Colorado National Monument

There was a lot of hype behind a new meteor shower predicted to peak early Saturday morning (5/24/14). NASA released several statements saying it could be the best meteor shower of our time, seeing several hundred an hour. David and I thought the best way to experience this incredible show was to go camping… but it was Memorial Day Weekend and we were doubtful of finding an open spot. I’m not sure exactly how he did it, but David was able to reserve a campsite in Colorado National Monument, located in Grand Junction – a little over an hour across the state line from Moab, Utah.

This was our first trip driving west on I-70, one of many scenic routes in Colorado. It was exciting winding through the Front Range and passing by several old gold rush towns. We knew we were approaching Vail by the looming mountains hovering over the road and the half melted ski runs. After making a pit stop at Vail Pass, we set off down the mountain and entered Glenwood Canyon. The road hugged the Colorado River and traveled through several tunnels carved into the sheer walls. There were also several rest areas to stretch our legs and play with Biscuits while admiring the amazing scenery.

As we got closer to our destination the landscape drastically changed. We left the lush green mountains and entered the dry rocky desert. After being on the road for over four hours we finally reached the Saddlehorn Campground. It was the perfect spot (loop B, site 38) – surrounded by juniper trees with an unobstructed view of the night sky. After roasting hot dogs and s’mores, we set up camp and glued our eyes to the sky. We only saw a handful of shooting stars, but the night sky in itself was well worth the drive. We have never seen so many stars! And for the first time ever we saw the Milky Way!

The next day was dedicated to exploring the Colorado National Monument. It felt like we were venturing through the Wild West. Each hairpin turn of Rim Rock Drive revealed endless desert canyons and giant sandstone rock formations. We also saw the Grand Mesa, the largest flat-topped mountain in the world. We reached the end of the park by early afternoon, and made our way back home. The drive was very bizarre – we went from the dry desert to a towering canyon to an unexpected blizzard in the mountains and back home to summer storms in the plains. We love Colorado!