Just after sunrise on September 6, Alan and I hopped into our rental car -- a yellow PT Cruiser with a sun roof -- and began our 12-hour journey to Creede, Colorado. We promised to visit Al & Carol who were staying in an RV Park up there. Along the way, we found various interesting sites!
Our route included a scenic drive through the southern tip of Zion National Park, which showcased fiery red cliffs, astounding sandstone formations, and beautiful canyons. Intermittently carved out vistas along the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel served as windows with panoramas between the Zion Canyon and the East Entrance to the park.
There were phenomenal landscapes throughout our travel route: amazing canyons and cliffs, mesas and plateaus...of different sizes, shapes and colors. There was one that reminded me of a layered chocolate cake sprinkled with powdered sugar. It looked good enough to eat!
Though our trip was lengthy, we delighted at the visual bonanza. We crossed Glen Canyon Dam, caught a glimpse of Lake Powell and Monument Valley in the Navajo territory, touched the Four Corners area until...
Aah...Creede at last!
Mountain Views at Rivers Edge RV Resort
A small cabin in the same RV park was reserved for Alan and me. However simple, the cozy cabin was complete with a full size bed, a sink and a stove, a large multi-purpose table with chairs, and a full bathroom.
When we opened our cabin door the next day, we were wonderfully surprised with the sight! Right in front of us were pristine rolling hills of green. To the left was a trace of the river waters of Rio Grande. The weather was calm and the air oh so fresh! It was just heavenly to be there.
Perhaps the better surprise, though, was the breakfast feast prepared by Al & Carol. They had everything ready for us: peaches, cinammon rolls, freshly baked biscuits, ham, bacon, omelette, pancakes...you name it! They knew exactly how to spoil their guests! Soon after we "recovered" from breakfast, we went around town for some sight-seeing.
Here are some interesting highlights:
Main Street - Century old buildings, restaurants, and quaint shops filled the Main Street district which is nestled at the foot of the canyon. Taking a break from our stroll up and down the street, we stopped for some ice cream at The Old Firehouse (where their idea of a scoop is equivalent to a pint!)
Next we drove up Bachelor Loop. The 17-mile loop took us through the historic silver mining district and ghost town. In the 1890s, Creede was one of the largest producers of silver in the US. We were awestruck by the remaining mining structures. What an incredible sight!
Continuing through Bachelor Loop, we played hide-and-seek with the afternoon sun as we drove past groves of Quaken Aspen trees. Some of these trees already began to change into their fall colors. Their heart-shaped leaves of gold shimmered as they rustled in the wind.
Underground Mining Museum - After visiting this museum, we have found a new appreciation and respect for miners. The tour enlightened us about the miners' way of life back in the 1890s...how they were exposed to unhealthy and often dangerous circumstances. I'll never forget the "honey pot" which was their makeshift toilet situated in the same area as their mess hall.
Lake City - The waters of the Rio Grande seemed to follow us on the road to Lake City. The trees spilling over the mountainsides looked like battalions of soldiers standing in attention as we passed. The little town of Lake City was adorable with its historic dainty churches and small souvenir shops. We tried to enter the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church but it was locked. Later, we circled around the pretty Lake San Cristobal and stopped at a lookout point to admire it.
Antlers Lodge - Not far from the Mountain Views RV Resort is this lovely property tucked away in a hidden bend of the Rio Grande River. We had a luscious dinner at the Lodge's Riverside Restaurant. It was an adorable place! I enjoyed the riverside view from the restaurant patio and considered staying in this place the next time we come up to Creede.
Going Home, we took a moment to visit the Four Corners Monument for a photo op. Most people got on all fours to touch all four states at once. One couple had a creative idea. They stood back to back with their arms outstretched, forming a big T where the four states intersected.
For our return trip, we followed the reverse of our original route except instead of cutting through Zion again, we dropped down to Fredonia and went via Arizona's Colorado City (known to be home to polygamists). Alan joked that we just might pick up another wife there.
Our most precious find from the trip was this peculiar waiting shed in the middle of Highway 98 (somewhere between Klethla Valley and Kaibito). It was painted to look like a tropical paradise and a group of stuffed animals occupied the bench as though waiting for the next bus to arrive.
