Before we leave Grand Junction Colorado, however, we
are going to take the 23-mile scenic 
drive through Colorado National Monument. The Park celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Although I am pretty sure both of us are on rock overload, it is impossible to pass up this opportunity. The road will begin in the canyon, ascend quickly with switchbacks and then run along the rim of the canyon. 
Maybe that is why it is called Rim Rock Drive. lol
We take a couple pics on the ascent and then begin stopping at turnouts with regularity. Bicycling enthusiasts love this Park for its steep climbs and low vehicle numbers. We spoke with one couple that lived in California and retired to Grand Junction. They were both biking nuts. I asked them what motivated them to bike these difficult climbs. The woman quickly respond, “So I can eat more” and her husband finished with “drink more”. Gotta love it. They were probably in their early 60’s
but were in perfect shape. Another lone bicyclist who stopped at a turnout at the top of a steep ascent was breathing heavily. I asked him how much he bikes a week. He said not as much as most, probably 50 miles. Okay. I am impressed. He said he was getting ready for a race but work gets in the way. I hate it when that happens.
We stopped at one point that offered a .25 mile hike to an outlook. Now, I did not intend to hike today so I had my Bjorn sandals on my feet. Dennis coaxed me and I figured it might be 
interesting. I did not take the time to change shoes. Did I forget what they said caused the 
greatest number of injuries in Bryce Canyon? Shoes, shoes, shoes. Oh, well.We start the walk and I am somewhat lagging behind. Dennis is teasing me. I photographed a couple new flowers and walked to the edge of the cliff a couple times to get some vistas. Dennis is probably 100 yards ahead of me. Now he begins to whine about the length of the trail. Wait a minute, wasn’t this HIS idea? He whines again and I threaten to not only report this in the blog, but also tattle on him for whining yesterday on the Devil’s Garden trail. He persists.
A minute or two later, he is walking towards me. What? He looks a bit green. The guy who was convinced he had conquered his fear of heights was suffering a relapse. He even handed me his camera and kept walking towards 
the motor home. Now, when Dennis parts with his camera, it is like Charlton Heston parting with his rifle. You know, “from my cold, dead hands…” It’s funny, but it’s not funny.I continue the trail and was rewarded with some wonderful views of the canyon and the mountains beyond. There are also images of the Colorado River in the distance. After about ten minutes, I could hear Dennis calling my name. I answered his call, asking him if he was worried about the camera or me! He claims it was me. Lol
We took shots from places like Book Cliffs View, Independence Monument, Grandview, Cold Shivers (there was a strong, cool wind at the point) and more. Independence Monument was meant to honor John Otto, who settled and worked in the Park for one dollar a month. He was even married in the Park. His wife was said to have lamented about her husband’s passion for the Park. She said that Otto considered just owning a cabin as an encumbrance. Can you imagine? Apparently, the Park was his mistress.We finally leave the Park and travel through Grand Junction towards I-70. Once on the boring pavement that permits travel at 75 miles per hour. Sheeesh.
Did I say boring? I was mistaken. I-70 is a pretty interesting and picturesque highway. For many miles, it parallels the Colorado River. Then it hooks up with the White River. We drove along side a river full of rapids, fast water and folks white water rafting! We even saw two guys
trying to water ski on the rapids! Thankfully, they had helmets on their heads. We couldn’t get pictures, but it was great to watch. We go through Vail and lots of snow covered areas. We had been through Vail over 30 years ago. Back then; it was a quaint but upper crust town. Now it is full of timeshares, condos and eating and shopping. The renowned ski slopes are still there. Massive.
We climb to 11,168 feet and go through a number of mountain tunnels. Thankfully, they are much wider than those we have previously encountered.
We passed a town and an exit called, “No Name”. Can you believe it? Imagine the town’s
conversation when trying to decide on a name: “We can name it Redsville or Prunesburg or No Name.” I think the town might be short on creativity or perhaps long on knowing how to get a passerby’s attention.
Now, here is a challenge for you: here are two pictures...can you identify our next destination?
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