Day 9 Week 2

Today was a great scenic driving day. I was able to get off the Interstate again and travel the back roads. The scenery over the Rockies was unbelievable.

Glenwood Canyon

As I climbed higher, the air was noticeably thinner. I arrived in a little town called Leadville. The elevation here was 10,500ft.

Leadville

It looked like a lovely old town so I went for a walk around the main street. Walking even the shortest distance was difficult because the oxygen just wasn’t there. It wasn’t hard to breath, you just didn’t get anything out of it. I stopped at a Pawn shop and got talking to two of the local boys. I ended up buying a Dewalt 18 volt Cordless drill that was brand new for $75. It was too good a bargain to pass up.

Leaving Leadville

I spent about an hour in Leadville, just looking around and enjoying the high Colorado atmosphere. After I headed off, I hadn’t gotten more than about 20 minutes out and had to pull over for a nap. The thin air was making me really tired.  I decided that was a good time to refill the esky.

Refilling with High Colorado snow

As I continued South, the elevation was dropping and I was noticeably becoming more alert. Just north of a small town of Salida, I had to dodge a herd of Deer that were crossing the road.

I decided to stop at Salida, where I had Taco Bell for lunch. I have attached a picture of the prices to give you an idea. I had the Doritos Locos Tacos for $5.49. 2 x Tacos, a Burrito and a bottomless drink for $5.49, what's with that! That would cost about 13 bucks in Australia.  I met a lovely couple who introduced themselves after they had finished lunch. They had heard me talking to the cashier and were intrigued by the accent. He is a truck driver and she works at the local prison. They had a lot of great advice on what to see and do.

I am at the town of Trinidad tonight. Tomorrow I will be heading through New Mexico to Amarillo Texas or somewhere around there.