We stopped in Buena Vista for a late lunch at the rib place Tom had enjoyed so much last week.  It was surprising to find it so crowded at 2:00 (we got the last table) but service was so slow that we decided that those people were the noon lunch crowd.  <g> Good brisket, though.  Plus parked right in front was the North Dakota plate we needed.

Our drive over Independence Pass was scenic, but a tad chilly; no surprise there was snow up there.  The views were dramatic, and we saw LOTS of beautiful wildflowers.  I will say the road was incredibly narrow in places... definitely not room for vehicles going in opposite directions! And at the top of the pass we scored the Washington, DC plate.

We went through Aspen during rush hour, and it didn't help that traffic was restricted to just one lane, the other reserved for buses.  At 5:50 we were driving through Glenwood Springs.

Me: There's a quilt store.

Tom: Is it open?

Me: I can't tell.

Tom turned off the main drag and immediately found a parking place for the truck/trailer.  We waited a long time for the light to cross the street, and arrived at the quilt store at 5:55. The sign said it closed at 6:00, but the door was already locked.  Guess I looked pretty pathetic peering in, because the woman opened up for me, and after a quick run through I bought a panel.  We stopped in at a few more shops, and by 6:30 were back on the road after a nice half-hour break.

We stopped for the night in Rifle.  On the drive here we'd seen a sign for a rib restaurant, and when we were checking in we asked for dinner recs. Julie mentioned the rib place - and it was right behind the motel!  I had a delicious smoked beef salad.

Spoke with Alex this evening.  Apparently we've gotten a lot of rain and the grass is high and too wet to mow, plus a large limb from the mulberry has come down.  Otherwise, sounds like things are going well.  He's gotten a promotion at work, plus a better schedule.