Penner

Just past the Continental Divide, larches burning gold in hanging valleys and the sky a baby-blue ocean with no blemishes, I rounded a bend in the road and, lo and behold, a big, bad, burly bear was on the road. Grizzly. Very large beast. I slowed to a crawl, flipped on the four-ways, and eased over to the side of the road. Camera handy, I snapped a few frames, watched him destroy a berry bush or two, and then I kept heading west. Places to go, things to see. A fall drive in the mountains never disappoints!

Turquoise lakes rimmed with yellow aspens, spectacular waterfalls, mountains capped with fall’s first snow – and, yes, bear sightings! Motoring through the mountains in autumn is awesome. And you don’t even need to get out of your car – and, at times, definitely shouldn’t! – to enjoy i