That's funny - because I think Utah has some gorgeous roads
too! The area around Price where you are is very pretty, and the roads to
the Strawberry ride are really scenic.
In fact, I can't think of anywhere I've been in Utah that
wasn't beautiful, rugged, and fascinating. Canyonlands is really near me,
and I've camped there a few times.
Wellllllll---I did ask if she wanted an adventure---but having been
born and raised on the Utah side-------I take every opportunity to
explore your Colorado Side---guess it is that "grass is always greener"
thing. If she is coming from the Northwest---she will get
lots of practice going over passes just as bad as Red Mountain so it
would not be such an adventure when she got there. I do agree that
the tourists slow things wayyyyyyyyy down in July.
Well, I respectfully disagree - ha! If I am
telling someone who's pulling a trailer, a good route to Durango, I
sure wouldn't send them over Red Mountain Pass - summer or
winter. That's an 11,075 ft pass, 2 lanes, a narrow, windy
mtn road. Yes, if you're not pulling a trailer, great! But
in July, it will filled with slow-moving RV's, tourists, semi's, you
name it. (In winter it can be really treacherous, but we're
talking about July.)
On Red Mtn pass, there are some areas with no guard
rails that if you hung a tire over the edge you could go down a couple
of thousand feet. Not my idea of a good road for pulling a trailer
to a ride. It would be very slow going, for one thing. Yes,
it's pretty, but the roads between Moab / Cortez / Durango are also
pretty, they're not as congested, and it's a quicker route.
I've driven to Grand Junction many times from Cortez,
and the fastest way (again) is through Moab - certainly not through
Durango, and also not through Telluride/Montrose. I do go both
ways, and actually prefer going through Ridgeway and
Montrose, but if I'm in a hurry, or if there's a lot of snow
on the roads, I go through Utah to get to Grand Junction.
Of course, I live here and I'm not in tourist mode --
so, if anyone wants to know some "scenic" routes, summer or winter, send
me a line, I love to drive and I know the roads pretty
well.
