Nomad Life - Day 139

After nearly a week of planning and yesterday's drive across Wyoming, I was ready to make a day trip to Denver for a meetup with family!  This morning, I was up at 0520 (no alarm set) after someone sent me a text.  Unable to return to sleep, I spent the morning reading, doing puzzles, completing Duolingo exercises and catching up on my blogging.  I had time to got to breakfast in the lobby of the Super 8 (Cheyenne) and then packed up my car.  Overnight, I'd briefly considered extending at the hotel (using a weekly rate) but ended up deciding against it - I'll be better off if I can see how the day goes and see if I can better deal.  With that thought in my head, I checked out of my room at 1030 and departed Cheyenne.  To reach Colorado, I used I-25.  Outside, it was 45 F, sunny and clear!  This beautiful weather was accompanied by much more wind than the previous day, though, and I had to fight to keep my Subaru Outback on the Interstate.  About 12 miles after leaving Cheyenne, I entered Colorado and was immutably blessed with very pretty views of the Rockies to the west.  During the drive, the temps (according to my car gauge) rose as high as 53 F!  Not sure I trust that but we'll see...  I passed the exit for the town of Carr at 1055 and arrived at the Arapahoe Bend Natural Area (town of Fort Collins), my target, by 1120.  After exploring briefly, I parked at a trailhead about a mile north of East Harmony Road and started walking.  Almost immediately, I realized I could hike part of the Poudre River Trail, a nice paved walkway that ran north and south (parallel to I-25).  Starting towards the south, I discovered the Fort Collins Transportation Center (and a dead end) before heading back to the north.  When I reached the "real trail", I followed it along the Poudre River (east) until I crossed under I-25.  Along the way, I passed several frozen ponds, birds and happy-looking dogs.  Overall, it was a very nice walk and I logged about two miles before departing at 1205.  Again on I-25, I continued south until the exit for US-36, which I used to reach the town of Westminster, where my cousin (Joy) lived).  On the way, I listened to a good audiobook.  Eventually, I got off the highway and took surface streets - I found Joy's home by 1300.  Coincidentally, my (younger) cousin, Shannon, arrived at almost the exact same time.  Together with Joy and her little dogs, we all spent almost 2.5 hours inside visiting and enjoying some delicious margaritas, chips, guacamole and enchiladas.  There was a lot of talk about the family's upcoming Thanksgiving in Nashville, my Nomad life, Shannon's upcoming move back to Texas and Joy's new job (after retiring).  Overall  it was a very nice visit!  At 1625, I reluctantly said goodbye to my cousins and headed east until I was able to access US-287.  While driving north on that road, I was treated to a beautiful sunset over the Rockies - wow!  When I reached West 104th Avenue, I followed that east to I-25 and started north towards Wyoming.  Before it was completely dark, however, I wanted to get some more steps.  Without any planning beforehand, I was at a loss on where to stop until I realized the Arapahoe Bend Natural Area and Poudre River Trail would be just as good as any other place.  I reached Fort Collins at 1715 and parked at the trailhead.  This time, though, I walked north and logged two more miles (mostly in darkness) with a turnaround on the northern end of the Rigden Reservoir.  I found it interesting that Google Maps showed it as a dry marsh - however, it was full of (frozen) water and I watched several Canada Geese landing on the thin ice.  In the western sky, I got to seem some pretty sunset remnants.  When I finished walking at 1800, I sat in my car for a while making a reservation for Cheyenne.  Like I'd thought, there were cheaper deals for a week in Cheyenne than the Super 8's offered weekly rate.  Since I already was familiar with the hotel and was able to beat the daily rate, I chose the Super 8 again (bypassing a few that were cheaper).  With the reservation made, I caught up on social media and replying to texts before heading north on I-25 again.  After an uneventful drive, I arrived in Cheyenne just after 1900.  While I was parking at the Super 8, some other guests asked if I could give their car a jump start - fortunately, I was able to help them.  Like yesterday, the parking lot was filled with what appeared to be the trucks of the transient workers I'd encountered inside.  When the desk clerk gave me my room, I had to laugh that it was the same one I'd had the previous night (I guess that's the "cheap" room).  For the rest of the evening, I spent time catching up on emails, setting up my work computer for the next day and watching movies.  Somehow, I got carried away with the latter activity again and ended up going to bed at 2300.  Still, I must admit that I had a great weekend of driving, sightseeing and visiting with family!

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 9

I wasn’t able to get Mollie going until 0730 this morning.  Once the car was packed, we used US-191 to drive back to Monticello, UT so we could fill up on gas (0825).  We then got on US-491 and continued into Colorado.  We encountered a good deal of road work on the way (frustrating) and weren’t able to get breakfast until we arrived at a McDonalds in Cortez, CO (0935).  The delays also meant that we didn’t make it to Mesa Verde NP until around 1000.  Unfortunately, this meant that we didn’t have a lot of choices for tours of the Cliff Dwellings when we arrived at the Visitor Center...  At 1045, I was able to buy some tickets for the first available tour of the Cliff Palace but the event didn’t start until 1630.  Meanwhile, Mollie was able to get NPS Passport stamps for Mesa Verde and another site called “Yucca House.”  Because of the wait until the tour began, I convinced Mollie that we should leave the park immediately and head toward Hovenweep NM, another park in the area.  This detour required us to use US-160 and several “back roads” to drive across the prairies and back into Utah.  Mollie helped me a lot by setting up the route in her phone so that we were able to get to the site easily.  During the drive, we had several interesting current events discussions and talked about how close Mollie had come to dehydration during the previous day’s hike.  Along the way, Mollie reveled in all the cattle and horses we passed.  We also saw some white flowers along the roadside that Mollie said she had been seeing since before Joshua Tree NP (she had been referring them to as "trumpet flowers").  When we arrived at the Hovenweep Visitor Center, she asked the Ranger what they were and learned that the flowers were called Sacred Datura, a poisonous narcotic.  Mollie was shocked that something so pretty could be have such a harmful effect.  She got another NPS Passport stamp and then we went on a nice walk on the Little Ruin trail.  We stopped at the Hovenweep Castle, Square Tower and Hovenweep House.  We also saw the Eroded Boulder House across the canyon and Sleeping Ute Mountain, off in the distance.  We talked to some local people who were enjoying the cooler temperatures of the day.  They gave us some ideas of other historical locations nearby that they thought we could find interesting.  After about an hour in the National Monument, we headed back into Colorado.  Mollie was able to locate Yucca House NM in her phone and set up the map in the car's GPS.  We ate lunch (leftovers) in the car on the way.  The GPS location took us into the middle of some farm fields and it took some online sleuthing to figure out that we were allowed to drive on a gravel route that had a sign “private drive."  After all the effort, Mollie was NOT impressed.  Her comment was “This is really nothing - it’s like someone just decided ‘let’s call it a national park!’” I couldn’t really argue because the parking lot was someone's driveway and the park was just a small walking trail around a partially fallen down building that had been covered up by bushes and tall grass.  Because I wasn’t sure about what would happen if I parked the car, I didn’t go with Mollie.  She later said she’d filled out a sign-in sheet that she discovered near the entrance and figured out that there had only been nine visitors (including her) in the past week.  Mollie completed the sign-in and then went on a walk around the site by herself.  After only about ten minutes, the bugs became too much to bear and, worse, she heard a loud rustling in the bushes.  The last straw was when she noticed an ominous sign that warned visitors of a pathogen that had been discovered in the area that was suspected to be passing between rodents, ticks, and fleas.  Mollie told me that the sign was from 2016 and this made her start wondering if the Park Service had figured out how to resolve the problem (she said “I hope they don’t manage zoonotic diseases the way they manage their trails”).  All of this caused Mollie to literally run back to the car and jump inside, breathless.  We had brought some hand sanitizer and she tried to clean her hands.  Prior to our visit, I’d believed I’d been to this NPS location in 2011 but her description changed my mind (so it was new to me too).  Mollie was very disappointed with the visit and asked why such a place would even be in her NPS Passport book (I couldn’t answer).  Despite the “setback”, I was able to convince her to agree to visit one of the interesting locations that the locals had recommended (a place I wanted to see for myself).  We headed over to Canyon of the Ancients, a site managed by the BLM.  The park was pretty big but only a little of it was easily accessible from Cortez.  The Visitor Center was very nice (lots of history and built relatively recently).  Mollie was quite worried that she might have gotten a tick during one of her hikes so she spent a while in the bathroom, making sure she was OK.  I walked through the museum but we didn’t end up staying very long at the park (much to the chagrin of one of the employees, who told us we could spend “hours” there).  Mollie was impatient to get to Walmart to buy snacks and other supplies for our trip and I took her there.  It was nice to stock up on treats and walk around in the nice air conditioning.  We’d been warned to leave the Mesa Verde Visitor Center at least one hour before the tour, so we left Walmart at 1500.  We returned to the park and started the long drive to the far end of Mesa Verde NP for the Cliff Palace tour.  We made no stops at pullouts along the way and arrived at the location where the tour started with about 15 minutes to spare.  Our Ranger Guide, Ann, walked around and introduced herself to each family and asked where they were from, went over some health and safety warnings.  Ann then began to guide us down into the canyon that contained the legendary cliff dwellings.  The trail went from metal stairs, to sandstone stairs, to ladders and finally stopped at an alcove right near the dwellings.  Our guide gave us a bit of history about the buildings and their discovery.  We had to wait on other tour groups, but before long we were able to walk into the dwellings a bit.  The blazing sun made it slightly miserable to stand out of the cover of shade but we were all excited to walk into the dwellings nonetheless.  The Ranger told us the Hopi's story of the creation of the world and explained the significance of some of their living spaces, as well as how Mesa Verde NP came to be.  After that was all done, the official tour came to an end.  We were still in the Cliff Palace but were told we could walk back at our own pace.  Everyone got ready to leave, but then a girl and her father began pushing through the crowd because she didn't feel well.  They got right up next to Mollie when the girl began to throw up profusely.  It appeared that she had symptoms of heat exhaustion - the Ranger had warned us about it at the beginning of the walk but admitted that it was difficult to avoid in the climate.  Mollie later told me that she had felt like throwing up during the Delicate Arch hike the previous day but admitted that these feelings only went away after I made her drink a LOT of water and she found a shady spot to recharge.  Unfortunately, the steep canyon where the Cliff Palace was located had no similar place for the poor girl to hide from the late afternoon heat.  We, along with all the other tour participants, quickly headed to the parking lot after seeing that girl “lose her lunch” (Mollie’s words).  Truthfully, I was also feeling the effects of the sun and was very happy to reach the air conditioning of the car.  We did a little exploring in the area a bit longer, following a road that followed the rim and stopping for photos in a few pull-out locations there.  On the long road back to the park entrance, though, we didn’t stop very much (Mollie’s choice).  Our day of sightseeing came to a close as soon as we left the park and we began the hour and a half drive back to Blanding, UT (via US-491).  We ate dinner (snacks we’d picked up from Walmart) on the way.  We saw a fire burning off in the distance, and after a bit of internet sleuthing, Mollie figured out that there was a big fire in Doe Canyon that had burned about 90 acres in 10 days (it was caused by a lightning strike).  We also figured out that the whole area was famous for its bean crops.  While we were driving, Mollie and I agreed that we’d had such a good experience at the Prospector Motor Lodge that we wanted to return for another night.  She made the phone call and talked to the owner about our plan - he gave us a discount!  Mollie then talked to her mother for a little while.  Just before reaching Monticello, we almost got hit by a mule deer that was running into the road.  Mollie told me that she’d really enjoyed staying in the area for the last few days because “they have such beautiful sunsets."  Of course, I liked hearing this and agreed that views like that were the perfect way to cap off our busy day.  We arrived at the hotel in Blanding at 2055.  After checking into the room, Mollie wrote a Facebook/blog post for all the parks we visited.  We talked a lot about how we’d just had a great “four park day” (even though Mollie admitted that one was a BLM site and there wasn’t a stamp box in her NPS Passport book).  We watched a little TV and went to bed at 2300.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 12

We woke up at 0530 and packed quickly.  We were on the road (US-40) by 0615, eating breakfast (snacks) on the way.  After avoiding a traffic jam in Steamboat Springs (speed cameras, red-light cameras and metric system speed limits - geesh), we stopped for gas in Kremmling CO (0815).  We continued east until we reached US-34 and we entered Rocky Mountain National Park at around 0830 and stopped at the Visitors Center.  We went for a hike at the Colorado River Trail and then drove through the park, stopping for lots of photo opportunities (including for elk and moose).  Later, we hiked up a tall hill to 12,000 feet at the Alpine Visitors Center (1215) and ate lunch (hot dogs) and the Cafe in the Clouds.  Soon afterwards; we drove down the east face of the mountain and then decided to drive up to Bear Lake.  We arrived at around 1400 and took a hike around the lake and to Alberta Falls.  On the way back, we used the free park shuttle bus to reach our car.  We then headed towards Estes Park.  It was quite clear that we probably could not get a campsite in the National Park (and it looked like rain), so we decided to leave.  Before exiting, we did stop at the Morraine Education Center so Mollie could work on her Junior Ranger but she didn't finish.  After getting through Estes Park (lots of traffic), we used US-34 (Big Thompson Canyon) to get to Loveland.  We saw a bighorn sheep on the way.  Eventually (whew), we got on I-25 and drove north to Cheyenne, WY.  We ate dinner (sandwiches, salad, pie) at the Down Home Diner on the edge of town (finished at 1830).  Afterwards, we drove to Frontier Park to enjoy the Independence Day festivities.  The city was celebrating its 150th birthday and the mayor was there.  We enjoyed music and dancing by local kids, a gun shooting demonstration, live country music and fireworks.  Mollie truly got to see how "Small Town USA" celebrates July 4th.  Just before the event ended, (2200), we drove north on I-25 to a rest area near Chugwater, WY.  It was Mollie's idea, actually, and there weren't any hotels nearby anyway.  We slept the entire night there, starting at 2245 (despite local kids shooting off bottle rockets in a big field behind the building).

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 11

We woke up at 0530 and had breakfast (waffles, cereal, yogurt, toast) at the hotel.  We packed and then got gas in Green River (0645).  We used US-191 to drive into Utah, through the Flaming Gorge NRA.  After searching a bit for a place I'd visited previously (see AUG 2011), we stopped at Red Fleet State Park to take a hike on the Dinosaur Trackway (0845).  When we were done, we drove to Dinosaur National Monument and we spent about an hour at the Quarry site, viewing exposed dinosaur bones and petroglyphs.  We then drove east into Colorado on US-40.  Stopped for lunch (sandwiches, chips, apples, oatmeal cream pies) at a gas station in Dinosaur CO 1315).  Afterwards, we drove to the Canyon area of the park and visited Harpers Corner, where we took a nice hike and saw the Green River canyon far below us.  Mollie got a Junior Ranger pin before we left (1600).  We continued east on US-40 and stopped for dinner (Wendy's) in Craig at 1750.  Since there appeared to be incoming weather, I decided to get a hotel in that town (1830).  We spent the evening reading and watching TV, heading to sleep at 2200.

Montana Trip - Day 18

[my neighbors woke me up at 0630, which was OK - out of my room and back on the highway before 0715L - changed to US-491 in "downtown" Monticello - hardly any traffic (kids waiting for bus...) - made it to Cortez, Colorado, around 0830L and (after switching to US-160) to Mesa Verde visitor center by 0900L - needed a coat! - got some help to determine the tours I should take - in the end, decided to go on the Cliff Palace tour (1000) and the Balcony House tour (1200) - picked up some lunch (to go) at the [Red Mesa] Cafeteria across the street and then drove down to where the cliff houses were - arrived just as my tour was beginning - very informative with spectacular views - got to walk in front of and on top of one of the houses (some areas closed because of structural damage) - stories about the Kiva and history of the Ancestral Puebloans (got a little mystical) - had to climb up a wooden ladder at the end - finished with the tour in just over an hour - stopped a few times on the way to the next tour (hoping to get on the 1130 - didn't happen) - ate lunch outside in the pleasant weather - waited with an increasingly large group until a ranger appeared and told us they missed the 1130 and would have to combine that group with 1200 - pretty large group... - good ranger, though, great stories and explanations (the 1130 ranger showed up halfway through, calling himself Ranger McTardy) - stone stairs down, tall wooden ladder to get up (...) - very pretty views from the balcony house - ranger told us to be quiet and it was REALLY quiet - wandered through several stages of the place, learning about construction, dendochronology, history of the cliff dwellers - to get out, we had to crawl through a narrow tunnel and climb up a rock face with little footholds (and chain-link railings) - NOT a tour for the faint of heart... - the tour lasted just over an hour - stopped several more times in that area and saw even more interesting places (most would never be seen by white people for over 600 years after they were last occupied: hard to spot in dead-end canyons) - drove over to the nearby Mesa and found a whole different stage of the culture: pit-homes - learned about the agriculture of these people - finished up at the Museum (VERY crowded) but didn't go in - visited post office and chatted with the clerk - drove out of the park without stopping and backtracked to Cortez - followed US-160 all the way into the Navajo Reservation and then to the Four Corners site - I'd been wanting to visit the place since my roommate went there in 1991 - it had been newly remodeled - put my foot on the "X" that marked the intersection of borders (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona) - walked around the square, reading about the history of the borders (and ongoing disputes about precise location) - vendors from the Navajo Nation (and Ute Nation) were selling wares all around the square - chatted with one of them (stories about tribal resentments, conflicts, land development ideas, religion, etc. - very interesting) - backtracked to CO-41 and drove north - desert very barren - into Utah again (and UT-162) - gas in little Indian village of Aneth - then drove on county roads towards Hovenweep National Monument (about 20 mile "detour") - open range really a factor (starting to see horses, too!) - interesting visitor center (volunteer couldn't have been much older than Erin & Brenna!) - walked on the park trail for a bit, photographing the interesting stone towers and other ruins (different than cliff dwellings because of the exposed nature of the buildings) - drove a short distance into Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (and Colorado again), but it was clear I was losing the daylight - drove back to a semi-good road and turned west - saw Indian jogging with his three dogs (one a wolf-mix) - more stock in the roads - barren, rocky, sandy terrain (with lots of canyons) - eventually on [UT-262] and then US-191 - followed that to US-163 - views became increasingly breath-taking - passed Valley of the Gods (wow!) but didn't drive on the dirt road to get closer - instead, drove towards the sunset towards Monument Valley - near Mexican Hat, saw balanced flat rock (looked like it was teetering) - terrain and photo-opportunities probably unparalleled (even on this trip!) after that - I've seen these images in movies ("The Searchers" and "Forrest Gump") but nothing compares to watching the sun hit the red rocks as it "goes to bed" (as Forrest would say) - took tons of photos, but none adequately captured what I saw... - into Arizona - eventually came to town of Kayenta - probably the first busy place since Cortez - I saw signs for an Indian road to drive out to Monument Valley, but the sun was down by that point - got dinner at Burger King (1930? time zone change ?) and kept driving: this time, east on US-160 - seeing the beautiful sights was worth it, but the drive I had to do to get to a hotel turned out to be unbelievable - after I turned south on US-191 (again), started to pick up radio stations from Los Angeles, Dallas and Oklahoma City (!) - big storms in the south (lightning)... - only found one place all night that had hotels: Chinle, near Canyon De Chelly National Monument - I would have liked to stay, but there was only one room available at the three hotels in town (and it definitely was NOT worth the asking price) - so, continued south again, bound for I-40 - drove through my first real rain storm of the trip - wasn't too bad - most gas stations closed and no hotels at all (Navajos must not want people staying on their land overnight...) - finally, at Chambers, Arizona, found a pleasant motel "Chieftain" (very inexpensive) run by nice people - settled into bed late (still don't know what time-zone I'm in...).]

Montana Trip - Day 4

[up around 0645 (saw part of sunrise over mountains) - drove down to the Great Sand Dunes (0750) - had to walk five football fields to get to first hill - cold sand - animal tracks - hills and valleys - following others but finally settled for 475' dune - at top, HUGE valley below - too far to cross - getting hotter - headed back down hill (high school field trip ?) - on way out of the park, saw herd of elk along road - took pictures and waited behind an RV (State Trooper...) - drove back to hotel to shower and change - (1000) decided to take a chance and drive across the valley to visit the source of the Rio Grande - used county and farm roads (gravel) after dropping off mail in Mosca - made it to US-160 without much trouble - paralleling Rio Grande all the way - stopped at South Fork and learned you need a 4X4 to drive up to the source (reservoir) - got other info about the state (very helpful) - drove back to Del Norte and got Subway for lunch - then on CO-112 to US-285 - could see the sand dunes the whole time I was in the San Luis Valley - figured out I probablly lost two hours - scenic drive through a canyon all the way to Salida - drove through town - drove north again, paralleling Arkansas River (pretty) - rain off/on - changed to US-24 - gas in Buena Vista ["Bunah Vista"] - turned onto CO-82 to drive across the Independence Pass - scenic! - twin lakes, snow on mountains, creeks along road - some speedy BMWs several times (in a hurry) - passed Mount Elbert (highest point in CO) - crossed continental divide (12093 feet) - drive down was OK (not as scenic) - saw lots of bikers - road narrowed to only one car width a few times! - drove into Aspen and explored in a car - finally had to park - walked around in the scenic downtown - very high end people and shopping establishments - got ice cream - filled bottles up with Aspen (tap) water - recycling (etc.) - after about an hour, got back to car and explored neighborhoods around the town (lots of Sotheby signs) - on my way down to I-70 via CO-82 - weird HOV lanes, lots of stop lights, TONS of traffic, gas costs $0.50 more than everywhere else (I was not happy) - made it to the interstate and made good time to Rifle (crossed [Colorado River]) - used CO-13 all the way to Meeker (VERY remote, but still some traffic) - then CO-64 to Dinosaur - unbelievably remote!! - no cars for nearly 50 miles - driving through White River Valley - pretty - rain and lightning in the distance - swithed to US-40 - snacks at Dinosaur - mesas everywhere - drove into Utah around 1930, sun peeking out of clouds - "Yampa Plateau" - checked on lodging as I entered Vernal - found a cheep place (Weston Lamplighter Motel) - caught up on email and prepped a little for genealogy research in Salt Lake City - some TV - bed around 2300L.]

Montana Trip - Day 3

[restless sleep - up early and saw wonderful view of stars and (later), sunrise... - should have taken a shower again, but didn't and then the owner turned off the water to work on his well - (0800) back to the Capulin Volcano - bought park pass - drove to top and then hiked around the rim (1.0 miles) - echo - elevation (8,200 feet) getting to me, but I made it - beautiful views - back on the road (west on US-64/87) to Raton (looking for an oil change place - no luck) - instead, used I-25 south to US-64 and then headed over to the Enchanted Circle - passed NRA site - arrived in Cimmaron around 1045 - found a place for an oil change - meanwhile, walked to post office - back to pick up my car, nice chat with workers - lunch at Heck's Hungry Traveler (Heck-of-a-Burger with chopped green chili) - back on the road - drove through Cimmaron Canyon - rock faces (Palisades Sill), cool running water (very pleasant), deer along road - came to Eagle Nest and chatted with (Texan) welcome center owner - he suggested I drive north on Enchanted Circle to see Red River and Questa - it was a good choice (nice mountain communities) - had some rain (wipers...) - arrived in Taos from the north - got gas - couldn't get into town (traffic jam) - attempted to visit Taos Pueblo (closed) - finally gave up and left town on US-64 - stopped at Taos Gorge (Rio Grande River) - vendors and bridge repair - walked across for photos - drove across and stopped at a rest area for a bit (more photos, hiking) - US-64 all the way to US-285 (biotechture) - then north into Colorado - awesome views of Taos Plateau and mountains - stopped for a bit in Antonito (railroad National Monument) - continued north to Alamosa - help from lady at visitor center - drove out on CO-17 to Mosca and then [CO-6] to Great Sand Dune National Park - visitor center (German lady working there, speaking with tourists) - on their recommendation, headed back to Zapata Falls - 3.6 mile drive on bumpy gravel road then 1/4 mile hike - stunning views of valley and dunes - (recommendation of other hikers) had to wade into water to be able to see the falls, but worth it! - on way back down saw spectacular view of valley (bison herd) - drove back towards dunes (tired), so stopped at the Oasis and found a room at their Lodge - had dinner at the little restaurant (just before they closed) - Navajo taco (mmmm) and beer - watched sunset (1930) - great conversation about town with High School Senior (school K-12 with 375 students, area population, farmers salting clouds, Rio Grande source, etc.) - back to lodge - went swimming in the pool - relaxing - bed around 2300.]

Pueblo, CO (USA)

Had another opportunity to fly today (thanks to my friend, Ken, who came with me). We had a good mission - taking some guys home from central Colorado to Houston. Usually, we've flown in and out of Colorado Springs, but Ken decided to try Pueblo (lower elevation). Weather all the way from Fort Worth to the foot of the Rockies was AWESOME (we could see for about 100 miles at altitude). Pike's Peak was visible in the distance (snow capped) but it was nearly 20 degrees C (no coat required in Colorado in January?).  Our itinerary required two stops at Pueblo (thanks, again, to the aircraft's engine performance limitations) and two stops at Bush Intercontinental Airport.  In the course of the day, we took around 40 pax during each outbound trip and arrived at Houston at 1330L and 1730L, respectively.  Each time we landed, we got fuel, so there was time to take in the busyness of the place (and have a bite to eat). The weather wasn't bad but we couldn't see much scenery because of a scattered cloud layer at 2500 feet. Landing and takeoff was the easy part and taxiing around was a lot harder - especially in Houston. We had to follow a maze of two-letter taxi-ways and hard-to-interpret signage. This was all compounded by darkness on our last stop. Fortunately, everyone was very understanding about our unfamiliarity with the airport and helped us (except for one ground controller who directed us down a series of odd taxi-ways before actually asking where we wanted to go...). Overall, the flight profile was perfect - enough time to relax during the legs and no long delays on the ground. Nice weather always helps to make a successful day, too!  Our final leg home was uneventful and the weather was great in Fort Worth - no problems landing. Feeling very tired now, though...

Denver, CO (USA)

Like I said, it was only a nap...  I was startled awake at 0330L (!) by my alarm. Luckily, had already packed everything and was able to leave the Embassy Suites by 0400L. The drive back to the airport was OK but I had to pay closer attention than usual (it was dark, I was tired). Check-out process was quicker at the Budget rental car counter (finished at 0410) - a shuttle was waiting, too! Arrived at airport and had to go up and down in the terminal to get checked-in and go through security. Finally got done (after probably 45 minutes) but then found I had to take a train to the concourse. Eventually (0515), I got to my gate.  (The more I travel, the happier I am with the overall process at DFW...). Had a short time to check work email and do some other business online (free Wi-Fi). Boarded my American Airlines flight on time (0600) - the plane nearly full this time. Mercifully, the trip back to DFW seemed to go pretty quickly and the weather was good until we got close to home.  After that, rain...  We actually landed early (before 0900) and then had to wait for about 30 minutes to reach the gate.  Fortunately, my bag came through claim pretty quick. Nicky picked me up at DFW and we got home around 1000L. Very tired...

Vail, CO (USA)

After getting up (0545L) and eating breakfast, I drove over to the simulator building (0630L). The doors were closed until around 0650L, so couldn't check work email until sim nearly started.  Oh well... Spent several hours training and then finished for the week (1130L). Woohoo!  Said goodbye to Ron, Dave and Joe and headed back to the Embassy Suites. Tried to get a flight out later in the day but wasn't able to find anything - settled for departure early Saturday.  Silver lining: this gave me a few hours to explore!  Originally planned to visit the Coors Brewery, but heard about bad weather inbound to Denver. Instead, explored Red Rocks southwest of town - really cool. I can see why everyone in Colorado is in such good shape: people were walking for exercise in the rocks and amphitheater. I, on the other hand, could really feel the altitude as I walked up the trails and explored around the property. Weather still OK (not hot at all, just overcast), so got gas and lunch before heading west on I-70 (still trying to beat the weather that was on the horizon...). Hit a HUGE traffic jam as I approached Idaho Springs - took a long time to get going again. After that, though, the roads were pretty clear. Had a little rain as I climbed - kept pressing towards Vail. Saw a pretty lake - with clearing skies - as I passed Frisco. After getting through Eisenhower Tunnel (Continental Divide inside), climbed to Vail Pass (~10K!). Got off at first Vail exit and explored the enticing condo area. Drove down to Vail Village and walked around - very nice! Seemed a little like a German town. Saw some real estate prices - $1 Million plus!!! Picked up souvenirs and took a look at the green mountain side before heading back to the car. It started to rain again. As I drove out of town, I saw another example of why Colorado folks have such a reputation for fitness: bikers were having a great time riding up and down the mountainous Gore Valley Bike Trail (I don't know how they do it!). Took my time driving back to Denver - stopped at historic Georgetown and looked around. Also drove over to a bighorn sheep viewing area - but didn't see any. Took a dirt road towards US-40 and got stuck by construction for a bit. Chatted with the road workers. Back on I-70 towards Idaho Springs until CO-103. South towards Mount Evans (highest road in US). Enjoyable scenery and a little wildlife on the 14 mile road to the park entry (Arapahoe National Forest). Passed Echo Lake (pretty) and used the park pass to get on the road up the mountain. Another 14 miles later (awesome views, mountain goats everywhere, even marmots), made it to the summit. Even with some rain (and lots of wind), could see down to Denver area. Rainbows on the mountain... Did I forget to mention the sheer drop-off road with no guard rails? I must admit, I was nervous a few times when an SUV came driving by in the other direction - one false move and aaaaaaaaagggghhhh... Lots more mountain goats and even pretty views of the alpine tree line. Stopped (on Ron's recommendation) at the Echo Lake Lodge for dinner. He had mentioned how good the buffalo chili was - and he was right! I also enjoyed some homemade pie there and had good conversation with my waiter (a Czech kid who had arrived in the US two days before). Lost track of time for a little bit - until it started to get a little dark - then picked up some things for the kids. On the road about 1930L - finished the 14 miles down and took I-70 back to the hotel. Great views of the Denver skyline (you know, I never went downtown at all...). Got gas again (at Jenny's Market in Golden) before returning to pack for my trip home. Watched a little TV. Before I knew it, the time was 2300L. Decided to take a nap before my flight...

Denver, CO (USA)

Woke up at 0545L again, had breakfast at the Embassy Suites and then drove over to the sim (early - 0630L). Worked on some emails before the sim started. We finished at 1230L today - almost done with this recurrent training! Afterwards, I drove over to visit Joy at the Denver County Jail (where she worked).  It was actually very close - almost TOO close - to my hotel!  Going inside was a very interesting experience; it was a little unsettling to see what it is like "on the inside." Ended up skipping lunch and returned to my hotel to work on some more emails/business from home. At 1600, I met Joy at Bar Louie (Northfield Stapleton) and had an enjoyable visit during their Happy Hour. Afterwards, I went clothes shopping (something I never have time to do at home) at the JC Penny across the street. Also explored the mall for a few hours.  Eventually, I went back to my hotel and studied for a short time. Before bed, I watched TV - fell asleep by 2230.

Denver, CO (USA)

Last night, I slept much better and felt ready to get up when my alarm rang at 0545.  Breakfast was at the Embassy Suites again and I was made it to the simulator building by 0645. Today, our training period was a little shorter and I felt better by the end. We were finished by 1300L and we got lunch at Quizno's (on Peoria).  After returning to the hotel, I took care of work emails and phone calls. Also had time to update my websites and watched a little TV before going down to Happy Hour. Still seeing lots of softball players EVERYWHERE! Worked on blog (old stuff) and then studied until 2230L.  Went to bed soon after that, feeling good about the way things have gone here in Denver.

Denver, CO (USA)

Up at 0545L and ate breakfast at the Embassy Suites again. Drove over to sim around 0645L and spent a LOT of time in there (more than I wanted) today.  Exhausted by the end of our training period (1330L). Had lunch with Joe at Ling and Louie's (Asian food) at Northfield Stapleton Mall. Back in my hotel room, I tried to study for a few hours (it was hard because I felt so tired). Had a drink at Happy Hour and then tried studying again. Watched a little TV before going to bed at 2230L.

Denver, CO (USA)

Woke up earlier than I wanted (due to time change, I think).  Ate breakfast at the hotel (Embassy Suites) and then drove to the training building (arrived at 0745). Saw some old friends and met Joe, my simulator partner. Spent about four hours in class until we had a short break to pick up food (went to Del Taco at Northfield Stapleton Mall). Back at class for three more hours. Took care of work emails and phone calls until heading back for happy hour at the hotel. Did some studying and watched TV until around 2300L - then bed.

Cheyenne, WY (USA)

This week, I was scheduled for a trip for recurrent simulator training - for the first time, it was in Denver!  I started early this morning and Nicky dropped me off at the DFW Airport at around 0645.  My American Airlines flight was scheduled for a 0900 departure and I made good time through TSA.  I got on the aircraft easily (it wasn't very crowded) and we took off on time. Sat next to a guy (GM truck builder from Fort Wayne, IN) who was on his way to the Black Hills and Yellowstone. Talked to him nearly all the way and told him a little about our family trip to South Dakota. He and his buddy were going all out - wilderness camping and fishing. Sounded fun... Arrived in Denver at around 1100L and made an attempt to check into my hotel early (that had always worked in St. Louis...).  After calling the Embassy Suites and learning I couldn't (dang), I waited for a LONG time to get a shuttle that would take me to pick up my rental car (Budget).  Even worse, the check-in took FOREVER!  During this time, I saw the first evidence (lots of teenage girls in softball uniforms everywhere) that something big was going on in town.  I guess there was some kind of tournament scheduled this week... After finally feeling ready to leave the airport (after noon), I called Joy to see if she was around (no luck). Weather was great so I decided to head north to Cheyenne - it might be my only chance this week... Took I-70 and I-76 to I-25. Had lunch (BK) near Johnstown and then continued into Wyoming. After spotting the State Capitol building, drove towards it until I was able to park near the historic train depot. Figured out I had just missed an Irish Music Festival (ended this morning!). Spoke with a lady at the visitor's center - she said the town was great and that most people still know each other. She told me about how her dad had interactions with Dick Cheney in the 1970s and 1980s. Seems like this capital isn't too big - all the politicians look and act like everyone else. Picked up a cowboy hat at the Boot Barn on Capitol Avenue and then drove around a little bit - I like the town (bet it is cold, though!). Joy called and said we should get together for dinner - sounded good. Took some back roads as I drove south again - off road at Terry Farm (buffalo ranch). Saw interesting rock formations and kids shooting off fireworks (Black Cat dealer nearby). Back on I-25 until CO-14 (sign for Colorado State University beckoned). Drove through Fort Collins and south on US-287. Towns of Loveland and Longmont were interesting - started to see some good mountain views. Took CO-119 to Boulder and explored the University of Colorado campus - great stone work on all buildings! Took US-36 back towards Denver and stopped in Westminster to eat with Joy, Kenny and Alex (1800L). It was a nice visit - lots of great food.  After saying goodbye to them, I drove the Embassy Suites (arrived at 2015L) via US-36, I-76 and I-70. After checking in and getting unpacked/organized, I went to bed at around 2200L.  What a day!

Colorado Springs, CO (USA)

Arrived early for another flight - knew it would be a LONG day! Actually got airborne early and had no problems getting to our first stop, Melbourne, Florida. Had some problems with fuel and the passengers, but got out of there close to the schedule. Weather was very nice in the area of the Space Coast - had great views of the beaches and Cape Canaveral. On our way to Colorado Springs next. Had to avoid some big thunderstorms by this point (~1200L) but made it through OK. Nice weather there, too, but windshear developing at the base of the mountains. Actually had a pretty quick stop. Wish we could have stayed, but we were still trying to stay on schedule... Next stop was Altus, Oklahoma. I had never been there before - was actually surprised there was anything in the area! Saw some big hills and good views of the Red River. Weather still good. On the way to San Antonio, we encountered the worst thunderstorms yet - but were able to avoid them all the way until just before landing. Rain and runway construction made this stop more challenging... On our way again just after sunset - dodging same weather all the way. Arrived to a pleasant evening in Fort Worth - what a relief. One of my guys came up and reported we landed "exactly on schedule" - it took a lot of work to make it happen! Lots of paperwork before I could go home. VERY tired...

Colorado Springs, CO (USA)

[itinerary uncertain - flying with Julius A. - woke up at the Radisson Hotel Colorado Springs Airport - returned rental car from Enterprise to the Airport (receipt said 1425 but that could be the time they logged it back in, while we were flying) - ended mission at NAS Oceana in the evening]

Colorado Springs, CO (USA)

[flying with Julius - starting point was Oceana, VA - mission with the following stops: Offutt AFB; MacDill AFB, FL; Pope AFB, NC and Peterson AFB, CO (not certain about order of stops) - stayed overnight at the Radisson Hotel Colorado Springs Airport - got rental car from Enterprise with pick up from Airport (receipt said 1345 but could have been left for us there)]

Denver, CO (USA)

[Norfolk to Gulfport to Denver International (very bad weather) to Forbes (Topeka) to Camp Springs to Norfolk]

Colorado Springs, CO (USA)

[checked out of the Pikes Peak Lodge (Peterson AFB BOQ) at 0710 - filled up the gas tank and then returned the rental car to Enterprise - later, flew (with Ron H.) from Colorado Springs to Salina to Patrick back to Atlanta]