100 Mile Capture sees Colorado

Hi everyone!
Sorry it has been awhile.  Can't seem to get rid of the cold and sinus I brought home from vacation.  NOT my favorite souvenir by the way. 
Back to the 100 Mile Capture.  We made it to Colorado!  Woohoo!  

Remember where we started?
We have seen A LOT of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah....
 7 states, 14 days,  3485.4 miles and  65 hours 15 minutes in the car!  We have see tons of family and beautiful scenery, and more than a few quirky things a long the way.  Hope you enjoy our road trip 100 miles at a time.   Want to see how it all started?  click here 100 Mile Capture


Mile 2200  Maybell, Colorado.  Before moving to Texas 4 years ago we lived in Maybell.  It is a little ranching community in Northwest Colorado. about 60 miles West of Steamboat Springs.   No stoplights, no cell coverage, just a small country store with two pumps (one gas one diesel) and a restaurant that opens during hunting season.  This spot is about 10 miles from where our small ranch was.  The locals call it the Governor's mansion.  I hate to admit it but I lived in that area for 20 years and never stopped to read this historical marker. Good thing this was our hundred mile mark!   All of NW CO is so dry.  The fire danger is always scary there this time of year.

Here is my sweet and very patient hubby keeping the motor running while I snap away. This has been a very common site on this trip.

SO many pictures...SO very patient

Mile 2300 We ran around visiting family and friends in the area for 3 days. These signs are all over NW CO.  They were placed by the F M Light family in 1928 and are actually numbered and registered with the state historical society.  107 years in business with 5 generations of Lights running the store in the same location as the original store.  F M Light and Sons western store is truly a Steamboat legacy and a must see if you are ever in the area.

Mile 2400 is on Rabbit Ears Pass above the beautiful mountain town of Steamboat Springs. This is the view from the top of the pass looking down on Catamount Lake.

This has always been one of  my favorite views.  As I looked down on this that day there is concern and sadness.  It is SO very dry in what is usually a lush green valley. If you look closely you will notice how many of the beautiful pine trees have been lost to the pine beetle epidemic.  One misplaced lightning strike would spell disaster.  (ranting side note)  I try to be as environmentally conscious as I can be.  However, the pine beetle issues that the Colorado forests face infuriate me.  Environmental activists would not allow the few invested trees to be removed for "environmental" reasons.  In 4+ years the beetle kill has spread so rapidly, there are some areas it has killed all of the pines, changing the landscape and creating a huge and dangerous forest fire issue.   There are homes built amongst those dead trees.  Those same activists who would not allow the removal of a few diseased trees are now demanding protection from the inevitable forest fires.  Demanding the Forest Service DO something.  They tried to DO something  4 years ago, you wouldn't let them, remember??? 

WOW! I am finished with rant....that felt kind of good! 

  

Mile 2500 The Eisenhower Tunnel!  When you live on the Western Slope of the Rockies you learn to travel this road a lot. The Eastern Slope has Denver, Colorado Springs and shopping, and lets not forget specialized medical services.  I have seen the sun shining on one side of the tunnel and a blizzard on the other side.  Like two different worlds.

 The Eisenhower Tunnel, officially the Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel is a dual-bore, four-lane vehicular tunnel approximately 50 mi (80 km) west of Denver, Colorado, United States. The tunnel carries Interstate 70 under the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. With a maximum elevation of 11,158 ft (3,401 m) above sea level, it is one of the highest vehicular tunnels in the world. The tunnel is the longest mountain tunnel and highest point on the Interstate Highway system. Completed in 1979, it was one of the last major pieces of the Interstate Highway system to be completed. The westbound bore is named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, the U.S. President for whom the Interstate system is also named. The eastbound bore is named for Edwin C. Johnson, a governor and U.S. Senator who lobbied for an Interstate Highway to be built across Colorado   

As you can imagine there is no stopping for photo ops so these are windshield shots. A tunnel may seem like an odd place to put a "watch for wildlife" sign but when you exit the tunnel you start straight down the pass into Denver.  I have seen all kinds of wildlife on that road and when you exit the tunnel it takes a minute for your eyes to adjust to the light.  Trust me, the sign is important.

   

Mile 2600  North East Colorado aka the plains of Colorado is mostly farming, ranching and tornadoes.  This was taken around Lowland, Colorado and pretty typical of the area.  

Mile 2700 finds us in  Burlington, Colorado.  What a treat to see this beauty in the parking lot at McDonalds.  It is a 1918 Ford Model T.  What do you think Henry Ford would think if he saw what we do with our cars today, drive thru everything, everywhere. 

 Next stop Kansas!  Now I know you are thinking yippee (insert sarcasm) but we found a very cool historic photo op in Kansas, can't wait to share! 

I will continue to post the addendums to each state when I can.  Since I took 1200+ photos this trip, I am enjoying and a bit backlogged, going through them.

Thanks for looking

 

Keep Snappin'

Jeanne