Day 4: Heading to Utah

Leaving Rocky Mountain by 6:30 a.m. we head out of the park by way of Mary's Lake Road and pick up I-70 from the back roads. To our surprise, we pass this beautiful stone church, Saint Malo which is where Pope John Paul II said Mass when he was in Denver in the early 1980s (I think?) It was too early to go inside and see, but the church was incredibly beautiful in the mountain setting on the road by itself.
We enjoyed a very scenic ride on I-70 and drove all the way across Colorado to Grand Junction, the last town before Utah. The ride went quickly and we enjoyed stopping along the way in Glenwood Springs at the well known hot springs pool. Although a bit too hot for "hot springs" (the temp was near 90), the natural minerals of the waters felt great after a week of hiking.
Another great find that wasn't mentioned in the tour books was the Colorado Monument Park in Grand Junction. We took a ride through the park at sunset and stopped several times to take pictures - it was like a mini Grand Canyon with stunning views.