Sunday was another incredible day.  We were going to rest up for the drive tomorrow.  But then we discovered that we were only 50 miles from the new and improved Royal Gorge Bridge and Park.  We both had been there as kids but thought we should see it as


adults.  The drive there was totally awe-inspiring.  I know I didn't appreciate that as a kid.  It was only 50 miles, but the scenery changed every few miles.  Sometimes the mountains were low and gently rolling, dusty sage -colored.  Sometimes they were towering and intimidating slabs of dark granite.  Then there were the huge piles of round boulders that looked like cairns on steroids.  There were even walls of orange sandstone.  This was all in the fifty miles from Salida to the Royal Gorge!  And through it all ran the beautiful Arkansas River.  I have discovered that I am the ultimate tourist "gawker".  I kept saying, "Ooh, look at that! OMG, Look! Stop the truck so we can get pictures!"

Now the really strange thing was that, as we got closer to the Royal Gorge, the land actually flattened out!  We took a picture just a mile from the gorge and you could not tell what was coming.  I am going to let the pictures say it all about the Gorge itself.  Of course, it was breath-taking.  We walked out about halfway to get good pictures (didn't we get to drive across back in the day?).  Anyway, If you don't want to walk across you can ride in the gondolas to cross over, or the crazy zip-line (Kay Mein, there is your ultimate zip-line).  Crazy as it sounds, there was even a tightrope walker crossing on a cable.  Thankfully he was tethered because he fell halfway across.  It was really windy up there.

After touring the Gorge, we had lunch there.  We split the Nitty-Gritty Brisket Sandwich.  Possibly the best sandwich I have ever had.  Then we headed back to the camper, tired but happy.  We will be heading to Grand Junction in the morning.