The Bells, The Bells
Nearly at the end of Ma and Pa’s big week away. Today’s plan was to drive north to Glenwood Springs, taking the scenic route past the Maroon Bells.
Oh, sorry, not familiar with the Maroon Bells? They are only the poster mountains for Colorado, towering at over 14000 feet and starring in almost every tourism advert for the state.
First the old offline satnav had to be coached into action, moody little **. Turns out it has to be set up online or it won’t play. What part of offline does it not understand? (all of it, all of it). Blog readers may remember the roads through the French farms of 2018? Colorado’s equivalent today was a turn off a perfectly good road and on to a worryingly long sequence of roads called G Road, H Road, I Road, J Road, K Road, 2000 Road, 2050 Road, 2075 Road...... and finally a stretch of road that wasn’t a road at all, just gravel on dirt. But, miraculously it did join the Maroon Bells road! Hurrah, went Ma and Pa. Huge Phew, they also said.
But where were these colossal beauties? Couldn’t really see them for all the other hills, forests, large rocks in the way. Very occasionally if Ma and Pa craned their necks 180 degrees, snowy tips could be glimpsed. Finally they realised this was one geological marvel they were not going to enjoy. Bit of a shame! Here are a couple of attempts at capturing those shy Bells:
And so to Glenwood Springs, last stop on this particular road trip. It gets its name from the natural hot springs that gush up here. For over 100 years the enterprising Glenwoodians have made a tourist feature of these and have set up dipping pools. After Bellgate, Ma and Pa were on for a highlight of the day, so set off to the Iron Mountain Hot Springs. About sixteen small pools of varying temperatures from hot to virtually scalding, and as completely relaxing as it’s possible to be. They slid out of there eventually when hunger finally got the better of them and chicken dinners at Juicy Lucy’s beckoned.
Oh, sorry, not familiar with the Maroon Bells? They are only the poster mountains for Colorado, towering at over 14000 feet and starring in almost every tourism advert for the state.
First the old offline satnav had to be coached into action, moody little **. Turns out it has to be set up online or it won’t play. What part of offline does it not understand? (all of it, all of it). Blog readers may remember the roads through the French farms of 2018? Colorado’s equivalent today was a turn off a perfectly good road and on to a worryingly long sequence of roads called G Road, H Road, I Road, J Road, K Road, 2000 Road, 2050 Road, 2075 Road...... and finally a stretch of road that wasn’t a road at all, just gravel on dirt. But, miraculously it did join the Maroon Bells road! Hurrah, went Ma and Pa. Huge Phew, they also said.
But where were these colossal beauties? Couldn’t really see them for all the other hills, forests, large rocks in the way. Very occasionally if Ma and Pa craned their necks 180 degrees, snowy tips could be glimpsed. Finally they realised this was one geological marvel they were not going to enjoy. Bit of a shame! Here are a couple of attempts at capturing those shy Bells:
And so to Glenwood Springs, last stop on this particular road trip. It gets its name from the natural hot springs that gush up here. For over 100 years the enterprising Glenwoodians have made a tourist feature of these and have set up dipping pools. After Bellgate, Ma and Pa were on for a highlight of the day, so set off to the Iron Mountain Hot Springs. About sixteen small pools of varying temperatures from hot to virtually scalding, and as completely relaxing as it’s possible to be. They slid out of there eventually when hunger finally got the better of them and chicken dinners at Juicy Lucy’s beckoned.
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