It's been almost six years since we were last in Colorado and we felt the urge to return to the beautiful San Juan Mountains around Ridgway. So, Allison contacted her longtime friend (from her Little America days in Flagstaff) to see if we could "invite ourselves" for a visit. Of course she was thrilled to have us come visit (I know who wouldn't be!). Jeannine not only shared her house with us for a few days as a base camp, but also put on her tour guide hat and took us to the many interesting sights that makes her hometown so unique. Thanks for a wonderful time, Jeannine!
 |
| Here we are . . . Jeannine, Kent & Allison watching the salmon in the Uncompahgre River |
 |
| We took a nice walk along the historic railroad bed to the restored trestle bridge in Ridgway |
 |
| True Grit was filmed in the area . . . so of course, we had to watch the movie with Jeannine! |
 |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison took us by surprise! |
 |
| Black Canyon gets its name because parts of the canyon only get 33 minutes of sunlight each day! |
 |
| We plan to come back and see more of this National Park |
 |
| The Painted Wall rises 2,250 ft above the river . . . It's the tallest cliff in Colorado, it's even taller than the Empire State Building! |
 |
| This beautiful twisted Juniper tree really stood out |
 |
| After hiking the Bear Creek Trail we stopped here to read about the fascinating history of the bridge over Bear Creek Falls that would link Ouray to Red Mountain Pass . . . today it is known as the "Million Dollar Highway" (click on the picture to enlarge and read the interesting articles) |
 |
| Bear Creek Falls |
 |
| We had a great time visiting Jeannine in Ridgway . . . it was a refreshing getaway! |
