Good morning time to you! I'm upward early on since our jail cellphone dot is weak, too I'm using the common wi-fi to write this post. When I tried uploading pictures yesterday evening, I flora it likewise painfully boring to intend close writing. It's my habit to acquire upward early, too therefore I tried in 1 lawsuit again this morning time patch the residuum of the common is all the same sleeping. Without therefore many folks using a this shared resource, I was able to acquire them uploaded on onto the blog. Okay. So let's talk, shall we? Very prissy to regard you.
When nosotros took off from (geez, where were we?)...the days are starting to blur. Oh yes...the Black Canyon place...Montrose. Sheesh. I idea I was going to acquire stuck correct there. Anyway...Miss Sadie was preparing for the drive yesteryear closing her eyes for her morning time nap.
Our drive was brusk yesterday, too therefore I had quite a fighting of fourth dimension inward the morning time to function on my slow-stitching. I finished off the bottom section.
Now I've moved my hoop upward to to a greater extent than or less the middle of the piece, too I'll move working on the sunflowers next. I'm a petty worried close this because I don't intend I bring plenty contrast betwixt the ii colors of gilt floss I brought. It's Sew Moab, quilt store inward Moab (our adjacent stop), volition in all likelihood bring something.
We were headed to Fruita via Colorado National Monument too scenic Rim Rock Drive, which is the agency this monument is seen.
After passing through the East entrance, nosotros came upon this sign:
Oh wow...wouldn't that move fun!?! I tin solely yell back 1 other fourth dimension truly seeing whatever inward the wild.
The route started out like shooting fish in a barrel enough, too nosotros began to climb through 200 meg years of accumulated sedimentary rock, tilted inward swell slabs, isolated columns, steep fields of crumbled boulders, too curving overhead inward continuous smoothen cliffs.
The route was winding too narrow, too it was windy too!
Right away nosotros passed through a small-scale tunnel. We knew nosotros were within the parameters of pinnacle too width, but it was a petty nervous-making simply the same.
Our kickoff halt was Cold Shivers Point, overlooking the deep trough of Columbus Canyon.
Rim Rock Drive was built during the 1930's, too I'm certain no 1 anticipated large motorhomes too large truck campers pulling trailers loaded alongside ATV's. We were oftentimes squeezing into likewise small-scale spaces for parking, too therefore it was a affair of jumping out, looking over, taking a picture, jumping dorsum in, too and then speeding away...although "speeding" is in all likelihood an overstatement. Mostly, nosotros were inching forrad trying non to meet anything or anybody. Looking left...
Looking right...
Here is what the accompanying sign said.
We were also seeing stunning views across the Grand Valley below from Grand Junction to Fruita. Our scenic byways mass tells us that the plateau's nub has risen twice, kickoff every bit the base of operations of a mount gain that has eroded away. Then, after layers of stone reburied the core, it rose in 1 lawsuit again every bit the valley flooring sank.
Our adjacent halt was Red Canyon overlook, too this truly did plough into something of an attempt-to-park fiasco. I jumped out too looked, took a picture, too jumped dorsum in.
We idea nosotros mightiness immature adult woman the adjacent stop, but flora a turnout simply passed the overlook where nosotros could common too walk back.
From there, nosotros had stunning views of some of the pinnacle formations jutting into the canyon.
Here's a panorama of the area. Honestly, it was breathtaking.
I took this adjacent film therefore you lot could acquire a adept experience for what the route was like. Steep stone cliffs on 1 side, steep drop-offs on the other. It was white-knuckle driving to move sure.
Our adjacent halt was the Grand View Lookout. Most of the lookouts involved brusk walks out to an overlook. Here, I paused close halfway for the film below. Looking yesteryear the pinnacle inward the middle, you lot tin regard Fruita out inward the valley.
Walking the residuum of the way, it was very, really windy, alongside gusts of every bit much every bit xl mph. We worried we'd acquire blown over the side. Looking left, nosotros could regard this:
Looking right, nosotros could regard this.
And here's some other panorama of the area.
Around the adjacent corner...BIG HORN SHEEP! THERE THEY ARE!!! Oh my gosh, how exciting to regard them.
They were standing correct at the border of the route alongside a steep drop-off. We drove yesteryear really slowly, trying non to frighten them into taking a plunge over the side.
After that, nosotros stopped at the visitor's center, where nosotros learned to a greater extent than close the structure of the road. It was mainly built alongside pickaxes too shovels. At to the lowest degree xi men died during its construction.
We owe the beingness of this national monument to the vision of 1 man: John Otto. Wikipedia tells us that he was the kickoff common custodian at Colorado National Monument, too had been a fundamental advocate for its creation too its afterwards inclusion inward the National Park System.
He was married within the boundaries of what would move Colorado National Monument.
Sadly, it was a brusk marriage.
.
To hither his bride tell it:
But here's a petty to a greater extent than information close the human being too his efforts to plough his honey canyons into a national monument.
After picking upward my fridge magnet too wandering about within the visitor centre for a bit, nosotros continued on toward Fruita. Before nosotros left the boundary of the monument, nosotros passed through some other tunnel...
followed speedily yesteryear 1 more.
And too then nosotros were free...having cheated expiry in 1 lawsuit again.
We're spending simply 1 nighttime hither inward Fruita, too nosotros bring a brusk drive to Moab today. Moab is our final planned halt for this trip, too we'll move spending 5 nights there. While there, we'll move getting novel tires pose on our ATV's too I believe we'll bring close 3 days for riding. After that, we're all the same considering driving N in 1 lawsuit again to regard Dinosaur National Monument. You mightiness recall nosotros passed it yesteryear patch nosotros were inward Vernal. If nosotros bring unloose energy plenty for to a greater extent than sight-seeing, we'll create it. And if not, we'll move heading for home.