"Little Switzerland of America"

After the tire debacle, we were on the road and in search of a gas station that would fit the beastly length of the motorhome. We tried at Camel Rock Casino Gas Station, but there were a 5th wheel and 2 large U-Haul trucks with trailers blocking access, so down the road we go still searching.

After getting diesel further down the road, we were headed off. Once we got closer to Colorado, we were keeping our eyes open for any smoke from the many wildfires raging through the south central area of the state. We were prepared to take a different route to Durango, CO in case of thick smoke, but we never encountered anything other than a light odor of smoke the closer we got to Pagosa Springs. It was very cloudy and actually rained on and off for the few hours it took from the Colorado state line to Ouray.
The strangest smell ever is smoky-rain, which is what we were smelling for some of the way. Honestly the smoke smell was just for a little of the way, and the rest of the time was very fresh and "foresty." We had all prayed for some rain for the areas that were affected by the wildfires in Colorado and elsewhere in the states, and thank goodness they were having the blessing of some gentle, soaking rain. It probably helped that Sean washed the motorhome and polished the rims, haha!

We had to make a pit-stop in Durango, CO to visit Honeyville. Sean had mentioned this place to me a few times and I was excited we were finally getting to go to it. It is a very neat place to visit and browse through the "made with honey" items. The coolest thing they feature is a see through bee-hive that the bees travel to through a clear plastic pipe. Now those are some busy bees!

 

After we browsed the store, we quickly got back on the road toward a few steep passes the motorhome had to climb to get to Ouray. The road was a breeze for our motorhome thanks to the exhaust brake. Soon we were on the Million Dollar Highway which is characterized by narrow lanes, steep cliffs, and a lack of guardrails. It is certainly a site to behold, especially the drive after Red Mountain Pass, and I would recommend that everyone try this drive for themselves. 

At the end of Red Mountain Pass is the small town of Ouray, CO, where we will be spending about 4 days going up Jeep trails and exploring the shops and other towns nearby (Telluride and Silverton).