I loved Pagosa Springs, just 32 miles over the border from New Mexico border. The hot springs it is named for are just amazing! it is also in a huge valley among the mountain peaks. Just up from the ski resort is a place referred to as communication top, it was an amazing view, one 4th of July it was snowing around noon. Engineer's Pass was great, BUT, do NOT believe the idiot Park Rangers! Going over the pass, we actually came close to death! We were in a completely fitted out Tahoe. It had a 1/8 steel plate on the underside. Several times were grinding on rock with only one wheel on the ground.

Unless you have the vary best pullet proof tires do NOT drive into the National Forest, the roads have rock that will slice open tires. I'd love to show images but I did figure images (not allowed here) but the final upper meadow was so gorgeous, the last area for Aspen trees, then only pine trees. The National Forests are amazing places to visit with the right vehicle and people.

People are idiots, not once but three times we used heavy chain to pull people out of snow drifts not cleared on back roads. One time an elderly set of couples almost did not make it due to hypo thermia. It is fun but serious exploration!

It's been a while so I thought I'd check with "Hog Nation" to see if anyone has suggestions of "favorite, don't miss" Locations for a mostly Front Range driving tour around Colorado during the second half of October. The "plan" is for 3 nights in Estes Park, 3 nights in Aspen, 2 nights in Grand Junction, a couple nights in Gunnison, and a couple nights in Colorado Springs. Did a similar trip a bit over a decade ago so any caveats, tips, flat-out warnings, etc would be greatly appreciated. I expect to miss the Aspens-on-show but a family wedding has pushed my plans later than I had hoped.

If Gaudí knocked your sox off, then when you cut south from Grand Junction & Black Canyon and all that, then blow off Telluride altogether (unless you're into seeing/shooting multitudes of Tragically Cool people with more dollars than cents) and spend some serious time in Paonia. Absolutely nothing in that little town will look remotely Gaudi-esque, but that little ex-post-mine era burg is frikkin' real in a 'dropped-out-tuned-in-turned-on-left-corporate-madness-in-our-70's-dust (despite it now being, what? the 2000's or 3000's or whatever like that?) sort of way. Sort of like a cousin of mine who left Michigan and went to Colorado and got 'quilted,' and I do NOT mean that in a quilt-y sort of way. Don't recall the name of the place off the top of my head, but on the outskirts of town is a killer place to buy some apple juice. And there's a couple of decent Wineries around too. Only thing to avoid, however, would be the road that goes up to Hank's place, and/or Hank himself. That guy is further out there than anyone else on Earth. Then again, maybe you'd enjoy spending some time with him, or walking further up his road a little ways....

You are welcome.. fellow Nikon shooter.. FYI: you could spend a day just in Central City photographing the historic buildings doing just doorways and hardware.. just shoot details. And the area is rich with old gold mining equipment as well… and I forgot to mention the railroad switch yard (Silverplum) and narrow gauge loop in Georgetown.. you would be going right by there. And the old trains and cars are loaded with details for cool compositions.. like brass levers and steam gauges etc.. call if you need anything.. I am retired (970)6916325