2016 (Our Momma Remembrance) Colorado Trip: Day One
Our beloved mother, Rosalie H. Schmittou passed from this earth on April 15, 2016. She was 94 years of age and had struggled with Alzheimer’s Disease for over ten years. In all my life, saying goodbye to mom was the hardest thing I ever went through. By October, though, Doug and I decided to visit the Rocky Mountains, what I have always referred to as “God’s Country.” And I called it (Our Momma Remembrance) Colorado Trip. It was the first time that I truly got to experience the grandeur of Colorado, a state that has over 50 peaks that top out at 14,000 feet or higher.
Day 1: Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Based on Doug’s recommendations, I wanted to see the Maroon Bells, located near Aspen, Colorado, and the San Juan range of mountains in the southwestern corner of the state. We decided on traveling in the fall for a number or reasons, fewer visitors after Labor Day, cooler temperatures and most important of all, fall-foliage viewing opportunities. When you can catch the aspen in that just-right, bright yellow/golden hue, it is a sight that is enchanting. The combination of the aspen contrasted by the dark green of the conifers is mesmerizing and, in my opinion, even better than the views one gets in the northeastern states such as Vermont and New Hampshire. There is a reason why the NFL’s Green Bay Packers uniforms are so beautiful. It is over 1,100 miles from the capital of Tennessee to Denver, Colorado. We left our home in Nashville, on Tuesday, October 4, 2016, flying Southwestern Airlines. We spent that night at the Motel 6 Denver, CO-Airport. There was a Walmart a little over three miles from our motel, and we did some shopping there after dinner. Our second and third nights were going to be spent at the Carbondale/Crystal River KOA Holiday campground, a little over three hours driving time if we had taken a direct route to that stop. The next two nights would be spent at a Durango KOA situated on the Animas River. As of 2021, however, a google search revealed there is no longer a KOA campground in or around Durango. At both the Carbondale and Durango KOAs we rented one of the more upscale Deluxe Cabins which come with a complete bathroom and kitchen. Therefore, we could save money and time by using my culinary skills.
At the Walmart, we purchased a small Styrofoam cooler that could be thrown out after our last day on the road. This was to keep perishables cool until we arrived at our destination for the night. The last three nights would be at the River’s Edge Motel in Ouray, which provided a very nice breakfast, so we did not worry about cooking during that time. The first three days, however, would allow me to save money and time by cooking our meals, many in advance. While preparing dinner that first night, I cooked a couple pounds of bacon and sausage, which along with Grand’s (refrigerated) biscuits would be our breakfasts and lunches for the next couple of days. I don’t remember what I prepared for dinner during those days, but it kept us from having to spend extra money on eating out.
