Ok, this is going to be a short post, because I really don’t understand why this is even a thing, and why people would go to see this thing. Since the route I wanted to take through western Texas and into Oklahoma followed the route of Historic Route 66, I decided to spend some time driving that road, instead of taking the main highways. It’s mainly made up of scenic by-roads, and really does seem to be a charming and relaxing way…
I camped at the foot of Pikes Peak in Colorado, at a place called Manitou Springs. Nearby was a cliff dwelling site that was a bit different than historical places I’ve visited before. Although much of the Anasazi dwellings themselves are original, the 40 rooms have been relocated from their original site in McElmo Canyon in southwest Colorado in order to preserve and protect them. So instead of asking people not to touch the walls, kids and adults are encouraged to climb over…
Pikes Peak is the highest mountain in the southern front range of the Rocky Mountains, and home to the second oldest auto race in the US, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (http://www.ppihc.com/). When I find a landmark like that in my path, I don’t ignore it! But having just barely recovered from the trauma of driving up Mount Washington in New Hampshire, I did ask the person at the gate if the road was wide enough for two cars at all…
When I think of Colorado, of course I think of the Rocky Mountains, and I wanted to spend some time getting immersed in them before I moved on to another state. So instead of travelling directly east to Denver, I turned a bit north to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. My good weather luck continued, and it was a stunning day. The snowy mountain tops looked crystalline and pristine in the distance as I passed Lake Granby. And of course,…
When I visited the Gila Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico, I met a wonderful couple who were also there on vacation, and we hit it off immediately. You know how sometimes you meet people and you’re instantly comfortable with them, you seem to already have the same opinions about things, and even the flow of your conversation is comfortable? That’s how I felt about Sheila and Stanley. So when they gave me their contact information and invited me to visit…