Another Road trip: TX-NM-AZ-UT-CO-TX, July 9th to July 22, 2020

[PetitFrereArmada]

Next, we drove for 1 hour 30 minutes each way to visit the Royal Gorge. Very touristic place. $29 admission fee per person. So many tjings to do. Too bad we waited in line for almost an hour for the Gondola ride onky for it to be canceled because of weather. Any lightning puts a halt to it for 15 minutes. The lightning was constant every 15 minutes. So, that was canceled when there was a really long line. Everybody just went to the bridge and the bridge started shaking with the strong wind. People had to run off for fear of it collapsing. This was a really nice place. Would love to visit this again someday.

It was a nice day. After that, drove another 1.5 hours back to a restaurant close to the hotel for dinner and then back to hotel to get some well deserved rest.

 

[molanginaeda]

Beautiful. I might retracing some of your visit in Colorado Spring. Do you plan to do any trail ride? Red cone or webster pass is not too far.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Beautiful. I might retracing some of your visit in Colorado Spring. Do you plan to do any trail ride? Red cone or webster pass is not too far.

That is cool to know you may retrace some of my visits on this trip.

No, I did not do any trail while in Colorado Springs. But if anybody visits Canon City to visit the Royal Gorge Bridge, I strongly recommend taking the scary Skyline Drive. It is a really great drive. Those who have done it will confirm. It is a must do drive.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Yesterday was our last day in Colorado Springs. Went early to Pikes Peak. Glad we got there before 10am because after that, the crowd was just too much for a Monday. Also, there is a major construction going on at the summit for a new welcome center, so you are allowed to park only at mile 13 or mile 16. Then ride the shuttle to the top where the visitor center is and construction is going on now. The drivers said expected date of completion is May 2021. So many shuttles running up and down because though the buses can carry up to 11 people, because of social distances, they take only about 5 or 6 at each time. So, there is a long waiting line for buses to go up or come back down to your car. The place is a mess jup there with a lot of construction ans so many people.

Very long lines to get into the visitor center at the top. Since they have a limited number to be inside st all times. So when one person goes out, they let one inside.

Very long lines to get on bus 13 or 16, depending on where you parked.

Inside the visitor center at the top

Random pic while on bus 16 gping back to my car

Mile 16 parking lot. People lined up waiting for the shuttle to take them to the top of Pikes Peak

Mile 16 parking lot

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Today, we left Colorado Springs for the 6 hours drive to Amarillo, TX. Tomorrow we will do the 9.5 hours drive home.

Today was 6 hours of smooth driving where I almost ran out of gas doing mostly 80mph.

When I filled up in Colorado Springs I was hoping my full tank of 26 gallons of gas would last me the whole 365 miles drive to Amarillo. It didn't happen. At 295 miles, my DTE was showing-----. With closest gas station 25 miles away, I started doing 60mph instead of 75mph speed limit. At 321 miles, I finally pulled into the gas station to fill up.

Cadillac Ranch

Got to Amarillo, went and checked into hotel and went out for dinner at The Big Texan

The parking lit was full of cars. The inside is quite huge, so they could space people out well enough and still have a very full restaurant.

This is the grill, where all the steaks are grilled

And this is my plate for the night. This is my second here at this restaurant and I always get a 12oz ribeye. While it not the best ribeye I have had, I give this ribeye A grade. It is very good.

After that yummy meal, it was time to go rest at the hotel and update this blog before relaxing by watching some YouTube videos.

 

[Peneumbra2]

Excellent trip report. The scenery here is great - and it's all done with paper mache!

Seriously, this season isn't even a season, and you saw all the visitors we have, here, in Utah, in CO...

I used to do the jeep tours in Ouray, and in a regular summer season there were so many people at the summit of Imogene that the passengers had to wait in line before they could feel faint.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Finally done with my trip. Got home about 4pm yesterday after a 10 hours drive from Amarillo, TX.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Trip summary:

Lenght of trip: 14 days trip
Miles traveled: 3,961 miles
Cost of gas: $637.01
Car maintenance: I had to add 2 quarts of make up oil. (Oil in my car so far; 5 quarts 0W20, 1 quarts 5W20, 1 quart 5W30. All Mobil 1 Annual Protection. Top off oil so far; 1 quart 5W20 Mobil 1 Annual Protection @ 3,000 miles since oil change and 1 quart Amsoil 10W30 SSO rated for 25,000 miles @ 4,000 miles since oil change.

With this mixture of oil, I want to run it to 15,000 miles or 20,000 miles and then send a sample to Blackstone Laboratories for a Oil Analysis Report.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Odometer at start of trip.

Odometer at end of trip. Total miles driven 3,961.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

About 200 miles before I left for my road trip, I did an oil change. I mixed oils up since I am planning to send in for a oil sample after using a mixture of different oil weights to see what Blackstone Laboratories say. I am planning to go for 15,000 or 20,000 miles before my next oil change. Why? Since my car is burning oil and I am having to add oil, I feel it is still fresh oil and then I just want to see what they say after 15,000 miles. I may extend to 20,000 miles before the oil change. We will see.

My car from the manual requires 5W30, but I did not use it for my oil change.

Before this road trip, I did an oil change using 5 quarts of 0W20, 1 quart of 5W20 and 1 quart of 5W30. I used Mobil 1 Annual Protection which claims it is good for 20,000 miles.

During my trip, I took a bottle of 5W20 in case my oil got low. When I checked at 3,000 miles, during the trip, it was in need of 1 quart of oil. So, I put 1 quart of 5W20 that I had taken with me.

I got home and I see it is not at the full line. So, I added 1 quart of 10W30, Amsoil SSO which is rated for 25,000 miles. My oil is at the full point on the dipstick now.

The oil I added so far as of today. 1 quart of 5W20 and 1 quart 10W30 to really get it tot hat full line.

 

[Ngneer]

Great suggestion, but I really liked going on Independence Pass last year and would like to do it again. I have a combined total of 6 days to spend in Moab and Ouray. I think that should be some good time spent there, especially as I have been there every year for the past 4 years. As for Colorado Springs, I plan to drive to Royal Gorge and explore it. I have never been there.

You are right that i will be spending a lot of time behind the wheel on the freeways. One of the things I enjoy on my long road trips is actually being behind the wheel and just cruising and watching nature go by. Then one of my favorite things that I often do on my long drives is when I find a long stretch of road that there is nothing in sight but just road, I pullover and stop the car. Get out and just stay quiet as I walk around a bit. I take in nature's pure sound. I can hear the wind blowing by. I can hear the grass muffle. I hear a bird or some other animal calling out. I just listen. It is pure peace of mind and relaxing to me. Then occasionally, a car or a few cars will pass by and you know they always look my way because anybody who sees me out there, their first guess is I may have had a breakdown. Well, nobody slows down or stops since I am not waving or showing a sign of distress. I usually spend about 15 to 20 minutes and then jump back in my car, lower down the windows and crank the car. As I merge unto the highway, I hit all buttons to roll all windows back up. I join the flow of traffic as we all speed down the freeway to my destination of the day. I do this atleast 3 times during my whole road trip.

Perfect

 

[keylay]

Fantastic trip!
I'm leaving Houston for Durango on Friday evening. I'll be there for four days!

 

[grumpyoldguys]

Thanks for sharing this with us I hope I can ride with my 2018 for the next month. I have to bring it to the service center to install and tune the brakes that I bought from https://parts.levittownfordparts.co...1a?c=bT0xJmw9NiZuPVJlY29tbWVuZGVkIFByb2R1Y3Rz . We need to be safe first. For starters, I would love to go with my wife there at the cave that looks really stunning, and then staying in an inn would be great to spend some time to breathe some fresh air.

 

[molanginaeda]

That is cool to know you may retrace some of my visits on this trip.

No, I did not do any trail while in Colorado Springs. But if anybody visits Canon City to visit the Royal Gorge Bridge, I strongly recommend taking the scary Skyline Drive. It is a really great drive. Those who have done it will confirm. It is a must do drive.

Thanks for the recommendation. After pikes peak and garden of the gods visit, I did drove south to Canon city and drive through skyline drive. It started to rain, so I didn’t take much picture. Very scenic drive.
From canon city, I drive up to victor (an old mining town) through phantom canyon rd.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Fantastic trip!
I'm leaving Houston for Durango on Friday evening. I'll be there for four days!

Thanks.

Cool trip. Let us know if you do a trip report and share pics so we can read and look at your pics.