I’m just a few days back from a road trip through the mountains of Colorado, which I have wanted to drive for a long time.
Before I reached Colorado, I passed through the corner of New Mexico and drove up Caputan Volcano. This would actually be the scariest drive of the trip, but it's a cool stop.
I hit Skyline Drive in Cañon City, then visited Royal Gorge Bridge, then made a great loop following the Arkansas River up to I-70, went through the Eisenhower Tunnel, came to rest in Idaho Springs. That night in my hotel room I discovered that the road to the top of Mount Evans had just been closed for the season. I missed my chance by one day. However, the next morning I did drive around the area a bit, and it was simply beautiful.
Next I proceeded to Guanella Pass, which was perhaps the most perfect and blissful drive I have ever taken. There is a favorite video on YouTube where somebody drove a Model S through a twisty road in the Italian Alps, and that sort of became my benchmark for the perfect drive. I wanted to find something similar in the USA, and I think Guanella Pass might be as close as I will get. At the summit parking-and-hiking area, a couple of shiny new Corvettes pulled up—at the same time, by chance. Just as cool, a Nissan Leaf parked next to me, and I had a chat with those folks.
My next destination was the high point of the trip (in more ways than one) at Pikes Peak. At the entrance each driver was getting a stern lecture about now to not burn up their engine or brakes. When it was my turn the lady told me: I don't have much instruction for you. Teslas are magic cars that just go up and down the mountain with no problem.
I had one pucker moment on the way up, as some crazy person was pedaling a bicycle up the mountain, and he was struggling and wobbling just inches from the edge of the road, and the drop-off, and I had to pass him! Aside from that it was all fun, though. I saw a few other Teslas that I met on the road, or else passed while I was at a pull-off for the view, and we always waved.
I reached the summit with 18% charge, and I overheard somebody in the parking lot say, "Did anyone tell him there's no charging station up here?" Haha. I didn't say anything, because I was fully engaged in trying to find a parking spot (I barely managed to squeeze in), but I was thinking. . . Man, it's all downhill from here. Later when I returned to the car, it had revised its reading down to 16% charge. By the time I made it back to the Supercharger station in Colorado Springs, it would be showing 24%! No, we don't need a charging station at the top of Pikes Peak. The mountain is the charging station.
Incidentally, they've just completed the new visitor center. Actually, there's still a little exterior trim and landscaping they are working on, but it's functionally complete, and I had a couple of the famous donuts.
When I arrived the first thing I noticed was some kids having a snowball fight. But even though there was a fair bit of ice still laying around, there was no wind, and the temperature was in the mid-to-upper 40s, and it was really perfect. Actually, that could summarize the entire trip. The weather was picture-perfect from start to finish, and the fall colors blazing. I couldn't have had better timing or better luck with that.
Arrived home in Texas with 2,070 miles traveled and lots of bugs to scrub off the nose.