I decided to post a new thread.

The original plan was to go see Utah, having already been to Rocky Mountain National park last summer with family plus a couple of trips to Black Hawk, Co. Had been up Pike’s Peak and Garden of the Gods. I had planned to get to Colorado Springs then head west through Gunnison and Monarch Pass to Grand Junction and Moab, UT. Then spend a couple days seeing Utah parks.

The reality was different. On Monday, I left St. Louis, drove through the state past Kansas City all the way to Colby, KS. About 600 miles. A great day till it got very cold. Tuesday morning found a coating of snow on my car. On I-70, it was empty of traffic, guess people were waiting till the bright sun would melt the overnight frost on the road. The news said “Icy patches”. In any case, sun out, weather good, I made it to Colorado Springs on Day 2.

There I was informed that the forecast was intermittent snow up in the passes, I-70 had been closed due to multiple accidents near Denver. I was told that Colorado traction laws were in effect, that you had to have all wheel drive, snow tires and carry chains.

At the hotel, a fellow traveler looked at my car, shook his head, I had rear wheel drive. He then showed me cotrip.org through which you could see live cameras on the roadways. It looked snow packed over the route I had chosen. I had just checked the weather in cities but mountain passes were a different issue.

After some thought. This morning I headed to Salida over US50, awesome drive. I then headed south to Alamosa, Co. lunch there, I was planning Taos but drove to Santa Fe. Today was the very best day. I had lived briefly in White Rock, NM and Los Alamos, NM. My daughter was 6 then, is 27 now. She wants me to get pictures of places like our old apartment complex sign and her Elementry School. After that, I am either going to head west to Zion Natl park or head home via Rte 66.

Saw lots of casino signs, even here in NM but am not prepared to risk my life. While it’s been fun, It could have been a whole lot better but for this damn virus. I like eating in locals places, maybe an hour or two at a bar, mostly conversing with people. I didn’t do any of that.

Thats it for now. I made stops, gas or meal, at some of these places so far...St. Louis, Kansas City,Topeka, KS, Colby Ks, Limon, Co, Colorado Springs, Co, Salida, Co, Alamosa, Co and Santa Fe.