Grand Junction Colorado
Dear Arizona State Police: Thanks for not catching me speeding.
Dear Utah State Police: Ditto.
I got up earlier than usual this AM just to take some pictures for my readers.
Here is the view from my room. Sorry no telephoto lens on my camera.
You can see the dam, the bridge across the Colorado, and part of Lake Powell.
I drove across the bridge and got this picture of Lake Powell.
I saw a picture of Lake Powell a few years back and it was really low. It looks like it has filled back up.
Then back across the bridge for this picture of the dam.
I'm kinda stuck to taking pictures from my car. It's too much trouble to get out the wheelchair and assemble it for a picture and I can't balance very well to take one standing up.
How many people know whom Lake Powell was named after? I do! I do! He was the first man to successfully take boats down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Now people pay for that privilege.
There were some folks staying at the motel I was in who were gonna start a trip today. They had two crips with them so I rolled over and asked one of them a few questions. I've done the trip before and was wondering if I could do it again now that I'm a crip. This was this dude's third trip.
I stopped at Mickey D's to get some coffee on the way out. It was lukewarm. No one was gonna sue this one for selling coffee that was too hot.
I headed up to Four Corners. Since I was driving through the middle of Freaking Nowhere Arizona, I decided to turn the car loose. Holy crap! This car likes to go fast. And, unlike the Z3 which is a ragtop, this car is quiet. It's hard to believe when you look down at the speedometer and realize that you're going 95. Lest you think I was driving like a maniac, I was, but the roads were in good shape and there were plenty of straight stretches and passing lanes. There were also some sections made for roadsters and my 325 handled them well.
When I got to Four Corners, I asked the lady at the gate if I could get my wheelchair over the marker. Since I was in a wheelchair, I got in free. I had wondered why we never went there when I was a kid and we had been in the area on one of our trips. It was because you have to pay to get in. $3 a head. I don't know what it cost back then, but I know my parents wouldn't pay just to have us stand in four states at one time. We were rather poor. We camped. In a tent. Slept in sleeping bags. Cooked on a Coleman stove. It's the only way we could afford to travel.
I remember on the trip when we were out here Dad drove up Monument Valley on what he thought was a road. It was more like a dry creek bed. It eventually got us to a road.
There was a wheelchair ramp up to the marker and I rolled up and over it so I could say that I and my wheelchair had been in four states at the same time. And it was free! Mr. and Mrs. Wilson would be so proud.
And then it was off to Grand Junction. As I was leaving the town of Moab, this dude in a Toyota Tundra shot past me at 90. Kewl! If you want to go fast I'll do it as well. When we got back on two lane he turned into a real pussy. He just sat behind this car going 60 and he wouldn't pass him. He gave up a golden opportunity to pass. The next good passing stretch, I passed them both. Here's the deal. If you're gonna pass me, then continue to drive faster than me.
I actually made better time on the two lane roads than I did on I-70 when I got on it. I wasn't worried too much about the cops out in the back country altho' I did see two Arizona cops and one Utah cop parked along the way. I thought one of the Arizona cops caught me, but he didn't pull out after me so no ticket today.
Not sure what routes I'll be taking tomorrow, but it will be the last fun day of driving. I'll be out of the mountains and on the high plains. Boooooooring!
Posted by denny at July 2, 2008 10:26 PM
If you are gonna pass me then go faster should be an Amendment to the Constititution!!!!
Dad was a traveling salesman and he always wanted Howitzers mounted in front just for that express purpose!!!!!
Coming back from Danali in Alaska I was doing 110 in a Luxury Jeep...and the roads were not that great...LEAD FOOTS Unite!!!!!!
Posted by: ty guy on July 3, 2008 04:32 AMOut there Denny, the cops are more concerned about safe driving than revenue collection. Drive crazy and they will "reward" you.
Last time I went through there (good while now) I did over 100 for hours on end :-). I did see a few loons who went past me and all over the road having chats with officer friendly.
I'm not sure there is anything we already pay taxes for that we don't have to pay use fees, copying fees, entrance fees, admin fees, etc., etc., etc., ad nausium, ad disgustum.
Posted by: fox3 on July 3, 2008 04:39 AMBEAUTIFUL pics !!! Thank you !
Posted by: Sandy G on July 3, 2008 08:22 AMI've driven from St Louis to Estes Park and got pulled over 5 times, no ticket for some reason. I love Four Corners...have pic of when I was a kid lying down with a arms and legs in each state at THE corner. (assuming they mapped it out right). Neat pictures.
Posted by: stepping over the junk on July 3, 2008 08:30 AMThere's not a damn thing at Four Corners other than Indian Nation tourist-trap crap.
I just got back last night from a 4500-mile roundtrip thru the upper Midwest. I worked on a farm 50 miles from Canada by Cut Bank, MT.
Here's my road story:
From 15 miles NW of Nashville TN all the way to Windy Hill Interchange in ATL, I didn't touch my brakes ... NOT ONCE!!! Now that's some driving!
Posted by: Dan S. on July 3, 2008 09:39 AMSo Dan S. are you one of those people who chug along at 5 mph below the speed limit in the right lane? Or worse, in the left lane? Unless you were driving in the middle of the night I can't imagine going through major towns without having to brake. I can drive without braking on a freeway when it's open country, assuming there are no idiots in the way, but in the city? Only if you are going very slow to start with.
Posted by: Schmidty on July 3, 2008 10:57 AMSo DanS was the guy holding up traffic. Not touching the brakes is OK, but PLEASE touch the throttle. ;-)
Just joking Dan. Long time, How are you?
Guys:
Who said I was going s-l-o-w? On the contrary, I topped out a time or two at better than 90 in my van.
Out on the road, I don't 'go with the flow', -I am the flow.
I made it through Nashville and even around Lookout Mtn @ Chattanooga and then down into Georgia for almost 90 miles before I had to stop in a construction zone.
No, I don't go slow; I use radar, CB, GPS and a good bit of traffic-sense & usually have a long train of cars and trucks hustling along behind me trying to keep up with the pace I set.
One other thing: my 'new' eyes have fantastic long-range vision and are also much sharper than ever before.
So there you go! :)
Posted by: Dan S. on July 3, 2008 11:12 AMBe sure to wave at me when you pass DIA. First time out in Denver and Colorado Springs since I left 10 years ago. Some things have changed, other things are just as they were.
Almost no snow on Pike's Peak today. I'm sure the glow-bull warming crowd will use that as more "evidence" for their position. IIRC, during the four years I was here back in the mid-late '90, there was snow up there in July a couple of times, and the other couple of years it was clean -- in other words, no distinct pattern.
Posted by: Grumpy Old Ham on July 3, 2008 11:31 AMDan said, "No, I don't go slow; I use radar, CB, GPS and a good bit of traffic-sense & usually have a long train of cars and trucks hustling along behind me trying to keep up with the pace I set."
I always have problems following your logic, Dan and here is a case in point. Usually when there is "a long train of cars and trucks" it means the vehicle in the lead is going slow and traffic is piling up behind them. I'm quite sure I've never seen a long line of cars and surely not trucks all exceeding the speed limit, together. So either your visual was erroneous or you are fooling yourself into thinking you are going fast, when in fact you are a slow poke.
I guess I shouldn't bust your chops so much on something so trivial, but I'm an engineer and I tend to look at everything critically. So sorry if I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. Which is what Confusius said about the woman who wore the padded bra.
Posted by: Schmidty on July 3, 2008 11:58 AMYep, oil futures prices are through the roof and the hard headed narrow minded short sided pointy headed chardonnay sipping elitist leftist neo marxist liberals don't want to admit that we have to drill. What the hell do they want? Our cars to run on pixie dust? Its bad enough they want our military to use spitballs but geez ....
We need Liberals like we need hemorrhoids. Yes infidels, they are a major pain in the ass who want nothing more than to screw everybody and take their money and property and want us to back to the horse and buggy.
Oh, sorry, wrong post.
I tried to catch you and your BMW in Utah. I chased you all across the state you bastard You never slowed down just a blurr. Now all the boys at headquarters are making fun of me. I'll be waiting when you come back.
Trooper Spankey
Utah highway Patrol
DanS..welcome back... what kind of surgery did you have on your eyes?
Posted by: patrick on July 3, 2008 12:55 PMAwesome pictures Denny. My Dad took us on that route when we were too young to appreciate the beauty of it all. I hope to make it back before I'm six feet under...
Posted by: CharlieDelta on July 3, 2008 01:11 PMPatrick:
It was supposed to be simple cataract surgery way back at the end of January, but it was botched.
The good Dr. sliced into my retina and almost cut it in half. Then he put in one long-range lens and left the other eye at very short-focus while eye #1 took time to heal. Constant headache was the result.
I've been off since then and am due back to work this coming Monday.
Posted by: Dan S. on July 3, 2008 01:26 PMDanS, what kind of farm did you work?
You certainly know how to tell a tale. I'm following you, mile after mile, my heart beating faster when you're being challenged on the road. Splendid car. Great driver. Beautiful scenery.
I have the map in front of me. Reading your post, I seem to miss the fourth state: Utah, Arizona, Colorado...Would it be New Mexico? Where you sat in your chair, your feet in four states? Keep going, Denny. The only way for me to visit USA.
Posted by: Claudia on July 3, 2008 01:58 PMDanS - when I had lasik a couple years ago he asked me if I wanted one eye for shorter one for longer vision. I declined. hence I now have reading glasses. they make me look 10 years older and make my IQ go up 30 pts ( to about 110).
Posted by: patrick on July 3, 2008 02:15 PMRay:
Grains & foodstuffs. A lot of barley.
patrick:
I have these reading glasses, but I have to wear them very low on my nose. I look a little like Ben Franklin now, so I guess my IQ went up as well. :)
Posted by: Dan S. on July 3, 2008 02:25 PMYou may want to get a monopod or octopod to keep on the seat next to you. Either one is great for steadying your camera!
Posted by: Omnibus Driver on July 3, 2008 03:14 PMSchmidty - you need to get out more, man....I hope you don't drive a Buick....used to be Caddy drivers were the worst, then Paul Harvey pimped Buicks when they won some pathetic Consumer 'watchdog' rag's award years back, and God help us if the phogie generation didn't switch over to Centurys and LeSabres. Their driving habits stayed the same, maybe worsened. You gotta give DanS a major break - it's guys like him who keep Mr. & Mrs. Smokey off our mini-van butts! (Thanx DanS!!)
Denny - get yourself a small Panasonic Lumix or other make that has the 435mm tele equivalent, and a window mount for the camera. You'll kick a$$ and we'll see the antelope on those mtns in the background. My son's flying into GJ in about 1/2 hr., then on to Lake City and the six 14ers surrounding it - heaven on earth! BTW, we're waiting to hear what the 325's top end is.......??
Posted by: Chappy on July 3, 2008 04:15 PMClaudia - The other state is New Mexico. This is the only place in the country where four states touch.
fox3 - Four Corners is on Indian land. They're getting back at the white man three dollars a pop (Not to mention how much they're making on casinos.). DanS is right. It is a tourist trap.
Leslie and Chappy - My camera is my brother-in-law's old digital. I hardly ever take any pictures anymore hence no upgrades. I didn't take any pics at Camp Blownstar. I hauled the camera along so I could post some pictures from the trip.
Posted by: Denny on July 3, 2008 07:06 PMDenny, we saw the Google Photo truck the other day, we thought of you. You just drive and the truck takes the photos. You could write off your Blownstar travel exprenses if you were to sub-contract for them...hahhahahahhahaha!
Posted by: LisaKay on July 5, 2008 06:56 AMRay....
DanS milked the Bull! Bwahahahahaha! Sorry DanS, I could not resist.
Posted by: dudley1 on July 5, 2008 09:05 AMDudley1: When you've got bad eyesight, shit happens! Play it safe - don't drink milk ....
My dad imposed a milk cow upon the family one time. We have stories. Let's just say nobody drank the milk but Dad, and that's because his involvement in the process ended at the purchase of the cow.
Posted by: PeggyU on July 5, 2008 06:57 PM