I considered the Pacific Coast Highway but decided that I need 4 days to do it justice, not just 3. Washington State was a close 2nd but this just felt like the better fit because of the climate.
Lower elevations can be awfully hot in the summer. It still might hit 90 in early September but mornings are cool and there is low humidity. More importantly, I don't have to worry about snow at high altitude. Come mid-October, yes that is a real concern.
9/2- Flights were much cheaper on a Wednesday and I wanted some slack time built in so that's what I booked. Though I've been to Colorado 5 times, I have not ventured west of Breckenridge as an adult.
The flight out of Birmingham leaves at 8:13 so I won't have to get up at 3 AM. If I am out the door by 6, I'm in good shape to make the flight and I still beat the rush hour traffic. I connect in Denver with a 59 minute layover. That's shorter than I would like and I can't afford more than a 15 minute delay. If all goes well, I land in Grand Junction, Colorado at 12:38.
From there, it's slightly more than 2 hours west to Moab, Utah. I should have enough time to catch a sunset at Canyonlands or Arches NP.
9/3- I will spend most of the day in Moab and will probably do the Arches hike early in the morning then check out Canyonlands. I've been to the former before but not the latter. In the evening, I will drive to Durango, Colorado just across the New Mexico border. 4 corners monument? Likely, I will pass. It's crowded, too far out of the way and the monument is actually a few hundred yards from the actual borders. I might cross into New Mexico just for the hell of it but probably not Arizona.
9/4- Mesa Verde National Park. I was there as a teen but not as an adult. From there, it will be a very scenic but possibly scary drive on the Million Dollar Highway. That's why I didn't want to chance it with the weather. I will not drive that road in the snow. Figure that if I could navigate the roads in Maui, this won't be a problem in dry conditions. There is a nice state park on the way but my destination for the night is Montrose and Gunnison NP, which I have never seen.
9/5- I hope to make it to Gunnison before sunset the previous day but if not, it will be okay to hit it in the morning. From there, I am flexible. Grand Junction is only 60 miles north of Montrose. There are several gems east of Grand Junction that I would like to see. I could go as far as Aspen and hunt down Mary Swanson. I will pass on the International Preservation Society and go back to Grand Junction for the night.
9/6- There is a Monument and a park just outside of Grand Junction that I should hit before my 1 PM flight. This time, I will have plenty of time in Denver on my layover. I am scheduled to get back to B'ham at 9 PM. I will have a full day to recover on Labor Day (9/7).
After this one, I am down to 4 bucket list USA trips.
PCH, Washington State, Kauai, Niagara Falls.
No comments:
Post a Comment