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TX-NM-CO driving road trip comments..

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Deleted member 23845

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All,

HQ and I just completed a ten day road trip in her Lexus. We ventured out to visit no less than 4 family groups in TX, and my home town and cabin in SW CO. Yes, we took some risk with the virus, but applied common sense distancing, masks, etc best we could. Some observations may be interesting, or not for others thinking about venturing out.

Driving, etc:
  • roads were packed, particularly freeways, lots of people are driving and truck traffic extremely high
  • construction is going on as usual-- extremely frequent, I-10 west of San Antonio was particularly nasty, and we encountered potholes, lane switches, and of course a huge metal ladder in the middle of our lane, fortunately I saw it in time and could swerve without a vehicle to my left
  • speeds are way high we saw many vehicles going 90, some 100 or so on interstates, and the LEOS seemed infrequent-- my overall impression is that driving behavior is more cavalier than usual--
  • gas stations open, but good luck on clean/safe bathroom options for picky women, so plan in advance
  • some motorcycles were out making long distance trips--fun in CO, not so much in heat/humidity/traffic soaked TX.
Hotels:

  • We stayed in Lubbock, Durango, Odessa and San Antonio at either Hilton affiliated rooms, and the Durango Strater (very lux)--
  • Hotels were not busy, I would guess less than 50% occupancy
  • Hotels are scrupulous with virus protocol: extra clean, check in without contact, etc, but write off the quality free breakfast options: you get bad granola bars and weak coffee
  • I felt virus risk staying at well operated properties is low.
Restaurants:

  • We brought a cooler and ice and snacked on the road a lot to avoid extra meal stops
  • When eating, we made high efforts to eat on patios, outside, good airflow, socially distanced-- this takes some planning
  • We have doubled our tipping as restaurants are again low head count-- but wow it was wonderful to get some real NM red chili in Cuba, NM, and other fantastic meals
  • Most places have signs "no mask, no service" and have limited seated and spaced ceilings-- given that we were very careful to avoid the few busy places
Family interactions:

  • In Lubbock we had dinner with ten family members at their house--upset me as they utterly blew off virus transmission risk, this with two new babies, one pregnant mom and a 87 year old ultra-fragile Aunt....this was our one major virus risk failure, and my fingers are crossed we did not bring in virus or get exposed-- to walk out or make a confrontation would have meant divorce for me...
  • Seems everyone is tense, edgy and otherwise crusty-- political and virus and etc stress makes family interactions volatile... like soaked gasoline rags laying around, I had to walk away a couple times, hold my tongue, etc -- big take away is family and friends were really happy to interact, but there is extreme risk of conflict.....
  • the other family/friend interactions were lower risk, with San Antonio planned dinner participation reduced by two: they had both been virus exposed, and were waiting test results... fortunately one just found out negative Covid test, and antibodies...other one pending.
Miscellaneous:

  • the trip was a major emotional/mental health break for me, we have been nowhere since New Years
  • getting to central NM and my home area of SW CO was wonderful, words do not do justice to visiting my deep roots, seeing the mountains, the house I grew up in, and Main Avenue Durango and Silverton--
  • We spiked the economy as usual, but tourist counts were maybe 30% of normal, the Durango-Silverton train has a very limited run Rockwood to Cascade now as a major trestle blew out south of Silverton-- a huge economic hit to my home towns....so I worry about survival of the tourist economy
  • Oh and I took out my new 4-weight fly fishing gear to my secret holes and yes caught and released five nice Brook trout-- wonderful, but did not see the Cascade canyon moose, and fortunately no bear encounters...and I can still hike 5 miles at 9300 feet (it pays to keep in shape).
    268114

 
Thanks for the good report! Wish I was camped outside Silverton right now. Maybe later this summer.
 
Oh and camping-RV spots are all packed! I mean everything filled-- so make a plan or reservation. Many are avoiding hotels.

On the driving risk: we were in a surprise rain downpour just NW of Waco: saw two big rigs off road, one flipped and also a big truck/RV set up flipped over and emergency vehicles on the way. Reason: aggressive driving in my opinion-- so be careful out there. Glad antelope in SE NM did not cross road while we were driving at 80 MPH. And, bring lots of hand sanitizer and use it in gas stations, everywhere you contact public used surfaces. Plan ahead and bring a big supply and also paper towels. I switched to a nice bandana type mask: works much better with hearing aids.

Overall: a trip is possible, but think it through. I think driving risk is way ramped up right now.

It was 38 degrees F one morning at my cabin. Ponder that for a while. Still a bit of snow left on the San Juans, and rivers normal flow, but we need monsoons to kick in.

Saw a forest of idled drilling rigs in Odessa-- tragic for the Permian basin family.
 
Great report!

We used to live at The Ranch in Hermosa. I’d walk my dog in the apple orchards and wave at the DSRR as it crossed 550 and began the climb up the mountain to Silverton around 10:30 every morning.

i miss the area a lot. Great paninis at Bread, Durango Coffee Co, all the nice places you mention. Driving up to Ouray across the Million Dollar Hwy (a de riguer trip with out of town company). Fly fishing on Red mountain streams that you have to hike to.

Last trip to CO was last fall. Towed our Airstream to Priest Gulch RV Campground just NE of Dolores. Flyfished Dolores River right next to the camper, drove up Hwy 145 to Telluride to have pizza at the Brown Dog. Fun.

We are anxious to travel again. Your comments about family interactions in Lubbock hit home. We share your dilemma.

Be safe. A wonderful story..
 
Really good to learn about the rv camp situation in co. I rarely step foot in one except to fill the water tank on the way to areas remote. Yes, the big rigs - especially on I-20 - are insane. I was pulling the rv in a torrential downpour a couple years ago and the trucks were racing with each other. Extremely aggressive driving and beyond dangerous. Just seeing the road was an effort. I vowed never to make that mistake again. Not sure if I'll be heading north this year but I truly appreciate your shared info.
 
GarageBoy said:
Great report!

We used to live at The Ranch in Hermosa. I’d walk my dog in the apple orchards and wave at the DSRR as it crossed 550 and began the climb up the mountain to Silverton around 10:30 every morning.

Indeed well met! Fishing is excellent: good water flows from an average winter, and best I can tell low pressure on the high streams.
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Heading to Durango Wed and riding until Sunday. Hotel in Durango and Telluride. Thanks for sharing.
 
Headed to Salida in about 2 weeks. You might have just persuaded me to make my travel days during the week. We have the same insane driving antics up here in the Metromess.
 
WFO75080 said:
Heading to Durango Wed and riding until Sunday. Hotel in Durango and Telluride. Thanks for sharing.
Click to expand...
Durango has an innovative downtown dining-shopping solution to the virus risk. They have closed down parking lanes both sides of Main Street. This allows restaurants to open patio dining. There are many superb restaurants with patios anyway: a favorite is Ken and Sue's. Be aware service is slower than usual and some places closing early or erratic. Call ahead! Silverton is pretty quiet, no idea on Telluride.
 
San Miguel county took this stuff way serious. Might be worth calling the library in Telluride just to ask a few questions before making the trip there
 
Great write-up. Poignant and heartfelt. I could almost smell the tension in some of your encounters. I really appreciate you telling your story exactly as you saw it, without any political overtones. A rare treat these days.

For us, we are staying put this Summer. Glad we were able to enjoy family vacation roads trips many years in a row, last 2 yrs to CO. So staycation for a year doesn't feel like too much of a loss.
 
WFO75080 said:
Heading to Durango Wed and riding until Sunday. Hotel in Durango and Telluride. Thanks for sharing.
Click to expand...

Hey I am up here now in Purgator for a family trip but I have both the 1090 and 501 with me. Haven't had a chance to ride anywhere yet, too much work :(. You must be coming up here next Wednesday. We head for home on Sunday.

Trying to make time for the route I did with RG back in 2016, from Purgatory over to Rico, Deloris some of the COBDR towards Telluride, Opher Pass, Silverton back to Purgatory on 550. Maybe work will give me a break tomorrow...

We did rent a Polaris Ranger Crew in Silverton this past Tuesday. I have never seem more campers on 550 or more UTV on the Alpine Loop. It was nice to be able to take the family up there, they had never seen it, but the congestion is silly. More than 60% of the people we talked to are from Texas, guess we are all trying to escape.

Restaurants are mostly open using social distancing practices. There is a new outdoor bar just down the road from the Purgatory resort, that was nice, great trailer food like the foodies in Austin love.

Overall people have been friendly, but it is harder to go do anything around people or in town.
 
We aren't sure how it will play out but my buddies son has a vacation home in Pagosa Springs just in case we hit some roadblocks. Son said we could take out right from his backyard into the National Forest. We will both be on 790's looking to see how well they work on some single track. PM me if you might want to ride along. My buddy used to live in Durango so I'm just along for the ride. Not much knowledge in that area of Colorado.
 
Thanks for sharing the info. We're planning a trip up through Colorado into Utah in September. Depending on where the country is in terms of CV-19 and closures we might head out to Yosemite as well. All to be determined.

Definitely planning on time in Western Colorado making a loop from Santa Fe to Alamosa to Delta back down to Telluride to Durango to Cortez then head to Moab. Going to be playing it by the seat of our pants the entire time. I hate not being able to have my spreadsheet all lined out.
 
NM will not let you in. They are back to 14 days Quarantine if you cross the border:

www.newmexico.org

New Mexico Covid-19 Traveler Information

In response to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a Global Health Emergency due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the New Mexico Tourism Department has put together essential information and resources to help visitors to the state track the situation. We are committed...
www.newmexico.org
 
Yeah, hoping Colorado is not getting any ideas.
 
Looks like we left a bad impression when we did the NMBDR last month... They don't want us Texas back again.
 
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We definitely threaded the needle with that trip.
 
I've had a couple of buddies go to NM and they were fine. They didn't fly in though. Tell them you're on business and you can pretty much do whatever you want. Wife is headed to Sante Fe next Thursday for business (cough, cough).
 
Hard to say I'm there on business when I'm scraping pegs on some mountain road.
 
kubotamiketx said:
Hey I am up here now in Purgator for a family trip

Man, you are right in my home turf. Nugget bar is a hoot. That Million Dollar highway loop is the best ride, but best off season with less traffic.
I may try to fly to ABQ in mid-September, and spend 3 weeks in Durango area and our cabin. If so, I will try to rent a motorcycle. Done that several times, but place I used dropped all their low seat height bikes. I can't handle a KTM with 35 inch seat! HD dealer might rent a Sportster 883?

Ride on.
Click to expand...
 
Flipit said:
NM will not let you in. They are back to 14 days Quarantine if you cross the border:

www.newmexico.org

New Mexico Covid-19 Traveler Information

In response to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a Global Health Emergency due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the New Mexico Tourism Department has put together essential information and resources to help visitors to the state track the situation. We are committed...
www.newmexico.org
Click to expand...

No enforcement, we drove thru but did not stay in NM. If you fly in, might be another matter?
 
Lucydad said:
No enforcement, we drove thru but did not stay in NM. If you fly in, might be another matter?
Click to expand...
Yeah, I don't see how they would enforce this stuff, especially when the businesses are hurting for money like they are. We had no issues 3 weeks ago. The restaurants were bending over backwards to accommodate us. Like you said in your first post, I tended to crank up the tipping. Staff was EXTREMELY grateful for that. Hard times on a good day for most of them.
 
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