The Ultimate Road Trip Through Colorado

“Travel as much as you can, as far as you can, as much as you can. Life’s not meant to be lived in one place.”

I’ve had quite the travel bug this year and a great urge to fulfill it. I’ve traveled to 8 states this year but unfortunately, they were states that I have already been to. I needed to change that so I headed to a place I’ve never visited – Colorado. I flew in to Grand Junction to meet with a few Texas bloggers so we could take the ultimate road trip in the 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum. I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to cars and luxury. I like my cars to have all the bells and whistles and I was excited to see if the Ford Explorer passed my test.

Anyone can write specs on a piece of paper but I wanted to try out all of the features the Ford Explorer Platinum had. We left early one morning from Grand Junction and headed South to Durango.  The first stop on our road trip was to the Colorado National Monument. Being my first time to Colorado, I was completely floored by the views. Every where we drove, the views got better and better. I can’t mention the views without mentioning how high in elevation we were! Being from Texas, I’m not use to driving up crazy winding roads. I rode in the back of the Explorer for this part of the trip. Thankfully, the Explorer handled really well on the slick roads and we had nothing to worry about. There was a time that I hated to ride in the back of any car, but the Explorer Platinum has so many upgrades in the back that it wasn’t bad. At times you feel like a second class citizen riding in the back seat because all the amenities are only up front but not in the Explorer Platinum. There were heated seats and I loved that the seats were much higher than usual so I could still partake in the conversation they were having up front. 

Our next stop on the ultimate road trip was Clark Family Orchards located in Palisade, Colorado. I’m not a ‘peach person’ but there is no way I could pass up fresh fruit. 

We arrived at Clark Family Orchard and little did we know it was the end of peach season and they only were selling the little they had by the pound. Since I would be flying out the next day, there was no way I could take any home with me. 

They did have a few samples that I was able to try and OH MY GOSH, they were the best tasting peaches ever! After a quick chat with the locals, we were on our way. We took the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway and I could do nothing but stare out the window in amazement. (Don’t worry, I wasn’t the one driving at this point.) This was my view from the back seat, look at that view! Notice the awesome Sony system? We were able to jam out the whole trip because of the amazing sound system. There are a total of 12 perfectly placed, high power speakers that produces music like we were live at a concert! After our incredible trip on the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway, we made a quick stop at Ridgway State Park. The park’s popular campgrounds, beautiful reservoir, picnic and playground areas, extensive trails, and diverse wildlife offer year-round activities for all types of outdoor enthusiasts. This was my leg of the trip where I got to get behind the wheel and really see what the Ford Explorer Platinum is all about.

The driver and passenger seat are not only heated and cooled but have massaging seats. My back has never felt so good after a long road trip. Having three bloggers on a road trip together means there were lots of devices needing to be charged. Not once did we have to fight over a charging station because there were enough for us all.

I immediately noticed how smooth the ride was. At times, I would have to watch the speedometer because the Ford had some seriously pick up and go.  We didn’t stay too long at the National Park because we wanted to get to Ouray, also known as “The Switzerland of America.”  We stopped for some chocolate and a little bit of window shopping. Box Canyon Falls is located in Ouray, so we hiked to the 285 foot waterfall to see even more amazing views.We planned our trip strategically so we could travel down the Million Dollar Highway. The locals told us the views were incredible, what they didn’t tell us was how crazy the roads were. I’ve never seen so many twists and turns on a road in my life.  This stretch through the gorge is challenging and potentially hazardous to drive; it is characterized by steep cliffs, narrow lanes, and a lack of guard  rails; the ascent of Red Mountain Pass is marked with a number of hairpin curves used to gain elevation, and again, narrow lanes for traffic—many cut directly into the sides of mountains. Although the roads were trying at times, I never felt uncomfortable or that we were in harms way. I know it has everything to do with the Ford Explorer we were driving.

The Ford Explorer Platinum comes with  Intelligent 4WD that optimizes power train and braking systems, allowing the vehicle to deliver the right amount of traction to match the driving conditions. I love that the Ford Explorer Platinum works for me, not against me. There are so many great features and they are all easy to work and implement. We had an amazing trip and I loved being able to ride and drive the Ford Explorer Platinum. I was pleasantly surprised by all features that were included. The Ford Explorer Platinum is fully upgraded and the only features you can change are the color of the car and if you want bucket seats in the back. That says a lot about the vehicle and where Ford is going with their products.

Our trip ended in the mountains of Durango. It was such a fun filled day exploring more with Ford and some of my favorite Texas bloggers. If you want to learn more about the Ford Explorer Platinum, head to their official site or reach out to me!