Drive to Mesa Verde National Park

After visiting Black Canyon National Park I drove south along a very pretty route that was recommended by a friend from Colorado. It was very enjoyable, and at times it reminded me of the Alps, or the Dolomites in Italy.

This river ran under the narrow highway. There was no shoulder on this road and you had to drive with great care. This was the river on one side of the road...

and the river on the other side.

The town of Silverton, Colorado. From the Silverton Chamber of Commerce website -
"Gold was discovered here in 1860, and after negotiations with the Ute Indians, the area was opened for settlement. The Town of Silverton was platted in 1874, and by 1875 the population had doubled. The Stony Pass wagon road became a toll road in 1879, and supplies came in over the Continental Divide from Del Norte. The greatest boom to the area was the construction of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (now known as the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad) in 1882. By that time, there were seven towns, including Animas Forks (now a well-visited ghost town in the summer months) and Howardsville, which was the first county seat on the Western Slope."

It's a charming town, and must be beautiful under winter snow.

From Silverton it was a climb back up into the mountains.

Koka loves the snow so much! She loves rolling around in it. Silly dog!

The town or Ouray, Colorado, seen from above. This is the town of ice and steam. There is a big ice climbing festival in winter, and the natural hot springs are popular.

This is a pic from the Ouray website. I was there in early spring so I didn't get to see any ice action.

The hot springs must feel awfully good after a day on ice!