What Are You Doing For Excitement Today?

[Wilma]

Probably the best game played today was the Notre Dame-Stanford game.  It ended in overtime with Stanford just barely not making a touchdown.  In fact, the final play had to be reviewed to be sure that the ball did not cross the line and I still have my doubts.  Notre Dame won after trailing for most of the game.

[sixdogsmom]

A feew days ago I returned from a trip to Colorado. Had a great time, we did all the touristy things starting with an excursion to The Royal  Gorge. We rode the cable car across it then walked down from the other side through the wildlife zoo and then across the suspension bridge by foot. Awesome scenery all around. Then we rode the incline train down the side of the gorge to the bottom of the canyon. This is an awesome drop, making you wonder what would happen if Mother Nature hiccupped while we were on it. The river is at the bottom and we arrived just in time to see the excursion train go by. This train originates in Canon City and travels along the riverside at the bottom of the gorge. It has open cars as well as cars with full view windows. A few brave souls were in the open cars even though the day was chilly. There were many people there even though many of the activities were closed for the season. A family could make a full day of fun there in the summer. They have a western town and a mountain man settlement as well as amusement rides and shops. Something for everyone. I heard people speaking french, russian, and the ever present japanese.

Back to Canon City and a little tour through a small dinosaur museum where we saw fossils gathered from nearby. We then drove through Phantom Canyon to Victor. This was a pretty harrowing trip for this ol' flatland gal. Much of that road is only one lane wide and all three tunnels are only one lane. Many many blind switchbacks all along the way. There is a twenty MPH speed limit the entire length and that is much too fast IMHO. From Victor we went on to Cripple Creek. This has become a tourist town with gambling as  its' main venue. Many, many casinos one after another. We stayed at Gold King Mountain, a top drawer hotel, one of the mint on the pillow ones. That was a treat for me, and I enjoyed it thouroughly. I even came away with a couple of large bars of that scrumpcious soap as my feller caught the maid and tipped her for a couple of bars for me to take home. I had a good time, didn't win any money but did enjoy the smoke free casinos. It was a nice change from what I usually find here in Kansas and in Oklahoma.

From Cripple Creek we went to Manitou Springs. We stayed at a little family owned court run by a super nice couple. Very reasonably priced. I found this place on line and it was clean, clean, clean! A bonus was the small herd of deer that came into the yard to eat, sleep and play everyday. Those folks feed them even though they are not supposed to do that. One doe is fond of wheat thins and would eat them from your hand or from between your lips on occasion. Next day we went to get tickets for the cog train up Pikes' Peak. We found that there was space available that very afternoon so we decided to go then. Wow! Now that was a trip! You go up that mountain from 8 thousand feet to more that 14 thousand feet. And it was cold! Certainly happy we had warm clothes as it was 26 degrees at the top with snow on the ground and a brisk wind. Brrrr! They tell you to drink plenty of water to help with the altitude sickness. Even though I did that, I felt a little swimmy and more that a little happy to get down from that lofty height. That was an awesome excursion, worth the $35 per person. Didn't like the price, but everything around all those places is pricey. So if you go remember to bring money!

We made a trip through Garden Of The Gods next day. When I was very small we lived on the 'other' side of there and this brought back an almost sense of coming home. We came back to Kansas when I was just four years old so I don't remember much from out there but some of it was very familiar. Such as the day we went downtown Manitou and walked along the streets and through the shops. We went to the park where I remember swinging on the swings and collecting chew-gum from the soldiers walking around there. This was during WWII. We bought salt water taffy from a little stand that I remember my daddy bought me some way back then. The woman told me that the business had been there 109 years, so I am certain that it was the same place. That was nice! BTW, we visited the Trading Post in the Garden Of The Gods. As well as all the tourist junk, they had a wonderful gallery of Indian made things. Rugs, baskets, paintings as well as all the other art work. And they had lots and lots of jewelry, made my mouth water!

On to Denver and a visit to the museum of Natural History to see the dinosaurs. I have wanted to go there since I first found out about dinosaurs in second grade. It was awesome! I loved it, but we tired before we saw the whole thing. But I did get to see my first egyptian mummy as well. I highly recommend the display of Colorado wildlife with all the examples set in natural surroundings. Very nice. As well, they had a display of Australian wildlife. Everything from platypus to different sizes of 'roos. I was exhausted when we left there, lots of walking.

When we left Denver we went to Blackhawk up north in the mountains. This is another gambling town, with high end hotels and lots of big casinos. We stayed at Resort hotel and casino. Free buffet and free drinks. I really pigged out at the buffet; had my first Bananas Foster and sweetie had Cherries Jubilee. Although I was somewhat disappointed that they were not flambe', they were delicious nevertheless. I also had shrimp, shrimp, and crablegs. Did I mention that I had shrimp? From there we headed home with an overnight stay with relatives in lakin, Kansas. I am still exhausted, but it was a very memorable trip. I had a wonderful time!

[W. Gray]

We then drove through Phantom Canyon to Victor. This was a pretty harrowing trip for this ol' flatland gal. Much of that road is only one lane wide and all three tunnels are only one lane. Many many blind switchbacks all along the way. There is a twenty MPH speed limit the entire length and that is much too fast IMHO. From Victor we went on to Cripple Creek.

Sixdogs, we decided one year to take the Phantom Canyon route not knowing what it would entail. Never thought we would ever get from Canon City to Victor, it was so slow going and took so long. I swore I would never go that way again but now you've got me interested in trying it again. But, if one gets broke down there, pray for some luck. Good story.

[larryJ]

What a great trip!  That was my "back yard" so to speak for a few years.  I remember many of the places you mentioned.  Of course, that was back in the dark ages and I am sure I wouldn't even recognize it now.  Great post, Thanks!

Larryj

[Ms Bear]

That sounds like a wonderful trip, how long were there? 

[sixdogsmom]

Ms Bear, we were gone a week. I forgot to mention the visit to the cliff dwellings. Sweetie really enjoyed that, and I really enjoyed seeing all the ancient artifacts in the little museum. Waldo do you know anything about the route called "The Shelf"? I understand that it also a harrowing drive with huge drops down the sides and very narrow. Brrrr! Don't know that I want to try it, but probably will, sometime, maybe. 

[W. Gray]

I had not heard of it until you mentioned it. The first thing I thought of was the Million Dollar Highway in the western part of the state. That road is paved but very scary to drive because of the drop offs. I happened to drive it when it was snowing and I did not consider it fun.

However, I looked up Shelf Road and it is on the east side around Cripple Creek.

http://byways.org/explore/byways/2109/places/14038/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33379-d107622-Reviews-Shelf_Road-Cripple_Creek_Colorado.html

[Diane Amberg]

What a wonderful trip! Did you have someone take your picture at "the sign" on top of Pikes Peak?  We still have ours from 1986 on the fireplace mantle. 14,110 ft.
  Our first trip to Cripple Creek was in 1954, when it was really still a ghost town, and the train wasn't back to running yet.  As you say, it's been "found"again now. Is the Molly Kathleen gold mine open? I've got some jewelry made from gold from there, from back when it was actually affordable.
  We've been to lots of the same places out there. I think I've mentioned before that Great Grandpa Boyd had a silver mine in Georgetown long ago. Victor was interesting and the cafe food was good. We enjoyed the Phantom Canyon drive too. Ya better not be in a hurry though. Thanks for sharing that great trip.

[Wilma]

I have a picture of me and Pike's Peak, too.  We were at a rest stop in Colorado and took pictures with Pike's Peak way off in the background.  Does that include me in the pack?

[Wilma]

I just finished the once a year job that we always do when the first really cold weather threatens.  We wait until it is cold to be sure that it is necessary.  Today was cold enough and tonight's temperature is supposed to be in the high 20's.  We carried some of the outdoor potted plants to shelter.  Actually, we loaded the geraniums onto my yard wagon and pulled the whole thing into the garage.  I brought inside a couple of other plants that I wish would winter but am not sure that they will.  Tonight and tomorrow night are supposed to get below freezing, then the nights for at least another week will stay above.  It is possible that I can get a couple of more weeks outside before they have to come in for the winter.

Yeah, I know that this should have been taken care of weeks ago.  This old optimist always waits to see if it is really going to be a cold freezing winter again.  

One of the pots that I brought inside, I placed in the sink to be watered.  It contains ox-eye daisy, pentas and dianthus.  It also contained a praying mantis and a hornet.  The praying mantis I noticed right away.  I have watched him grow up this summer from about half an inch long to 2 inches.  We put him back outside.  Later, there was a hornet crawling over the faucet like he was cold and not moving very good.  Him I swatted and washed down the disposal.  I am just a bit partial to praying mantis.