Colorado

Last year when Mum was here we did a trip to Bayfield, near Durango, to visit our Australian exchangee friends Warren and Sue, and on the way home we were hoping to drive the Million Dollar Highway.  They had a snowstorm that day and it was too dangerous to travel it, so we were pretty happy to be back this way again and to be able to drive it.
We drove from Alamosa to Gunnison, climbing up towards Silverton.

It all looked so different from the last time when it was covered in snow. The stretch from Red Mountain Pass through the gorge has steep cliffs, narrow lanes, and a lack of guardrails and going up Red Mountain Pass there are lots hairpin curves to gain elevation and narrow lanes for traffic—many cut directly into the sides of mountains.
So we we wondered how the hire car would cope with the road and where mum would sit if she had been with us....possibly on the roof....

but it drove a treat.... no problems!

This drive was truly spectacular...the colours were amazing, huge multicoloured mountains, lush green foliage, wildflowers....just fantastic.

Ouray was a small town in the mountains....filled to the brim with people...but lovely old buildings and plenty of shops!

We had to be in Gunnison that afternoon, so continued our drive watching distant storms...

 We got to Blue Mesa Reservoir, which is such a picturesque piece of water, just out of Gunnison.  Storm clouds were brewing everywhere with flashes of lightning...it was spectacular.

We arrived at Jodee and Lou's place that afternoon....we were going to do a non simultaneous house exchange with Jodee and Lou in April, but instead they generously let us stay at their house (we actually had the entire house to ourselves) by the banks of the Gunnison River. 

We got along really well, so pushed the friendship by staying there again on our way back to Denver.

We had a great afternoon....pizza at Crested Butte joined by Jodee and Lou's friend, Gary, a cool drive in the Cadillac, a quick video....COOL COLORADO CADILLAC

plenty of laughs and torrential rain. Thanks you guys!  We went to Crested Butte last year with all the Aussies for a weekend of snow fun!..It looked so different this time...probably more people than during winter...and not a spec of snow anywhere!

The next morning we had planned a leisurely getaway, but instead spent 40 mins looking for Stuart's camera...pulled the car and bags apart more than once!!  I eventually found it underneath my hat on the front seat!!! So we were away for our last adventure in North America.......