8/24 - I70 to Denver

Waiving goodbye the Arches National Park, I concluded my national-geographic-style five-day trip at the state of Utah. I had to switch to the driving mode and move full speed ahead now, although I was not very happy about the change.

Switch to the driving mode and move down the I-70 in Utah.

Crossing the state border...

And head into the mountains....

I drove north from Moab, Utah and re-joined I-70 again. I crossed the state border and the scenery started to change. I-70 in Utah is mostly plane and straight, cutting right through the land. However, the segment of I-70 in Colorado is very different from the interstate highways I traveled before. It follows the wandering Colorado River as it picks up in elevation, bringing the travelers up to the great divider, Rocky Mountains. The scene along the way was a very nice change for me after seeing rocks and dessert for a week. The trees flourish on both sides of the valley, and the river flows gently underneath the road, clearly visible at different locations along the way. More interestingly, the train track shares the same valley with the interstate, and I could see the trains passing by while driving. Perhaps this is the most sensible, natural route to cut through the Rocky Mountains in this area. Thanks to the curves along the way, the drive on this part of I-70 is certainly more challenging than I would expect from a typical interstate highway. Although it was no problem for me as I had plenty experience driving in the mountains, it did slow down the pace, and I expected to arrive in Denver very late.

What a nice vally!! This really should be Scenic I-70.

This section of I-70 was perhaps the most difficult to build... But the result of the efforts is amazing. A perfect combination of the nature and the civilization.

The train track shares the same valley, heading towards Denver.

Another tunnel coming up.

It is yet a different scene at the other end of the tunnel.

I drove all the way through valleys, hills, slopes, and tunnels. I felt I have spend a long time behind the driving wheel but I was still 30 miles away from Denver. I became a bit impatient at the point. I knew I was close, but the city was nowhere to be seen. I doubted whether the distance chart is wrong. Finally, Whity climbed up to the top of the last hill, and at the end of a long downward slope I saw the glimmering lights from the city. As I descended, the lights expanded and laid out like a big blanket at the end of the slope. At the point, I realized it marked the end of my national park adventures and a welcome back to the modern world.