Paonia, Colorado: Routes 92 &133
West Elk Loop Byway
Jump ahead to
video
After leaving Cedaredge, I ran into Colorado Route 92, and headed east for a while. Large mountains loomed far ahead -- the mountains that surround Crested Butte. While 92 was scenic (see the Drivelapse video below), I didn't find any excuse to pull off and take a picture until after passing through the town of Hotchkiss, where CO 133 and the West Elk Loop Byway begin.
Route 133 stays close to the North Fork River, as it passes through the North Fork Valley. This area is filled with picturesque farm scenes, like this one. I was a little disappointed to have such hazy, milky skies for this picture. On a clear blue day, this red barn would have been even more beautiful. Watch for it about halfway between Hotchkiss and Paonia, on the south side of the road.
You're getting close to Paonia, when you see the sign for the town's old drive-in theater. The Paonia Drive-In went dark quite a few years ago, and the old theater lot is now used by a construction company.
Downtown Paonia is just off Route 133, and is worth, at the very least, a brief leg-stretching stop. Storefronts are lined up along Grand Avenue. At the end of the street, a hill is emblazoned with a giant letter "P".
If you have the time, unpack a lunch and relax beside this mural, painted on the side of one of downtown Paonia's buildings.
 |
|||
|
After exploring Paonia, drive back to CO Rte. 133 and continue northeast. |
|||
Here's a time-lapse dash-cam video of the drive through Paonia and up McClure Pass:
|
|
See More Videos |
||
| CO 92, 133, Paonia, McClure Pass | |||
 |
 |
 |
|||
|
In order to better manage your comments,
TakeMyTrip now uses Facebook to allow you to leave comments
for other visitors to this page, and your friends.
Please use the form above (you might need to log into your Facebook account first). If you have a message
specifically meant for the website creator, send an email to
feedback
|
|||
takemytrip.com. And
Road Trip Index |
Attractions By State:
AL -
AZ - CA -
CO - FL -
GA - ID -
IL -
MT -
NC - NM
NV -
OH - OR -
PA - SC
- SD -
TN -
TX -
UT - VA -
WA -
WV -
WY
Recommended Reading - Bookstore |
Search This Site |
Support This Site
How to Use This Site |
About Me |
Links |
Legal
Stuff | Sitemap
All content and photographs © 2008 TakeMyTrip.com / Daniel Woodrum
If you wish to use images from this page, please follow the rules
listed here.
