A Stop in Denver

Well it took a lot longer than I thought to get here, longer than I ever thought possible. Let me explain: It started a few million years ago when Denver was flat and at sea level, yes, at sea level. It seems there was a herd of dinosaurs walking along in the shallow waters of the inland sea over near Morrison. Very soon after, there was this great storm that dumped a great deal of sand along where they had just walked. Fast forward many millions of years and all of this land has pushed up creating a bunch of mountains. Push on another few years and here come some pushy humans that want to put a road in near where those same Dinosaurs had walked those many years ago. After blasting away some of the “sandstone” guess what they find? You’ve got it, those same foot prints. And now along come the Coopers to look upon those same footprints.

See what I mean by it took us a long time to get here.

We are at the Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison, CO and we are on a tour led by none other than Dino Dan, a geologist who also has an interest in archeology. The man gave a very informative tour. Yes, they enhanced the footprints with some carbon. This site was the source of many the dinosaur bones found in museums around the country. I guess we’re fortunate to have the bits left behind to view.

 This is the footprint of a Brontosaurus. If you look at the very center of the picture you will see how the rock bulges down. That’s the inverse of a 40 ton Brontosaurus, that was longer than 90 feet (our motorhome is 38 feet long and 15 tons).

You know those bones they display in the museums? You think they find them just laying out on the ground? Well here’s one of those bones.

and no, it was not laying on the ground.

I may have given you the impression that we were on a flat plain when I opened, but here is a picture I took when I turned around.

Yes, we were at about 6,500’.

I’m a little out of sync here, so, I’ll tell you what we did earlier on the weekend. As many of you know I enjoy playing golf, well, I met my cousin Blair Cooper at Foothills GC, #176 that I’ve played across NA, for a round. Later that evening we had a wonderful dinner with he and his wife Karen where we caught up with all of our family happenings. While we’re on the subject of golf, I’ll tell you that I also played Applewood GC #177, Deer Creek GC #178 and I was joined at Fox Hollow GC #179, by an old classmate of mine from back in NJ. Don just fell in love with Colorado while attending college out here, so he stayed.

Ok, let’s get back on track with our tourist kind of stuff.  Pat discovered the art district of Denver which is known as the RINO (River North) district. So, we took some time to visit. What we found was an area that was under construction. Yes, there were areas that seemed to be functioning but we could not distinguish any galleries for browsing. It is our understanding that there is housing being provided for artists for very reasonable rates. What we did find were many buildings that had some marvelous artwork on them.

I know, some people call this graffiti, but…..

Maybe this is a self-portrait?

How about this for texture art. Needless to say, even if we didn’t stop in any galleries, we did enjoy art on all of the buildings. I think when the construction is all done, it might be a really nice place to spend some time.

Have you ever heard about the Red Rocks Amphitheater? It’s a natural formation that has been adapted into modern day theater. A number of years ago, we did go there to see what it was all about and now we are going to go there to see a show. So, have you ever heard of Celtic Women? No, go look them up, they are wonderful. The subject came up when we were on our dinosaur tour and everyone said we would never get tickets, guess they were wrong. We were worried because it was a one night show, but worry not, the ticket were available, all you had to do was come up with the $$. No, we did not buy from scalpers, we purchased them from the Red Rocks Group.

You can see the stage nestled down in the rocks. They say that the natural shape of the amphitheater allows for music could be played without amplification and be heard throughout the theater. Of course, they did use amplification in this concert.

 

Happy birthday to my buddy Bruce, he’s catching up to me.

Here’s a nice picture of the ladies performing on stage. The young lady playing the violin also played a harp during the performance. We were also thrilled with some Irish percussion performances by the other members of the troupe.

Just imagine this piper giving the lead-in to “Amazing Grace.” Talk about raising those little goose bumps.

I changed this over to black and white to give you the view above the stage. You are looking out over the skyline of Denver and its suburbs. Beyond that are the plains. During the last hour of the show there were thunder storms out over the plains and you could see the clouds lighting up. It was quite dramatic. Overall it was a wonderful experience.

All right its Friday June 9^th and we are on our last adventure here in Colorado. We are off to see the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. We had a little scare on the I25 just south of Castle Rock. We were following a pick-up truck hauling a trailer full of his toys. We were doing the speed limit which was 75 when suddenly, his trailer blew a tire. Well, pieces came a flyin’ and I did some slowing and a bit of slalom but we all came out of it fine, after our heart rates lowered. Things went smoothly for the rest of the trip to the cliff dwellings.

Looks like they have been there for many hundreds of years, right? Well, you would be wrong in making that assumption. They have been there about 110 years. Before that they were located in the Four Corner Region. In 1902 they began the painstaking task of moving these dwellings brick by brick and opened this exhibit in 1907. Let’s call it what it is, the “Faux Cliff Dwelling of Manitou.”

This is something they would never be able to get away with today. Though, if you start looking at the detail,

You realize the amazing job they did.

This is a small stone box that they kept their grain in. With a rock to close the top, it was certain to keep the vermin out.

The building that contain the museum and the gift shop were built in keeping with the southwestern design.

Pat found this in the Museum and wondered if she had collected enough turkey feathers from NJ. She thinks she will have to collect a few more on her next visit.

The last thing I’ll leave you with is a picture of someone we all know topping a ladder leading to a family living area in one of the dwellings. Did she make it all the way? I leave it to you to ask her and find out the full story.

After leaving the cliff dwellings, we found the wonderful wine tasting room/restaurant called Wines of Colorado in a town north of Manitou. What a smart set up. We ordered lunch and while we were waiting for our food, we were invited to taste their wine (no charge). Of course, we all came away with a glass of wine. By the time left the restaurant we had purchased 4 glasses of wine, 4 bottles of wine and 4 lunches. And yet, I still recommend them highly.

As we were driving back to Denver, I noticed a sign directing to Garden of the Gods. Well, it’s been a few years since we’ve been there, so the turn was made and we were off to another one of our adventures. First we will start with a prayer……

Does that not look like two hands together in prayer?

How about the kissing camels?

What do you mean you can’t see them. Ok, how about now?

Here is the whole gang, minus me at the GOG.

And just because I can here’s a picture of my sweetie at the Garden of the Gods.

I love to throw in the odd picture that makes you scratch your head. The following picture has a magpie in it, can you find it?

Those red rocks are just so wonderful to look at and we are so glad that this area has been set aside as a national park so others may continue to enjoy it as much as we do. We have been here on a weekend when climbing clubs are here all over the rocks, it’s a sight to see.

We will be leaving here next week on our way to California and I’m sure I’ll have another post to share with you then. So long for now.

Spring On To The Road

Early March found us getting ready for Easter weekend, our planned outing to shake out the cobwebs gathered as the RV sat in storage for almost 2 years. The RV was put into an authorized Spartan repair shop for a working over that lasted 3 weeks.  It came out with new airbags, battery, alternator, repaired leaky seal on one wheel, replaced brakes on the same wheel and a few other needs with a big bill, oy vey!

April 13^th we’re packed up and ready to go to our outing at Port Aransas here in Texas. We went to hook up the car and found the transfer case would not go into neutral, uh oh! Well we want the car with us so, Pat will follow me with the Jeep to the campground. Off we go to the Pioneer Resort in Port Aransas. We are joining our friends Al and Mary. Do you remember them from last summer’s blog? I caught Mary with the “font of all Knowledge” looking up answers to one of our many ponderings as we sat around BSing.

There can be no doubt we’re in Texas. Most times when you find a flag flying you will also find the Texas Flag.

It’s getting time for happy hour. Al, Pat and I headed into Port Aransas for some appetizers.

Where else would we get some freshly caught shrimp but from a local shrimp boat. There is a sign on the pier telling you what time the boat will be in. We arrived a few minutes early and were 4^th in line. After everything is properly stowed, they open the side ramp and you go up and purchase the shrimp. Wow, were they good.

The next day we took a little time to walk around the Port and caught these shots, I hope you enjoy.

I wonder if the fishermen in the boat are aware of the dolphins.

Fishing seems to be the sport for everyone and one pelican and his buddy.

This looks like grandpa grey heron reflecting on the fish in the sea.

Our last view of the harbor showed some oil platforms being prepared to go out in the Gulf.

Our stay was for 4 days of having fun with Al & Mary and a new couple we met Larry & Evelyn. We had an Easter Ham dinner cooked on the grill. Other events we did were the guys going for a round of golf, walks on the beach by all but yours truly. And of course one night of hand & foot (card game). We got another surprise upon leaving for home, the RV steps would not come in.  April 17^th - Yes, we drove home with them out.

The Jeep ended up spending a week at the dealers while they tried to figure out the problem. After the 3^rd try for repair they were successful. I had an RV repairman out to fix the steps and all is ready for the next adventure.

April 9^th – 15^th was spent loading the RV with all of the essentials and closing the house. It was the night of the 15^th when we moved into the RV and spent the night making sure we had done everything that needed to be done. We only went back to the house 4 times that night and once the next day before we pulled out.

April 16^th damn, the jacks won’t come all the way up. They seemed to stop about 1” from the stored position. Of course, if we turned on the coach with them in that position, the alarm would sound. After tinkering with them for ½ hour, I decided to leave them alone, pull the fuse to the alarm and off we went. We are stopping in Lake Braunig RV resort in San Antonio and meeting up Pat’s sister Marie and her husband Govert. It’s their first time in San Antonio and we are going to show them around.

We got in around 1pm and Marie and Gov were already there. We visited for a bit and then took them to one of our favorite BBQ joints called Texas Pride. It’s still as good as I remembered it to be. After dinner, we took a ride through the center of town and went to the head waters of the San Antonio River or very near it. Then, it was back to the RV for the night.

Ok, here come some more pictures.

Pat’s got a great smile, eh?  In the background is the first of our missions visit, Mission San Jose. This is the one that has the most restoration done to it. After watching the movie about the missions (which is new and not as good as the old one), we went inside and walked about.

Inside the Mission San Jose, they have really gussied it up. What you are seeing here a lot brighter than our last visit.

I love these arches which are part of the ruins behind the mission church.

Here’s Pat with her sister Marie and Govert inside the walls of Mission San Jose.

As we enter Mission Espada, you can see that Pat still has her smile on.

I really love the three bell configuration on Mission Espada.

Inside is very simple but brings forth the historic feel.

From here we continued on to Mission San Juan.

I would have loved to include a picture from inside, unfortunately it was locked.

Oops, I was just informed that I have them out of order Mission San Juan was our second stop, oh well you’ll have to deal with it.

Friday was a day of golf, while the ladies worked on their crafts. Gov and I headed up to New Braunfels to play at one of the courses I really liked when we were living here in SA. The course is called the Bandit which is an apt name with its difficulty level. All I can say about the wind was, Welcome to Texas!

The Saturday found us back on the road (with our tour) to Fredericksburg with a stop in Luckenbach. I’ve never seen so much activity in Luckenbach, it seems they were setting up for a big charity bash for the weekend. Our tour there was short, which it usually is. We showed Gov & Marie the post office and the dance hall. Ok, so that’s all there is but we did see them moving large limestone rocks around (a new look).

In Fredericksburg we went to lunch at the Auslander Restaurant followed by a tour of the many stores along the main drag. We decided it was too late to start a tour of either of the Museums. We came back to the Campground for a light dinner, total driving was about 170 miles, we took a different route home. Overall it was a good tour in the Hill Country.

Govert and Marie catching up with email.

Sunday the bad weather is holding off, so the guys are heading for the River Bend Golf Course in Floresville and the ladies are headed back into SA to the Botanical Gardens.

They thoroughly enjoyed the gardens and returned with many pictures, the following are just some of them.

There were so many to pick from, I thought these the best.

Back to Braunig Lake RV, It’s Monday time to get ready to go.

Gov is putting the camper back on the truck while I’m working on some other problems in the motor home. Tomorrow we expect to be on the road between 8 and 9. Gov & Marie are going to work their way back to NJ while we will turn northwest to Denver.

Tuesday morning found us off and running. Govert and Marie were on their way to Waco and Pat and I were on our way to Big Spring.

While I’m driving, Pat will sit and do something crafty.

What do I do when Pat is driving? Yes, she does drive.

And now you know what I do when she is driving. Take pictures and nap, I’m really good at napping.

As we drive through the small towns in Texas, especially county seats we have found some wonderful court houses.

This one is in Mason, Texas. What do you think, 1930’s?

Our next stop is in Big Spring, TX. As soon as we had set up the RV for the night, we took the car and went exploring in town. We needed a few things from the local HEB and then we headed for a place for dinner that we thought might be very interesting.

This is the Hotel Settles, built in 1929. It closed in 1980 after the closure of Webb Air Force base and the oil field crash. Evidently when it closed they sold everything they could including the toilet paper. In 2006, Big Spring native Brint Ryan purchased it for $75k. you can tell that he put a lot more than that into the restoration. Anyway, this is where we had very good dinner.

Two telephone booths in hotel lobby with actual pay phones (do you remember them?)

After dinner we went out and Pat noticed this.

“A Bob’s Bail Bonds,” it caught her fancy.

On to our next stop, Amarillo. We’ve stopped here before but never really explored the town. Pat wanted to stop at Walmart to get some paint. She wanted it to create some graffiti.

This is a local landmark the many of the locals would rather see gone.

Yes, this is the famous Cadillac Ranch and Pat doesn’t just want to see it.

She wants to leave her initials and…

A little advertising of her Black Dirt Artisans.

From there we went to the historic route 66 to see what they had done to preserve the past. We were not impressed. If you want to see a nice preservation of the old RT66, go to Tucumcari in New Mexico where you find all the wonderful neon sign still lighting the town. Back to the RV, with dinner in.

Let’s see, when are we? Oh yes, it’s Thursday, the 25^th of May and we’re on our way to Lamar, CO. This is a favorite stop of mine. The Elks Lodge is on the top floor and below it is the pro shop of one of the best 9 hole golf courses I know called Spreading Eagle. In front of the Lodge parking lot is a strip of RV sites with 50a hookups. I just have to walk to the pro shop, get a cart and drive it to the RV for my clubs.

We arrived early enough, due to the fact that we entered into Mountain Time and get an extra hour to play. So, off I went to play a round of golf. The course was in great shape, the golfer not so much. Ahh, such is a golfers life, eh?

The final step of this leg of our summer journey found us on I225 in heavy traffic as we crawled along to our 2 week+ stop in Denver. I think we will look for another campground for our next stop, but we are here to visit family and friends. I’ll catch up with you again on our next leg of the Summer Journey.