Colorado Bound!

We wrapped up a wonderful nine months in Gig Harbor, WA and made the drive to our next destination this past week. Everything went about as smooth as we could have hoped and we are now set up in Montrose, CO for the next three months. For those of you unfamiliar with any city in Colorado outside of Denver, then Montrose is located on the western side of the state between Grand Junction and Telluride. We are in the heart of the San Juan Mountains.

As usual, my husband planned everything out in detail to try and prevent any unexpected surprises. He took both cars to the dealership to make sure they were in good shape, we packed the cars, and we even had enough time to enjoy the pool for one last day. Of course David also made sure we had hotels lined up and the routes mapped out, so we would not drive more than six hours each day. We are mindful of our cats in their carriers and we try not to keep them locked up for longer than seven hours each day.

On our first day of travel we made it from Gig Harbor to Baker City, Oregon. Baker City is in the far eastern side of the state before you get to Idaho. We arrived mid afternoon, got checked in, and had the pets fed and settled within half an hour. Needless to say we have this down to a science at this point.

One of the biggest claims to fame for Baker City is its direct connection to the Old Oregon Trail. If you happen to be in this part of the country my husband would highly recommend checking out the history of this city.

One final interesting thing about our first day of driving is that we got to see the western and eastern sides of the Cascade Mountain Range. It was amazing to see how different they were. You definitely tell which side gets the most rain and snow.

On our second day of travel we drove from Baker City through Idaho and stopped for the night in Ogden, Utah. This part of the drive was eye opening to say the least. We definitely felt a bit out of sorts to say the least. We left Washington with beautiful 70 degree days and ended up with temperatures up to 105 degrees. Whew! Other than passing through Boise along this route there was absolutely nothing else of note. We were on our own. There were numerous signs that would say no services for the next 30 or 40 miles. That is a sobering thought if you happen to have car trouble.

Northern Utah was just as remote until we pulled into Ogden. We have learned that these long open stretches of road stress me out. Conversely, David loves them. It is funny how alike we are in many areas, but we are also so different in other ways.

David got this picture of this abandoned barn in Northern Utah. It is hard to imagine how hard life must have been for farmers in this part of the country.

On the last day of our drive to our new home we went from Ogden, Utah to Montrose, Colorado. I thought the previous day was remote, but unfortunately for me, I saw another level of remote on this day. First we had to drive past Salt Lake City during rush hour. We were concerned we might get delayed since we went through at 8 am on a Monday. However, there was no traffic backups or any problems. Well done Salt Lake City!

After Salt Lake City and Provo things got very remote! It is easy to forget how empty some places in our country can be. Again, the no services sign for the next 65 miles was just as unsettling to me as the day before.

One interesting part of the drive as we left the mountains and got into the dessert was these passes we went through. I guess it is easy to cut through the mountains rather than go over them.

After that the emptiness took over, and the desolation was overwhelming.

Of course we had to make time for a selfie along the way!

Eventually the miles came to an end and we crossed into Colorado and made our way to Montrose. This will be our home for the next three months. I can only imagine the adventures we will have during our time in Colorado.

Our view everyday. Not too bad.