Some RVers Don't Always Take The "Scenic Route"

Above, driving to Ouray on the "Million Dollar Highway." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the most scenic roads is the Million Dollar Highway just south of Ouray, Colorado. I have been on it several times during the past few years.

It is a narrow one-lane road (one lane in each direction) with no guard rails. My Minnie Winnie takes the road just fine. 

There are some roads that aren't quite friendly to RVers. RV Travel posted an article on why some folks driving RVs don't drive the "scenic route." 

They begin with:

We all love a good scenic drive, right? Discovering an ideal RV scenic route can make for an unforgettable experience. For some of us, scenic drives might be our favorite part of RVing. Twisty coastal roads, winding mountain passes, red rock canyons—the views can be hard to beat. But seasoned RVers know something many newbies don’t:

The most beautiful RV scenic route isn’t always the best one when you’re hauling a big, heavy, slow, home on wheels.

In fact, the smartest RVers often intentionally avoid the scenic road in favor of the safe, stress-free, and equipment-friendly one.

Here’s why—and how to make the call when planning your own trip.

To read more, go here. 

Your GPS Could Be Leading You Into Trouble

Above, on the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Whenever I am on an RV road trip, I take routes that are easily mapped.

I keep a RV road atlas in my motorhome and check routes with it before even leaving the driveway. After doing that, I use the free Google Maps app on my phone. I have never encountered any problems of any major consequence. One gitch was that a friend and I were using Google Maps to go to a restaurant but the directions were goofed up and we ended up circling around a Houston airport parking lot. We never found the restaurant.

There are some people who have encountered major glitch errors with the GPS system they're using. 

That is the topic of an article in RV Travel. 

They begin with:

Most RVers trust their RV GPS navigation. They also have at least one story about it being spectacularly wrong. Maybe it routed you toward a low bridge, down a dead-end road or to the back gate of a campground instead of the office. Chances are you caught the mistake before it became an expensive lesson. Not everyone does.

A recent highway closure involving a commercial truck that apparently followed GPS directions onto an unsuitable route is another reminder that navigation apps are remarkably helpful—but they aren’t perfect. While truck drivers have wrestled with bad GPS routing for years, RVers face many of the same challenges.

To read more, go here. 

The Most Dangerous U.S. Roads For RVs

Above, the Million Dollar Highway near Ouray, Colorado. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I first saw the title of a new article in RV Travel, "The Most Dangerous Roads U.S. Roads For RVs, my immediate first thought was the Million Dollar Highway near Ouray, Colorado.

I have driven the Million Dollar Highway twice in the past two years in my motorhome. I was headed to Ridgway, Colorado for the John Wayne Cancer Foundation's "Grit Series" marathons. I will be doing so again later this year as I have volunteered to help with the watering stations.

Here's what they say about the Million Dollar Highway:

Million Dollar Highway/U.S. Route 550: Silverton to Ouray. This is a narrow road with no guardrails, hairpin turns, rockslides and very few shoulders.

The article also lists Wolf Creek Pass, which I drove in 2016.

They begin the article with:

Recently, a reader wrote in and requested an article listing some of the most dangerous roads for RVs. As you would imagine, there are many opinions on which roads should be on that list.

A couple of these roads my husband and I have driven with our RV and said never, ever again! There are also some on the list that we have driven with our car and said, “NO, no, no way” would we drive that road in our RV!

To read more, go here. 

RV Driving On Winding Roads

Above, the Million Dollar Highway south of Ouray, Colorado. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over the years, I have done my share of driving winding roads. Most recently, I drove Highway 550 (which includes the Million Dollar Highway) from Durango to Ridgway, Colorado in my Class C motorhome. 

I also did a lot of winding road driving through Arizona and the western edge of New Mexico while driving to and from Tombstone and Tucson back in April. The motorhome handled the roads well and the 10 cylinder Ford Triton engine took the upgrades just fine.

Do It Yourself RV has posted some tips on driving safely on winding roads in an RV.

They begin with:

Safely navigating winding roads in your RV is crucial, especially if you’re keen on venturing into the mountains, valleys, and remote areas. The essence of owning an RV is to explore, and winding roads are a part of that journey. With careful planning and honed driving skills, these challenges can be safely overcome.

The weight of your vehicle plays a significant role when tackling winding roads, especially those with a grade. Most winding roads have switchbacks due to the practicalities of construction. When traveling on such roads, be conscious of gravitational and centrifugal forces, which increase with your vehicle’s weight.

Factors like elevation and the steepness of the grade are other critical considerations. For instance, elevations in the Rocky Mountains can reach up to 14,000 feet, affecting braking.

To read more, go here. 

Gas Prices and Summer Vacation Planning

Above, the ranch location used in the opening scenes of True Grit
(1969) is 11 miles west of Ridgway, Colorado. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

What is in store for us this year in regard to gasoline prices?

From WANE 15:

“2023 is not going to be a cakewalk for motorists. It could be expensive,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “The national average could breach $4 per gallon as early as May – and that’s something that could last through much of the summer driving season. Basically, curveballs are coming from every direction. Extreme amounts of volatility remain possible, but should become slightly more muted in the year ahead. I don’t think we’ve ever seen such an amount of volatility as we saw this year, and that will be a trend that likely continues to lead to wider uncertainty over fuel prices going into 2023.” 

Above, about to order lunch at the True Grit Café surrounded by John Wayne memorabilia in Ridgway.

If gasoline prices are going to be around $4.00/gallon, it looks like I'll be taking a summer vacation camping trip in the RV closer to home as I did last year.

Originally, I was planning to go to the Black Hills region of eastern Wyoming and western South Dakota last summer. But due to the high gas prices, I decided to vacation closer to home in Durango, Colorado and Navajo Lake in New Mexico. Doing so saved me some money.

Above, the Ouray KOA Kampground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

What I am thinking about doing for a summer vacation trip this year is to go to the Ouray/Ridgway, Colorado area. It is a beautiful area with True Grit (1969) movie locations in Ouray (the Court House), Ridgway and the Ross family ranch 11 miles west of Ridgway. It is only a few hours drive from home. There are plenty of campgrounds in the area as the below map indicates. I stayed last year at the Ouray KOA when I went to see the John Wayne Cancer Foundation's "Grit Series" marathons. 

Above, campgrounds in the Ouray/Ridgway, Colorado area.

To reach Ouray and Ridgway, one has to drive north from Durango and Silverton on the "Million Dollar Highway". It is a nice drive, if one doesn't mind winding roads. 

Above, a view of Silverton on the way to Ouray. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

But, we have a few months to see how things go with gasoline prices. Hopefully, they will be better than last year's prices. Knock on wood!

Night Drive On The "Million Dollar Highway"

Above, a view of Silverton from a roadside overlook. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one thinks driving the "Million Dollar Highway" (U.S. 550) between Silverton and Ouray in Colorado is "hairy" during the day, they should try it at night.

I started heading home (245 miles) at about 5:15 yesterday morning from the Ouray KOA Kampground. It was still pitch black out. Driving south through Ouray wasn't bad, but once I got out of town, the road started climbing as a narrow two-lane road with a major drop. The speed limit averaged 25 mph along this stretch.

After that section of the road, the road widened and it comprised of more winding sections and switchbacks. I generally drove five to ten miles per hour less than the posted speed limit due to the possibility of wildlife and I was driving a motorhome. I did see one deer. Two birds, during course of the drive, flew in front of the RV and collided with it. 

Even though the distance between Ouray and Silverton is 24 miles, it takes around 40 minutes to drive it. 

It was still pitch dark when I reached Silverton. I didn't stop as I knew nothing was open. So I proceeded on.

I did slow to take in a view of Silverton from an overlook and with its lights on, it was a great view. I stopped at that viewpoint two days prior and took some photos. I pressed on to Durango.

I reached Durango at about 7:00 and stopped at the McDonalds next to the train station for a sausage McMuffin breakfast. I also filled the RV's gas tank ($160) while in Durango.

I reached home around 11:00.

Marathon Day In Ridgway

Above, stopped at a Silverton overlook on the Million Dollar Highway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Right now, I am waiting for some daylight so that I can see what I am doing when I put the electrical cord away in its compartment and the water hose into the storage area. Then, I will be taking the nine mile drive to Ridgway for the marathons to begin.

They are to start in the eight o'clock hour.

I have to find the starting area, though. I have a good idea where it is from Ridgway, about 11 miles west of town. 

From what I've seen posted, Patrick Wayne and Ethan Wayne, John Wayne's sons, are here. 

The drive yesterday knocked me for a loop. The Million Dollar Highway was easier than I thought. This was the first time I've driven it. Still, the many switchbacks on the rain-slick road does tax one's energies. 

I went to bed at 7:00 and woke up earlier than usual. Just can't seem to win when it comes to sleep these days.  

5 Signs of Highway Hypnosis

Above, on Colorado's Million Dollar Highway in the San Juan Mountains. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When some people I know drive for long distances with no or few breaks, I have to shake my head in wonderment.

For myself, since I am getting older, I make brief stops here and there. I even did this while younger. Dozing off, even for a split-second, is scary. I keep a Thermos of coffee with me or I stop and get a cup somewhere.

RV Life has an article on the five signs of highway hypnosis.

They begin it with:

You’ve probably heard of the common term for highway hypnosis, white line fever.  Highway hypnosis happens when we are driving a monotonous route, and our brain gradually slips into a semi-conscious autopilot state.  After we have been driving in a hypnotized state, we can suddenly arrive at our destination safely with no recollection of having consciously driven there.  

To read more, go here. 

10 Best Road Trips To Take In The USA

Above, approaching an avalanche snowshed on Colorado's
Million Dollar Highway sourh of Ouray. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since the "Great American Road Trip" has regained in popularity (and, in some cases, necessity due to the pandemic) by either car or RV, more articles on road trips have become numerous.

The latest is an article on 10 best road trips to take across the USA by the United Kingdom's Far Out Magazine. I have been on several of the ones listed. 

Before getting into the ten best road trips, they begin with a lengthy introduction.

Here's a snippet:

The idea of the American road trip as an antidote to the alienation of the modern world continued well into the 1940s and ’50s when Jack Kerouac wrote his Beat manifesto, The Road. For Kerouac’s characters, America’s highways symbolise the exhilarating pursuit of escape: escape from the weekday grind, escape from societal norms, and an escape from the persistent reminder that one’s life is but a fleeting moment.

Today, our understanding of the great American Road trip is still imbued with the writings of Hunter S Thompson, the gonzo journalist who, like Kerouac, had an innate affinity for America’s ocean-wide highways and the freedom they represented. In his red convertible, Thompson’s alter-ego Raoul Duke burns a trail across the modern wild west, chasing the last glimmerings of an American dream rapidly sinking below the horizon.

Now, we’re not saying you should arm yourself with your darkest Fear and Loathing memories and hit the open road in a wave of hysteria akin to Hunter S. Thompson’s imagination, but you certainly should try and explore at least one of these top ten selected road trips.

To read more, go here. 

Travel + Leisure: Ultimate Colorado Road Trips

Above, driving on Colorado's Million Dollar Highway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Want to get out of the house and hit the road, but need some trip ideas?

If that's the case, Travel + Leisure re-posted their 2020 article on the "ultimate" Colorado road trips to take. 

They begin it with:

To experience the best of the U.S. via the open road, look to Colorado. This picturesque state straddling the Rocky Mountains has some of the most astounding stretches of highway in the country, connecting mountain resorts to artists’ colonies to pioneer towns. In short, it’s the perfect place for the ultimate road trip. With that in mind, we’ve devised a route that hits plenty of spots that make Colorado so special. Take a look.

To read more, go here. 

RV Dangerous Routes

Above, on the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

RV driving can be a challenge for both the experienced RVer or the novice driver. There are some routes that should be avoided if one is driving a behemoth RV.

RV Life has an article on 10 "dangerous routes" that those driving bigger RVs should avoid. I've driven on four of them. 

They begin with:

Blind curves, steep grades, hairpin turns, and slippery when wet. These are the words many travelers driving or towing bigger rigs want to avoid seeing in front of their windshield. 

Having RV-safe GPS directions is essential when you have a big Class A coach or spacious fifth wheel in tow. Below we list some of the most dangerous routes for larger RVs or anyone towing a longer trailer. Not only are these routes dangerous for these rigs, but they are usually not recommended for travel for these type of vehicles or any vehicle during adverse conditions.

Above, Sleepy Bear RV Park in Swan Valley, Idaho on the Teton Pass Highway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To see what they are, go here. 

Vacation Miscellany

Here's some photos that I transferred over from my phone to my computer:

Above, fall colors are starting in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Photo by Armand Vaquer

Above, Highway 491 near Shiprock, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, True Grit poster at the True Grit Cafe in Ridgway. Photo by waiter.

Above, restaurant at the Ouray KOA Kampground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Ouray KOA Kampground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, avalanche tunnel on the "Million Dollar Highway". Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, motorcycle campsites at Ouray KOA Kampground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Ouray KOA Kampground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Colorado Odds & Ends

The following photos are from different places in Durango, Silverton and Ouray as well as on the "Million Dollar Highway" (Route 550).