I'm trying a blog out for the first time, posting some news and views from Colorado, where I've been for all of August 2009. The pictures are all strung out in a column, because I had (am having) some problems with spacing them.
To enlarge a picture, click on it.
I drove, starting from Phoenix on July 27, going through Flagstaff, Gallup, Cortez, Pagosa Springs, the San Luis Valley, Vail Pass, and up to Fort Collins, which is about 50 miles from Laramie, Wyoming.
The first three pictures show the Strater Hotel in Durango, CO, a very attractive and very touristy town with streets and streets of shops. It's kind of the southern gateway to the Rockies.
As you go east from Durango, you pass through Pagosa Springs, a town centered on a sulphur hot spring and built around the San Juan River. It's near San Juan National Forest. The sulphur that spills out from the springs streaks the rocks in ways that make for interesting colors and textures.
East of Pagosa Springs, I turned north toward Salida and Buena Vista. On the way I took a detour to Creede, a small mining town tucked off of the main road (US 160) and tucked away in the mountains. The road to Creede follows a beautiful stream. I stopped for coffee and took a picture of the beautifully decorated bathroom mirror at the coffee shop. At Creede, there was also a church with a beautiful outdoor sculpture showing the Stations of the Cross.
From Creede, I returned to highway 160 and then headed north into the San Luis Valley, toward Salida and Buena Vista. In this area are a number of 14ers, those mountains higher than 14,000 feet. There is farm and ranching country here, so you can see the mountains really well across the open spaces. There are also some hot springs near Buena Vista.
Salida is an old town with some interesting shops. It's also at the headwaters of the Arkansas River, which must be the tubing capital of the world. There must be thousands of people going out with outfitters and guides to tube the river. There are lots of rapids and beautiful views of the mountains around the valley. One shop called Bungle Jungle had some great papier mache sculptures.
Here are two views from the highway between Salida and Interstate 70, which runs E-W across Colorado, through Denver.
I arrived in Fort Collins on Friday, July 31, just in time for a gathering at my cousin Norma's place. The occasion was a very big part of my visit, her 80 1/2th birthday, along with anniversaries of daughter and son-in-law Cindy and Arlyn Wedel and birthday of daughter Jeanne. Cindy and Arlyn live nearby in Windsor, CO, and Jeanne lives in Longmont, which is between Fort Collins and Boulder. In addition to Friday night, there was a grand party and picnic at Fossil Creek Park in Fort Collins, attended by nephews Joel Ben Izzy and Lee Dickholtz, and numerous of Norma's friends: friends from her ice-skating/coffee group, yoga students, book club and Temple Har Shalom friends, and many more.
1) Carol, Jeanne, Norma, and Cindy. 2) Arlyn with Sadie. 3) Sunday brunch guests pointing in awe at just-finished patio at Cindy and Arlyn's house. 4) Grandson Nathaniel (parents are Carol and Bob), Caroline, and other friends, amazed at their Twister prowess.
I stayed at Norma's place in Fort Collins for two weeks. I wish I had a picture to show her good grace and hospitality! During that time, I went up the the Red Feather Lakes area and visited the Rocky Mountain Shambhala Center in the forest. Shambhala is the Buddhist sect associated with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and has centers in other Colorado towns. This one is 5 miles up a dirt road, off a county road, N and W of Fort Collins. The picture at right below is part of the Great Stupa, which has a huge Buddha inside and cushions for seated meditation. There is a long path from the parking areas to the stupa, marked with Buddhist flags. I had a wonderful vegetarian lunch there and met some students and staff. Lunch is available to the public all week.
I don't have pictures from Boulder yet, but it is a busy town, with the University of Colorado here and many artists, writers, creative people. It's also the most energized town I've been in, full of hiking trails, beautiful mountains and views. The main road I live off ends up in the mountains, and several trails branch off from it. One of them starts right behind the house where I'm staying.
From Boulder, I took a tour of Denver and then a day trip down to Bailey, CO, which is about 45 miles SW of Denver, but in another universe. Bailey exists virtually; its residents are spread out over a huge mountain area, but they keep in touch via a website called pinecam.com. People can ask for and offer help, get advice about mechanics and babysitters, and a lot of other activities. I met some of the pinecam community when Bob Belfer, brother of longtime friends, invited me to visit him and his wife Charlene there. Bob also took me on a backroads tour (all but one road in Bailey is a back road), through some beautiful parts of Pike National Forest. Clockwise: Inside the Buck Snort restaurant on Stagecoach Road; Wellington Lake, within Pike National Forest; Cruz-In restaurant-trailer at Bailey; amazing boulder along creek behind Buck Snort restaurant .
That's all for now. Thanks for looking!
Jill
