Day 1 / Arrive in Denver
Welcome Party and Registration Noon - 5:00 pm
Tour Mathews Collection and Shop
Dinner 6:30 pm

Day 2 / First Day of Driving
Denver to Aspen
Driving west from Denver on I-70 you will pass the historic town of Idaho Springs, Georgetown and Silver Plume. Silver Plume is the funkiest of the three and has about 400 people. Mostly aging hippies. The first pass you will cross is Loveland Pass at almost 12,000 feet. Stop at the summit for the view east or west, and throw some snowballs. A good place to find out if you’re used to the altitude. If you don’t pass out, you’re okay. Further along is Dillon Reservoir and Swan Mountain Pass and on to Breckenridge. A good place for the first of many cappuccinos you will probably need. Over Hoosier Pass and through the old mining town of Alma. It’s not big, so you could miss it if you’re not paying attention. Fairplay is bigger. Buena Vista might be a good coffee break if you blew through Breckenridge without stopping. Twin Lakes is at the turn off to Independence Pass. The pass is over 12,000 feet and one of the most spectacular roads in Colorado. But caution - the road can be narrow near the summit and if you go off the road it could take 12,000 feet of tow truck cable to retrieve your car. Guard rails are not always there to catch you. Anticipate an early arrival in Aspen for some serious shopping. Be sure to bring your Double Platinum American Express card. Anything less and the shopkeepers look down their nose at you. What else can you say about Aspen that hasn’t already been said.

Day 3 / Second Day of Driving
Aspen to Durango
From Aspen towards Carbondale and Redstone you will pass old Coke Ovens on the right, leftover from the mining days. Next is McClure Pass. At only 8755 feet, it’s not very high but one of the most pleasant drives in the state. From Hotchkiss south to Crawford are two reservoirs worth a look and some great scenery. South of Gould Reservoir the road becomes very demanding. Many curves and hairpins, but also some great vistas. Still, try to keep your eyes on the road or pull over to get get out the camera. After Montrose and Ridgeway (Carroll Shelby has a ranch outside Ridgeway) you arrive in Ouray. Known as the “Switzerland of America” it is very quaint, but it ain’t Switzerland. Close enough though. After Ouray, comes Red Mountain Pass. A great driving road but can also be narrow in places and seems to be perpetually undergoing repairs. You might have to stop for awhile. Sit back and enjoy the view. Silverton is next on the list. Very historic old mining town. Also the terminus for the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge scenic railroad. Check out the old town and the old train terminal. One of the steam trains just might be pulling into town. Molas Pass is about 11,000 feet and also very scenic, another photo op if you need a break. After Coal Bank Pass the road is an easy drive to Durango. It’s pretty much all down hill, but watch your speed as the road widens to three or four smooth lanes, so it’s easy to fall prey to the local constabulary.

Day 4 / Third Day of Driving
Durango to Breckenridge
After Durango is Pagaosa Springs, worth a quick stop at the hot springs on the left as you drive through. Wolf Creek Pass at almost 11,000 feet offers still more great driving and scenic roads. Creede is one of those towns that “time forgot”. it’s out of the way at the end of a box canyon. Stop and look around the main street. Spring Creek and Slumgullion Pass on the way to Lake City brings you back to between 10,000 and 11,000 feet. Just off the Slumgullion Pass is a marker for Colorado’s only cannibal, the infamous Alfred Packer. Caught in a blizzard on the pass, Packer was the only survivor in his party of miners. He was tried and executed for his “culinary skills”. Lake City is a good place to stop and take a look around. A quick look as Lake City is very small. It’s claim to fame is that Butch Cassidy robbed the bank in town. Butch is long gone, but the bank is still there. The drive north of Lake City is along the Gunnison River and skirts the eastern end of Blue Mesa Reservoir through the town of Gunnison to Monarch Pass at 11,300 feet. Plenty of views for photographs. Driving north on Route 24 past Buena Vista look for the “Collegiate Peaks” on the left – Mt. Yale, Mt. Columbia. Mt. Harvard, and Mt. Oxford in that order. This is also the only part of the rallye where the route is retraced for 20 miles.
If you’ve heard of the “Unsinkable Molly Brown” you’ve probably heard of Leadville. Molly met J.J. Brown and married him in Leadville. When they struck it rich they moved to Denver and built a mansion. Leadville also has the dubious distinction of having the highest airport in the U.S. at 10,000 ft. Over Fremont Pass you can see just what heavy equipment and lots of dynamite can do when you pass the Climax Mine operation and see that most of the mountain is gone. Drive down the main street of Frisco on the way to Breckenridge.

Day 5 / Final Day of Driving
Breckenridge to Denver
The drive along the Blue River towards Kremmling will also pass the Green Mountain Reservoir. Between Parshall and Hot Sulphur Springs you drive through picturesque Byers Canyon. Plenty of photo opportunities unless you’ve run out of film at this point. After Granby look for Lake Granby and Shadow Mountain Lake. At Grand Lake you’ll enter Rocky Mountain National Park. You’ll have to pay for the privilege, but it’s worth it. “Trail Ridge Road” is the highest continuous road in the U.S. But a word of warning, it’s Federal land and they are very compulsive about speed limits and running over the local wildlife. There is a cafe and gift shop at the summit at about 12,000 feet so take a deep breath. The town of Estes Park is at the east exit of Rocky Mountain National Park. There will be lots of tourists and therefore, lots of traffic. There is nothing you can do but slog through it. Lyons and Boulder and back to Harry Mathews’ shop in Arvada. The End. Hope you had a good drive.