COLORADO TRIP - 2001

8/29/01 (Wednesday) - Rocky Mountain National Park to Dinosaur National monument

We left camp at 10 to 8 in the morning.  It was clear and cold so we used the heater in the truck to warm up with.

Fairly uneventful drive across Colorado, over the Big Muddy Pass (8800 ft) and the Rabbit Ears Pass (9400) and down into Steamboat Springs.  A 7 mile steep downhill that required using 1st gear to keep the speed in check. It was nice to drive the old US 40 that I first (and last( drove in 1963 when I moved to California. Rather like the old Route 66 nostalgia.

Arrived at Dinosaur, CO at 12:30 pm, set up camp at the Blue Mtn. Rv Resort.  Almost no one here but sites for about 160. Only $18 with full hook-ups and cable TV.

 
The RV park was huge. But only a handfull of sites were used. It was like a large desert field all wired up with utilities, waiting for someone to show up. Maybe all the traffic is on the interstate these days.

After lunch we went to the visitor center for Dinosaur National Monument and later drove the 31 mile road (one way) into the monument to see some overlooks of the Green River and Yampa River valleys.  Some of the canyon heights (depths?) reached 3300 ft.

 
The road going down the hill leads to the Green River. We didn't take that road but, rather, stayed on the high paved road.

Click Here for more photos of the
Green River and Yampa River valleys

We found these old dinosaurs scattered around the town. Yoshiko is standing by a Torosaurus and Steve is by a Carnosaur

We also found this large Stegasaurus

This town really gets into the dinosaur spirit!

Back to camp at 4:30 pm where I mapped out the next 2 days agenda.  Tomorrow morning we will visit the visitor center in Utah where all the fossils and bones are.  And then on to Heber, UT which is near Park City (ski area) and we will be 25 mi from down town Salt Lake City.  Will spend 1 night there at a state park on a large reservoir.

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