The Land of Enchantment

We have been in New Mexico one week and are having a wonderful time.  We are staying in Taos, a beautiful desert city ringed by mountains.  We have gone on several beautiful rides and also did some hiking.  Joseph says he likes the riding here the best because he can drive and also see the scenery. 

One of the most popular rides in the area is the Enchanted Circle.  A must stop on the Enchanted Circle is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire.  The Memorial was built in 1971 by the parents of a soldier who was killed in an ambush in Vietnam.  This was the first memorial dedicated to Vietnam veterans.  Remember, this was a time when veterans returning from Vietnam did not receive a lot of respect from their fellow countrymen.  The father, Victor Westphall, PhD, spent much time at the memorial visiting with returning veterans and their families.  One morning, he arrived at the chapel to find a note scrawled on a piece of scrap plywood.  It said, "Why did you lock the doors when I needed to come in?"  Since that day, the doors to the chapel have never been locked.

 
This statue is entitled "Dear Mom and Dad" and depcits a soldier faced with the dilemma of writing home to his family.  What can he say about what he's doing that they will understand?

Edward, this picture is here for you:

For some reason I have always loved the desert.  Maybe it is because I grew up where everything was so green!  Here are a few more pictures.

A stream along a hiking trail.

Another hiking trail.

St. Francis de Asis Church.

Breckenridge - WOW

I am in love with Colorado.  It is (so far) the most beautiful state I have visited.  I know it gets cold.  Hey - on Friday it was 24 degrees when we woke up!   But I still love it.  Yesterday we went on our best ride yet.  The scenery was amazing (there I go again with ("amazing").  Here is a little bit:

Yes, the aspens are beginning to turn:

I am not sure how you get to this little community, but some of the buildings looked like they were going to slide off the side of the mountain:

Not only have we been riding, but we have also been hiking.  On Friday, we hiked to an abandoned mine.

So, call me crazy, but I really would like to live here!  In fact, I think I may still have a fur coat in the back of my closet.

Tomorrow we leave for Taos, New Mexico where Joseph says the skies are bluer than he has seen anywhere.  I will let you know if they are bluer than here in Colorado.

On to Breckenridge

We said good-by to Estes Park yesterday.  I am always sad to leave, because I think that Rocky Mountain National Park is such a wonderful place.  It has wonderful scenery - the views of the mouintains are spectacular - and it is very easy to get on the ground and experience it for yourself. You can take a stroll around an alpine lake or climb a mountain or anything in between.  I think everyone should visit the park at least once.

Before we left we drove the Cache La Poudre River Scenic Byway.  On our way to the byway, we went through the Big Thompson River Canyon.  Both of these areas were really great.

On Thursday we took a ride on Trail Ridge Road. This is the highest continuous highway in the US and it takes you from one side of Rocky Mountain National Park to the other. The road follows a ridgeline which is above the tree line. On a motorcycle it is a spectacular ride. At the highest point, you are 12,183 feet above sea level.

Yesterday we drove to Breckenridge over I-70.  When you are driving west on I-70, once you exit the Eisenhower Tunnel, you have a 5 mile descent at a 7% grade.  This is really fun in a motorhome.  Joseph drove it very conservatively (yeah - I know - that is really hard to believe!) and we arrived safely.  We are staying at the Tiger Run RV Resort - and it is a resort.  This morning we played tennis and then soaked in the hot tub.  It rained this afternoon so we did not do too much - unless you count laundry.  Hopefully, we will go hiking tomorrow.

Rocky Mountain Peaks

I know I have probably been overusing “amazing”, but we really did have an amazing day today. After hiking yesterday, we decided today would be a good day for a ride. We decided to ride the Peak to Peak Highway, a national scenic byway. Things were going along very well (with the usual amazing scenery), when I saw a sign for the byway which directed us to turn. We missed it and had to go back. Just as we were approaching the road, a very large green helicopter dropped from the sky and began to land in a clearing next to the highway. Joseph immediately said that it was a drug bust. Well, he was right. The authorities had discovered a large field of illegal marijuana. They had cut the plants and brought in the helicopter to carry it off.

Between the law enforcement officials and the news media, there were trucks and people all over the place.

Joseph was, of course, rather unhappy about the destruction of the crop and made a comment regarding his opinion of the current laws to a newsman. Well, he asked if Joseph would be willing to state his opinion on air - and of course he did. Regretfully, we do not have television here and were not able to see if his interview was broadcast.


Once the helicopter flew off, we continued on our journey. It is not difficult to understand why this section of road was chosen as a scenic byway. The mountain vistas are wonderful. At one point, you can see through a mountain pass all the way to the plains - maybe Kansas?



And speaking of yesterday. Cynthia came up from Denver and we all went hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. I have been coming to the park with Cynthia for several years, but this was Joseph’s first time. I think he now understands why I keep coming back year after year. The park is really wonderful. Everywhere you look there is another beautiful view. And there are many hiking rails of all lengths and difficulties. We hiked to Bierstadt Lake. As you begin the hike, you first see Bear Lake.

You then hike through the forest to Bierstadt Lake and then begin your descent to the trailhead.

 This is a really great first day hike as most of the time you are going down rather than up - thought you do climb some at the beginning - just ask Joseph about that part!

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After hiking we went to the Stanley Hotel for lunch. This is the hotel which inspired Stephen King to write The Shining. The movie was not filmed here, but the television mini-series was. The hotel was built in 1909 by F. O. Stanley, the inventor of the Stanley Steamer. It is a landmark in Estes Park.

And here are a few more pictures from the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway:

Moving On

Tomorrow is moving day - we are off to Estes Park - so today was cleaning, laundry and packing up day. Not fun. I think this is why Joseph would prefer to stay for 30 days each time we stop.


The final days in Colorado Springs were typically great. On Thursday we hiked in the Red Canyon Open Space. These open spaces are huge undeveloped parks which are very accessible. They are basically in town and feature hiking trails. After our hike, we went to Manitou Springs for lunch. Manitou Springs is a cute little town at the edge of Pikes Peak. It has the typical tourist shops, but still a fun stop.

On Friday we opted for another motorcycle ride. At first, as the temperature climbed to 97, I began to question our wisdom, but as we drove into the mountains the temperature eventually went down to 71. As usual, the views from the bike were amazing. How am I going to ride in Texas again after these Colorado rides?

That's Pike's Peak in the background.

On Saturday we went to the Pioneers Museum and had lunch at Phantom Canyon Brewing Company. Good food and good beer. I am looking forward to more beer tasting in Fort Collins and Golden. I believe I might also find some wineries.

Here are some more pictures.

View from Red Rock Canyon.

More shots from the road.

Seven Falls and Lots of Steps

Yesterday we visited Seven Falls.  This has been a Colorado Springs tourist attraction since the 1890's.  The falls are located in a beautiful box canyon.  You can see the falls from a view point you reach by riding an in-mountain elevator up 140 feet (it is amazing the structures which are built just for tourists) or by walking up 224 steps.

Of course, Joseph and I walked up the steps, but the highlight was the trail at the top.  It was a rather difficult hike (probably rated moderate - but not easy for us!) but worth the views from Inspiration Point.

After the hike, we had a picnic by a mountain stream and then rode up into another part of the canyon.  The views were spectacular.  You ride by a sign which advises you to watch for falling rock and look up to see huge rocks percariously balanced on the side of the mountain.  Of course, all Joseph sees is the road.  Here are some some more pictures.

And of course, another shot of the waterfall.

I don't think there is any place that Joseph would rather be!

As you know, I have complained about the poor internet access previously. Well, Saturday was the worse. I started the morning trying to work on my blog and, after having no luck getting on the internet, I went outside. This is a particular challenge since I am facing the sun and it is extremely difficult to even see the screen. I was still having problems and went to our neighbor’s picnic table (they seem to have better internet than we do), but it was no better and I finally gave up. When we returned from our adventures for the dat, I tried again. I was able to get some internet and managed to finish the blog and upload the pictures (while I watched a very bad movie - at least it was distracting). I was making the final edits when everything just quit. So - I returned to the picnic table (for some reason the internet is a little better outside) and with the flashlight in one hand, managed to complete the entry. Of course, I have not included in this narrative all of the loud cursing and banging that happened prior to my exit outside!

On Saturday, there was a MIA/POW Veterens Appreciation ride to Cripple Creek.  We did not go on the ride but went to Cripple Creek later.  I was amazed at the number of people and bikes which were there.

Part of the event was the appearance of the traveling reproduction of the Vietnam Memorial Wall which was in Victor, a little mining town a few miles away.  This was my first change to see the traveling Wall.  It is very sobering any time you see it.

I have been taking pictures from the back of the bike, so here is a sample.

On Sunday we attended a show at the Academy which was presented by the Air Force.  The group, Tops in Blue, is made up of active airmen (and airwomen - is that a word?).  They presented a really fun, energetic show and were all very talented. 

On Monday, we took a hike here at the Academy.  The good part about hiking here is that Amber went with us.  I think she had more energy after the hike than Joseph did!  And speaking of Amber, here is a picture of her on the lookout for the black squirrels. 

   And now it is Tuesday, and after the cold front which came through last night, I believe the high is forcast to be about 67!