Traveling Colorado-Million Dollar Highway

Today was that perfect day in Colorado.  Especially since it is February.  Blue sky, white clouds, low humidity, steady breeze and clean air.  Colorado is known for its 300 days of annual sunshine and mild temperatures.

There is so much to discover in this state.  About a month ago, my husband and I left our home in Loveland and did a 72 hour road trip.  In those 72 hours, we saw a lot of spectacular views on the western part of the state.

Driving south on I-25, we headed west on I-70.  I-70 can be treacherous and especially in the winter.  Traveling west of Denver to Grand Junction, I-70 passes over the continental divide via Loveland Pass at an altitude of 11,990 ft.  This is the highest point anywhere in the U.S. interstate highway system.  As you are traveling, your knuckles turn white from tightening your hands on the steering wheel.  You definitely need to keep your eyes on the road, as there are stretches of steep grades, twisting turns and other people driving like they are on the race track.

It is about a four hour drive from Denver to Grand Junction.  After you cross over the continental divide, the terrain changes.  As one drives out of the mountains, the surrounding views are of canyons and mesas.  

Grand Junction sets in a valley along the Colorado River.  With a population of 64,000, this small town offers a lot with the cutest downtown area and Colorado National Monument(a park with red sandstone monuments and canyons).  It was dinnertime when we arrived in the town.  We enjoyed a nice dinner at the Rockslide Brewery.  We ended the evening, walking and window shopping in downtown Grand Junction.

The next morning with the 15 degree temperature, blue sky and bright sun, we were ready for the road trip to Durango.  We were traveling to Durango via the Million Dollar Highway.  I had never traveled this pass before.  My husband has ridden his motorcycle on it several times.

I was looking forward to traveling through the smaller towns and seeing what makes America so special.

We headed east on highway 50 and the first town that we came to was Delta.  A small town of 9,000.  In the 1800's, it was a trading post.  I wish we had time to spend the day, as there are over 31 unique murals throughout this town.  Murals that gives a person some insight to the town.  

Olathe, Colorado is a much smaller town with a population of 2,000 and is known for its delicious sweet corn in the summertime.  

We passed through Montrose, which is known as the gateway to the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park.

A few days before we had traveled through these towns, the area had several inches of snow.  It did remind you of a winter wonderland as we looked out into the white pastures.

Going from small town to small town, it is always interesting to find out what makes that area so unique.  Another special town was Ridgway.  This town also has murals throughout.  One of the murals that I saw was the one of "True Grit".  This was the area where the original "True Grit" was filmed.  This movie starred John Wayne, Kim Darby and Glen Campbell.  If you are a John Wayne fan, such as I am, you will enjoy this movie.

Enjoying the scenery as we left Ridgway, we approached Ouray.  One knew from the moment that you laid eyes upon this unique town(population of 1,000), that there was something special about this area.  It is known as the "Switzerland of America", as it is nestled between the mountains.  It was named after Chief Ouray of the Ute Indians.  It was originally established by miners looking for silver and gold.  It had more than 30 active mines in 1875.

As we drove through Ouray and approached the beginning of the Million Dollar Highway, we were in awe of the scenery.  Before us were steep cliffs, narrow lanes, tight curves and no rail guards.  I was thankful that I wasn't driving and that there were not many cars/trucks on this road.  As we climbed the treacherous road, we would come across beautiful icicles that were frozen to the cliff.  

The Million Dollar Highway stretches between Ouray and Silverton.  It is about 25 miles, but it takes about 42 minutes to drive it due to the numerous turns and the one way road.  The sun glistened off the snow as we drove the winding road, and the snow covered tree limbs were at every turn.  With the clear sky one could see miles in the distance.  It was the perfect day to experience this winter scene.

Why is it called "Million Dollar Highway"?  Some say that it was the cost to build the road and some say that it was the amount of gold that remained in the roadway's fill.  Whatever the reason, it is definitely a road that one wants to experience the beauty that God has created.

As we rounded our last curve, I could once again breathe and not be afraid that another car coming the opposite direction would be in our path.

We drove another 30 minutes before driving into Silverton, which is nestled between two rugged San Juan Mountain passes, Red Mountain and Mika.  If you like snow, this town averages 163 inches per year.  In the late 1800s, it was a historic mining town. If you are looking for an area where there isn't a signal light and not much traffic, this would be the place for you.  In the past 10 years, the population has only grown from 633 to 734.  The town is known for the train that passengers love to travel in the summertime from Durango.  This is a great destination when the temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, but come those winter months, unless you like cold and snow, this isn't the place for you. 

As the sun began to set in the west and the spectacular colors of orange and salmon were appearing on the horizon, we came to our final stop at the adorable B & B, Country Sunshine, outside of Durango.

Million Dollar Highway

Silverton, Colorado