Colorado National Monument

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Today, on our cross country drive to California, we're in the high and dry desert country of Colorado on the west side of the Continental Divide.

We visit another train station in Glenwood Springs and the nearby Colorado National Monument.  This is an amazing bit of canyon country. We explore the park and drive along a tourist route on the top of the canyon lands. We are impressed by the views, the steep cliffs and the weathered stone.

Along the way there's some wild life — we spot a deer and there are small lizards basking in the sun. This looks a bit like the Grand Canyon we visit in later years but nothing near as large or as steep. Nevertheless, it's impressive and our first experience with the beauty and majesty of the American west.

In the picture at left you can see a bit of river in the distance. That is actually the Colorado River which flows through the American West through the Canyon Lands, to Lake Powell, the Grand Canyon, Lake Mead and on to the Gulf of California and Mexico. On this side of the Continental Divide rivers flow to the west and drain into the Pacific Ocean. The Colorado River drains a huge part of the country — mostly dry country but an impressive river in parts.

We drive on through Colorado and into Utah where we stay overnight in Green River. Along the way there's lots more impressive country side to see.

Photos scanned and blog created April 2022 during the BadAss.II Covid wave and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.