Marble - McClure Pass - Montrose, CO

---

Our first stop this morning was a stop off the main highway to a place called Marble, CO. The small town is named after the marble quarry that supplied the marble for the Lincoln Memorial and the tomb of the unknown soldier. It was a beautiful ride with shimmering aspens lining the road. You could tell when we were getting close to the town - - large pieces of marble were in people’s front yards and along the roadside. There are remnants of the old mill where the marble was cut and we walked around. Marble walls are still standing. We drove up the 4 mile winding narrow dirt road to the quarry, but they didn’t have tours and you could only see it from a distance. Next we headed over McClure pass, which is known to be a great place for autumn aspens. Many of the aspens were bare, but it still didn’t disappoint. It was a beautiful ride. When we came down the other side of the pass the scenery started to change. The rolling mountains had less aspen and more scrub brush with rust and orange colors. We headed southwest and the land became flat with the mountains visible in the distance. This was ranch and farming land. It reminded me of the Fresno, CA area. It’s known for its fruit. The temperature got very warm - - in the 80’s. We are spending the night at the Montrose Wal-Mart. Montrose is a good size town and only 12 miles from Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP where we are headed tomorrow.

---