Colorado
We drove from New York out to Colorado, aiming for our first attraction: Rocky Mountain National Park. We decided to stay in hotels between NYC and there to expedite our travel time. We left afterwork and made it to easter Ohio. We were generally taking I-80 out, and made it to Iowa City the next night. We spent the next night in Sterling, Colorado, with a short drive left to get to the park.
Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park
I’d wanted to visit this park for quite some time. It’s a big park in north-central Colorado. What we didn’t anticipate the effects of the altitude.
Our campsite was on the western side of the park, meaning we had to go over the 12,000-foot hump to reach the camp, which itself was over 9,000 feet. We both needed some time to acclimate—we were winded just getting out of the tent up here.
View of the Rocky Mountains from over 11,000 feet.
Rocky terrain at the Forest Canyon Overlook.
Laval Cliffs with the tiny Iceberg Lake below in Rocky Mountain National Park.
An overlook onto a narrow valley with a meandering stream.
Levels of mountain lakes below Mt. Ida in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park.
Hovering clouds at sunrise in our camp at Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park.
Chasm Falls in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park.
The base of Chasm Falls.
A timelapse of the Falls River.
A dirt road through Rocky Mountain National Park.
Jagged peaks along a dirt road in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park.
Byers Canyon
Where the Colorado River, the railroad, and US Route 40 pass through the Rocky Mountains.
Byers Canyon along US Route 40 and the Colorado River.
Colorado River carves out a gorge outside of Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado.
US Route 40 in Colorado's Byers Canyon.
Glenwood Canyon
This is the famed stretch of I-70 built through this long canyon—a marvel of engineering, and one of the most beautiful rides on any interstate in the country.
Entering the Glenwood Canyon stretch of Interstate 70.
Coming out of Glenwood Canyon on I-70.