THE DRIVE
From Arizona to Colorado

Road trips aren’t for everybody. In the modern and fast paced world we live in most people just want to get to their destination and get on with life. With one-way airfares between Phoenix and Denver running as low as $42.00 on Southwest or $50.00 on American, the decision to fly is an easy one for most people.

Those are great airfares. Still, if I’ve got the time, I’d rather drive. Of course, whether one “has the time” or not is often more of an approach to life more so than a few free days. When I was a kid I used to gaze out my window at the distinctive peaks of the Rampart Range to the southwest of Denver. Those mountains always looked so much more alluring to me than the higher mountains to the west and/or northwest of Denver. There was just a warmth and beauty to the southwestern landscape that called out to me then and continues its siren song to this day. Indeed, the West as a whole is my favorite playground but the Southwest in particular is where my heart beats most fervently. That passion has resulted in my having driven over just about every paved highway (and many unpaved ones) around the American West, while having driven only a few of the roads around the rest of the country. The map below represents just the roads I’ve driven in my 1988 Mazda truck, a vehicle which I drove for 21 years through three engines and just over 490,000 miles. Even then, the map photo dates from 1997 and is missing many of the roads I drove through the early 2000s. Those extra roads notwithstanding, that truck was my automotive pal and we sure had some good times over the years!



Roads I’ve driven in my 1988 Mazda Truck


My pal, the Mazda Truck


Arizona has long been a popular destination for people desiring a warmer place to visit or live during the winter months. Given the increased winter demand, most car rental companies at PHX and TUS increase their fleet inventories to accommodate the need. Come spring however, the snowbirds have flown the coop back up north and the car rental companies need to disperse most of those extra cars to locations where there’ll be more demand for them.

One of the ways they accomplish this is by offering great deals on one way rentals with no drop off charges. The rates are quite good, bordering on incredible. My rebooked five day rental from Phoenix to Denver in a mid-sized SUV totaled out at just $104.61 all in. My vehicle was a new Mitsubishi Outlander with just 2700 miles on it. After adjusting the seat and mirrors, I plugged in my mp3 player and accelerated out onto Interstate 17 North. Next stop: Flagstaff.

Part of the fun of a road trip like this lies in revisiting favorite old restaurants and motels while also discovering new ones. In Flagstaff I went retro and visited Dara Thai Restaurant. The attraction of Dara’s is twofold – the delicious food and the location on San Francisco Street in Flagstaff’s historic downtown district. My old favorite – the Panang Curry – was as delicious as ever.

The next morning I checked out a place I’d seen on a previous visit last year – the Crown Railroad Café. It was a 1960s built diner located alongside old Rt. 66. This place was famous for offering 66 different types of 3 egg omelets. And rightfully so based upon my spinach, bacon and mushroom omelet with extra green chili on top. I’m sure I’ll be eating here again.

It’s a 345 mile drive from Flagstaff to my next stop in Durango, Colorado. The drive is quite pretty, especially through the red rock country of Northern Arizona along US 160 and the through Monument Valley on the Arizona – Utah border along US 163.



Red Rock canyons along US 160 outside Kayenta, AZ


Entering Monument Valley from the south


Abandoned Monument Valley Souvenir Stand


Leaving Monument Valley


Afternoon Shadows


Arriving in Durango at about 6:00pm, I checked into my hotel for the night – the Days Inn up on North Main. This property used to be a Ramada Inn and has always been one of my favorite places to stay in Durango. As a longtime member in the Wyndham Rewards loyalty program, I enjoy 20% AARP discounts and for the most part rooms that are acceptable to both my sensibilities and my budget. My large, quiet room this evening cost me just $54.00 all in. Only thirteen more nights and I’ll be a Diamond Level member. ^



My room at the Durango Days Inn


Durango is home to five excellent brewpubs, all of which I’ve visited over the past few years. Tonight I decided to have dinner at Carvers – Durango’s very first brewpub and one I haven’t visited in several years. Back in the early 1990s I used to eat breakfast here regularly because their breakfast burritos were so good. It was time to come back and see what they had for dinner.

The Four Corners Steak Sandwich was a good choice. Consisting of thinly sliced beef, Swiss cheese, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, spicy chipotle sauce and garlic aioli on a soft pretzel roll, it went down well with a couple pints of Jack Rabbit Pale Ale.

The next morning, I had breakfast at the Durango Diner, a place I’ve been frequenting since I was a student at Fort Lewis College back in the 1970s. Truth be told, Durango has an excellent selection of breakfast eateries but the Durango Diner remains my favorite. It’s not so much that its food is any better than the other restaurants but in terms of old time ambiance, it can’t be beat. While most of the tourists head over to the trendier spots in town, you’ll usually find us old timers hashing it out with Gary and his crew at the Diner. Colorado sports teams – particularly the Broncos – are always a well-received topic. As are local issues, new or old music, fishing… really - just about anything goes.



Durango Diner Streetfront


Durango Diner Counter


It’s a 260 mile drive from Durango to tonight’s stop in Glenwood Springs. The journey up north along US Highway 550 is one of my favorites. 10,640’ Coal Bank Pass and 10,970’ Molas Pass must be summited before descending into the historic mining town of Silverton. I used to do a lot of backpacking through here back in the day…



Engineer Mountain north of Durango


Cresting Molas Pass on US 550


Descending into Silverton


From Silverton the highway continues north over 11,018’ Red Mountain Pass. This road has some interesting history as it was originally built as a toll road back in the 1880s. That road was rebuilt in the 1920s and the 3,200’ descent from the top of Red Mountain Pass down to the town of Ouray is particularly beautiful and – for some – treacherous. The highway winds its way 12 miles down steep grades and hairpin turns through the Uncompahgre Gorge to Ouray. Numerous avalanche chutes cross the highway, often resulting in its closure during the winter. In many areas there are no guard rails. Then again, I’ve always figured if you need guard rails to stay on the road, you shouldn’t be driving it anyway.



Starting the long descent down Red Mountain Pass


Guard rails? What guard rails! We don need no steenkin’ guard rails!


Ouray, Colorado


I’m always a bit saddened upon departing Ouray and continuing north. There’s a real vitality to the high country that just can’t be felt down here in the lowlands. It’s as if I’ve traded in wild for domesticated. I mean – the surrounding countryside is certainly pretty down here, but it’s just not the same. Anyone who’s ever stood atop a mountain peak or spent time alone in real wilderness knows what of I speak.



Spring has sprung in the valleys below Ouray


In Grand Junction I stopped to have lunch with some old friends, one of whom used to drive busses with me up in Denali National Park. We had a great time rehashing old memories and trading travel stories (He and his wife recently returned from Kenya and Tanzania) before I once again took to the road and drove another 90 miles east to Glenwood Springs. It was only just last week that I was rolling through these two towns aboard the California Zephyr so it was doubly nice to be able to return to the canyons of the Colorado River and enjoy their beauty from the highway.

It would have been nice to have stayed overnight with my friends in Grand Junction but Choice Hotels was offering a promotion wherein if you stay 2 nights in separate hotels, you’ll earn a free night. Tonight’s stay at the Rodeway Inn is my last chance to get that second night before the qualifying period expires.

The next morning I went the corporate route and had breakfast at the Village Inn. It’s been a few years since I’ve eaten at a VI but those skillet breakfasts still taste just as good as they always have. Excuse me a moment – I’d better pay the bill and get back on the road. May I get that last cup of coffee to go? Thanks! Turning onto Interstate 70, I sped east through Glenwood Canyon – every bit as pretty from the highway as it is from the railway.



Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon


It’s been about thirty years since my sister moved from Evergreen, CO to Greeley, CO. At the time we all thought she was crazy. Greeley! It’s flat up there and it smells! When the winds are right – and they often are - the distinct aroma from the cattle yards at the Monfort Meat Packing Plant waft over not just the town but the entire region. Pee-yew!

That said, Greeley has got its good sides, too. It’s home to the University of Northern Colorado and appears to have more trees and parks than most similar sized cities. My sister met the man of her dreams up there and these days they all in a very nice neighborhood that I’ve come to enjoy as well.

I had a full day in the area and so made a quick drive up to Ft. Collins to enjoy lunch with an old friend before returning “home” for dinner and the Rockies game. That would be the Colorado Rockies – Denver’s major league baseball franchise that is off to a surprisingly good start this season.