Our next overnight stays were in Grand Junction. The drive there from Denver was picturesque and we also went to Colorado National Monument. National Monuments can be declared by a President, whereas a Park has to be established by Congress. This Monument had lots of geological formations that were stunning.

Grand Junction Area

We left Denver fairly early and started heading west. We stopped in Georgetown to get some chocolate and check out the cute town.

06/24/22—07/02/22

Further west along I-70, we stopped in Glenwood Springs for lunch. It was nice to eat outside. Back on the bus, we passed by lots of scenic areas of western Colorado.

We arrived in Grand Junction and dropped our luggage off at the DoubleTree.

We entered Colorado National Monument, which preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. This treasure is much more than a monument, though, as towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panorama.

Our first stop was Cold Shivers Point, where our guide, Seth, told us about the various rock formations and layers. We liked the trees, too.

Next was Artists Point, which really displayed the rock colors

The next stop was Coke Ovens Overlook. This reminded us a lot of Tent Rocks N.M. in New Mexico. Again the rock formations and trees on the surface provided some great photo opportunities.

Our last stop was Canyon Rim Trail by the Visitor’s Center. We had lots of time there to explore, and Seth and Nathan explored, too. I took my favorite photo of the trip in this location, which naturally has Madeline in it.

On our way out of the National Monument, we ran across a herd of longhorn sheep.