We had no plans for the rest of the trip. We thought that we might see Paonia, which we’d never visited, and search out some fine local wines. Wineries, however, were well off highway and driving there in an RV with a car behind did not seem prudent. We did stop at a roadside stand, but found limited selections, a disinterested salesperson, and no samples of wines we might have been interested in. So we continued into the town proper, found the city park where we could picnic and the dogs could romp, which they did happily. However, given the soggy weather, we pushed on.
We passed by the coal mining towns of Bowie and Somerset, relics of a mining era that seems to be passing. We climbed up and over McClure Pass, which, like the Grand Mesa, was gaudy in aspen gold. Though we had low clouds on the pass, when we dropped down into Redstone and the Crystal River valley the skies cleared and the sun brightened. We found our way to Carbondale without a plan but with the need to stop and stretch our legs, and the dogs’ as well. The farmer’s market, like the one in Moab, was expensive (over $3/pound for tomatoes) with just a few wannabe craftspeople and home bakers very proud of their breads and scones. Rather disappointing.
However, we noticed as we were coming into Carbondale a bike/running path along the Crystal River that connects the Crystal River Resort (cabins and camping) to town seven miles away, and with other bike/running paths in the area, notably the 44-mile Rio Grand trail that connects Glenwood Springs and Aspen and runs right through town. In all—the size and location of the town, the services and recreational opportunities—we understand why several of our friends from Boulder have chosen to relocate to this area. We’ll certainly return for a longer stay in the future.
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