Happy Birthday Balboa

 

3 years old today. How time flies

We support adopting rescue pets  The Greater Good Site- Click to give 

Did you know me then!

A poem to the those that gave all on December 7, 1941

50 State Challenge

I’m not sure when I first thought of trying to visit all 50 states. Once I started doing some traveling I thought it might be nice to set a goal. I was returning to the same places year after year and the US is such a big country. I wanted to be able to say I’d seen it from Sea to Shining Sea! If I’ve learned anything so far it’s that one vacation in most states isn’t enough to even scratch the surface.

The other thing I’ve learned is that every destination can surprise you. When my sister and I went to South Dakota everyone asked me what was there besides Mount Rushmore. I didn’t know but once we arrived we found plenty to do from exploring the Bad Lands National Park to visiting a Dinosaur Dig! We did so many amazing things. It is still one of my favorite vacation memories.

Update on my Quest

As of this moment, September 2022, I’ve visited 30 of the 50 states. More than halfway through. I still need to visit

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Mexico
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Utah
• West Virginia

Not Alone

While researching locations for my next trip I ran across a blog called Smart Mouse Travel. The blog is about family travel and the 50 sate challenge they are trying to meet. They set a time limit. The goal is by 2027 and they are slightly ahead of me. They’ve visited 32 states to my 30. I blame Covid for that as I didn’t do any traveling in the 2 years we were locked down. 

Can you believe that the average American only visits 12 states in their lifetime? That’s according to a 2016 poll. Even before I caught the travel bug I would have expected more from my fellow Americans but I am getting off track.

What Makes a Visit to A state Count?

Their only rule for recording a visit to a state is they must do something noteworthy in the state. That means flying into an airport and driving without a tourist stop or having a layover in a new state does not count toward the goal. My self imposed rule was similar and I’ve met that requirement on every state I’ve counted on my list. I’ve stayed long enough to try to find something interesting to do and then done it. 

So where to next?

You can see the list and I’m researching the remaining states. Would love suggestions! I need to get that map filled in. Too much white space!

Sunday, Day 3

What do I want to do on a Sunday in Breckenridge? That was the question. As I headed out, I stepped into a warm sunny day that was crystal clear with a sky so blue it hurt the eyes! My first stop was to get a picture of the gondolas. I plan to take them to the top of the mountain before I leave but I like the way they look as the cross above the road, so I stopped for a few pictures. 

Gondola photos done I headed for East Route 70 to find the wildlife viewing area I’d seen a sign for on Friday.

Wildlife Viewing Area

I remembered seeing a road sign for wildlife viewing, specifically big horn sheep. Since my accidental Moose sighting yesterday, I thought maybe my luck would hold. 

The Exit number was 228 and took me off the highway at Georgetown. I tried the visitor center first, but it was so packed I couldn’t even find parking, so I poked along toward the center of town watching for more signs. I spotted two of interest. One was for the Georgetown Loop railroad, and another was for Guanella Pass. I figured the wildlife viewing was probably along the pass.

Guanella Pass- A Scenic Byway

A former burro trail, the now-paved Guanella Pass scenic byway is 22 miles and climbs to timberline, taking in spectacular views of Mount Bierstadt, Mount Evans and the alpine tundra before descending into cool groves of aspen and pine. 

The road twists and turns through a series of hairpin and U-turns with minimal shoulders. Posted speed limits of 10 mph on these curves is common as is rounding a corner to a magnificent vista spread out before you. Of course, finding anyplace to pull over to enjoy the view is a challenge!

This is not the most difficult road I have ever driven but it does present challenges and can get the heart pumping and adrenaline surging.  Thankfully no Big Horn Sheep, elk or deer decided to cross the road in front of me. 

The Scenic Look out

Early on at the start of the pass there was one scenic turn out. I had the good luck to be there when the Georgetown Loop train went by, black smoke billowing out of the engine’s stack. I think I may have to see about taking that train ride now that I’ve seen the train.

The Summit

The summit was packed, cars campers, motorcycles and bicyclists. There were lots of trails leading in all directions and hikers and walkers roamed everywhere.  I managed to snag a spot to park and indulged in a few landscape photos. After all, I was on top of the world here. Before I pulled out to start my downward trip, I debated if I should go back down the way I came and return to Georgetown or continue down the other side of the mountain.

Although I had no idea where I would come out when I reached the other side, I decided I didn’t have any place I needed to be, so I’d just continue to explore.  Going down was easier than the climb had been. There were fewer of those incredibly sharp turns, but the views were no less amazing.

No wildlife this time but the week is only getting started.

The Bathroom is Done

Everything is in place. The last step was the vanity top. Because it was custom made it took the longest to get done but now it’s in. I even ended up with new fixtures when the holes for the faucet were drilled at 8 inches instead of 4 inches. But it was worth it. Ceiling, vent fan and light, walls. floor, cabinets and vanity! I’m soooo happy! Even Balboa & Banner have added their stamps of Approval.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Last Straw

I wasn’t allowed to enjoy my new and improved bathroom for long. That leak no one could see- well it’s back. I got off work yesterday and headed to the bathroom before I planned to feed the cats and get settled for the evening and I heard this plink, plink. plink. I though maybe someone was working on a bathroom in another unit but then a drop hit me in the head! The plink was water dripping on the top of the metal waste basket! I grabbed towels and quickly wiped up the floor where I now saw a puddle of water. Then I put a Tupperware container under the drip to catch the water. It was running down from the vent fan at a pretty good clip.

My next step was to call the HOA maintenance man. He called the unit owner above me and he came down to look right away. This time no one could say it was my imagination. Once I had the unit owners agreement to pay for damages I sent a text to my contractor. He’ll be out to look over the damage on Wednesday. I can’t believe I had the bathroom less than 2 weeks and got another leak! Stay tuned for more adventures of remodeling in a condo!