DAY 4: She's Here - and Snow!

DAY 4: Albuquerque, NM to Moab, UT
DISTANCE: 430 miles

The most important happening on Day 4 was Annette arrived safely in Moab. She was supposed to meet us in Albuquerque at the end of Day 3. A storm in Orlando caused a flight delay which in turn caused her to miss a connection in Dallas. Dear friends picked her up at the airport in Dallas and hosted her for the evening so she should change carriers and destinations and arrive in Moab just an hour or so before we arrived. Thanks, John, Beckie, and Ashley! Now, we're together for the adventures to come.

Speaking of adventure, we drove some 1850 miles to get here. With the exception of a few fun stops in New Orleans and on Route 66, the first days were all about getting here... out west... where the real fun would begin. The real fun began indeed one Day 4.

We left the hotel and began our drive to Moab by experiencing The Million Dollar Highway between Durango, CO and Ouray, CO. From Durango, through Silvertonn and Ouray to Ridgeway, the highway delvers jaw-dropping vista after vista. It was cut from the side of a mountain and became known as The Million Dollar Highway. Some say the name has to do with the cost of construction. Others say it has to do with the value of gold ore than remains. Whichever is true, driving this road is a million-dollar experience. It's one of the most scenic drives in the United States. Part of the San Juan Scenic Byway, the road climbs to three spectacular mountain passes and an elevation of more than 11,000 feet.

I expected this ride to be a great driving experience. I expected this to be the road that allowed me to really test the limits of the C6 Corvette. I've ridden the rode twice on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and knew what it felt like to lean into the curves, switchbacks, and rapid elevation changes. The Corvette doesn't lean, making the experience completely different. I expected to learn about the car. What we did NOT expect was SNOW. Yikes! A LOT of snow. This eliminated the "learn about the car" part of the drive, but for Florida boys and girls, proved to be a delightful experience. The road was wet but not icy, so we motored on.

After lunch in Silverton, we pushed on toward Moab and our meeting with Annette and found dry road that allowed us to really drive. Beyond the actual Million Dollar Highway, we continued on much of the San Juan, and this offered a lot of driving excitement.

We arrived in Moab with cars that were filthy. A quick pre-dinner run to a car wash took care of some of this problem. Dinner at Sunset Grill was a wonderful dining and scenic experience. We headed to the hotel for a good night of rest.

Day 5 will mark our visit to the first of the national parks that are our real destinations on this adventure. It's time to go meet our friends for breakfast. I'll put the rest of pics - and more - in order and add captions later. For now... It's time to drive!