In an era of social distancing, one family explored the grandeur of Colorado and Utah, and collected cherished memories along the way.
By Suzy DeMartino, F400515
November 2020
What beats the boredom of being quarantined in a global pandemic? Try a cross-country road trip with your two young-adult children.
As fortune would have it, our 26-year-old daughter, Ashley, was launched home from her New York City office to work remotely; our son, Nicholas, newly graduated from the University of Central Florida, was eager to find a new job. Our only thoughts were, when would we ever have this time together again to do a road trip? We knew we would exercise total constraint, as we were in a pandemic.
At Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs, the DeMartino family encountered Balanced Rock.
So at the end of July, we packed the motorhome freezer with homemade goodies and hit the road for a three-week journey.
Coming from the sun-kissed beaches of Florida, our only plan was to head west and see some mountains. We drove straight for Colorado Springs, Colorado. Our stay at the Foot of the Rockies RV Park allowed us to travel 10 minutes in any direction and be totally enthralled with a new adventure. Garden of the Gods; Manitou Cliff Dwellings (Anasazi ruins); Pikes Peak and Seven Falls . . . we saw them all.
We drove north on Interstate 25 to Denver. As we headed west out of the city, we realized Red Rocks Amphitheatre was only a short distance away. We had seen many of its concerts on TV but had never visited the site. Soon off the highway, we serpentined our way up a mountainside and, to our amazement, landed at the base of some beautiful red-rock formations. We hiked up into the amphitheater itself. While there, I felt as though we had entered a magical space; it was breathtaking. We later learned that Red Rock took more than 200 million years to form and is considered sacred by many American Indian tribes.
Near Aspen, the Maroon Bells provided a picture-perfect view.
We continued west on Interstate 70 to exit 119 for Glenwood Canyon Resort, in Glenwood Springs, which would be our home base while visiting Aspen. My husband and I had stayed at this resort a year before and loved the easy access from I-70. The RV park is so close to the interstate that you might worry about traffic noise, but the park entrance winds down into an easily accessible canyon where no noise is heard except for chirping birds and the rushing waters of the Colorado River.
We checked in, had a late lunch at the hilltop outdoor café, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset overlooking the sparkling waters of the Colorado River. The soft glow of pink and purple hues danced across the mountainsides and onto our smiles, as it truly was a night to remember.
The Grizzly Creek Fire colored the night sky in Glenwood Springs during the family’s stay at Glenwood Canyon Resort.
The next morning, we planned to purchase white-water rafting and zip-line tickets, which were both offered at the resort. Before leaving the RV, our son noticed a small puff of smoke over the mountaintop. At first, it didn’t concern us, but within 30 minutes it turned into a large, smoky cloud.
We walked to the park entrance and saw several fire trucks. We were told that a forest fire had started near our exit, and I-70 eastbound was being closed. As the day unfolded, five helicopters were seen hovering over the Colorado River, scooping water into 2,000-gallon barrels attached to their underbellies and pouring water over the fire. Also, huge cargo planes banked the mountains, dropping red retardant along the fire line.
We kept vigilant through the night, and at 1:00 a.m. the fire peaked. We saw flames at the hilltop shooting up into the sky; within 20 minutes, it subsided. The diligent actions of the fire planes obviously paid off. As morning broke, we were asked to evacuate.
We later learned this blaze was named the Grizzly Creek Fire. It had grown from 1,300 acres to 3,200 acres in the short time we were there and surpassed 30,000 acres after our arrival back home.
Near Moab, Utah, Dead Horse Point State Park offered more views of cliffs, canyons, and rocky terrain.
With I-70 west being our only avenue, we sped to Aspen. We dry camped in the city for the night, then drove up to the incredible twin peaks of the Elk Mountains, called the Maroon Bells. We had dinner in town, which is a charming mix of old-school Western and high-end glamour.
Between Aspen and Twin Lakes, 12,095-foot-high Independence Pass is known for its narrow, winding roads and steep inclines. As a result, it is closed to vehicles longer than 35 feet. Because we were unable to traverse it in our 38-foot Monaco Knight motorhome, we headed back to I-70 west and landed in Moab, Utah.
We arrived at Moab Valley RV Resort & Campground and were checked in without ever leaving our coach. To our surprise, resort personnel handed us a care package that included masks, wipes, and hand sanitizer. In fact, in all of the RV parks we stayed, checking in was a breeze, and social distancing was evident. Whether we were at campgrounds or national parks, all patrons wore masks and appeared observant of being in a pandemic. We sensed relief from fellow travelers after being cooped up. It was a wonderful feeling of freedom to be able to see the USA, which we are blessed to call our home.
Our first venture in Moab was to Arches National Park. Driving through it, viewing 3,500-ton rocks balancing by a thread, you feel like you are on another planet. Why this park is not labeled the eighth wonder of the world astonishes me.
Dead Horse Point State Park.
From there, we ventured a short distance to Dead Horse Point State Park and stumbled onto a crew filming a commercial for Chevrolet. The crew had painted “Grand Canyon” signs (although we were in Utah) and had placed an immaculate 1952 Chevrolet station wagon at a view point. My husband immediately remembered a commercial from the 1950s in which a Chevy was perched on a plateau in the Grand Canyon and Dinah Shore sang “See the USA in your Chevrolet.”
We smiled and hopped back into our Jeep. We told our kids, when this commercial comes out, we hope that each time they see it, they will remember our time together!
Leaving Moab, we journeyed back home to Florida, our faces gleaming, because we knew we had just had the adventure of a lifetime.
The DeMartinos saw a Chevrolet commercial being shot in Dead Horse Point State Park.
Camping Info
To learn about campgrounds not mentioned in this article, consult your campground directory or the FMCA RV Marketplace at www.fmca.com/rvmarketplace.
Foot Of The Rockies RV Park
53 Resort Point
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
(719) 447-0670
http://footoftherockiesrvcampgroundandstorage.com
Glenwood Canyon Resort
1308 C.R. 129
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
(800) 958-6737
www.glenwoodcanyonresort.com
Moab Valley RV Resort & Campground
1773 U.S. 191
Moab, UT 84532
(877) 418-8535
www.sunrvresorts.com/resorts/west/utah/moab-valley/
State Travel Info
The resources below include COVID-19 info for travelers.
Come To Life Colorado
(800) COLORADO (265-6723)
www.colorado.com/official-colorado-travel-resources
Visit Utah
(801) 356-9077
https://utah.com/