight with us inside it. I worried the poles would get bent or the rain cover would go flying off. Luckily it didn’t because the rain came next in a torrential downpour. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed as we lay there for what felt like an eternity holding down our tent. Eventually the rain let up, but it was still very windy. We talked about walking the trail to the dunes, but bad weather still threatened, and we were worried if we got out our tent would take off. Instead, I set up a camp chair inside to sit more comfortably and we took the time to work on our journaling and read from a book of local ghost stories I had purchased along the way. Eventually we decided to venture out and go for a drive. We started out by circling the campground and driving back by to make sure our tent was still secure. We wished we had something for dinner and drove back by the hotel and restaurant just outside the park but changed our minds and drove back to the campground to check on our tent. Finally, we drove out to the dune’s recreation area. It was still windy and as we sat in the car looking at the impressive sand dunes in the distance, I noticed on the map that it said “windy.” I looked closer thinking it must mean windy ridge or windy mountain or something, but it just said “windy.” It was as if it meant to convey that it is windy in this place all of the time and I remarked “what a miserable place.” Sarah still laughs about that. I didn’t mean to belittle this natural wonder, but seriously, in a place full of sand, wind doesn’t make the best combination. Add in a thunderstorm and you’ve got yourself a miserable place. I don’t remember exactly how they say in the brochure this great sand dune out in the middle of nothing came to be, but it’s not hard for me to imagine it was formed by the constant wind roaring down the mountain side eroding the rock into this giant pile of grains of sand. I’m guessing it took about a week to form. We went to bed a little hungry that night, rejecting the idea of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but being very tired we slept really well. In the morning as we packed up, we watched our neighbor who had come in late the night before setting up his camp and making preparations for a big breakfast while tending to his two elderly dogs and keeping an eye on multiple children. One of his little boys, maybe 5 or 6 years old, couldn’t wait to get out on the trails and hike and we thought he was really cute. But when he started talking incessantly about snakes it was time for us to hit the road.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, South Rim Visitor Center | elevation 8,136’

Our next stop was Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park where we had secured another camp spot for that night. However, with rain forecast again we had no intention of staying there and experiencing a repeat of the night before. Headed for the southwest part of Colorado we traveled through beautiful canyons like the ones we had seen near Vail. Somewhere in this area I saw my first big horn sheep. Two very scraggly ones standing right by the side of the road barely resembled the ones I had seen in books, but I was still excited to finally see them in person. Black Canyon of the Gunnison is our nation’s 55th national park. We were visiting the South Rim near Montrose, Colorado. The unassuming, narrow road into the park felt like we were encroaching on someone’s private drive. At the entrance we encountered the most unenthusiastic Ranger, or human, I have ever met. He checked our pass and handed us a brochure with some monotone, solemn instructions and sent us on our way. At the visitor center we found the passport stamp. Similar to Great Sand Dunes, a makeshift window-shopping store was set up, but the lines were long and the process excruciatingly slow, so we didn’t wait. Instead, we walked out along the ridge then drove to another viewpoint on the rim drive and did the same. The view was spectacular. We met a couple who recommended the drive into the canyon, but with flash floods in the forecast we decided to stay on the high side. Black Canyon is a beautiful park we think deserves more attention. We would have liked to have had more time to explore and would like to return, but given the steep terrain, the hiking is likely more Sarah’s level than mine. Exiting the park, we passed by our sorry Ranger friend and headed to Telluride where we had rented a hotel room for the night.

Telluride, Colorado | elevation 8,750’

Telluride is located in a remote corner of southwest Colorado. Just up the hill the town of Mountain Village, is accessible by car, or a free Gondola system. Telluride consisted of a main street with lots of shops and restaurants and blocks and blocks of houses, cute houses, all crowded together. Parking was mainly on the narrow cross streets and every spot seemed to be taken. We pulled up to our “victorian” hotel, which looked more “old west” style to me and lucked out finding a parking spot next to the building. We decided right then and there we were not driving anywhere until we left town. Our tiny room came with a huge price tag but was one of the few remaining rooms in town that night. Our room faced out on a side street where a worship team practiced in the church across the street lifting our spirits. The tiny, old-fashioned fans in the window surprisingly did seem to cool off the room. It probably helped that the temperature dropped from 94 to freezing overnight. All in all, it was way more comfortable than a tent in a rainstorm, even if it wasn’t really worth the price. We walked downtown and had a look around, but with a new wave of COVID just starting many of the shops were closed. Also, masks were beginning to be required again even outside on the street. In the heat and high altitude, it was difficult to breathe, particularly for Sarah. We found a market and thought we might pick up something for dinner but ended up going back to the room and eating peanut butter and jelly. The next morning, as soon as it was open, we walked about a block to the gondola and rode to Mountain Village. When we got there most of the stores were still closed. The village is beautiful nestled in the mountains. The cobbled streets were lined with alpine resorts. I could imagine staying in one of those balconied suites and walking out in my fancy outerwear to hit the slopes. That is if I had fancy outerwear and knew how to ski or snowboard! We found a coffee shop and ate breakfast outside then took the Gondola back to town and loaded up our car. The drive out of town took us up past Mountain Village again. We agreed it was way more fun to get there by gondola.

Mesa Verde National Park | elevation 8,500’

We arrived in Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado in the early afternoon. Mesa Verde is number 7 of the national parks. We stopped at the visitor center to get our passport stamps then headed up to the top. The ranger who greeted us at this gate was the opposite of the last one. This spirited fellow was excited and eager to give us directions and all sorts of tips on seeing the park. We followed his instructions driving up past the huge monolith onto the rim of the canyon. We passed the Far View Lodge where we would stay that evening and followed the one directional loop roads around the top. At each viewpoint we stopped and parked and walked the short trails to viewpoints where we could see the ancient cliff dwellings across the canyon. Due to COVID all tours were canceled, but typically you can sign up for guided tours of many of these structures. Here again Sarah was disappointed, but I was relieved for the closures. Most of the tours require some combination of rope ladder or crawling on hands and knees through small spaces all on the ledge of a cliff. It was, however, great fun to walk the short, groomed, often paved trails and view these structures from a distance. And it was helpful that I had my binoculars on hand. When we had traveled every loop and stopped at every viewpoint we headed back to the lodge and checked into our room. Since it was our last hotel stay, we imagined relaxing in our air-conditioned room and maybe watching a little tv. It turned out our cabin style accommodations had neither, nor a coffee pot. But we did have a big deck with a panoramic “Far View” of the park. And we had dinner at the lodge restaurant that evening. Our waiter was friendly and nice, and the food probably tasted especially good to us as it was not peanut butter and jelly.

Arches National Park, Devils Garden Campground | elevation 5,200’

The next morning, we were up early and loaded up our car. We stopped by the lodge on our way out to get coffee. We headed out of the park along the rim circling down around the great monolith past the station with the friendly ranger. By mid-morning we were back in Utah, and as we approached Moab from the southeast things started to look familiar. We stopped at the market and picked up a few groceries. As we wrote about in our blog Curves and Lines of Grand Designs, we had secured a coveted spot at the Devil’s Garden campground. As I have said, ordinarily I don’t like to stay in places called “devil” or “death” or things of such nature. But with only 51 camp spots this is a difficult reservation to get. Not only that, we knew Neil Peart had spent time hiking in this area and spoke highly of this side of the park we had not yet explored. We had a great time hiking to several arches and for dinner a rare feast of turkey sandwiches, macaroni salad, and watermelon. Also, it felt great to get back below 6,000 feet. In the morning we returned to the windows section of the park, which we always enjoy, and then headed home.

Ellensburg, WA | elevation 1,542’

It was a long, 14 ½ hour drive home that day, and we did it with only a few stops, arriving in the early evening. A few weeks before we left on our trip, we were at my daughter Angie’s home. Walking outside I had been scared to death by a huge snake on her sidewalk. Translation it was a garter snake, and they aren’t typically huge or deadly, unless I see one. I had screamed so loud and long that Angie heard me from inside the house. Sarah, who witnessed it all firsthand, truly believed I was going to drop dead on the spot. The memory was still fresh as Sarah pulled up in the driveway and we jumped out of the car and raced toward the house -- it had been a while since our last pit stop. As Sarah crossed the lawn, a neighbor’s cat jumped out of the bushes in front of her and she let out a shriek. Thinking it was a snake I let out a blood curdling scream which caused her to fall on the ground in hysterics. Jarad came rushing out to see what was wrong. It was several minutes before we could explain ourselves because we were in tears from laughing so hard. No matter the circumstances, after nine days and camping in thunderstorms, it feels good to note we were still laughing. And after 14 hours in the car we were already plotting and looking forward to the next adventure.