Telluride

The little Colorado towns we visit just keep getting better. Telluride and many surrounding towns were major gold mining towns. They now mine gold from the many tourists who come here to enjoy the beautiful scenery, skiing, hiking, etc. The altitude of the town is almost 9000 feet, us mature folk can feel the effects of the thin air as we walk, especially uphill.

We took the gondola up the mountain and down the other side to a different town, nice views from there. After the gondola ride we took the MH out to get a closer look at the Bridal Vail Falls, we stopped climbing when a sign said 4 wheel only to the top of the falls, we do have 4 wheels in the rear.



This is looking south on Main Street. The white streak just below the snow patch is Bridal Veil Falls



Going up in the gondola


View of Telluride from the top of the gondola lift


Bridal Veil Falls, the gravel, 4 wheel drive road takes you right up by that house on top

Blue Mesa Lake to Ouray, CO

We departed the lake yesterday morning headed for Ouray. We passed a sign pointing to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, I had not heard of but decided to turn around and check it out. The 5 mile drive from the entrance to the canyon was a steady climb. This is a National Park and not to be missed if you are in the area. The canyon walls climb 2000 feet from the white water river below. There are hiking paths all around the canyon rim and some down into the bottom.







Blue Mesa lake, many miles long and lots of record trout caught here








Black canyon, see the river at the bottom. Click on the pictures to enlarge and sharpen









Another view of the canyon







One of several waterfalls in Ouray.








Our campsite in Ouray, we back up to the whitewater river.

Crested Butte

We camped 2 days on Blue Mesa Lake just west of Gunnison, CO. From there we took trips to Buena Vista, Crested Butte and a pioneer museum in Gunnison. Click on the pictures to enlarge and sharpen.





On our way up to Crested Butte, the altitude of the town is about 9000 feet.





This is Main Street, lots of restaurants and shops. It booms in the summer with hikers and bicycles and winter with skiers. Fun place to visit.





On the way back down from Crested Butte we pulled off to see what goes on at the hatchery. A worker toured us around the indoor building where they hatch and rear the rainbow trout to 1 year, then transfer them to out door tanks. He gave Nita a box of fish food pellets to feed the larger fish.





The water was clam till the pellets landed then the feeding frenzy started. The yellow tape around the edge of the tanks is an electric fence to keep the bears out, without the fence the bears crawl right in the tank and stuff themselves

Tumble weeds and prairie dogs

I asked the Colorado border info folks what would be the most scenic route through the state, they advised route 50 with some side trips off it. Our first stop for the night in Colorado was just west of Pueblo at an rv park. There were a number of folks at the park who stayed there permanently. As I walked around the park I stopped to talk to an old skinny bearded man working in his garden ( probably younger than me). Said he was a naturalist and he lectured on good nutrition, said he sometimes moves in with people who have health problems to get them back on track with proper eating. He then showed me a recently sprouted tumble weed plant. He said the tops are tender and just today he steamed a batch and had them for lunch. Tumble weeds grow into a round bush, dry up, break off and blow all over, never heard you could eat them. The next day I picked a piece, shook the ants off it and took a big bite, wasn't too tasty and I didn't feel too great the rest of the day, maybe I should have steamed it.

Prairie Dogs were popping up out of their dens all around the campground, my naturalist friend says they greatly reduce the number of cattle a rancher can graze on his land due to the damage they do to the grasses. Should have suggested he steam those critters and help out the ranchers.





Tumble weed shoots





Can you believe the bike shop wanted $375 for this bike, custom made I would guess.

Reunion in Colby, Kansas

In 1948 a friend and I hopped on our Harley's after work on the July 4th weekend. We worked for Sears and Roebucks in KC, MO, our destination was the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. We rode well after midnight and finally stopped at a road side park in Colby, Kansas. Ill prepared, we only had a blanket to throw on the grass. After a few hours fitful sleep and mosquitoes attacking we took off again and arrived on top of Pikes Peak at noon. By coincidence we stopped there for the night last Saturday in our motorhome, much more comfortable this time. Colby is in the Great Plains and the wind blows almost constantly, it's a chore keeping your vehicle straight on the road, motorcycles lean sideways to compensate for the wind.


"Spirit of the Prairie" this statue stands in front of the courthouse in Colby. A mom circa 1885, a young boy propped on her hip waiving a cloth goodbye or hello to her husband. The prairie winds plaster her head-to-foot dress against her.


The next morning we head for Colorado Springs, we start seeing Pikes Peak more than 70 miles away.

Our hometown

Nita and I were born in KC, MO, we left there at a tender age in 1951. It was nice to visit and see some of the familiar and unfamiliar sites. I have 2 nephews living there and it's always fun visiting with them. Nita has a sister over on the Kansas side and we visited her the following day.





My nephews and their wives, Craig, Cindy, Nita, Linda and David standing in front of the new WW1 Museum. Just behind the group pavers have been laid commemorating the WW1 veterans. David organized the effort to get a paver for his grandfather, my father, placed there. Nice job David, and thanks for touring around town to see it.











The Roadside America web site lists interesting and odd places to see around the country . This is monument in a cemetery in Liberty, MO. A young boy died at the age of 9 whose nickname was Rhino.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Go west young man

I left the code to get into my blog at home, finally got it, the following post a few days old. We are headed across Kansas today.


After 3 days of shutting down the house and packing the motorhome we got underway yesterday morning. The first stop was Noah's arc in Frostburg,Md.
In 1974 the pastor of the church was repeatedly told by Jesus to build an arc next to the freeway, I -70. The arc would be 450' long, 75 wide and 45 tall. Through a period of rapid and slow progress miracles continued, "A visitor who stopped by to see what was happening was healed of bronchitis", "A man was healed of a sun allergy he had all his life while working on the arc"' I myself was relieved of a gastronomical issue photographing the site, must stay away from those fiber cookies. As you can see there is still much to be done, I wish him well in completing the arc.