Day 1 Austin to Amarillo Day 2 Amarillo to Raton Day 3 Raton to Castle Rock Day 4 Castle Rock to RMNP Day 5 RMNP to Fort Collins Day 6 Fort Collins to Moab Day 7 Moab to Flagstaff Day 8 Flagstaff to VEGAS Day 9 VEGAS to Las Cruces Day 10 Home Again

Day 4 (7/3/02) - Castle Rock, CO to Rocky Mountain National Park

We had a camping reservation at the national park on the evening of the 3rd, so we had to forego seeing anything in Denver (although there was a brief stop at Best Buy while I bought additional memory for my camera.)  We drove up through Boulder and out Highway 119, stopping to see Boulder Falls along the way.  Some stupid kids had climbed up into the restricted area above the falls and very nearly afforded us with the opportunity to see them plunge to their deaths.  From Boulder Falls, we drove out through Nederland, then turned north and took the back way up to Estes Park.  Upon arriving at Rocky Mountain National Park, we ate a picnic lunch at the visitor's center, checked in, and set up our campsite in Moraine Park.  Then came a scenic drive up Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor's Center and beyond it to the continental divide at Milner Pass.  I dare say I now own one of the few cars in Texas that's been above 12,000 feet.  By the time we came down from the mountain, it was dinner time, so we headed into town (Estes Park) to grab a bite to eat and do some shopping.