Last Minute Road Trip

I usually forget to post about our road trips when we return, but thought I'd post about our recent one that was totally last minute.

Middle of last week I asked DH if he was up for going to CO for some snowboarding as he was off Saturday-Tuesday - with all the gear, the plan was I'd drive with the kids and he'd fly in for around noon to Denver on Saturday since I couldn't leave until about 4:00 on Friday and I'd need that time to get to DEN.

Little did we know, but a huge spring storm was in the making and next day, after booking his flights, we realized my route was going to take me right into the heart of it and I'd not be able to get to Denver if the roads got as icy as predicted. I checked the weather maps and predictions and realized a southern route to CO from MO might work - instead of I-70 across Kansas, I routed through Dodge City to Lamar to Pueblo, then planned to go north on I-25 to the airport, then we'd head to the mountains.

Then it looked like the airport might have issues too, so the morning we were to leave, I said to DH, if we wait a couple of hours and leave at 6:00 instead of 4:00, you're done with work and we can drive out together, then I don't have to get to the airport in crappy weather. He thought that sounded good and we wound up getting out around 6:30......had to drop his car at the airport in Kansas City, then headed south and wound up overnight in Emporia, KS.

The next day we had smooth sailing all the way to Lamar, then things got dicey as the storm was bigger than expected and the icy roads were a mess. Somehow between the two of us we managed to Pueblo, where it had cleared some, then headed north - icy all the way, until (funny) we got to the Eisenhower Tunnel, then the roads were great even though they'd gotten way more snow over the pass than before it!

Anyway, we made it - had three great days in the mountains and DH flew back as planned originally. I opted to take the kids to Nicodemus (always passing the signs for it, so I figured it was a good trip to stop and see it), then headed up to Beatrice, NE and the next day we did Homestead of America, headed from there to St. Joseph, MO and really liked the Pony Express Museum, and hit Fort Osage before getting in for dinner.

Not a long one, but definitely a fun one!

Thank you for sharing. Sounds like a memorable trip. I like the way you approach your roadtrips.

Do you have pictures to share.

Lifey

Attachment 3586

That was just west of Lamar, on our way to La Junta, until that point (well maybe 15 miles before I took the picture) it was clear sailing and beautiful, then in what seemed like an instant, it was a mess!

Attachment 3587

And that's my DH after the last run snowboarding at Vail Pass on Monday.