Road Trip: CA to CO...and Back            

June 11th, 2004 to June 13th, 2004
These are pictures of what turned into a road trip from Palmdale, California to Highlands Ranch, Colorado. We left just before 2pm on Friday June 11th, 2004 and eventually arrived around 4:15pm on Sunday June 13th. Two overnight stops were made in Las Vegas and Richfield, Utah.

June 14th, 2004 to June 22nd, 2004
A few pictures during my stay in Colorado.

July 1st, 2004 to July 3rd, 2004
And finally some pictures from the return trip. We stayed at a hotel the night of the 1st. The journey really begins late in the morning on the 2nd and from there goes straight through to Newbury Park, CA. The only stops were for gas and food and a brief 15 minute rest stop in California. I think we finished around 10-11am. The entire return trip was maybe around 22 hours including stops.

California to Colorado  
06-11-2004; 2:16pm
Palmdale, CA
06-11-2004; 4:27pm
Along I-15
06-11-2004; 4:27pm
06-11-2004; 4:27pm
06-11-2004; 4:27pm
The Desolation
06-11-2004; 4:58pm
06-11-2004; 5:31pm
06-11-2004; 5:48pm
Our dog Magic getting a breath of fresh air out of the top of a dog house.
06-11-2004; 5:49pm
06-11-2004; 5:50pm
06-11-2004; 5:58pm
Approaching the Nevada border.
06-11-2004; 5:59pm
Crossing into Nevada. Stopped in Primm to gas up.
06-11-2004; 5:59pm
06-11-2004; 5:59pm
06-12-2004; 10:44am
Spent the night in Las Vegas before resuming our journey the next morning.
06-12-2004; 10:44am
06-12-2004; 10:46am
06-12-2004; 11:08am
06-12-2004; 11:32am
06-12-2004; 11:54am
06-12-2004; 11:54am
06-12-2004; 12:13pm
06-12-2004; 12:13pm
06-12-2004; 12:16pm
Continuing along I-15 past Las Vegas. The hills are cut away to make way for the interstate.
06-12-2004; 12:17pm
06-12-2004; 12:18pm
Looking up at the cliffside.
06-12-2004; 12:18pm
06-12-2004; 12:21pm
This is either still Nevada or that tiny stretch of I-15 that runs into Arizona.
06-12-2004; 12:33pm
Crossing over into Utah from Arizona.
06-12-2004; 12:34pm
06-12-2004; 1:13pm
We stopped over in St. George, Utah for gas and a bite to eat.
06-12-2004; 1:21pm
Neat rocks!
06-12-2004; 1:21pm
The dead brush looks slightly more dense here...
06-12-2004; 1:32pm
Is that green stuff?!
06-12-2004; 1:35pm
Yes! Green stuff. Bye bye desert!
06-12-2004; 1:40pm
Northbound, I-15
06-12-2004; 1:52pm
06-12-2004; 2:10pm
06-12-2004; 2:50pm
Beautiful country here now. Also a speck of snow off in the distant mountains.
06-12-2004; 3:06pm
06-12-2004; 3:08pm
06-12-2004; 3:13pm
06-12-2004; 3:14pm
More snow-capped mountains.
06-12-2004; 3:15pm
06-12-2004; 3:15pm
06-12-2004; 3:15pm
06-12-2004; 6:09pm
Here is Lady and Magic shedding all over the grass outside a motel in Richfield, Utah off of I-70.
06-13-2004; 6:46am
We hit the road the next morning after a miserably stuffy motel that had no air-conditioning and tiny rooms (shared with dogs).
06-13-2004; 6:56am
Starting to see more densely packed trees.
06-13-2004; 7:02am
06-13-2004; 7:18am
06-13-2004; 7:21am
06-13-2004; 7:28am
06-13-2004; 7:31am
06-13-2004; 7:31am
Whoops...almost back to barren land again.
06-13-2004; 8:18am
06-13-2004; 8:44am
06-13-2004; 8:48am
06-13-2004; 9:28am
East on I-70. Welcome to Colorado.
06-13-2004; 9:42am
The first sighting of the Colorado river. The first real river I've seen in ages that wasn't from a plane.
06-13-2004; 10:49am
Still along I-70 just outside Grand Junction, CO.
06-13-2004; 11:05am
06-13-2004; 11:25am
06-13-2004; 11:52am
The freeway paralells the Colorado River for much of the western half of Colorado.
06-13-2004; 11:58am
We are gradually gaining altitude.
06-13-2004; 12:05pm
06-13-2004; 12:12xpm
06-13-2004; 12:29pm
A plateau before more mountain climbing. Lots of snow on the distant mountains.
06-13-2004; 1:14pm
One of my favorite pictures showing how stunning the greenery is.
06-13-2004; 1:18pm
The trees are incredibly dense and the treetops seem perfectly smooth as they rise into the mountains.
06-13-2004; 1:25pm
It takes quite a climb to get anywhere near any snow in June.
06-13-2004; 1:32pm
06-13-2004; 1:51pm
Finally at 10,900 feet, snow! It isn't going to stick around for long though with temperatures even up here in the 60s.
06-13-2004; 2:36pm
Looking east after finally getting out of the Rockies. This leg of the journey is about over.

Colorado  
06-14-2004; 8:49pm
06-16-2004; 1:58pm
It seemed to be cloudy and in the 50s with off and on rain the entire week.
06-16-2004; 4:39pm
06-16-2004; 4:40pm
06-17-2004; 2:09pm
06-17-2004; 2:10pm
06-17-2004; 7:06pm
06-18-2004; 3:16pm
06-18-2004; 3:16pm
06-18-2004; 3:16pm
06-18-2004; 3:16pm
06-18-2004; 3:17pm
06-19-2004; 1:53pm
06-19-2004; 1:53pm
06-19-2004; 1:53m
06-19-2004; 1:54pm
06-19-2004; 2:51pm
06-19-2004; 6:24pm
06-19-2004; 6:24pm
The thick gray finally gave way to scattered thunderstorms. There was a tornado watch issued but I think all of the bad storms were further east.
06-19-2004; 7:03pm
06-22-2004; 3:32pm
I see you!

Colorado to California  
07-01-2004; 7:03pm
Staying at a hotel the night before the long journey back.
07-01-2004; 7:04p
07-01-2004; 7:04pm
07-02-2004; 12:03pm
Back on the road. Westbound I-70.
07-02-2004; 12:13pm
07-02-2004; 12:32pm
07-02-2004; 12:34pm
07-02-2004; 1:05pm
Back up the Rocky Mountains.
07-02-2004; 1:08pm
07-02-2004; 1:10pm
This would have been a great picture...if it wasn't blurry with a reflection.
07-02-2004; 1:10pm
07-02-2004; 1:30pm
Back at the continental divide. Ahead is the Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158 feet.
07-02-2004; 2:10pm
07-02-2004; 2:12pm
07-02-2004; 2:16pm
07-02-2004; 3:26pm
07-02-2004; 3:27pm
07-02-2004; 3:27pm
07-02-2004; 3:31pm
07-02-2004; 3:34pm
07-02-2004; 3:34pm
07-02-2004; 3:43pm
07-02-2004; 4:42pm
07-02-2004; 4:43pm
07-02-2004; 5:24pm
Heading back through Grand Junction.
07-02-2004; 5:48pm
Utah border.
07-02-2004; 7:18pm
It wasn't until well after 9pm that the sky finally darkened.
07-03-2004; 7:18am
The first signs of home. A strong marine layer pushes fog into the Cajon Pass.
07-03-2004; 7:19am