|
Northern Colorado ☼ Eastern Utah ☼ Southern Colorado ☼ Journal (text only)
COLORADO SOJOURN
September 7-26, 2006
Sept. 7-11 Ruth Marie and Jimmy Lyons, Boulder, CO
What a perfect start to our trip … not only did we get to spend some high-quality time with our good friends the Lyons, we dined magnificently and enjoyed great tours by “insiders.” It also gave us a chance to adjust to the mile-high altitude from our sea-level home in Florida. Ruth Marie’s fab recipes for Chocolate Zucchini Cake and Tomato Tart will soon be on our web site. Plus they had scoped out some wonderful restaurants.
Ruth Marie, true to form, had mapped out a wonderful itinerary for stay, knowing just what we enjoy. In spite of drizzly weather we got most of it in, including seeing some incredible wildlife.
The first morning we were there, we were off early for a tour of the Celestial Seasonings herbal tea factory, which has grown from a one-man operation in the ‘60s when Moe Siegel went off in the mountains to search out herbs which he packaged and sold. It smelled fabulous. Then on to the Leaning Tree Museum of Western Art, another one-man effort originally. Great bargains on the popular Leaning Tree greeting cards.
The next day the Denver Museum of Nature and Science gave us a real insight into the anthropology, flora and fauna and minerals of the area. On the following days, we saw the stunning landscape and wildlife (elk, mountain goats, marmots, etc.) close up on drives in the surrounding area, including visits to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. There we saw a small herd of bachelor elk, banished by the bull from his harem.
Restaurants (we recommend them all) visited in Boulder area included:
Sept. 12-13 Mountain House Lodge, Aspen, CO
I wanted to visit here because of memories of a wonderful vacation at an old cabin in my tens (>50 years ago). What a disappointment. The wonderful old town, which was a skiing village even then has turned in an enclave of overpriced (like in the millions!) houses and uninviting branches of Rodeo Drive boutiques. I have to wonder where the people of Aspen buy their eggs, milk and aspirin. I understand the “locals” live mostly in nearby towns. I mean, $7 for a serving at an ice cream shop! I don’t care if it Ben & Jerry’s.
One sight not to be missed, although you may have to take a bus there from the park entrance in the summer, is the Maroon Bells, a scenic lake at the bottom of two bell-shaped mountains with a red hue.
It was here Mary got her Golden Age Passport to the nation’s parks (Jack had gotten his at Grand Canyon, but forgot it). With this lifetime pass, any citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. over 62 can enter national parks, forests, etc., free or at discounted rates.
We were able to sneak away from the après glitz to the Aspen Center for the Environmental Studies at Hallam Lake, where there were acres of real habitat.
The Mountain House Lodge was a good choice as it was only about 3 blocks from “downtown.” The staff was helpful, the room was large and clean, there was a self-laundry available and the continental breakfasts were satisfying, all at a reasonable price, at least in September. We had reserved in advance. Two caveats, most rooms are up a couple flights of stairs and the location is not as isolated as it looks on the web site.
Being off-season, we did enjoy the reduced crowds at the restaurants:
Sept. 14-15 Best Western Antlers, Glenwood Springs, Co.
We had planned to stay at Grand Junction so we’d be close to Colorado National Monument Park; however, it was the weekend of a big Colorado Wine Festival. At least big enough to fill up all the motels, etc. in the Grand Junction area. So we opted to stay at Glenwood Springs, and got reasonably priced reservations at the Best Western Antlers. It’s large and has beautiful landscaping and lobby. The rooms were typical. There was a free breakfast but it was so crowded and food was running way low, so we didn’t take advantage of it.
What a delightful area, even though we opted out of a dip in the giant hot springs pool. We walked around the historic old downtown and the second day, took a walk up the hill to see the site of the grave of Doc Holliday of OK Corral fame. Though there was a warning about mountain lions in the area, all we saw was a very friendly apparently well-fed house cat, who followed us as we wandered down the trail.
We did some picnicking here, but enjoyed a great home-cooked lunch at Juicy Lucy’s Steakhouse, an OK Mexican meal at Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant and a delicious Indian meal at Narayan’s Nepal Restaurant.
Sept. 16 Colorado National Monument
We headed out early in the morning to Colorado National Monument, part of the National Park system. While there are many trails here, we toured mostly from the road as it was quite warm. The rock formations are wonderful and were a good introduction to what was ahead. Worth a stop if you’re in the area.
One of our favorite finds on the trip was breakfast in Rifle, a farming and mining, not tourist, town. The bustling Basecamp Cafe was filled with locals and others who were getting filled with lots of good food. We loved the unpretentious atmosphere and friendly waitresses.
We wanted to see the Arches National Park, so Moab, Utah, was on our itinerary. The drive to Moab was fascinating. (Do fill up on gas here as it’s miles and miles of miles and miles.) We headed west on U.S. 70 and made the first turn off to State Road 128. We headed south through flat scrub land that apparently was the setting of many John Wayne movies. We passed the only town with a name on the map and it was several rusty trailers and an old-fashioned gas pump. We continued into glorious canyons and alongside the Colorado River, seeing more signs of population and recreation, until we reached Moab.
Sept. 16-18 Adobe Abode Bed & Breakfast, Moab, UT
I had found the ☻Adobe Abode Bed & Breakfast on the Internet months earlier and it was a great choice. It is run by Keith, who is still mourning the death about three years ago of his wife. The two had built this unusual home on the edge of Moab as a bed and breakfast and she died within a year or two of an unexpected health problem. He is trying to sell the place, so who knows where that will go. He will move to Texas to be nearer his daughter and grand-children.
We loved the quiet setting on the edge of town, next to Nature Conservancy land, and the hummingbird and other feeders. The comfortable décor is definitely “southwest” and those who object to animal skins and skulls (no heads that I recall), may find it off-putting. Keith fixes fabulous, hearty breakfasts in the open kitchen-dining area while chatting non-stop chatting, sharing lots of local color.
The guest rooms are not huge, but each has its own theme and the bathrooms are big and beautiful. Guests have the free run of the rambling, comfortable living-dining areas, including a refrigerator stocked with wine, beer and soft drinks.
In spite of (or maybe because of) our early booking, we arrived to find he had us on the wrong day. I had the email, but he readily admitted it was his mistake. Luckily it was early enough in the day that he wasn’t full. Even though it was a shoulder season, he was pretty fully booked. As a result, we stayed in the Asian room, which is separate from the others and requires going across a hallway to the bathroom. He offered to change after the first night, but it was fine and better than moving.
Our main destination in Moab was Arches National Park. Being a Sunday, it was quite crowded, but the majesty of the red rock outcroppings was undaunted.
After a rest back at the Abode, we, at Keith’s suggestion, drive a short way down the road to Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve. It was nearing dusk, but we decided to take a quick walk and saw a couple mule deer crossing a clearing. We went back the next morning, hoping for some good birdwatching. It was sparse, but we met a Welsh couple from England, who were raving about a river trip among the canyons of the Colorado and its guide.
So, we raced off to the riverside company, I think it was Canyonlands by Night, on U.S. 70, just north of SR 128. The ride on the large jet boat was a highlight of the trip. Being in-between the steep canyons on either side of the river is such a different perspective.
Restaurants visited in Moab area included:
Sept. 19-20 Four Corners and Durango -- Blue Lake Ranch, Hesperus, CO
On the way out of Moab, we stopped to visit one of those olde tyme tourist stops, Hole ‘n the Rock, which is a 5,000-square-foot home and gift shop carved out of huge red rock in the early 1900s by one man, Albert Christensen, with some help from his wife. If you like kitsch this is a must-see. There are also a petting zoo and additional gift shops and convenience store.
We’d had a long drive from Moab since we decided to go to Four Corners, which is basically the monument, a flat platform marked with the crossing state lines, and a number of stalls selling Native American crafts and souvenirs. The drive through the stark desert landscape added another dimension to our trip, esp. since I’d become a Tony Hillerman fan on this trip, thanks to Ruth Marie leaving a couple of his books by our bedside.
We had a busy time in Durango, esp. since we decided to stay at a delightful bed and breakfast about 20 miles outside town at ☻Blue Lake Ranch in Hesperus. It was dusk when we arrived, and just before finding the turn-off we saw a deer. We loved the natural setting of this B&B, and were charmed by our greeting we received and even more impressed by our lodging. It was one of 3 rooms in a “casita” in a woodland setting. The room was enormous and well-stocked with a TV and other amenities, including a small refrigerator, but not a mini-bar (which we never use anyway). There was big double bed and two lounge chairs as well as a stack of interesting reading material. We had to miss our first breakfast because of needing to make the steam train to Silverton, but the buffet the second morning was outstanding, including an enchilada casserole and lots of breads and spreads. This would be the type of place I’d love to spend a week just being in the outdoors.
The main reason we put Durango on our itinerary was so Jack could re-connect with an old working buddy from Bermuda radio days, Jim Richards. But while there we, decided to take the steam-driven Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This meant being there early, only breakfast at a fast-food place (McDonald’s) and a 3-1/2 hour ride on hard seats in a crowded “vintage” railroad car. The experience was interesting and some of the views were spectacular, but we were happy we’d opted for the faster, more comfortable optional bus ride on the way down. The driver was a hoot and we saw some great sights then, too, in spite of thickening snow flurries.
The high-altitude tourist town of Silverton studiously tried to keep it’s “old West” look. It was getting ready to close down, with all the stores claiming great sales. I did find some nice lined leather gloves, that naturally weren’t on sale. They proved handy for some of the cold days on the rest of the trip.
We arrived back at our B&B in the dark, after a wonderful dinner and nostalgic visit with Jim and his wife Jean. It included a tour of the new home they’re building which will include a model railroad set-up that will fill their huge basement.
The morning we were to leave, I awoke a bit early and decided to do a little bird-watching. What I saw was so stunning I made Jack get out of the big warm bed and come take a look. A thick covering of snow, which was already beginning to melt, had covered our cottage, the car and surrounding countryside. For two who’ve lived in Florida for over 25 years it was a wondrous sight. Even the locals were amazed that it was so early.
Restaurants visited on this leg of the trip included:
Sept. 21-22 Far View Lodge in Mesa Verde, Mesa Verde National Park, CO
We backtracked to visit Mesa Verde National Park, with its amazing cliff dwellings and other remains of ancient Native American life. We had planned our trip around the two nights we could get lodging in the park. We were glad we had, as it’s 15 miles from the entrance to the Visitors Center, and many more miles to the Museum and the habitation sites. We missed our chance to climb down into the Cliff Palace site, which requires a ticket for a ranger tour, because it was snowing and nasty when we were scheduled. We were surprised to learn the walk went in spite of the weather. Guess the hikers were heartier than we were. We did make it down to the Spruce Tree House, a self-guided tour, by the museum, which is also definitely worth seeing. After the snow stopped, we visited the Cliff Palace site, as well as others, and were surprised at how well we could view it from the upper level. If you want to get up close, it involves steep climbs on paths, and in some cases ladders. The path to the Spruce Tree House is a fairly steep path but it is well paved. One could spend a week in the park and not see it all, esp. if willing to do some hiking. Part of the park was already closed for the season by mid-September. I had expected the cliff dwellings to be a half-hour or so walk off into the desert, however, most were easily visible from the road.
The Fair View Lodge, which is the only place you can stay in the park unless you camp, has small-ish rooms, but ours was in pretty good shape, similar to a motel in a non-urban area. The delight was the porch, which had a beautiful view and overlooked a scrub area. Here we were able to watch chipmunks, rabbits and several kinds of song birds. For the price and the location, it is a decent value. We booked through AAA, which gave us a bit of break on the price, but may have limited the availability. The walls are thin, so it was a bit noisy, which is always disappointing when you’re hoping to be out in the quiet of nature.
Restaurants visited on this leg of the trip included:
Sept. 23 Alamosa (Great Sand Dunes National Monument)
On the way to Alamosa, we passed over a couple high passes in the San Juan Mountains, including Wolf Creek. It had just snowed, and the plows had just finished their work. It was breathtaking, liking driving through a Christmas card for half an hour. Mary was driving, and although the roads were good, Jack was too distracted to grab the camera and get a photo. And, of course, there were no scenic pull-offs available.
We had included the Great Sand Dunes National Monument on our trip because it is supposed to be an area where great numbers of Sandhill Cranes, which we have practically in our backyard here, and possibly some Whooping Cranes could be seen. While the dunes are fascinating, they are quite a ways off the main road and in September not a particularly good time to see birds of any kind. It was not worth the extra stop. We’d have been better to spend an extra day in Durango or Colorado Springs. We did see some white-tailed deer in our travels.
We did see some interesting birds on the lake in the practically deserted nearby San Luis State Park. Part of the park was barricaded and the call of the Sandhills was heard from there.
Alamosa is in the middle of a farming area, which was an interesting change. It’s a typical small farming town, so we stayed at the Best Western Alamosa and ate supper at a nearby Arby’s. We had had lunch at the non-exciting True Grit Steakhouse on the eastern side of town.
Sept. 24-25 Red Crags, Manitou Springs, CO
As the trip wore down, it was time to shop, but only after we’d made the trip up to Pike’s Peak on the Cog Railway. Since Jack was a newly naturalized citizen, it was fitting that he saw the fabulous views that inspired “America the Beautiful.” The trip was shorter than in Durango, and the view was worth it. There’s also a nice gift shop and small cafeteria at top. The peak was covered in snow and the road to it was closed, so only those on the two-car train were there.
We had time to also tour the large city park, Garden of the Gods, a beautiful mini-version of what we’d seen in Moab. The lunch room at the Visitor’s Center is a very basic sandwich and soup cafeteria and was somewhat disappointing, but the Trading Post at the southern entrance was the best collection of souvenirs and Colorado products we saw on the trip.
We had reserved at the Red Crags Bed & Breakfast, which was almost empty in September. It is a big, old very Victorian house, which has loads of character, but also that old, dusty feel. Great for healthy older travelers like us or younger romantics. The room (Cherub) was huge and very clean and comfortable. So much so, we opted to take our complimentary wine there to have with some crackers and cheese for supper.
Restaurants visited on this leg of the trip included:
Northern Colorado ☼ Eastern Utah ☼ Southern Colorado ☼ Journal (text only)
|