070727- Colorado

Friday, July 20, 2007
the weather this week has been entertaining. The mornings are always bright and sunny and a great sight to wake up to. The afternoons have been overcast with large dark gray clouds pushing the big white fluffy ones out of the way. Then the wind picks up, and gives us the sensation of being on sailboat in a good wind. Actually kind of invigorating. The anticipation of rain finally ends in a light sprinkle, which doesn’t even stop people from walking the grounds.

Wednesday July 25, 2007

We have finally gotten our courage up to leave this lovely place and move on. Our last evening meal was a potluck dinner (everyone brings a different dish) and we all share. Peter and I were invited to dinner even though we didn’t cook anything (Peter has influence and friends in high places here), and there was an abundance of delicious items.

Broiled salmon, Shepard’s pie, delicious chicken and the hit was a buffalo meatloaf. Salad, side dishes, and home made cookies and cupcakes for desert. Quite a meal.

We had a terrific time here at Blue Mesa in Gunnison, and met some very nice people. The staff, volunteers, and guests were all very kind and helpful and we were grateful. Especially Bert and Anita.

Before setting the Beast in motion, we did our usual pre-flight checklist and perfunctory duties.
A walk thru and visual inspection from back to front of the interior to make sure all compartments, doors, drawers and equipment are secure. This is especially important for the refrigerator and freezer door. We did have an incident once when it was not closed with a reassuring “click” and we had a mess to clean up.

Once in the pilot’s seat, we check our mirrors to make sure our retractable step is in, and our outside assist bar is folded flat. We log in the time of departure, the inside temperature, our gas gauge and altitude reading …. turn on our dependable GPS, find a clear radio station to listen to, plug our hands free earphone into our cell phone, and take one last look at the map. We are going about 120 miles to Canon City and expect to arrive in about 3 hours. (peter likes to stop at the rest stops to check his P and Tree mail).


I know what you are thinking – this guy is really efficient. Well mon ami, we made one slight error. We calculated the distance, but neglected to take into account the height of the mountain. We started at about 8,000 feet elevation, but we had not yet crossed the Continental Divide. On previous trips we had crossed the “Divide” unceremoniously, depending on which state we were in. However, this time it was the highest we have ever encountered, and it made its presence know quite dramatically. The pinnacle was at Monarch Crest, and after hours of slow but steady climbing, sometimes at 35 MPH, we had reached 11,300 feet.
Of course there was a souvenir shop there.

Needless to say, the climb and the crest were a sight to behold. The amazing realization, that regardless of how high we were, all around us were mountain peaks high above us, some with permanent snow and ice caps.

The remainder of the day was literally “downhill”, but from out last experience, we did not race down riding the brakes. We took it slow and let our engine control our decent at a safe speed.

With most of our day and our plans gone, we stopped for an early dinner and found a friendly Wal-Mart to overnight at.


Thursday, July 26, 2007

The plan for the day … take a train ride thru Royal Gorge. We arrived at the station, and opted for the gourmet lunch. We had to be lifted on an elevator device into the train car since the stairs were too differcult to climb.
The dining car was quite attractive and elegant, and a far cry from the barren and basic dining car of Amtrak which we experienced on a previous trip to San Francisco.

Our route was a slow, winding excursion along the Arkansas River, thru the Royal Gorge, and under the Royal Gorge Bridge, which is the highest suspension bridge in the world. As we meandered along at a pace of 12 MPH, we were treated to the handiwork of nature as well as a constant parade of river rafters negotiating the river and her rapids.

The dinner was a terrific serving of Oso Buco, and an outrageous dark chocolate cake for desert. Of course Peter shared the meal with me, and we got to take home the bone for his desert.

With a few hours of daylight left, we visited a nearby museum which was actually a prison in earlier times.
Each of the 30 some odd cells were filled with memorabilia and exhibits and we used a pre-recorded audio tour to navigate.

Peter did not seem anxious to enter the cells. I think it may have reminded him of his previous incarceration at the shelter.

With our brain, imagination, and belly well fed, we returned to Wal-Mart for quiet evening “at home”.
Oh yes, Peter did really enjoy that bone.

Till next time,