The closest I've come to travel in the last ten months is canceling reservations and then following through to make sure the refund shows up. However, this changed in October when we decided to drive to southwestern Colorado at the peak of fall colors. It was a wonderful trip and I'm sure that we appreciated it more because we hadn't been traveling due to COVID-19 concerns. It was also my first visit to this corner of Colorado, a place that I've always wanted to see.
We spent our first week in Pagosa Springs, Colorado (pop. 12,854, elev. 7,000 feet) in a home that we rented through Airbnb. It was located in the lakes district which is about three miles from the center of the old town. Best of all, we were joined by our daughter and her family. The house was stocked with teddy bears, puzzles, books, and a rocking chair— our grandchildren were delighted.
I loved the view from our deck and the colorful fall foliage. We were off the beaten track and enjoyed the nearby walkways and parks without crowds—just a friendly hello from an occasional passer-by. The children were delighted to be able to play in public parks for the first time in almost eight months (parks had been closed in San Diego until recently). The rental was also convenient to a grocery store and restaurants.
Pagosa Springs, located 60 miles east of Durango, is surrounded by millions of acres of public land including the majestic San Juan National Forest. It offers wildlife, scenic hikes, biking, drives, and a popular walk along the San Juan River. The town is also famous for the “Great Pagosah”—the deepest hot spring in the world and magical mineral baths. The nearby Wolf Creek Ski Resort receives over 480 inches of snow per year—more than any other resort in Colorado.
One of our favorite side trips was a visit to the Chimney Rock National Monument. An area occupied by the ancestral Puebloans more than a thousand years ago with many well-preserved sites and features. There are two relatively short trails to hike—one is easy and paved; a second one to the Great House was quite steep with loose rock and no guardrails. Probably not the safest hike for young children, but my grandchildren prevailed.
After Pagosa Springs, Ron and I continued a road trip through southwestern Colorado along the San Juan Skyway. The scenery was spectacular and we continued to be blessed with sunshine and high temps in the 60s and 70s (much colder at night).
Avoiding crowds and social distancing is not exactly the ideal way to travel, however, it's the reality of traveling safely during these unusual times. It helped to choose places that were a little more out of way and offseason. We wore masks, social distanced and scrubbed our hands. When we needed to eat at a restaurant we were almost always able to find outdoor seating. I always spent a little time cleaning the rental rooms with Clorox before we moved in. The thousands of golden aspens trees and majestic mountains made it well worth the extra effort.
I did learn from this trip that I've missed seeing the beautiful fall foliage that I was accustomed to seeing every year when I lived in Minnesota. So for now, I'm going to make an effort to get out on the road every fall to enjoy those colorful trees at their peak, someplace in the world.
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