Sunday Drive

As summer slips away and we dive into fall, my mom and I decided to take a drive through the mountains yesterday before the snow season starts. It was a little early for much fall color, but it was a pleasant day for a drive. Part of the day was cloudy and rainy, but mostly the views were open and typically glorious Colorado. We opted to go south through Fairplay (considered the center of the state and the place South Park is loosely based on) and into Buena Vista.

We stopped in Buena Vista and had lunch at a local pizzeria. The pizza was really pretty good and the view was nothing to complain about. In fact, it was pretty obvious why the town got its name (Spanish for beautiful view). The main peaks to the west are named the Collegiate Peaks because they are named: Mt. Princeton, Mt. Harvard, Mt. Yale, Mt. Oxford and Mt. Columbia.

Collegiate Peaks

Fall colors starting on Mt. Yale

 After lunch, we drove up Cottonwood pass, which wound slowly up through the mountains and ended at the top with a continental divide and sweeping views.

Looking down the road that leads to the top of the pass

Top of Cottonwood Pass

On the way up the pass

I've lived in Colorado for the majority of my life, well over 20 years at this point and there are still many corners of this state I haven't yet visited. This trip was not a disappointment, even if the drive was a little long (and made me miss half of the Denver Broncos regular season opener...not that I was bitter about that or anything). Also, the sunset on the drive home was pretty colorful.

Sunset, moonrise, small rainbow.