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Day 195 – Highway of Legends – Part 2

Day 195 of Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

From Monument Lake we climbed Cucharas Pass which tops off at 9,941 feet before descending into valleys of farmland situated beneath dramatic dikes. One dike looked like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle with jagged rocks resting on one another with spaces in between. On our way to La Veta, both directions of traffic were stopped due a car that had rolled into a pasture. I heard no one was seriously injured. By the looks of the SUV, I would have guessed differently. It was totaled with the roof crushed in and the tires turned sideways.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
map of road trip along scenic byways across the USA

Map of My Year Long Road Trip Across the USA

The below map tracks my road trip along America’s scenic byways. It shows the general path, but is not exact.

The Plan

When I set out on this journey, my plan was to minimize driving on Interstates while connecting several scenic byways across the lower 48 states. In addition, I wanted to avoid snow, to visit my parents for Christmas, to spend my 40th birthday in California with some friends, and to connect with some others traveling to Colorado in June.

The Journey

As a result, I began in September of 2010 heading northeast toward Maine to enjoy the fall colors. Thereafter, I turned south down the east coast and returned to Dallas for Christmas through the Super Bowl which was held in the metroplex that year. During this time, I lost my lab, Scout, of 13 years, though my dobie, Petey, made the entire journey.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!