Rocky Mountains Archives

Natural Wonders of the USA

So sorry I missed a couple of posts this week. We’ll get back on track with more Natural Wonders from the list today. Wednesday was my birthday. How old am I? Never ask a lady her age! Then the last docs for my taxes came in so I spent the rest of the time getting everything together for my tax guy. He’ll have fun this year…there was a severance payout, unemployment, and a cash out of my 401K all because of the layoff. He’ll earn his fee this year.

But lets get back to the fun things. We are winding down on the Natural Wonders of the USA. In my last post we reached #41 that was South Carolina and Congaree National Park. 9 more to go to make our 50 Wonders. So what’s next?

#42 Minnesota – Big Bog State Recreation Area

That sounds real inviting. What do you want to do for vacation? Lets go visit a big swamp but not the Everglades. Lets go north to the Big Bog! Big Bog has only been a designated area since 2002 so it’s kind of young. The area is comprised of wetlands with jackpine forests, nearby lakes and of course a big bog. The bog is about 500 square miles. There are approximately 300 species of birds, white-tailed deer, black bears, gray wolves and other animals. They don’t mention mosquitos but saying bog brings stinging insects to mind. Big Bog State Recreation Area has been called Minnesota’s last true wilderness.

The mystery of Big Bog | Columnists | ellsworthamerican.com

Photo Credit- Internet

#43 Colorado – Rocky Mountains

Oh my, The Rocky Mountains – Colorado. Been there. I stayed in the heart of the mountains in Breckenridge but I never got into the National Park. Admission to the park is by reservation and has to be booked in advance online. I tried everyday to get a reservation and was never able to get one. I asked locals about it and they said the reservation system never worked right. It was very disappointing. But this is what I know about the Rocky Mountains. John Denver sang wonderful songs about them. They take your breath away- literally- Beware of altitude sickness! The are beautiful and majestic. The Rocky Mountains are the biggest mountain range in the western United States. They stretch approximately 3,000 miles from northern part of British Columbia, all the way to New Mexico.

Colorado 2022 – Photo Credit Deb Neumann

Rocky Mountains 2022- Photo Credit Deb Neumann

#44 – Wisconsin – Cave of the Mounds

I’ve been to Wisconsin but I was there for my brother’s retirement from the Navy. The ceremony was in Kenosha. It was a quick trip and I don’t remember much about the state. I definitely didn’t see the Cave of the Mounds. How many cave systems have we seen so far under Natural Wonders? What’s one more? This looks really pretty. This limestone cave is believed to have started forming around 488 million years ago when the earth was covered in shallow seas

Cave of the Mounds | Cave of the Mounds, Dane County, Wiscon… | Peter Gorman | Flickr

Photo credit- Peter Gorman/Flickr

Well folks, that’s it for this post. Only 6 more states to check out. Back soon!

Breckenridge, Colorado

I’m going to take a quick look at each of the resorts/locations on my timeshare list for Colorado. I want to see if anything jumps out at me. So starting at the top of the list we have Breckenridge.

According to google Breckenridge, Colorado is a town at the base of the Rocky Mountains’ Tenmile Range. It’s known for its ski resort, year-round alpine activities and Gold Rush history. The Victorian core of this former mining town is preserved as the Breckenridge National Historic District, running primarily along Main Street, with colorfully painted buildings from the 1880s and ’90s housing shops, galleries and restaurants.

Breckenridge is 80 miles from Denver so close enough for a day trip.

What to do in Breckenridge

I googled the top 15 things to do in Breckenridge to see if I should keep this on my possible list or eliminate it. It looks like there are a lot of hiking and mountain trails. You ca go rafting down the Colorado River and there are some small museums including a Sawmill and Narrow Gauge Train Museum. You can take a few driving tours to see the sights but I think I’d rather drive myself. I imagine mountain roads can get kind of twisty and that could cause motion sickness. Obviously this is a beautiful area and in winter it’s a ski resort. I’m just not sure it’s what I’m looking for.

The 10 Mile Range

The 10 mile range of the Rocky Mountains that tower over Breckenridge is part of the Mosquito Range. The Mosquito and 10 miles range are split by the Continental Divide.

By David Herrera from Albuquerque, NM, Bernalillo – Mount Democrat, Mount Bross & Quandary PeakUploaded by PDTillman, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11540246

Interesting note, Pacific Tarn is the highest named lake in the United States and it can be found in the 10 Mile Range.

Wish I were 20 years younger

Oh I wish I were younger! I used to love hiking and exploring but my legs and knees just don’t hold up any more. I have to find vacation locations that are a little less strenuous.

Taking a rafting trip is a possibility although I worry about my camera taking a dunking. It barely survived a good dousing in Hawaii!

So is Breckenridge a keeper?

For all you ski folks and active “youngsters” this might be a good trip. I think it may be a bit much for my old bones.

One thing that I do like is that it’s only a day trip to Denver if I wanted to explore there. I think I’ll put Breckenridge on the back burner and continue exploring my list.