Jonesin' for a Roadtrip 2
I wake up and the first thing I think of is "I have to get out of the Springs for a while!" Sounds like a roadtrip to me. Grab the camera, fill up the car, and let's get going. On my last trip north, I noticed some great things to get pics of but ran out of daylight. That won't be a problem this time! The pics for this trip start up right where that last trip left off.
Heading west now.
After that tour of Greeley and the plains, it's time to jump back into the mountains. We'll have to go through Loveland to get there, but it's worth the camera work.
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That's a wordy construction sign.
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US 34 has two railroad crossings on it between Greeley and I-25. Neither are signed with flashing red lights and barricades. Instead we get traffic lights.
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These tracks are rarely used, so the lights are plenty for stopping traffic.
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Approaching the big retail mecca of northern Colorado. The Shops at Centerra is the newest addition to the scene. These shops required 34 to be widened ahead to accomodate the turn lanes.
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Just after the Centerra intersection, we're presented with a brand new sign installation for I-25. Check out the 1/3 mile sign!
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Holding the camera out the window and shooting, I got this sign. Yes, that's a triple left to enter the shopping area. And I bet during the holiday season it's not enough.
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This interchange with I-25 is an underpowered cloverleaf. Combined with all the cross road traffic on 34 on either side of the interchange, this sign is very necessary.
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Another good roadgeek scenic shot. I also enjoy the duplication of the ramp's advisory speed.
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Road, weather, and community? Okaaaay.
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These pine trees were planted by some of the original settlers to this region about 100 years ago. How do I know this? A few years back, developers wanted to tear these out to install a turn lane. The community outcry was loud enough to drive them back.
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We're now in Loveland, CO. (Not to be confused with Loveland Ski Resort or Loveland Pass) Every Valentines Day, the Loveland Post Office sets up a remailing service. Send your V-D day cards here and they'll put a really snazzy, love-filled stamp on it and send it on its way. The city also sells "ad space" on the streetlights for your special valentine greeting. What these are still doing hanging two weeks after V-D day is anyone's guess.
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Approaching the US 287 intersection. This section of US 34 used to be really narrow and barely four lanes wide. Recently CDOT came through, chopped off the ends of the buildings, and widened the road.
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The overhead assembly announcing the intersections. 287 is split on one-way roads through here, so 34 intersects it twice.
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That's a huge arrow sign! This is also a good shot of how Loveland street signs look, and the spotlights to light up the local neighborhood Walgreens.
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In between the two directions of 287. This sign assembly is duplicated for the opposite direction save for the South banner. Betcha can't guess what banner is in its place going the other way!
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Just after the 287 intersections, 34 curves around Lake Loveland.
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Damn kids! Get down from there! You could get hurt!
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Lake Loveland is actually maintained by the City of Greeley: this is their main drinking water supply. No peeing in the pool!
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34 is a wide slab of asphalt in western Loveland.
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An advance warning sign for the next 2 intersections. Morning Drive is also where 34 goes back down to 2 lanes.
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A reassuarance shield and a barely hanging on license plate greet us in this heavily doctored pitcure. Hmmm... so my new camera isn't happy about taking pictures in low light situations, either. Great.
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Apparently golfing is a major sport up here. Every golf course has this type of sign pointing you to hole 1.
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I have no idea what this is. A very old water storage tank, maybe?
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This mini-road is found just after a ridge. It stays a narrow one way road until its next intersection. It parallels the rock formations called "The Devil's Backbone".
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This is another shot of the backbone. This rock formation stretches about 2 miles northward from 34. It's jagged and looks just like a spinal column (or so I've been told).
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Good to know. Wish CDOT would warn the truckers back around I-25, but this works. There's ways around RMNP still.
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This sign can also read "Last chance for gas, so we'll gouge you on prices!"
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Another great shot of a CDOT asset tag and the new mileage part they've started putting on these signs. Didn't even slow down for this.
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Big rock wall. Don't stop, or you'll be crushed and will be looking up at the ants marching by.
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Damn these clouds. Hard to take good pictures when it goes from light to dark so quickly.
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Wow! A slower vehicle pulled over to let us speeders by. That's a rarity! In other roadgeeking news, 34 curves around that bluff that's hidden behind that middle tree.
- Where to next?
- Page 3
- This trip's Index
- Page 5
Section Links
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any of the orginizations listed within this site. I'm just a bored roadgeek with way too much time on his hands. All of the picts in this page are mine and mine alone unless otherwise noted. Remember, kids: stealing is bad, mmmm-k? I get quite pissy if things are taken without telling me. I don't like to be pissy. You won't like it either. If you want to link to this page, that's fine. Please shoot me an email beforehand so I can link to your page as well. K? Thanks. --Ryan
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