Driving in Colorado Part 5

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Independence Pass

The gray gigantic curtain of rain hid the Independence pass. The smell of water filled the air. The temperature was dropping quickly. The dark shadow of the thick heavy clouds slowly enveloped the mountain sides. At the bottom of the valley, the condition was the opposite. The flat bottom was basking goldenly in the bright sunshine.


Earlier when we just left Aspen, we passed a beautiful dreamy forest. Skinny trees with lush green leaves stand in pack formation on both sides of the road. Green trees, gray asphalt, yellow road lines, and blue sky were the only things the eyes could see; simple, but yet serene and tranquil.

At the Independence Pass, a few people were walking with their umbrellas and raincoats toward the vista point. We parked the car and started walking. Quickly we ran out of breath. At 12,095 feet, the air at this Continental Divide is thin.

Despite the freezing and wet climate, we soaked the panoramic view of undulating mountains. I admired the scene before me. I made a mistake not to take enough pictures at this beautiful scenery as my mind was so captivated by the beauty of splendid rolling mountains, palm-sweating steep cliffs, razor-sharp jagged mountain tops, abysmal canyons, and serpentine roads below me.


Reaching for the Sky

Driving back to Hertz, I felt content and fulfilled knowing that my addiction was satiated. I savored the blissful feeling I had while we were at the top of the mountains, the moment where I felt I could almost touch the sky. I was just there with no past and no future. Immersing in the beauty around me, I felt buoyant, refreshed, and rejuvenated.

Boarding the San Francisco bound United Boeing 737, my mind drifted to the conversation I had with one of my elementary school teachers. She said, “Dream big, and reach for the sky!" ...@driving-vacation

More pictures...

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