Days 2-3: Utah and Colorado

Greetings, from La Junta, Colorado! That's right, not Valley Park, MO or even Garden City, KS. The schedule's out the window, but we're having a really good time!


View Our "little" Road Trip - April 2009 in a larger map

Everyone's Happy but the DMV
Our first (and hopefully only) hurdle came on Tuesday afternoon, when the "Malfunction Indicator Lamp" came on. Sandy had the car checked out extensively before we left, and everything had checked out alright. After a quick phone call to our friends at University Honda in Davis, we decided to push through to Grand Junction, Colorado, where there is a Honda dealership. We stayed in Grand Junction that night and showed up at the dealership first thing in the morning.

The verdict: We need a new catalytic converter. We can keep driving without it--our emissions will just be a little out of regulation--but when we get back home, it looks like we have a costly repair ahead of us.

Our Culinary Story, So Far
So far we've been strong and stayed away from chains and fast food. We just need to branch out more among the local restaurants--diner food can get kind of old! The exception was the Ol' Miner Steakhouse in Gunnison, Colorado, where we both had tasty sandwiches. The plan is to eat relatively healthy food for now--and to save up our calories for New York City--but that may fall by the wayside when we hit St Louis, the home of Ted Drewes frozen custard.

Life is all about choices ...
We read today about the Million Mile Road, which sounds like an amazing mountain drive, and we considered taking it. But it would have taken us three hours (round trip) out of our way so we decided to pass on it. Maybe next time we're in southwestern Colorado?

Pictures from yesterday (April 7), mostly in Utah
Nevada politics

Top Gun vapor trails

We climbed this. Just kidding.

Mountains west of Salina, UT


I didn't realize Shaheen had expanded her empire to Salina, Utah.

These types of terrain are all over Utah, and they're breathtaking



Jabba? or Grimace?

Devil's Canyon



Pictures from today (April 8), in Colorado

Delta, Colorado bills itself as the City of Murals.

It's also the city of a cool old theater...

... and the city of some cool public sculptures

So this is where the Animal House guys go when they get older!

Near Cimarron, CO

Driving through Blue Mesa

Between Cimarron and Gunnison, CO

East of Gunnison

A lesson in marketing

Swink, CO water tower

No wonder the seniors in La Junta get confused!

Another cool old theater

Sunset over La Junta's 3rd Street