I love a good road trip. I always feel a sense of adventure, freedom, and excitement venturing down roads less traveled.
Whether winding through scenic landscapes or navigating bustling highways, road trips offer more than just a change of scenery, they are about self-discovery and creating memories.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” — Saint Augustine
Just like life, there are smooth stretches and potholes, sunny days and thunderstorms. We adjust and keep moving. The road teaches us to be flexible. We learn that the journey matters as much as the destination.
“Life goes by fast. Enjoy it. Calm down. It’s all funny.” — Joan Rivers
Al and I recently returned from a road trip to Colorado. We called Colorado home for over twenty years, and as much as I love living in Arizona, I feel a pull to return to the beautiful state of Colorado from time to time. And of course, the need to travel still courses through my veins.
All photos in this post were taken at the Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Since my brother and his wife live in Grand Junction, western Colorado has been a popular destination for our travels over the years. It’s also where I started embracing a love for hiking as I was introduced to numerous trails found throughout The Monument.
I don’t think I’ll ever tire of exploring the red rock landscapes found in America’s west.
I adore the red rock landscapes found in the west. For this week’s Sunday Stills photo challenge, the color prompt is red, white, or blue, or any combination. I chose to focus on the color red which provided me with the perfect excuse to share photos of a recent trip. As a side note, each 4th of July, rock climbers climb to the top of Independence Monument to place an American flag on top.
Live Laugh RV 
63 responses to “Colorado Red”
Beautiful landscape, so different from what we have here in Italy.
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I love our visits to Colorado. It has a very diverse landscape. Thanks for stopping by.
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Mine pleasure.
Have a nice day!
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I’ve never been to Colorado but everyone loves it. It is such a diverse landscape so I can see why you love it. Wonderful photos that show off nature’s rugged red side.
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Colorado is such a diverse state. I’m fortunate to have not only called CO home but to have traveled to most parts of the state. Beautiful landscapes around every corner.
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Lovely, Ingrid. I especially love the clouds in the last photo. I appreciate the St. Augustine quote, too. 🙂
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Thank you, Lisa. I have always loved that quote and it inspires me to get back out there and travel more again. Alas, I’m torn between the adventures of travel versus the adventures of being a grandmother. I never in a million years thought I’d say that. 😎 Life surprises us sometimes!
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❤️❤️❤️
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Love the color of dirt, soils and rock. Just finished a drive from Texas to Illinois, then Michigan. The dirt along the way changes colors. Love your photos along the way. Keep making your days count.
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Sounds like a great road trip. I know you’re enjoying that lake front property in MI. It’s this time of year that I miss the landscape in the Midwest. Enjoy!
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Loved reading this! Colorado’s red rocks are stunning and your photos capture them beautifully. The quotes add a nice touch.
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Thanks! I’m a huge fan of quotes and it’s always fun returning to Colorado to take in the beauty.
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We have some red sandstone up in South Dakota as well, but it’s not the brilliant red like that. There’s a section of road on our way south (Virgin River maybe?) that takes our breath away every time we crest that hill
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We absolutely love your area and property and for a split second thought about buying near the Black Hills (and that was before we visited you), BUT we aren’t winter/snow people plus we wanted to be somewhat close to our kids. Now, if the kids move, hmm? Not sure if we’d stay here, but for now it works perfectly. Thank goodness for our treks up to Colorado during the heat of the desert summer.
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More great photograhs!! Miss you guys from Pioneer…. Come visit in CO…. 🙂
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Thank you! We miss having an RV with all the comforts for travel. Hopefully, you’ll return to Phx for the winter and we’ll have a chance to connect. 😊
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Always love the red rocks! Wherever Peggy and I find them. Enjoyed your incorporating them into your Fourth of July post, Ingrid. Thanks.
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Hi Curt. Yep, we can’t go wrong visiting red rock country. There are still quite a few places in Utah I’d like to get to. Oh well, time will tell. Right now, my time is full of grandma duty … which I’m loving.
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Grandma duty, eh. Peggy and I did our share of Grandma/grandpa duty. Four of our five grandsons have now reached teenage-hood now.
We’ve spent a fair amount of time in Utah. The state has some great National Parks!
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Ingrid,
Red Rocks fascinate me–I suppose that’s because it’s so different from the tree-covered hills in my home state. I really enjoyed Canyonlands, and Bryce Canyon, and hope to return. Your image of Independence Monument from the Overlook is super! Thanks! Joe
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Hi Joe, I too have always been intrigued with red rock country. Probably because I grew up in the lush Midwest, I find the arid landscape so vastly different. Bryce is amazing and perplexing. It’s a park I’d love to return to and hike more amongst the hoodoos. 🙂
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I love a road trip too, and especially when the landscape is as stunning as this! We’ve not yet been to Colorado but clearly we should 😀
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I love Colorado and Utah. Two amazing states with stunning, yet different, landscapes. I can never get enough exploring this part of the U.S. and long to return time and again.
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We have been to Utah and loved it, also Arizona (and quite a few other states) but Colorado is one we’re yet to visit – one day I hope!
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Road trips sure do feed our soul’s need for hopeful anticipation, and with such beautifully captured scenery, this one looks to have more than fulfilled yours (for a while at least! 😀 ) It prompted me to look up my previous posts on Colorado, then I fell down the rabbit hole of re-rereading my own blog LOL!! Thanks for sharing your new eye-popping adventure. We’ll get that phone call in soon, I promise!! ❤
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I’ve been going down my own rabbit hole lately and find myself torn between possible future travel adventures and remaining home embracing ‘Mimi’ duties. The next couple of months will be filled with caring for little ones as I help out the kids. I never imagined how much I’d love this new position. Ah, the chapters in life. Look forward to catching up soon.
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On blue sky days, those reds really pop, don’t they?! I had forgotten you had family in Grand Junction, and will be thinking of you when we pass through there in a couple of months. Enjoy your extra memory-making time with your granddaughters! You’ll sleep well, but with sweet dreams!
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Yes, the blue skies up against the red rock is beautiful. Hope you’re having some blue skies in Alaska. Let me know if you need any tidbits for your drive through Colorado. 🙂
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If you love that red rock, venture to Sodona, AZ and while you are there, go to Tlaquepaque and visit the little community of Jerome. I get it about the “wanderlust”. We are probably going to stay here in Illinois this Winter. That drive on I-65 and I-75 is grueling at best. Not to mention trying to find monthly eye shots for Dennis. Enjoy that travel while you can!!!!
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Hi Donna. Yep, we’ve been to Sedona many a time as well as Jerome. Fun places to visit. Al’s on that new medication Vabysmo, and he’s out to every 3 months for his eye shots which is wonderful. Sorry to hear you won’t be heading south for the winter. Seems you had a good time last winter. Of course, we love our winters in AZ. It’s these summers that a grueling. Stay cool in IL!
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Ingrid, I love your beautiful Colorado reds. I can see why you love to return there. I love your travel quotes, too. I had never heard the Joan Rivers one before. I share your need to travel. For the first time in a long time we don’t have any immediate plans to go anywhere.
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The drive between Phoenix and Grand Junction is through stunning landscapes making the drive as enjoyable as the destination. The next couple of months, I’m on extra grandma duty as I help out the kids with childcare curtailing any immediate travels, but no complaints on my end.🙂 We know how fast those little ones grow.
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Not only are you a great photographer and excellent writer, now we learn that you are also quite the philosopher. I also love Colorado and have been to the western slope a few times but I enjoy the high country most.
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You certainly can’t go wrong with the high country. It is stunning. During the summers, we would spend as much time as possible at higher elevations. Thanks for stopping by.
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Not sure why I showed up as anonymous. Larry (Big Dude)
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Ah, WP likes to keep us on our toes 😁 Thanks for stopping by Larry. Hope you and the gals are staying cool.
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Great post! I think you have included the AI generated photos in an elegant way. Also, I should go in roadtrip more often – although we don’t have any mountains in Denmark. What a remarkable scenery you have in the US.
Cheers,
Rie // Traveling Female Ornithologist
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You may not have mountains in Denmark, but the stunning mountain landscapes found throughout Europe aren’t too far away.
None of the images in this post were AI generated. These are all mine, taken by me. The previous post did include a bunch of AI images considering that’s what the post was about. I’m not a fan of the photos produced by AI, thus don’t intend to use them in future posts.
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Gorgeous photos and lovely narrative.
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Thank you. I appreciate the comment.
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Beautiful!
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Thank you, Pam.
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Beautiful! I LOVE the C. N. M. !!!
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It’s a favorite for sure. We didn’t hike in the canyon during this visit due to heat, but hope to on our next visit.
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Beautiful photos!
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Thank you. The landscape is so pretty that it would be difficult to take a bad photo.
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Very beautiful places, Ingrid! ❤️😊
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Thank you, John. The drive between Phoenix and Grand Junction is also extremely scenic.
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I hope I can drive the route some day. 😊
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Beautiful, Ingrid! I have to tamp down my ever-present travel urge because I can’t go for some time yet. But thanks for the vicarious trip. ❤️
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I can so relate. We won’t be traveling again for a while as I’ll be watching my granddaughters a lot more over the next couple of months. They’re on a childcare waiting list. So, Mimi to the rescue 😁
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But I know you’ll love it. ❤️
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You captured the red rocks of Colorado perfectly, Ingrid! The image with the red truck, blue sky and white lane line fit the RWB theme perfectly, as do all your stunning pics do. Colorado was home and your affection for it will never go away. Love the Joan Rivers quote 🙂
We’re sticking close to home the next couple of weeks due to the record breaking heat here. We have some day trips planned in August when my brother and BIL drive here from Fountain Hills next month.
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Thanks, Terri. This was another great photo prompt. I’m sure the guys are looking forward to escaping our ridiculously hot summer by venturing north. Hope cooler weather prevails. Enjoy the rest of the summer. 🙂
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“I love a good road trip. I always feel a sense of adventure, freedom, and excitement venturing down roads less traveled.”
I totally agree!
Thanks for taking me with you, Ingrid.
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Don’t you just love this blogosphere? While you took me back to Port Aransas, I’ve taken you to Colorado. Unfortunately, we’ll be stuck home for a while but I’m already brainstorming another road trip in the future.
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Well, we’ve already done our brainstorming [planning and booking] for the next two long trips:
from August 7 to September 4 Germany, Switzerland and Austria
from January 16 to February 6 Norway: a trip with Hurtigruten from Bergen to Kirkenes and back, plus some sightseeing in Norway besides the cruise.
Have I made you envious?! 😉
We’re so much looking forward to these.
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YES, I am jealous and I look forward to your posts on those excursions. Enjoy!
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Beautiful photos.
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Thanks Tim. Hope you’re staying cool in ABQ. It’s insanely hot in Phx right now. 🥵
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The weather widget predicted 99. The highest I saw was 93. Laurie thought she saw 95 at one point.
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I’ll take nineties any day over 115 🥵🌵🥵
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Yeah they are really nice 💟
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