Durango to Ouray - Million Dollar Mountain Views - HWY 550

times a month, on the 5th and 20th of the month. Additionally, there are free screensaver downloads that you can sign up for. Get them. I have all kinds of merchandising. Caps, t-shirts, coffee mugs, get some merch. helps support the channel and this type of travel and I really appreciate it once again it's rver TV dot TV no matter where you are search periods like a postcard absolutely amazing you would have to travel here several times to really find everything. the hidden secrets im sure the hills are loaded I would love to go and win them all the mines especially with a metal detector yes but you can see the loot you can see where they mined in the hills it looks like this is where you put You got The chains are on, they have a door to close the passage.

What a view. From the rear view camera, huh, it's nice to see that kind of snow. You know there will be snow there all summer long. They will be bombed again this winter. That? It's a blessing to have that kind of snowfall this year. Blue Sky returns in that direction, but a little further north we go, we are getting into the few clouds. Looks like there are some boondockers there on the left that join the high

mountain

s, there has to be a camp.areas everywhere here now we are starting to climb again so far the road has been absolutely great it's not deteriorated many times you go to these

mountain

passes and because of the snow and ice the roads become quite broken, but this is a very well maintained road.

I can actually see the road to the right. It looks like we're going to go through a big change back here. Great, maybe we can stop and find a way out. Well, there's another Kodak moment up front. get out your cameras, I love it, there is that same truck, we have been passing it several times on the road, it is still a challenge to drive a truck on these roads, be slow, lots of hill climbs, here is our Switchback, we are turning around what You say we stop checking the view, uh, before we get too high, look at this, here goes our truck, what a beautiful valley we just drove through?

I'd say we're getting close to the tree line, the trees are getting a lot smaller We turn on, we get there, there's that road and then we come back, we just turned around, let's take a picture of the truck, look here, how are you? goes? Now the truck is happy, let's keep rolling, there's the front camera and I'll show you we have the rear camera. mounted right there, that's what gives you all the great images today, two GoPros and I have this handheld camera inside the cabin with me, so we're capturing images from every angle we can.

Come on, I think the next pass we'll be fine. One of them is about 12,000 feet. I think this is the one coming up, there is a long slope to the right, there is no handrail, if you are afraid of heights this may not be the best road to take, but what scenery, my goodness. Check this out, like I said before, it's been on my wish list for many years. I've always heard about it. I read many people have always told me that. If you ever go this direction, be sure to take this

million

. Dollar Highway Drive is a little slow but it's worth it and just like the train ride from Durango to Silverton would be worth it at different times of the year the fall colors would be perfect oh my goodness what a place to come to enjoy of the colors of autumn, okay?

I'd say we're getting close to the top, the trees are getting pretty small now, right? And there's also a sign that says where you are, how high you're going, oh, I see a sign on the left, let's stop, let's go there. and check it out foreigner welcome to Red Mountain Pass 11,000 feet in San Juan County there's a different county with two different national forests cool here's your official marker 11,000 18 feet Million Dollar Highway wow and we did it we did it today uh that marker He said this road was built in 1890 and then they improved it in the 1920s, oh well, it's probably downhill from here, eh, I don't know, so 24 miles from Silverton has been a very long 24 so far, wow, high mountain, little lake, there, little pond, just full. freshwater good, we're going pretty well, there's not much traffic, oh, I spoke too soon, look at this.

I would say we have to wait. I should have brought my gold tray with me. Let's wait a while. It looks foreign. We're heading down now, well when else can I do this kind of build? It has to be in the summer. I talked to them, two guys on the bike, they're headed to the Tetons, what a nice place to have to do road work. being here all summer nice and cool this is the only road construction I've come across, not bad at all though, what a great road to ride a motorcycle, ok what do we have here?

We're moving pretty well. must be their construction area on the right, talking about some pretty dramatic curves, huh oh, I just saw an overlook. I wonder if it's open? I think so. I have to turn left here. I'll get out of this line of cars, too cool. Let's see this, there are some very old mining buildings, eh, okay, what do you say? Look a little more. See There is a real mine on the other side of the road. I wonder if it's still active. That's what those buildings must be for part of the mine that claims the land.

This is a mine called Idorado, a three and a half mile tunnel that connects it to Telluride Colorado. Wow, isn't that something that six towns in the Red Mountain mining district sprang up in less than eight square miles here when it flourished? These boards are kind of faded with difficulty reading the Yankee girl, mine, the most valuable mine in the United States, wow, isn't this something in the past? Thousands of people here become rich. What a beautiful place, except on a winner. Yes, you would be buried in the snow. well let's keep hauling a three and a half mile tunnel and you know they did it all by hand in those days through these mountains they must have been super rich in ore yeah these buildings have to be part of the old mining days If those walls could Talk, eh, well, you never know what you'll find around here, there are more curves coming up, what a huge valley on the right, I also see buildings down there, look, there are more buildings up here, there must be a camp here somewhere too.

I will definitely return here one day. This is a place to explore again. Get a little more local knowledge. Maybe a little different time of year. Fall colors are something like that. They make it a different trip. The good roads begin to open a little and also become a little. the fastest pace shouldn't be much higher on a far straight road look at this looks like a chain link area look at an old building here on the right too strange over that Red Mountain Pass OMG there's your moment Kodak Mountain Lake along off the road mountains in the background blue sky a few clouds thank you foreigner quick my ears are popping this has probably been one of the most spectacular continuous drives I've ever taken I don't remember when maybe like when I was in Wyoming crossing That Highway 14 at one point It was something like this, but not as dramatic with the big mountains.

This is definitely epic. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. Quite large areas for snow removal equipment. There is all your gravel for the roads. another semi oh look at this what is this oh probably for snow avalanches and those things shoot it right on the road wow built right on the edge of that rock that's amazing that's a lot of concrete it probably also saves a lot of lives this is beautiful through here there's not much of a shoulder on the other side or it goes straight down here is probably where they close the road a lot in the winter look that you can see that from the edge right there this is something to drive I'm hanging on to the steering wheel pretty tight wow, what a ride wow, I wonder what's here some cars maybe a trail or something to walk well we'll keep going towards the foreigner it drops down probably hundreds of feet maybe a thousand amazing I love it I'm glad I did it.

On this side, what a view, uh, according to the phone, we're almost in, I hope there's a survey or something up here, yeah, we're coming out of there, a narrow part that was narrow, going through there, right? Oh, I see cars. Let's see if I can stop there, it's okay, oh yeah, we'll find something else about this van, it's so long it's hard to park in some places, there are a bunch of cars on the right, oh, another tunnel, cool, thanks. I see a place coming up, look at this, we can stop here, yeah, let me park, this is the perfect lookout, oh Ray Colorado, Switzerland of America, it's the Lookout and right down there is the city, is it that perfect or what kind of table similar? that was back in Silverton, same traveler boy, those are very faded, saving the past, let me walk over here, maybe we can get a good photo of the town, here you go, we have a view here, there's oh Ray Colorado, a Lots of old buildings.

There's Main Street, we're going to drive by there in just a minute, surrounded by these beautiful mountains. I'll always say we'll get in the Cruy van, it's a bad place to go out, okay? Cruise town, this is We're leaving the mountains now I think this is the last town around here I don't mind saying I'm a little exhausted from driving this way. This has been quite a few miles ventured. Sabio It's not that far from Durango. around here, but a lot of stops, a lot of filming, a lot of great images that we've captured, passing through here, where else will you see something like this?

Colorado has its own scenic wonders, especially western Colorado and the mountains you get. on the east side it's this flat open prairie, okay, I'd say we hit town here, speed limits go down, yeah, another old historic mining place, small town USA. We definitely did back roads, towns small on this trip even though it's a very US highway. Well maintained US highway, old west style buildings, all brick, very well done, touristy, but I mean, it's what it is here, right? Is it something perfect? There are campgrounds here and that whole aspect there is the Beaumont Hotel, probably haunted shops and businesses.

Picture of the perfect weather today. I can feel the heat warming up, I mean as soon as we descended about the last 10 miles we are still at elevation but you can definitely feel the heat from the flower baskets on the light poles, this seems a little more modern down here at this end. of the city, isn't it a fun and enjoyable trip today? Highway $550

million

highway. I can see why they call her a million bucks. I'm still thinking about that three and a half mile tunnel that was a ferret in Red Mountain Pass, whatever it was he was headed for. that town tells you well a lot of mining, boom towns, what are the six boom towns and eight square miles, there are thousands of people up there, okay, we're going to get out of the mountains, we'll be on a flat land, heading here to Montrose Colorado.

In the evening, I'm going to get on Highway 50 and I'm going to start trucking east, I'm going to go towards Gunnison and I'm going to continue in that direction, so we'll continue exploring Colorado Journey, we'll continue talking soon.