Category Archives: Colorado

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Colorado

What can I say about my Colorado vacation to sum it up? First off, Take time to adjust to the altitude. That I suffered from altitude sickness was a complete surprise to me. I grew up in mountains. Granted my childhood mountains were  a bit smaller than 10,000 ft but I still expected it to count. Plus I’ve been to Wyoming and at 8,000 ft I had no problems at all. Maybe age , overall health or just that extra 2,000-4,000 ft tacked on made a difference.

Mount Quandary 2022

Hiking, Skiing

Breckenridge is a beautiful little town but other than the quaintness there isn’t much to do except hike in the summer or ski in the winter. There are few roads and like any area with more winter than summer, road work has to be crammed into those few warm, storm free months. Getting anywhere required patience. The road construction had traffic tangled from just about every direction. 

Lake Dillon 2022

 

Wildlife

Friends who had been to Colorado told me about the abundant wildlife but I didn’t see much of it. Spotted the Moose family a couple of afternoons and there was a beaver lodge. After watching for the little rodents at various times without success I finally concluded the lodge was abandoned. The big horn sheep were no where to be found although I did see one deer and one pronghorn.  The most exciting moment was spotting that big white bird. (I still think it was a whooping crane) I love a mystery and think it would be great if whooping cranes were making their way back to Colorado. 

Colorado Moose 2022

I was warned about bear in the area, not sure if they were grizzly or black bears but I didn’t see any. The dumpsters were always chained shut to keep the animals out of the trash. 

Maybe the lack of wildlife was due to the heat. Temps were in the mid 80’s most days. I was told to expect low 70’s so that could have had the animals looking for shade.

What I missed

Colorado is now checked off my list of states that I’ve gone for vacation but I’m not done with the state yet. It’s huge and now that I know driving in the summer is not a viable option ( unless you like traffic jams)  I’ll need to consider short visits in different areas. 

Breckenridge Gondola 2022

I wasn’t able to get the web site for Rocky Mountain National Park to work. You have to have a reservation now to get in and you have to do it online so I still want to go there. Great Sand Dunes National Park was too far from Breckenridge so I will need a return trip for that. Heading to the south western corner of the state is the Durango and Silverton railroad. That’s a train ride I really want to take. Finally there is Mesa Verde National Park also in the southwestern part of the state.

Back near Denver a side trip to Colorado Springs will let me experience riding the Cog railway up Pike’s Peak. Then take time to visit Garden of the Gods. So much still to see!

So you see I’ve only just scratched the surface of what this state has to offer. 

 

Georgetown Loop Railroad

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Historic Railroad

Can you hear that lonesome whistle? 

After seeing the Steam engine puffing by with black smoke billowing from its stack I knew I’d be riding the Georgetown Loop Railroad. 

I’m not a true train buff but there is just something about a steam engine that stirs the heart.

Georgetown Loop Railroad

The Georgetown Loop Railroad was completed in 1884. It was built to connect the mining towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume. The builders planned out a corkscrew route to make the grade between the towns more manageable for the steam engine. Although the towns are only 2 miles apart, the loop is twice that distance and crosses 4 bridges.

 

On this bright and sunny summer day all of the cars were open air. 

Devil’s Gate Station

 I was waiting at the Silver Plume Depot to pick up my tickets for the 11:25 train. There are restrooms, benches and tables and a nice friendly atmosphere. I should have known that was too easy. I was at the wrong depot. My departure point was the Devil’s Gate Station. Devil’s Gate was completely different!

The parking area at Devil’s Gate was huge and full. Walking down the steps from the parking to the depot area was like entering a beehive. Lines were everywhere. Lines to get into the gift shop, lines to pick up tickets, lines for the restrooms and lines to board and exit the train. Tour busses unloaded their passengers and guides called out instructions to their charges. The contrast to Silver Plume Depot was startling. 

 

All Aboard

 Our conductor had the perfect voice for the All-Aboard call and in spite of the noise and confusion boarding was quick and efficient. In no time at all the whistle blew 3 short toots and the train pulled out with a jerk. Everyone was warned that it wouldn’t be a smooth start and to keep hands and children inside the cars.

This was Big Horn Sheep country, and I kept my eyes open for possible sightings, but the only wildlife out today was a deer getting lunch in some low brouse.

My favorite parts of the trip were the creek crossings. My seat allowed me to watch the engine as it started across the trestle bridges. 

A Perfect Day for a Train Ride

All in all, it was a perfect day for a train ride. It was sunny and warm with a lovely breeze. I even got a bit of a sunburn.

Everything about the depot was clean and welcoming. The staff were fun and friendly. I’m really glad I took the time to explore this area and enjoy this train excursion. Maybe I’ll get to see the Big Horn Sheep another time.

 

 

 

Altitude Sickness?

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Is It Really Altitude Sickness???

Altitude Sickness is the real deal! My first day (not counting travel day) and unlike my usual go go go self, my go go has gone gone. I’m headachy and tired in spite of going to bed at 5 pm yesterday. I dragged myself out of bed for a shower and went in search of breakfast. The restaurant in the lodge is only open for the Happy Hour and the dinner crowd.  Maybe I’m just hungry.

Wendy’s Again

I drove through downtown Breckenridge but didn’t see any open restaurants. I retraced my steps from the drive in and located another Wendy’s. A bacon, egg and cheese biscuit later and I still didn’t feel any better.  Maybe I did have a touch of Altitude Sickness. The little convenience store next to Wendy’s was advertising oxygen so maybe this is common for us sea level types.

City Market

I don’t want to have to search for breakfast every day, so I stopped at City Market in Downtown Breckenridge to pick up some basics. I made sure to get a 12 pack of bottled water while I was at it. Then I returned to the condo and went back to bed.

Bullwinkle

When I finally started moving again around 1:30 it was still hard to catch my breath, but the headache was subsiding. I decided to drive down to check out the gondola. It goes right over the road when it swings up the mountain. I plan to ride it before I leave but I’m waiting for my system to acclimate before I add another 2000 ft to my altitude. I never got there.

As I rounded a corner, I saw a couple of cars pulled over and the occupants trying to cross the road.  Being the nosey type and having seen this behavior before I pulled over too. Sure enough, this was sure to be the start of a critter jam. There were moose in the field and not just one. At least 2 males with impressive antlers, one juvenile male and a female. Of course, I didn’t have the camera with me. Just my ancient cell phone.

Seeing those moose was the best boost I could have gotten.  You can be sure that my good camera & lens will be in the car the rest of the week!

Raining Fire

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I’ve seen it rainin’ fire in the sky

To all the John Denver Fans out there, I have now experienced the “Raining Fire in the Sky”.

Turns out I was really close to Breckenridge when I stopped for my lunch at Wendy’s. As I poked along through the construction traffic the sky opened up with a tremendous BANG! Rain came down in a deluge, but the most amazing part was the lightening! I could see the lightning strikes hitting the mountains. 

It wasn’t like on the east coast with flashes followed by rumbles and grumbles of thunder. No this was Thor on a rampage. Lightning bolts rained down and the thunder cracked. The storm was intense. In Boston it would have had folks pulling off to the side of the road but here it was just business as usual!

The Lodge by the Blue

It was during a lull in this storm that I spotted my goal, the Lodge by the Blue. The rain didn’t let up for long, so I waited out the worst of it in my car.  Check in isn’t until 4 pm but I gave it a shot even though it was only 3:30. By now I had a mild headache which I chalked up to lack of sleep. the long drive and minimal food (except for the Wendy’s stop). It never occurred to me that I might have some mild altitude sickness. 

As I checked in my host pointed out that I was now at 10,000 feet. Another guest who lives in Colorado offered to help me with my bags as I was on the 3rd floor (no elevator) and he felt strongly that I probably was suffering from the altitude. 

Dragging those suitcases upstairs did seem awfully hard and I was out of breath by the time I got my door unlocked. I did notice my hand was shaking so I just bailed for the bed. No dinner for me tonight, just sleep.

The Lodge By The Blue

Travel with an Adventure Mindset

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Travel Needs an Adventure Mindset

Over my many trips and travels I’ve learned that no matter how prepared you think you are things happen. It’s much easier to work your way through them or around them or over them when you simply accept it as part of the adventure. Travel is made for Murphy’s Law– Whatever can go wrong will and at the worst possible time.

My Murphy’s Law Moment

My Murphy’s Law Moment came at baggage claim. No, they didn’t lose my luggage, but I discovered I didn’t have my car rental confirmation. That wouldn’t have been a big deal if the car rentals were in the airport. I could have gone from desk to desk to locate my car since I didn’t remember who I rented with. I’ve used Avis, Enterprise, Budget, Hertz, Payless. It’s kind of who haven’t I used. To get to the rental cars you have to catch a shuttle and you have to know which vendor’s shuttle to take.

I found myself a bench, nothing is quiet at an airport but at least I could sit while I pondered. Maybe I had an email? I’d rented the car when I booked my flight, maybe there was something on Delta’s website with my trip itinerary. I began scrolling through emails without success. Then I tried the Delta Skymiles site. At first, I didn’t have any luck there either but then I spotted a notation in tiny print- for help call Alamo.

I grabbed the next Alamo Shuttle and sure enough, they had the reservation.  They put me in a little hybrid SUV that cost more than a week’s pay but promised to save me money on gas. The attendant gave me some rough directions and assured me that Colorado drivers were not like Boston drivers. They are “very forgiving”. 

Breckenridge Here I Come

The drive to Breckenridge is only about 100 miles. Not a lot of different roads so the directions were pretty easy to remember but like most areas with seasonal weather we weren’t in summer. We were in road construction season. Traffic rivaled Boston for starts and stops and slowdowns. There wasn’t much to look at even if I dared to steal a peak at the scenery. The Rocky Mountains were covered in haze, so they didn’t stand out much. My first thought was that the Grand Tetons, Wyoming, made a bigger first impression.

There were lots of signs for Colorado Springs. Then came the signs for Steamboat Springs and I saw an entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.

The road took me down a long grade into a little narrow valley where the skies opened up in a deluge. Once out of the valley the sun came out and I spotted a sign for Big Horn Sheep viewing. As tempting as it was to explore a little, I was more anxious to find Breckenridge and my resort. 

Are we there yet?

When I saw a Wendy’s at the intersection of RT 70 and RT 9 I decided it was time to take a break. This Wendy’s was very busy, but the restroom was clean. Even with a load of teenagers in line the service was quick. I had no idea how much further I had to go but I’d already taken far more time than expected because of the traffic. Time to get back on the road.