Saturday 8-23-25 Driving From Texas to Colorado

 

Fall trip continues

 

We had an awesome day. Larry drove 375 miles from Dumas, TX to Salida, CO. 

We had a pleasant night in Dumas. We heard a few trains but had no problem sleeping through the whistles. I got up at 6:00 and we finished up the bagels we brought with us. We're not going to have power for awhile and we toast the bagels in the toaster. After breakfast we finished getting ready to leave.

We were on the road by 6:45 am (Central Time) and stopped at 2:45 pm (Mountain Time). We gained an hour when we entered New Mexico, where it changed to Mountain Time. I slept most of the way. We drove two lane divided highways and interstates. While driving through New Mexico we saw a lot of ranches with horses and cattle. We saw one Pronghorn, we usually see more.

 

New Mexico welcome sign from the web
 

We stopped twice to fill the Minnie with gas. We stopped a few times for bathroom breaks. We stopped at a rest area during one of the bathroom breaks. There was some rain in area so we sat in the Minnie for awhile until the rain went away. We only had sprinkles. We stopped for another bathroom break and Larry decided to change our routine. He decided we hadn't gone through Pueblo, CO in a very long time. From Pueblo to Salida you drive a gorgeous scenic route through the mountains and by the river. It was an extra 40 miles.We stopped in Pueblo to fill the Minnie with gas. Then Larry parked the Minnie and we had sandwiches for lunch. We were 94 miles from Salida. 

 

Colorado welcome sign from the web

The highway went through a beautiful mountain range following a river. The river was beautiful, at places we saw kayaks, huge rafts being put in the river, fishing boats and fishermen fly fishing. It wasn't as busy as we thought it would be considering it's Saturday. It was worth going an extra 40 miles because the scenery was outstanding. The skies had some clouds but they were clear, no smoke. The road was two lanes and curvy but once in awhile they had a passing lane. It was an awesome route to take. We drove through a few tourist towns. One we drove through was Canyon City and it was having a street fair. We didn't stop.

 

Driving through Canyon City

 

Part of the mountain range we took to Salida

 

 We got to Salida by 2:30. We parked the Minnie and set it up for the night. You can stay at this Walmart for 24 hours. After setting the Minnie up we went to Walmart. I forgot my camera at home. Our cell phones have cameras but sometimes it's easier with a camera. Larry had my old Canon camera stored in the Minnie. He charged up the batteries and it works great. It didn't have a case so while we were in Walmart we looked for a case. They no longer carry small camera cases. They had a big one but I can't carry it while I hike. I guess I'll have to carry it in front pocket of my hiking pants or in the small pack I wear while hiking. I'll figure it out.

I heated up leftover taco meat on the stove and we had tacos for dinner. After dinner I did a 3.8 mile hike for an hour and half using the Monarch Trail. I walked all the way to where you cross the street to go to Safeway, which was 1.8 miles. While walking the trail I said hi to people and their dogs and saw a lot of cattle and horses. There were wildflowers along the trail., There was a sign, that said don't feed the animals and had figurines of a bear, a big horn sheep, a mountain lion and a fish. There was a nice dog park called Loyal Duke's Dog Park. On the way back to Larry I met a young cat. It said hello and followed me for a little while. I had a very nice walk and it was nice to see the locals using the trail. 

 

Salida Mountain

 

Sunflowers

The sign for don't feed the animals

 

Loyal Duke's Dog Park

 

My new friend

By the end of the night I had done 12,000 steps, which is my personal daily goal. I played the Daily Challenges of Solitaire and Mahjong. The event was Event: World Tour Mini of 10 games. It took me 44 minutes and 55 seconds, which put me in 18th place in my group.