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!

South Park City

What a day Friday was.  No rain, thunder, lightening, or hail, and I got to go to South Park.  We started the day off early for a 250 mile ride - or at least we tried to get started early.  That was before Amber bolted out of the door to chase squirrels.  Fifteen minutes later she decided she had had enough and we were able to take off.  Our destination was South Park City.  Of course, we took the scenic route.  Our first stop was for coffee at this little coffee shop.

We then took off and rode some wonderfully scenic and twisty roads.  I wish I had more pictures to share, but these narrow mountain roads do not have a lot of places where you can stop. I was glad we were going west when we were in the mountains, because the road going east  had places with about a six inch shoulder and then a vertical drop. Very few guard rails too.

These roads led to a beautiful valley surrounded by mountain peaks.  The valley, known as South Park, is at approximately 10,000 ft. elevation.

After the ride into Fairplay, we stopped at the courthouse/library/coroner's office for a picnic lunch.

However the highlight of the trip was our visit to South Park City - a recreated 1880's mining town.  Some of the buildings are in their original locations while others were brought in from other parts of the county.  The authenticity is amazing.  The only new building is the visitors center.

One of the things that makes South Park City so special is that it is not blocked off to the extent most museums are.  In many of the buildings, there are no partitions and you can really experience the way life was.

Following are a few more scenes from South Park City.  Can you even imagine teaching a room full of students of all ages and all abilities?

Of course, this scene may be a little easier to imagine!

For the first time, Joseph found a road he could do 100 mph on and still rode under the speed limit in order to enjoy the scenery. Of course, if he had been doing 100 mph, I would have been pounding him on the back!

Well, it was a great day - and a memorable one. 

Things have been rather quiet lately.  Saturday was a housekeeping day and on Sunday we went to the movies.  After not doing much over the weekend, I really wanted to get out Monday, so we decided to go hiking.  As I have often mentioned, Colorado weather changes rapidly, and a half a mile or so into our hike, it began to thunder.  Oh great - another ride in the rain.  We escaped the worst of it until we were on the grounds of the Academy when it began to rain hard and hail (of course).  But the really scarey incident was when we saw a flash of lightening in the middle of the street in front of us.  I was really glad to find cover.

Tuesday we went on a ride - actually the same ride as last week, but we reversed it so that it would look different.  It really did not matter though, the scenery is so wonderful, we could do the same ride every day.  In Canon City we stopped at a neat winery which was started by the Benedictine Fathers at the Holy Cross Abbey.  Their wine was very good, but then you know how much I enjoy my wine.  I would add pictures, but I forgot my camera!  Here is a link:  http://www.abbeywinery.com/

Yesterday we decided to take a hike along the railroad tracks near the RV Park.  It was only going to be a 1 hour hike, but after missing our entrance back into the park, we were walking for almost 2 hours.  Well, we got a good workout.  Joseph then went to a Rotary meeting.

Today may be a movie day as rain is in the forcast and I am getting real tired of getting caught in the rain - especially when it hails!

Lightning and Thunder

"Lightning is Colorado's most dangerous weather hazard."  The average number of lightning strikes each year in Colorado is 494,000.  The "hot spot" for lightning is the Pike's Peak region.  Yep, that's where we are.  That is why our hiking trip was postponed Thursday.  As we set out on a hike in the Florissant National Monument, a large storm formed so we hurried back to the visitor's center.  After allowing the worst of it to pass, we got on the bike and had another ride in the rain.  When we looked over our sholders and saw blue sky, we decided to camp out in Colorado City with a burger and a beer for a while to let the good weather catch up with us.

So, on Friday, we headed back to Florissant.  This is the site of the Florissant Fossil Beds where they have found fossils from over 1,700 species - 1,500 insects and 150 plants.  However, the most spectular fossils are the petrified redwoods.

Many years ago when this area was much warmer, this was the site of a grove of redwood trees.  Amazing!

We came back to this area to hike because, due to the elavation, around 8,600 feet, the weather was much milder - probably in the low 80's.  The hike was really great.  Here is Joseph's favorite flower.

And here is the vew we had of Pike's Peak.

Rather than ride directly back to Colorado Springs, we decided to go by way of Cripple Creek.  Though this is our second time up there, the ride continues to be amazing.

Friday was just about a perfect day - we had a great hike and a great ride.  On - and the sky was blue all day!