A Colorado Change of Scenery

"Jet-boat" and 1986 Bus - Colorado River

Finished up Moab  with a jet-boat ride on the river and a late afternoon/evening sunset vist to Canyonlands NP and Dead Horse Point State Park.

The jet boat ride was a ho-hummer, the first 15 miles down the canyon done by bus to the launch site. Towering canyon walls (red, red-striped and light red) might have been dazzling to the new arrivals to the area on-board, but if you’ve spent more than a day or two exploring the surroundings, they are more of the same (spectacular, but.....enough is enough)  The jet-boat was noisy and didn’t go all that fast. “Jet-boat” refers to a propulsion system and not the speed.  No more dam tours or jet-boat rides!
One notable site:  The cliff that Thelma and Louise drove off in their final scene.(see below)

Thelma and Louse's Final Ride
Their departure spot just left of the high point.

Canyonlands NP

Canyonlands was a top-down view of some pretty incredible canyons. Our real goal was a sunset picnic dinner at Dead Horse Point. We brought BBQ chicken and potato salad for the occasion. The view of a U-turn in the Colorado River is quite famous.  I think the view from Horseshoe Bend we saw  is more spectacular, in part because the river is green rather than buckskin brown. Can't help but thinking 'effluent' when you see that color.  The ambiance of the visit was marred somewhat by a busload of Russians (or Slavs) who had set up their own private bar on the point. They brought every conceivable mix and booze, but forgot glasses, so they wound up cutting plastic water bottles in half.  (Watch those sharp edges!) Their noise and cigarette smoke detracted from what is reputed to be one of the better sunset views in the west.

We enjoyed our dinner at a nearby picnic site, then returned to the point to bid the day adieu,

Dead Horse Point - Colorado River at sunset 

Leaving Moab Friday a.m. we stopped at the tire shop for our new front tires. The owner, Chip, quipped, “Thanks for driving all the way to Moab to buy tires from me.” This guy had the only tire shop for 50 miles around. It drew a steady stream of customers every time I dropped by. A veritable rubberized gold mine!

Never saw any.

We headed east into Colorado and were soon pleased to see trees in place of red-rocks. The foliage is starting to turn. We are about  a week early for the big show. By late afternoon we landed in Pagosa Springs, a town we drove through three years ago.  At that time it charmed us and we tucked it away in our list of places to return to.

After briefly driving around last night on our way to dinner, we are trying to identify exactly what the charm-factor was. Thinking back, we had been in the Denver suburbs before coming here. As the wise sage once said, "Where you are depends on where you were."  Had dinner at Bacces, an Italian joint. So-so food delivered to us by Michelle, whose interaction with us seemed pretty robotic.  "How's your dinner?" "It's fine"  "Awesome." Awesome???? How about "buon gusto?"  She was probably pre-occupied with thoughts of how she was going to get out of this town before the snow starts falling. It's coming soon. This place is at 6500 feet and it was38 degrees this morning.

  

Today is a day off to catch up. Do the wash, hang the new refrigerator door, check the batteries, change the engine air filter and check for loose spark plug wires. Pretty exciting stuff.. Janice in town for haircut and pedicure. Annika looking forward to swim in the San Juan River. Headed to Taos, NM. (Late info: Janice's pedicure performed by a 45 year old local Roller-Derby wanna-be in training. Visited downtown for a gelato. Annika got her swim.)

Official mourning day proclaimed for the end of the Giants 2011 pennant drive, after their 3-1 loss to Arizona last night. Will stop wearing my Giants cap and possibly toast  the season with either red or white wine tonight. Maybe both..  To Taos tomorrow. More rocks.   


Photo for Grandson Jonas:

Aged movie extras from "The Birds"