On the road -- Durango, CO

   Sorry there aren't any photos here yet -- all we did is travel today, and didn't stop to look at anything except gas pumps.  But we're in Durango, probably the nicest town on the Western slope of the Rockies.  The campground is nice, has wi-fi and the best feature: the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge RR runs right through the grounds.  I imagine we'll be awakened in the morning by a steam whistle..  Craig can hardly wait.

I was, however, a little disturbed when the lady who checked us in added (after telling us about the pool, laundry and wi-fi access) "We had bears in the campground last night, so please don't leave any food outside."  THis wouldn't have surprised me in one of the National Parks, but in TOWN???  Guess I'm not in Iowa anymore.

Schuyler -- thanks for the road music.  I'll admit now that I was braced for three hours of Weird Al Yankovich, so was quite pleased with the assortment -- especially the traveling music from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Cars,  All that vintage BB was nice -- I thought we had all of it, but you foiund some we don't have and it was fun to hear.  But then we got to CW McCall.....

Actrually, we drove over Wolf Creek Pass this afternoon.  It is pretty much like the song says (minus, thankfully, the missing shift knob and the failed brakes).  There is one really scary downhill stretch-- miles  of 7 percent grade, complete with hairpin turns and switchbacks.  The runaway truck ramps aren't like the nice loing sand pits we saw in Georgia and Tennessee -- these run uphill at about 10 percent and if you run off the end of one I guess you fall off the other side of the mountain.  Glad we didn't have to use them.  Westy per'formed very well, once he let us know that he wanted to be downshifted once in awhile.(Craig: '"We're floored and we're slowing down." ) We did indeed, end up in downtown Pugosa Springs -- no feed store in sight, but there is a definite dead end where you have to turn either left or tright to avoid slamming ointo a rather nondescript building.

Tomorrow we should see the North Rim, although we have yet to plot a route.  Don't know when we can send another post, but I promise, Sue, to take more pictures and get them up when we do.