#22 Through Texas and the Rocky Mountains

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September 27-30: Much as we had hoped so see a number of good friends on the east coast and on a northern return trip from Vermont to Oregon, we had to admit that there was no way we could do that with the time we had left. So we flew from Austin to the wedding in Vt, then had to return to Austin to pick up our van. This left us just 8 days for travelling back to Portland because our flights back to Australia were fixed so I could get to Sydney in time to teach in Term 4, starting October 11.
It was great to see Karen, Ellie and Ethan again briefly before we hit the road. Having been spoiled by our meandering “butterfly” ways in August and September, the interstates loomed rather harsh and boring to us. But the reality was, we had to “make good time” on them. STILL, it took us two days to get out of Texas!!! In fact, we met a fellow in the park in Amarillo where we stopped for morning tea and he even asked us, “How long have you been driving to get out of Texas?”
Texas is known for oil, but it sure has a big investment in wind these days—see pictures. In fact the wind farms co-exist with the plants and with the oil rigs.
We took lesser roads through Colorado and saw some beautiful scenery in the Rocky Mountains. The autumn had turned the aspen trees to shimmering, glowing gold. The views were always changing, sometimes dry and rock-filled, sometimes evergreen and forested. We perused the Colorado map to select a sleeping place which wasn't too elevated—we don't sleep well in reduced oxygen. Luckily Colorado maps list the elevation of each town, so we managed to get down to about 4,500 feet, rather than stop somewhere at 8,000, 10,000, 13,000. It was a steep descent to Glenwood Springs through the Glenwood Canyon, which was totally amazing.
Next day we happened upon the town of Dinosaur, and had we had more time, we would have checked out the bones and rock paintings in the area, but on we had to press.
By the end of the 4th night, we were within coo-ee of the Grand Tetons, and camped next to a paddock of either llamas or alpacas—perhaps one of you can enlighten me. Anyway, as dusk descended, the babies and mothers paired off, and then began “the children's hour”. The young creatures began to gambol and leap, and they would line up and run races!!! Once one of the mothers played Follow the Leader with them. It was amazing. Then they were tuckered out, and so were we. We climbed into the van and listened to one of the very last disks of Barbara Kingsolver reading “The Lacuna”--a fabulous book!~--and in the morning the ground was covered with frost and the mums and bubs were nowhere to be seen.

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Photos

Texas wind farming
Harvesting both wind and veggies as far as the eye could see.

The old homestead
They always thought it was windy around the old house.

Multi-tasking
Reaping the below and the above as well as the surface.

Autumn spreads its gold
Entering the Rockies and the land of the aspen.

Ski Cooper???
Cooper is a ski resort mountain in Colorado, it turns out.

A backward glance
Roads look different from each direction, but we would pass this way only once, this time anyway.

Shimmer and glow
The afternoon light through the shimmering aspen leaves was magnificent.

This is for you, Katie and David, Ellie and Ethan
Did you ever hear of the TOWN of Dinosaur?

North of Vernal, Utah
The rocks were so amazing in their pastel layers.

In dry country, water seems magical
The road from Vernal, Utah, to Rock Springs, Wyoming was extraordinary.

The three red ships
The rock formation in the middle distance is thought to look like three warships at sea.

Campground neighbours
Who can tell me--are these llamas or alpacas?

Teepees for camping
In a number of places we saw that you could pay to sleep in a teepee.

My little friend
S/he was very curious and approached me several times.

Comments

[Michelle Cavanagh]

Thanks!
Can't let this one go even though you're back in Oz. Great pics once again! M xx