This is a great time of year. I can already feel fall in the air. Although it brings an end to the fine days of summer, and a fine one it has been, fall has it’s own character and appeal.

We pretty much have ended our motorcycle camping trips for this year. It has been an adventurous summer. I got to see some great country, met some neat people and got a lot of material for new paintings to do this winter. By camping and traveling on the motorcycle we managed to get it all done for a little over $600. Can’t beat it.

September, and most of October for that matter, will still offer up some great opportunities that I’m looking forward to. Our fabulous fall colors will be upon us soon. I see hints of it starting already. For a landscape artist, this is a prime time of year. People pay big bucks to come see and experience what we have right here in our own backyard. We don’t have to go far to see some of the best fall colors the Rocky Mountain West has to offer.

I’ll give you a couple of prospects for you to think about in the coming weeks. For a day trip, it is hard to beat the road over Kebler Pass. Between Paonia and McClure Pass you’ll see the turnoff. You’ll wind up in the colorful little town of Crested Butte which has several outstanding places to get a bite to eat. Highly recommended .

Another favorite is to go up and over Owl Creek Pass. You access that loop either by going south toward Ridgway and turning left or go east on Hwy 50 just past the little community of Cimarron. Turn right and follow the road. Either way, the road will take you through some of the best color available. Both are easy drives. A picnic would be in order.

For an overnighter, I would head east on Hwy 50 to Lake City and go over Slumgullion Pass, through Creede and South Fork, over Wolf Creek Pass and into Pagosa Springs for the night. JJ’S Riverwalk Restaurant is a good place for supper. A soak in the hot springs afterwards might be nice. The return route through Durango and over the passes to Ouray and on home will be hard to beat.

Two different overnight trips to Utah in October when the temps will be cooler are worth considering. This is a perfect time to see Moab and Arches N.P. as well as going a little farther to Capitol Reef N.P. If I don’t forget, I’ll expand a little on these next week. See you when you get back.