That's a wrap

 No, we are not home but we are back in Texas. It has been an epic journey covering 6770 miles so far, plus another 800 to get home. Some 138 days on the road to this point. We checked off a long list of national parks and mouments that I have shared with you.

 Speaking of sharing, or trying to share with you. So many time we found ourselves with no or limited data connectivity. That mad trying to update this blog with interesting items extremely difficult and personally frustrating. I was not able to share all that I wanted to and try and stay current.

 The route driven looks something like this LINK TO MAP. If you start in the valley and follow it clockwise it gives a good representation of our trip. In this case I added PLANNED stops on our way south in Texas. Previous to this it only showed those driven. On the left side list the names of the places we have spent the night.

 Rest assured that for the rest of my life, as I sit with my hands around a glass of scotch or bourbon, I will have plenty to remember and relive. A lot of the past 4 plus months I shared with you, a lot I did not.

 Some beautiful things and places to see in America. We will probably go east next year. But to be honest once past Virginia or maybe Pennsylvania my desire drops off quickly. So next year will probably be shorter, both distance and time wise.

 That brings me to the next issue. I learned how to do a blog to help Rhonda document Dan's fight against cancer. Dan has been gone 2 years, I think it is time for this blog to go as well. It will stay on the web but no future contributions. Maybe in 7-8 months I will feel different, maybe not.

 I hope you found something useful or at least entertaining in these 4 years.If not accept my apologies. I tried, I really did.


Try and enjoy life...


Goodbye

A morning at the beach

 After starting off the morning at 38 degrees we went over to the National Park. Even though it is a valley, said valley sets at 8000ft in elevation. The sand was blown off a dry lake bed and trapped by the mountains. Highest sand dunes you are ever likely to see. The sand is very fine and not coarse at all, like the sugar sand on Emerald coast of Florida, just a darker color.

use the people as a frame of reference for height

 Just another national park we have checked off our list. Of course Maggie got a magnet!


"...gather ye rosebuds while ye may..."

It's all happening at the zoo...

 We decided a trip to the zoo was in order, had not been in decades. The Cheyenne mountain zoo was close by as you might expect. We enjoyed walking around looking at the animals and interacting with the people. It was started by a couple named Penrose. Made his money up in Cripplecreek and became quite wealthy. Their foundation carries on today.

 Your ticket to the zoo also got you access to the Will Rogers shrine to the sun. I had never heard of it before although it was built in the 1930's. Sits high up on the side of the mountain.

 A couple of links to tell you more.

LINK to shrine and zoo

LINK to foundation


 The Penrose's and another couple are buried in the bottom of the shrine.


 Tonight we are at 7456ft in elevation, forecasted low tonight is 38. Brr...


frosty rosebuds...

Gorge and Phantom Canyon revisited

 Sometime back in the 1990's as best we can recall, Mary and I flew up on a long weekend and visited this area. It was on that same weekend we visited the Academy.

 Royal Gorge bridge was built as a tourist attraction years ago. On our visit back in the 90's we walked across the bridge and played tourist. When we arrived today we were a bit surprised to see the pricing, $27 per person! No thank you. Took a couple of free pictures instead.

 We were fortunate in that apparently a vintage Porsche club was there. Several nice cars in the lot.

 Part of our memories of that trip was a journey up phantom canyon road. A narrow, twisty, gravel road between Canon city and Victor. We learned today it was the route of a narrow gauge railroad to haul gold ore. Mary wanted to conquer her demons so we drove it again.

these signs did not exist on our first trip up the canyon

I told you narrow, remember two way traffic

classifies as a blind corner

 The drive took us up to the Victor/Cripple creek area. These are two old mining towns from the 1890's. They have resumed mining gold around Victor but doing it via open pit, not hard rock shafts as before. Back in 1991 Colorado passed legislation to allow limited gambling in Cripple Creek Blackhawk and Central City.( Blackhawk and Central City are up north of I70 west of Denver). At any rate this created a boom for the area that did not last. Cripple Creek was mostly closed up small casinos much like we found in Deadwood. Since our last visit they have build a very nice heritage center.

 It was a very nice drive in the high country. Tomorrow is our last full day here and we plan to visit the Olympic training facilities. The neighborhood back home is flooded due to heavy rains. More forecasted and possible tropical storm coming. Not worried about the house but all of these things may affect our timeline.


carpe diem

Well damn

 As you should know we are headed home. Current plans have us home by the 21st. Might be a change in plans upcoming.

 The area where our winter home is has already had heavy rain and is flooded

 Our home is safe for the time being but neighbors affected. Now let's add the forecast to the mix.

 Well that starts to paint a difficult situation. Like I said before our area is already flooded. It flooded in June this year as well. Hmm...

 Now to add to the potential misery let us take a look farther south...

 Well damn...

 September 18 and 19 we will be in Kerrville in the hill country. Might just hold up there depending on how things look.


 I told you we were near NORAD base. What I did not tell you was downhill from us is Fort Carson, an active Army base. Every morning at 6:30am they play Reville on the loud speaker, every night Taps is played at 10pm. We can hear it very clearly. We're in the Army now, we're not behind a plow...


seize the day my friends

USAFA

 Before we explain USAFA a little more information on Cheyenne Mountain. You probably think I am pulling your leg...

LINK to Cheyenne Mountain

 Told you so!

 We have visited the Academy before but will be back again I am sure. Nothing I like more than the Chapel set against the foothills. If you have never visited, you should.

 We also toured Garden of the Gods. It shows off red rock formations that i am willing to bet are the same strata as those in Sedona or Las Vegas.


Off to Royal Gorge and other sites tomorrow.



carpe diem

Cheyenne and Cheyenne

 I believe we left you walking westward on the Oregon trail. A noble thing to do but not really going where we needed to go.

 It was a short, easy drive down 71 to 80 then west to Cheyenne Wyoming. Yep back to Wyoming for a couple of days. Cheyenne is the capital of Wyoming, you knew that right? i did not but I digress. Cheyenne is home to Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo, the "daddy of them all". Frontier days had come and gone but we did tour the museum. Mainly all things rodeo but that was fine for us. The little nightly rodeo in Cody had wet our whistle. Where the nightly rodeo was mainly young people, Cheyenne Frontier days is the major leagues. May try to return during Frontier days, might be fun.

 The "other" Cheyenne. Think of the movies "War Games" or "Stargate". Confused? How about NORAD? Cheyenne mountain is the location referred to in both those movies and and was the headquarters of NORAD. We are camped on the side of the mountain outside Colorado Springs. Just a short distance from where we are is the entrance to the mountain, after you go thru 25 ton nuclear bomb blast proof doors. Inside is a lot of stuff, including 3 story tall buildings. If it is anything like the missile silo we toured everything is supported on massive springs. That makes them impervious to earthquakes or ground tremors from blast.

 We will be here 4 days touring the Air Force academy among other places. We toured the Academy 20 plus years ago. I love the cadet's chapel, a beautiful place set against back drop of the foot hills.


LINK to travel map

 Fairly clear we are south bound. In looking forward I came across one of those oddities for Texas. I believe it was Rapid City I was using as starting point. It was closer Rapid City SD to Amarillo TX than Amarillo Tx to Edinburg TX. That can be discouraging.

 Should have pictures to share tomorrow


sitting at 6419 ft with a beautiful view across the plains to the east.


in Colorado, like Oregon and Washington, have to be careful what type "buds" i collect. You can get high in the high country...