Thanks to everyone who has been offering support for our adventure.  It means a lot to us to know that thoughts and prayers are travelling with us.  

In the last couple days, we have driven from St. Louis, MO to Kansas City, MO (11 hours – loooong day) and Kansas City to Colorado Springs, CO.

Colorado Springs?  “Weren’t you going through Denver?”

Yes, we were going to travel through Denver then to Colorado Springs but the locals at the Colorado Welcome Center said we’d get snowed in in Denver if we went that way, so we went south to Colorado Springs….where we got snowed in.  lol

The temperature was about 8 degrees Tuesday morning and the roads were icy, schools were all closed, etc.  By mid-afternoon the sun came out so we drove through Garden of the Gods (pretty) and wandered around downtown Manitou Springs.

We got into a great conversation with the guys at the Dulcimer shop, about music, weather, and travel.  Between the advice from these guys and looking at the road condition map, we decided to omit Durango from our route and head south to New Mexico.

We were aiming to make it to Albuquerque today but when the opportunity to drive up a volcano arose, plans changed.  It’s a dead/dormant volcano but cool to say we’ve been up there – and the view went on for miles.  (It kinda made up for not being able to go up Pikes Peak, due to weather)

Even with the beautiful sunshine today, the temperature was just in the high 20′s.  As we drove further south and the sun started dropping, so did the temperature.  I think it’s in the high teens now.  The wind picked up and was blowing snow across the highway making things icy.  Apparently a few drivers didn’t recognize the dangers because two pickups and a couple cars were in the ditches.  One of the pickups appears to have rolled since it was dinged and the windshield shattered.  (Of course we took pictures!!)

Regarding pictures – we will get them downloaded from my camera and put them someplace when we get to Los Angeles.

Tomorrow, the goal is to make it to Albuquerque and hopefully to Hoover Dam.  Gotta check the weather and road conditions.

Time for dinner!

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