I started the morning in Golden, Colorado. First stop was Red Rocks Amphitheatre. I was surprised at how insanely crowded it was, until I got inside and realized there was a graduation happening. Apparently half of Colorado decided to celebrate getting diplomas in the middle of one of the coolest rock formations on Earth. The red rocks and the amphitheater itself were really impressive.
Next, I headed to Lookout Mountain. It had some nice views, definitely worth the stop, although compared to what I saw later in the day, it ended up feeling like the appetizer before a giant buffet.
After that, I made my way to Garden of the Gods, and wow, that place was spectacular. The red rock formations were unbelievable. There were lots of trails, lots of walking, and everywhere you looked seemed like a postcard.
Somewhere on the drive toward Colorado National Monument, I stopped for gas. First of all, I paid $6.09 a gallon, which nearly caused me to pass out right there at the pump. While standing there questioning my financial future, it suddenly got freezing cold and started snowing. Of course my camera was still in the car. By the time I grabbed it, the snow stopped. Then I went inside to use the restroom, came back out, and it started snowing again, so I ran outside and took video. Then I went back in for a drink, came back out, and now it was snowing even harder.
The craziest part was that about an hour west on I-70, it was sunny and 71 degrees. Colorado weather is apparently run by a random number generator.
Then I drove the 23 mile road through Colorado National Monument, and this place was incredible. Massive canyons, towering red rock formations, and views that looked like a mini Grand Canyon. Every few minutes I thought, “Okay, this has to be the best view,” and then another one appeared around the next turn. At one point and I said well I think I've seen enough and I'll just head to my hotel, but then I get to the next lookout and I'd have to stop and take pictures, and that kept happening. 😎
Then came the highlight of the day, I spotted a ram. A little farther down the road, I saw another ram and started taking pictures. Then I realized there was an entire family of rams crossing the street. Meanwhile I was acting like an eight year old kid seeing wildlife for the first time. Honestly, it was awesome.
Another thing I learned today, parts of Colorado have an 80 mph speed limit. I suddenly found myself driving 87 mph without constantly checking my mirrors every five seconds for police lights. Coming from the East Coast, that felt both exciting and slightly illegal, even though technically it wasn’t.
I made it into Moab a little after sunset, and for the first time on this trip, I did not see a single deer, dead or alive. Although when I first spotted the second ram from a distance, I absolutely thought it was another deer. My deer paranoia remains undefeated.
One thing about me, once I started seeing the Rocky Mountains, I turned into a little kid. There is just something about these mountains that I love. The same goes for wildlife. Even back home in Tallahassee, I get excited every time I see deer. I grew up in New York City, where the local wildlife mostly consisted of rats and pigeons. 😎
Tomorrow is Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, which means even more rocks, more unbelievable views, and hopefully animals that do not immediately look like deer from a distance.
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