-- From Moab to Denver
The road tracklog
from Moab to Echo Amphitheater
on 2011/04/15
Trip from Moab to Houston
Friday April 15 I began the trip in three days from Moab, Utah, to Houston, Texas, to buy the four Michelin tires that Salt Lake City had not been able to provide me. I made three stops, the first at McDo in Moab to read my mailbox, the second at the Visitor Center in Monticello to publish the pages of my website and the last at Walmart in Cortez to do shopping. The road unrolled its asphalt ribbon in the Rocky Mountains crossing of mountain pastures and holidays stations, an alpine landscape. I bivouacked at the campground of Echo Amphitheater.
The road tracklog
from Echo Amphitheater to Post
16/04/2011
The following day I left the alpine pastures at 2500 m high to head down gradually towards Houston. About 1500m greens pastures appeared then in the east of the State of New Mexico and in the west of Texas the coldly cultivated fields appeared. Indeed the temperature had frankly increased. Finally towards Post the beams of the oil pumps occupied the landscape. If not there is nothing to see and the rectilinear roads are interminable. I bivouacked on a picnic area.
The road tracklog
from Post to Houston
17/04/2011
I left the picnic area before the sunrise to which I assisted on the move, splendid. The remainder of the day was without interest except the driving through Austin where road work caused some preoccupations with orientation. The return of the weekend was hard at the entry of the megalopolis of Houston. I arrived without difficulty at the chosen campground in the north of the city near the Michelin dealer. From Moab, Utah, to Houston, Texas, I had drove 2,129km in three days.
Sunrise
En route
17/04/2011
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I spent the most of the day on Monday April 18 on standby by Michelin dealer waiting for the delivery of the four tires coming from the regional stock arrived around 1 pm then for my turn in the queue of workers. I left the workshop around 6 p.m. It was a real pleasure for driving with new tires, no noise of rumbling. The following day was devoted to the study of the way from Houston to the border of Canada by visiting sights on the move such as Yellowstone NP and the main cities, Dallas, Fort Worth, Denver etc the trip will head approximately 3,600km for 14 days. The day was particularly hot here in the south. |
The road tracklog
in
Houston
18-20/04/2011
On Wednesday April 20 I decided to buy a pair of trekking shoe. It was a true expedition in the south of Houston to find the specialist in sportswear. The return trip was of +100km. Then to reward me for this exploit I offered the visit of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston –MFAH– which with happiness had a special exhibit of French Impressionists, no picture. The poster presents a self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. In Cullen Garden Sculpture the sculptors, Bourdelle, Maillol and Rodin were exposed. Houston Metro is populated with approximately 6 million inhabitants who drive on a tangle of highways fortunately equipped with a good signposting.
Skyline
Houston
20/04/2011
Hwy stack
Houston
20/04/2011
MFAH
Houston
20/04/2011
MFAH
Houston
20/04/2011
Vers le Canada
The road tracklog
from Houston to Denver
from 21/04/2011 to 24/04/2011
I took again the road Thursday April 21 for Dallas. From the Interstate I45 I took a picture of a Sam Houston's statue without knowing the reason of this monument. I stopped after Huntsville on a rest area to have lunch. There was in a building some panels of Sam Houston's life. Then I still drove a couple of hours to bivouac close to I45 before arriving in Dallas which I would visit the following day.
Sam Houston
Huntsville
21/04/2011
Sam Houston
Huntsville
21/04/2011
Dallas
I was as of early morning in Dallas in this Good Friday. It did not have there no activity in the center town, offices were closed. I had found a carpark close to Dealey Plaza where President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. The museum is installed on the sixth floor of Texas School Book Depository from where Lee Harvey Oswald shot at the President. The museum recalls this terrible day with pictures of this time, film and comments of the step of the authorities to accuse Lee Harvey Oswald finally assassinated by Ruby. It was a touching visit with many quiet American, reading with meditation the panels of this event which struck the whole world of stupor. I finished the morning by the visit of very remarkable Dallas Museum Art before carrying on my road towards Fort Worth to see Stockyards National Historic District, without tourist activity, which saw passing more than 10 million heads of cattle in the 19th century. At the end of the day I bivouacked on a weigh station on Hwy 287.
Skyline
Dallas
22/04/2011
John F. Kennedy Memorial
Dallas
22/04/2011
John F. Kennedy Memorial
Dallas
22/04/2011
X, in the road where JFK was shot
Dallas
22/04/2011
Sixth Floor Museum
Dallas
22/04/2011
Saturdays April 23 was a very long driving day to head up on the Plateau of Colorado from Amarillo, TX. I went quickly from a temperature of +36°C to approximately 15°C at +2,000m high with a violent wind sweeping the plateau. Nothing to see on the move if not of meadow as far as the eye can see in the north of Texas. Little before Raton, NM, a volcano named Capulin was listed National Monument, why not. After a visit at the Visitor Center equipped with a WiFi Internet connection, I bivouacked on a ground at the exit of the city.
Capulin Volcano
en route, Raton
23/04/2011
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Raton
23/04/2011
Denver
I arrived at the end of the morning in Denver, capital of Colorado with more a half million inhabitants. It is at about 1600 meters high, its nickname is –Mile High City– Only Denver Art Museum held my attention not by its extravagant architecture but by a temporary exhibit of Italian portrait paintings of the 16th century as well as American landscape paintings. I bivouacked in Strasburg eastwards of the megalopolis.
Denver Art Museum
Denver
24/04/2011
Denver Art Museum
Denver
24/04/2011
Portrait by Veronese
Denver
24/04/2011
Madonna & Child by De Landi
Denver
24/04/2011
Landscape by Keith Jacobshagen
Denver
24/04/2011
American Indian Art
Denver
24/04/2011
