Independence Pass

From Aspen we tackled the highest paved road in the US - Independence Pass 12,095ft.  We had stunning weather and it had been this way for about a week - I would not have attempted it in less than fine weather.  We had no idea what to expect other than we had been told it was spectacular - take it slow and steady was our only advice.

The road is excellent - we travelled Aspen to the eastern side.  There were remnants of snow and ice in patches closer to the top, but not too dangerous.  It was not until we got to the single lane section  with vertical drops both sides that I felt the pit of my stomach drop and the adrenaline ran through my legs.  Too late now unless I wanted to do a 40 point turn.  Onwards and upwards - at one point I exclaimed (almost shrieked) "I can see a car up there" - oh my goodness.  I saw a lot of amazing snow covered mountains, but mostly I saw two parallel yellow lines in the middle of the road as I was not game to take my eyes from it as we travelled on up at 20mph.

We made it to the top of Independence Pass and I was pumped - you could see forever.  The Pass was built to access the mining town of Independence, close to the top and was first established in the late 1800's.  The drive down was much less hair-raising and I was able to enjoy most of the beautiful scenery.  Colorado has so many interesting places to see.

• Matsuhisa Japanese Restaurant, Aspen 
  
• Independence Pass
  
• Glenwood Canyon

Aspen

Kate, Matilda (six month old golden retriever) and I took a road trip for the weekend to Aspen.  I have hired a brand new Ford Edge 4WD and am really enjoying driving it - great visibility and with all the safety essentials a good 4WD offers for driving at this time of the year when the weather can change.  

Glenwood Canyon

If you ever get the opportunity to drive from Denver or Eagle to Aspen on I-70 west you will experience one of the wonders of modern engineering - the highway through Glenwood Canyon.  Truly breathtaking, snaking through a very narrow deep gorge forged by the Colorado River which went on to continue its work on the Grand Canyon.  I loved every minute of it and would recommend it as a "must do" experience for the area.

We stayed at the pet-friendly Sky Hotel in Aspen.  Great location for skiing too as very close th to gondola base.  Aspen is great spring, summer and fall destination as well as winter for which it is famous.

Drinks were had at the famous old Hotel Jerome, a member of the Historic Hotels of America chain.  If you half closed your eyes you could see the finely dressed ladies and their gentleman mixing with the cowboys and miners in the old bar - but it is lacking in spirit today with "doof, doof" music drowning out any conversation and no sophistication in most areas - however the beautiful architecture remains and is worth visiting.

Dinner at the Japanese restuarant Matsuhisa was a highlight.  Fortunate to get a seat at the sushi bar, we watch the skills of 7 or 8 chefs preparing wonderful sushi, sashimi and other Japanese delicacies - the menu is well priced but the wine list, although extensive is expensive.

Los Angeles International Airport

If you are entering the US with Qantas, please double check the arrival terminal at LAX - most flights from Sydney used to arrive into Terminal 4.  They are upgrading the Terminals for the arrival of the A380 and you currently arrive into Tom Bradley International Terminal building next door to Terminal 4.  You will need 3 hours between connections.

USA - my plans

Traveling to the US primarily to spend time with my daughter and son-in-law, Katy and Chris Martin in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.  I plan to do lots of excursions around the Rocky Mountains as well as visiting the Rocky Mountains Quilt Museum in Golden on the outskirts of Denver and also the Houston International Quilt Fair, Houston, Texas.

Golden, Colorado

Situated less than 40 minutes from Denver International Airport (DIA) and often by-passed by visitors to the Colorado ski areas.  It is fall and the aspen trees are in full color.  It is a beautiful time to be in the US.  Golden is a small mining town in the eastern foothills of the Rockies and home of Coors beer - you can smell the hops in the air.  I stayed the night in the Table Top Mountain Inn which was extremely comfortable, well priced and with a great mexican restaurant on site.  Golden is a great option for that first night of arriving in the Denver area prior to accessing the ski slopes, if you are driving yourself.

DIA is probably the best and most organised airport I have been through.  It is extremely large and well laid out with minimum walking and with creative use of a huge area of land, car hire is very easy as they are all located 5 minutes from the terminal building and accessed by their own buses, plus they have a huge range of vehicles.  Book and pay in advance or in less busy times select from their stock on site.

Enjoy your drive through the Rockies - roads are excellent, historical sites and beauty is plentiful - see Idaho Springs and Georgetown for history and Silverthorne for outlet shopping.