Day 28 June 25

Hello Dear Readers,

We managed to leave early in the morning and headed west on I70. The scenery became more and more spectacular the higher we climbed into the Rockies. We had decided to stop in an historic silver mining town named Georgetown.  The town is located in one of many areas that had been the focus of prospecting for gold, silver and other minerals that had started in the Rockies about 10 years after the California gold rush.  As might be expected, many of the small towns that haven’t been turned into ski resorts have a strong resemblance to our own California cold country. 

Georgetown is at the bottom of the Georgetown Loop Railroad that runs from the town of Silver Plume where we had decided to trade our car board the train for a few hours trip down and back up the mountain. It was an incredible adventure…the temperature was perfect and the steam train was fun. By the way, according to the conductor, this steam mine train (which must use switchbacks to negotiate steep terrain) is the only one which does not use tunnels to do so. Consequently, the view is always spectacular, following a rushing river and crossing high over the cascade on an iron bridge just above Georgetown.

After our train adventure, we drove through the beautiful front range of the Rockies, which still have a great deal of snow, and eventually reached the dryer west side of the range and a vast area of mesas straight out of a wild west movie. What a contrast and what a gorgeous sight. We spent the night in Grand Junction.

I had decided we should economize when selecting a motel and found a rather run-down-looking Super 8. The room was OK, but when I tried to find an electrical outlet and moved a small table, there was a dispenser of rat poison!! I did not sleep well that night.

Sleep tight,

Linda and Richard