Colorado National Monument

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My first planned stop on the way to Utah was Colorado National Monument. I entered at the east entrance in Grand Junction, where I promptly encountered a car with a PA license plate. The two guys were from Reading (and also drove across the country). What are the chances of that happening?!?

Anyway, as the NPS guide says, Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grandest landscapes of the American West. The best way to see the landscape is to drive the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive, which features steep grades, hairpin turns, tunnels, and stretches on the edge of cliffs without any guardrail. Rim Rock Drive was built during the Depression by the CCC and was finished in 1950. The entire road has been designated a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. If you are ever in the area, it a must-see attraction which, in my opinion, rivals views of the Grand Canyon and other scenic views in other National Parks.


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