Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Aspen

Okay, we have been off line for the last three days given our camp was out in the sticks and had barely no facilities, contrary to the website......  the weather has turned cold and wet but the location is beautiful.

Snow above camp....

We also had to do some RV maintenance on arrival as we heard a clicking and required a new fan belt - guess this isn't too bad as it was the first mechanical maintenance we have had to do so far. 

Anyway Daryl took me out to dinner for my birthday in Glenwood Springs where we had a nice meal overlooking the Colorado river and people watching out the window. 

The following day after lunch the mobile mechanic came out and put in the new fan belt and once we were all back in order, we headed out to Aspen where the rich and famous play.

Ski slopes above Aspen township

Dancing Fountain, Aspen

Jerome Hotel, Aspen

Aspen turned out to be disappointing, being over expensive and not very exciting.  We wandered thru the park where John Denver has his songs engraved in stone for somehting to do. 

On the way home we visited the Maroon Bells and were luckily enough to get a break in the clouds to catch a photo or two.  The weather was wet, cold and even started to snow a couple of times as we are 6-7000 ft in elevation with major mountains around covered in snow.

Next day was a little brighter but still chilly - we headed sown to Marble in the mountains and saw the old marble mill site.  This is a very small town up in the hills along the river - heavy snow area and apparently people usually only last one winter living there.

Marble Mill Site - old factory

Guess who?

Down the road we called in to Redstone which was a quaint little village and walked around talking to people - it is amazing how many people we have met this time that have been to NZ. 


Bumper Statue

Redstone Inn

Later we went back to Glenwood Springs for a hot springs soak - at $37.50 for standard entry it better cure something!  Very nice for relaxing and we spent a couple of hours doing just that.

Today we moved on and made it to Golden on the edge of Denver, where we have checked in for 3 nights and found there is a car show on tomorrow, so guess what we are doing...

Very high elevation

Grand Junction - Colorado National Monument

This morning we said our goodbyes to Steve & Debbie who have invited us to stay with them if we go back through Rock Springs - lovely couple with a heart of gold.

We make a booking for the next camp in Carbondale near Glenwood Springs and we will also visit Aspen in the two days we are there.  It is summer holidays here now and we are finding it different this time around - a lot younger mix and a lot friendlier also.

About 11am we head off to do the Colorado National Monument as recommended to us by several people and it was a lovely drive through scenic hills. 

Can you see the mummy?

Dare-devil Daryl at it again

Yes that is the rock he was standing on & this does not show the bottom!

Graffiti from 1937!!!!

 

We stopped at Devil's Picnic area for lunch and then headed back to the camp where Daryl started tinkering with the car......  
Next time I look out the radiator is up against the fence and then I see the part Rod gave us in Moab is not the right one..........  hmmmmm, so much for my birthday dinner.......

Luckily Rod also gave us the name of a guy that lives here who is into flathead cars, so after some ringing around we catch up with Norm Frick who doesn't have the part but will ring a buddy.  He rings back five minutes later and says they will be around with the part shortly.

A little while later Norm & Scott Hodges rock up with a 1940 crank pulley in brand new condition - a couple of characters the pair of them - hard case genuine guys that saved our bacon!  They wouldn't take anything for the pulley and were on their way - we couldn't thank them enough.

Scott, Norm & Daryl

Knights in shinning amour
 

Daryl has the new part in and the car back together before dark and test drives it around the block - all smiles now!

These last few days have shown us real American hospitality & generosity and we just can't say and thank everyone enough. To top it all off, the neighbour on the other side has just popped over with two big pieces of cheese cake for desert - wow, what a day.

Just to make my day even better, I have had lovely birthday wishes from home, even tho Daryl says it's not my birthday till tomorrow ( he did spoil me though).  Many thanks for the birthday wishes - it was great to get those messages when we are so far away from home.   LOL

Ouray

Day two in Grand Junction and we head out to Ouray which we have heard is a nice town like in the Switz alps.  It's just over 90 miles south east and so took about two hours but nice countryside and well worth the drive.

Along the way we come across a classic cars sales yard....the pics say it all....

As we get nearer the temperature is going down and the snow is looking much closer....



This is the closest I have got so far to a field of wildflowers

And then we are there - it was still warm, an awesome little place where we had a great day including a pulled pork sandwich for lunch, yummy!

 

We met a lady in one of the shops who had been to NZ and loved it.  She was a darling ole dear (around 80yrs) and told us we had to go up to Baux Canyon, so we did...

 

 

A little further up the mountain, we overlook Ouray behind and look at

 

what is ahead, however, we turn around and head back home....

 

 

Home in time for a few drinks with Steve & Debbie again and some more helpful advise on which way to go and places to see. 

Grand Junction - Colorado

Yip we finally made it to Colorado....................first new state for this trip

 

Getting greener and so far we love Colorado - it feels more like home with the snow & grass.

 

 

We checked in and meet the neighbours - most come to check out the coupe as usual and this camp is no exception.  We meet Steve and get talking to discover he has some friends that live in Foxton.  Steve invites us to dinner tomorrow night which was fantastic - he and his wife Debbie are from Rock Spring, Wyoming and are a real lovely couple.   We really enjoyed dinner (home made hamburgers with meat from Steve's ranch) and the evening with them.  Nice to have good company.   

 

The first day we out to Gateways Canyon about 45 miles south, where there is a car museum, (and not much else) but the museum is top rate and the lodge/complex it is built with is beautiful.  The drive out was nice thru a scenic valley and lots of log houses etc.

 

 

 

Stopped for a picnic & to dip our toes in the stream on the way back

When we got back we checked out a couple of shops (boots & hats) and then went to Allen's Unique Auto's in town here.  Interesting collection of all sorts but a little crammed in - hard to get good photos or see things properly but only $8 entry so still worth it.