A Trip Across the USA
Jon Vermilye's Photo Page

Trip Index

May 1 - The Mountains

We awoke to bright sunlight, the first day to start that way on the entire trip. More driving across Kansas. It is still flat, but I felt it was only fair to include a picture of the flatness with clouds rather than the dull gray skies we had yesterday.

Thanks again to the desk clerk at the Holiday Inn Express in La Junta, KS for providing a WiFi connection that let me update the pages this afternoon.

We really didn't do much else today besides driving 330 miles across Kansas & Colorado. We did stop to take a picture of an irrigation system. If you have never driven through the parts of the country that use these systems, you probably have seen the results from the air. One end is connected to a well & the wheels drive the system in a circle. Those green circles you see when flying across the country are the result.

US 50 becomes a far less lonely road when it enters Colorado. Lots of rest stops, and as it gets into the foothills, the Arkansas River actually has water in it.We saw some rafters & kayakers and lots of fly fishers along the river. Beautiful rocky hills with snow covered mountains behind them.

Kansas on a Nice Day	Irrigation System	The First View of Colorado Mountains on US 50

The Arkansas River in Colorado Along US 50

Stopped for the night in Salida, CO. Tomorrow we will try to get to Twin Lakes, then on to Leadville.

May 2 - Twin Lakes

Temperature at 3:20AM - 23 degrees! Frost on the car window for the first time on the trip.

We met Dick & Anne Dougherty at the corner of Route 24 & 82 a little south of Leadville, CO for a trip to Twin Lakes & to take some photos of the mountains. On our way back we took the "A Sure Pretty Drive" road (that is the name of the road, and it is!) Also drove by the Parsons Ghost town & a gold dredging site that was the 5th richest in Colorado's history. People are still panning the tailings & river bed & finding gold today.

We are borrowing a network connection at the Ski Cooper Office since, as usual, Road Runner dial up doesn't work.

Until next time...

Twin Lake & Mountains	More Mountains	Parson's Ghost Town off of "A Sure Pretty Drive"

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Last Update: March 25, 2012