After a surprisingly nice night at the Days Inn, we got on the road a little after 9am. It had rained the night before and we watched as highway crews worked to clear a jack-knifed semi out our motel window. Not deterred, the caravan continued into Glenwood Springs which had been a destination of mine for several years. Dad lived there B.C. (before children) and my earliest memory is clinging to my mother in the sulfur hot springs and watching the steam rise over my head.
We arrived in Glenwood around 11:30am and cruised the main drag until we found a surprisingly well equipped grocery where we cherry picked to make a very enjoyable, and economical brunch. Leaving the trailered Kia in a shady spot, we packed into the Prius and headed five miles back East to Hanging Lake.
::Side note:: The Prius loves the mountains. Even though when climbing it isn't exactly happy, I can't complain about 33mpg. However the descent is not only exciting (if wings were an option I'd be flying) but the mileage improves considerably. I'm currently averaging 51mpg with both the climb and descent, much better than the usual 43 I get in local Houston traffic. My assumption was that the climbing would significantly reduce my overall average, but I've been pleasantly surprised by its performance all around.
Back to Hanging Lake. We had a lovely picnic in sweatshirts because it was cloudy and overcast. We walked down to the trailhead and discovered two important things. 1. No dogs 2. 2.4 miles roundtrip up some 1,000 feet aka 2-3 hours roundtrip. We decided to be adventurous and after running Mox, set her up in the car and started climbing. My camera cable is currently packed, however I will be posting pictures of this hike because it was so incredibly cool! Go google image search for "hanging lake colorado" Trust me!
After the hike we headed back into town and relaxed in the hot springs for an hour or so. We sat in the hotter pool and watched a storm roll in over the moutains and decided it was time to get going. A quick dinner accross from the historic train station and we were back on the road.
Tonight we are in a KOA Kabin in Green River, Utah, about an hour West of the Colorado border. It is dark now, but I'm sure it will be another beautiful drive tomorrow.
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