Day 4: Nebraska to Aspen, the Highway to Heaven, and Explore Bookstore

The air smells so good.

The breathtaking ride up, around, and over Independence Pass was worth it. As are the amazing miles of bike trails, or really, simply the parks (ok, that was Rusty talking). The folks at Explore Booksellers hosted a lovely night for me, thanks to Jen Marcum. But even in this Eden-like place...reality has a nasty way of intruding. The building that hosts Explore is up for sale, and the lead story in the local paper was about a group raising money to try to save the bookstore. Even in Aspen, things aren't easy.

Here's a few pictures from the epic drive, the book event, and the rest of the day.

A well-defended Motel 6. (Hey, dogs stay free)