Denver, Colorado

We stopped here so we could visit our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.  Not really a destination site for us.  We spent time familiarizing ourselves with the Denver area, did a little shopping, hanging out at the campground and spending time with family.

I will say that that the Cherry Creek State Park rocks as a campground.  All the benefits of rural living – the quiet, the trees, the lake, the view of the snow capped mountains in the distance, the wildlife all tucked in nice and cozy right in the middle of a major metropolitan area where shopping and restaurants are plentiful.  The park has super clean restrooms, sparkling clean showers, laundry facilities and even vending machines in the event one should have an ice cream craving or run out of snacks or the nectar of life.  You need to have a park pass to camp here ($9.00 per day or $70.00 for the annual pass) and then camping fees are $22.00 for full hookups.  What a deal!  No wonder you need to make reservations months in advance if you want to stay here.

It seemed to rain every one of the 14 days we were here (even if no rain was in the forecast).   I am beginning to feel like that cartoon character with the rain cloud above his head.  Now, in all fairness, it wasn’t always a steady rain, sometimes the day would start out with blue sky and sunshine, but by the afternoon or evening, a little shower just felt compelled to fall on us.  The weather in the Denver area can change every 30 minutes – I kid you not.  We had one day with blue sky, sunshine, dark clouds, rain, thunder lightening, blue sky, sunshine, HAIL, more blue sky, sunshine, black clouds….well, you get the drift.   

Everyday a herd of deer (yes, I said deer) would mosey by and check us out.  At first Winston growled at them, then he just watched fascinated and by the time we left he couldn’t even be bothered to open his eyes from his nap to look at them.  Squirrels were everywhere.  Birds in Colorado are super aggressive.   I have a plastic bin I keep my outdoor BBQ supplies in.  I had several plastic bottles of spices in the box and we left the box out, tucked slightly under the motorhome.  Well, the birds pecked through the plastic lid, ripped open the Ziploc bag the spices were in and proceeded to peck off the lid of at least one jar to get at the spices inside.  I view this as a valuable lesson – I knew not to leave food outside, but it never occurred to me that advice applied toward spices.  Good to know this now as we head north toward Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.  We wouldn’t want the bears to get any ideas with a savory morsel such as Winston sitting in the window.

The family is doing great.  Our granddaughter, MacKenzie, is promoting to high school on May 29^th.  Kaylin, our youngest granddaughter is as cute as she can be – still the princess in the family.  Luke, our grandson, has found his stride and walking like a pro.  Stephanie, super warrior mother of three, just landed herself a new teaching job for the next school year.  Our son-in-law is running around from the crack of dawn until the wee morning hours holding down his fulltime job, volunteering at the church, building a playground for the school, various side jobs photographing stuff, and being a super dad; Mark and I wonder if he ever sleeps.  We doubt it.

 

 

Next stop – Boyd State Park, Loveland, Colorado.

Colorado Springs, Colorado - Part 2

Cave of the Winds
Another site you shouldn’t miss if you visit the Colorado Springs area is the Cave of the Winds.  We took the tour (about 45 minutes) exploring an immense cavern just above Manitou Springs.  It was Winston's first experience caving and he was a trooper!  Did you know that if you are exposed to ultimate darkness, such as when they shut the lights off in the cave, your eyes will continue looking for a light source of some kind for about a month before they "shut down"?  If after that time, you come out into the light, you will be permanently blind.  Kind of disturbing that we know this.  Anyway, we enjoyed the cave experience quite a bit.

Seven Falls
After Cave of the Winds, we headed off to Seven Falls.  No work involved here.  You pay the park fee and drive right up to the falls.  There is an elevator that will whisk you up to the middle of the falls (saving you from climbing approximately 200 stairs) and from there you have an awesome view.  For those looking for a little more strenuous workout, you can continue on up – approximately another 200 stairs to the top.  Seven Falls is exactly that, seven separate waterfalls which cascade down the side of the mountain.  If you visit in the summer and at night, they even light the falls.  Alas, we weren’t visiting at a time when we could see them at night.

Air Force Academy

Approximately 15 miles from our campground was the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs.  Although I wasn’t sure what they would have to offer, I’m am glad we went.  Of course, the chapel building is one of the most famous structures associated with the Air Force Academy and for good reason.  It is spectacular.  The architecture of the building and the use of stained glass in the walls and ceiling make this the most beautiful chapel I’ve ever seen.  Check out the pictures which definitely don’t do justice to the magnificent site.   You get a feeling standing in the chapel and looking at the altar that I can’t begin to describe. 

Exterior of Chapel

 

 

 

 Altar

 

Organ

 

 

Love the stained glass

 

Ceiling

 

Due to the snow and rain during some of our time in Colorado Springs, we missed out on going over Pikes Peak.  Maybe next time.  And that wraps up Colorado Springs for us.  Next stop, Cherry Creek State Park in Denver, Colorado.

 

Colorado Springs, CO

I'm a little behind on posting as we left Colorado Springs two weeks ago.  We are currently camped out at the Cherry Creek State Park in the Denver area, but more on that later.

Colorado Springs was a wonderful town to visit.  They have several attractions worth experiencing and all within a very short drive, my kind of place.  We stayed at the Garden of the Gods campground.  Nice campground, good facilities and close to everything. 

Garden of the Gods is a national natural landmark with dramatic views of towering sandstone rock formations. Garden of the Gods got its name from two surveyors who decided that it would be a fitting place for the Gods to have a beer (beer garden) and although the beer garden didn't materialize the name stuck. 

 It's free to visit the park.  There are numerous trails for hiking, road and mountain biking.  Rock climbing is allowed by permit. 

 

Pikes Peak in the Background



 

We also visited the Manitou Cliff Dwellings.  The Anasazi who lived and roamed the Four Corner area of the United States Southwest from 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1300 were the master minds of these incredibly sophisticated dwellings for the time.  Manitou Cliff Dwellings is a 40 room site that was originally located in the southwest corner of Colorado near Mesa Verde, but was relocated for preservation.  It took several years to collect, package and move the pieces by oxen and then railroad to Colorado Springs (between 1904 and 1907) where they were reassembled in their original dimension and appearance.  The Cliff Dwellings are now considered a museum and you can actually walk through the rooms which are interconnected and protected by the mountain face.

 

 

 

Since there was so much to see in Colorado Springs, I'll detail the rest of the Colorado Springs adventure in a sequel.

 

Royal Gorge, Canon City, Colorado

The Royal Gorge bridge is one of the world's highest suspension bridges in the world.  Built in 1929 for $350,000, the bridge was a legendary feet of engineering for the time.  The bridge was built for no other reason than to see if it could be done.  It took 7 months to build and the project was funded by a group of investors.  Kinda of the bridge to no where.  Now the bridge is part of an amusement attraction.

For those who enjoy conquering a vertical challenge, there is an incline railway which travels at a 45 degree angle from the top to the canyon floor.  It is one of the steepest and most difficult structures ever built.  There is also a skycoaster which is a free fall tower sweeping you 50 mph to hang momentarily 1,300 feet above the Arkansas River.  Many feel that it is the scariest skycoaster in the world.  We passed on trying out these and settled for merely walking across the bridge.  You can't believe the wind gusts that high up!  The bridge is made of wooden slats with spaces that allow you to look through to the canyon floor a million feet down (seriously, that's how far it seems) and the bridge moves with the wind gusts.  Scary for those of us who don't care for heights.

 

Arkansas River - Canyon Floor Approx. 1,500 Feet Below

Bridge

 

Incline Railway

 

 

Oso Caliente, New Mexico

After departing Santa Fe, we travelled about 50ish miles north to the Ojo Caliente, NM, home of the Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs and Resort.  They have an awesome little RV park right on the resort grounds, primarily for smaller RV’s and YOLO fit nicely—she’s not too big, she’s not too small, she’s just right!  Our spot included the tranquil sounds of a nearby stream and was set among the foliage which afforded us maximum privacy. 

A hop, skip and a jump from the RV park was the Spa where for $28 you get an all-day pass to soak in several (non-stinky) mineral pools, steam, sauna, mud bath and bake or just lounge around the pools swinging in a hammock.  Mark and I reserved a private cliffside pool where you are permitted to frolic au naturel should you choose.  Did we?  I’ll never tell.  Our personal pool was reserved for 8 p.m. and included a kiva fireplace for warmth and added ambiance.  Very romantic!   Three sides of the personal pool area were walled and the fourth side opened up to a cliff face (hence, cliffside pool) which was lighted after dark illuminating the cliffs.      

Oso Caliente offers a myriad of spa treatments  - everything from massages to facials to wraps, etc. if you’re in the mood to partake.  The cottages on site were small, but looked cute and comfortable.  We didn’t try the on sight restaurant, preferring to eat at home.  If you ever find yourself traveling along US 285 between Colorado and Santa Fe, it’s well worth a stop.   
 

 

 

Santa Fe, New Mexico

The fourth stop on the North American Tour (previously known as the World Tour) was Santa Fe, NM.  Santa Fe is a quaint little town steeped in history.  Of course we spent the better part of one day wandering around the old town and absorbing the ambiance.  At 7,000 feet, Santa Fe has some quick changing weather and we experienced it all.  We had beautiful days with blue skies and just right temperatures to cold winds and rain. 

No visit to Santa Fe would be complete without seeing the Loretto Chapel.  The Chapel has a lovely altar and stained glass that you can see in the pictures, but the highlight is its “Miraculous Stairs”.  And just why are the stairs  “miraculous”  you ask?  Well, let me tell you.  I love a good mystery.  In the 1800’s, the Bishop of the Santa Fe Archdiocese commissioned  a convent to be built and known as “Our Lady of Light Chapel”.  A French architect was employed and designed the building, but died suddenly during the project.  After his death, the builders realized that there was no provision in the plans for getting to the choir loft on the second floor (e.g., no staircase) and the chapel was too small to accommodate a regular staircase. 

And here’s where the story gets interesting – allegedly the Sisters of Loretto did some serious praying to St. Joseph for divine intervention—praying for nine days straight.  On the 10^th day, a stranger appeared and said he would build the Sisters a staircase for the chapel.  His only stipulation was that he be allowed to work in total privacy.  So for three months, he locked himself away in the chapel and using only the crudest tools constructed a 20 foot tall spiral staircase which makes two complete revolutions.  The staircase has no visible center support or anchors to the adjacent wall (well, originally it didn’t anchor to the wall or have a banister), is made out of non-native wood and uses no nails, only wood pegs or dowels in its construction.  Interesting you say….but miraculous?  Yes, because legend holds that no one saw the man during the three months he worked at the chapel.  No one knows where the wood for the staircase came from since no wood was delivered to the chapel, nor was the man ever seen leaving to get supplies.  Upon completion of the staircase, its carpenter slipped away without explanation, without payment and without ever identifying himself.  Hmmmm.  How cool is that?

Loretto Chapel

Loretto Staircase

We also visited the Cathedral of Basilica; a very architecturally impressive building, the town square and countless shops. 

 

 Cathedral of Basilica

 

We hit Maria’s Restaurant for dinner.  Maria’s is a restaurant which has been around for over 50 years and is a local favorite featuring southwest cuisine, but its claim to fame is their margaritas.  Maria’s boasts over 177 REAL margaritas.  In case there are those of you don’t know what a REAL margarita is – well join the club, I didn’t either.  But that’s why Mark and I are on the great retirement tour, so we can share with you all this incredible knowledge.  And so purely in the interest of research, Mark sacrificed himself to get you the scoop on margaritas.   A REAL margarita is one made with REAL tequila.  Now REAL tequila only comes from Mexico and must be distilled from the sugary juices extracted from the cooked heart of the Weber blue agave plant. Maria’s margarita menu had some pretty creative names, Yes, that’s right you could order:  A Yo! Dude!, Generation Gap, Golden Years, Cougar, Stud Muffin, Love Slave…I think you get the drift.  There was even a ‘La Margarita De Paradiso’ at $48.00 a glass!  The possibilities were endless.  Mark ordered an El Grandioso.  The verdict:  it was a nice accompaniment to his dinner, but that his gringo palette didn’t quite fully appreciate the REALness of the drink.

 Yum!

We stayed at a quaint RV Park called (wait for it…..) Trailer Ranch!  Obviously, the creativity of the Santa Fe inhabitants knows no limits.  The park was pleasant and well maintained and its location was prime – right off a main artery of town near everything. 

Next stop – Oso Caliente, NM.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

We were scheduled to go to Cortez, Colorado via Gallup, New Mexico, but low temps and a forecast of snow caused us to change our course.  Instead, we migrated over to Albuquerque in seach of a little warmer climate since YOLO is not weatherized for winter. We did find slightly warmer weather, however, it came with a price.  Wind.  Wow!  Days and days (and nights) of winds that were akin to the Santa Ana winds in CA (albeit these were bone chilling cold winds).  Nevertheless, we decided to hang here for a few days, see the sights, and do a little maintenance and upgrading to YOLO while we wait for Colorado's weather to figure out it's spring already!

Albuquerque is home to the famous hot air balloon festival every year in October which must be quite a sight.  Even now, if you get up at sunrise (and I try not to most of the time) you can spy a few balloons drifting along the morning sky.  Such was the case when Winston and I were taking an early morning walk on Saturday morning.  We visited the old town area of ABQ which was comprised of shops and restaurants geared to tourists mostly.  Mark picked up some styling new buffalo moccasins which are super comfy and we ate lunch at a great authentic southwestern style restaurant - Church Street Cafe which we would recommend if you're ever in the area.

We went to the Petroglyph National Monument.  A chain of fissure volcanoes spit up these very dark/black rocks that the Spanish Settlers and Pueblo Indians used to carve images on.  There are literally thousands of images on rocks scattered throughout 17 miles just west of town.  No one knows if these carvings were some sort of communication system utilized  by the people inhabiting the area or if they are merely the grafitti of years past.  Hmmm...

Next stop - Santa Fe, New Mexico.



                                        View of the wide open spaces outside our window

                                                           at the American RV Park

 

Evening View