We went to town for groceries today. It is 19 miles from here to Safeway, but very scenic. Not as scenic (or hair raising) as going to town from places like Glendale, Utah, but tourists drive from far away to see this exact piece of road, so it is a slow 19 miles. Some of them pull over to let the other traffic go by, but some just hog the road.

Earlier this summer a bridge was being replaced, so that slowed things down, but it's all done. Once in awhile there is a traffic accident, so if we have an appointment in town we have to allow extra time just in case.



This is an old photo (note the car) of Devil's Curve. I haven't yet figured out where that is on the current highway.



This is the start of the narrow part of the canyon - with one of the squiggle road signs. We can drive the narrow curvy part at 45 or so but tourists slow down to 25. I love coming home late in the day after tourist season is over and not a car on the road.



It's a good thing we didn't go to town yesterday because there was a meth lab scare at an old motel and the highway was shut down for several hours. They didn't find a meth lab, but the police said they found some things of interest. I think they said that to cover up the fact that it was a false alarm and they disrupted traffic for all that time.

Here's how the narrow part of the canyon looked after that big flood 32 years ago.

Comments:

If it's 19 miles of scenery, at least it's a pretty drive if the going gets slow. With congestion on the East Coast, although there are two grocery stores, each within a mile of my apartment, it can take anywhere from 5 mins to 30 mins to reach either one depending on the day and time. The summer visitors are gone, but the college is in.

Very nice and interesting pictures, by the way.

Great photos, Ms. T. Maybe someday Ed and I can take a car trip out that way.

Gorgeous scenery... but nineteen miles just to get to a grocery store? Gosh, I have 3 within a mile of where I live. Of course, I don't have that scenery. I can look north and see snow covered mountains in the wintertime, though.

Those are beautiful pics. Thanks for sharing.

Oregon is like Colorado... two different States as is Washington. We have the lush wet green West of the Cascades and the high dessert country East of the Cascades. I think they are both beautiful, but I prefer this high dessert as there a fewer people. I'm a recluse. lol

Beautiful place!

I grew up in a very small town in Wyoming and it was 36 miles to the closest grocery store (one that was big anyway). It wasn't a pretty drive though - your lucky for that one!!

a nice motor trip there and the scenic looks inviting.

Your pictures prove you definitely live in God's Country. I haven't figured out why my grandparents left Colorado, except they lived in Selma which is a pretty ugly place. Of course, it was just a hop over to Pike's Peak and the Garden of the Gods.

I love the old picture and the old car. The trip was probably pretty rough in those days without the modern highway. I guess that when it floods, nobody goes to town.

Thanks for sharing your pictures. Annie :o)

comment by anniel on Aug 12, 2008 3:47 PM ()

The plains are so different from the mountains, like two different states.

reply by troutbend on Aug 13, 2008 9:01 AM ()

oops... not Selma, but Simla.

reply by anniel on Aug 12, 2008 3:49 PM ()

I wouldn't mind going to the grocery store if I had that beautiful scenic road to travel.Wow,it is beautiful.Laurie