Colorado

Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore! The drive from Kansas to Colorado was easy and with beautiful scenery. The elevation continued to rise. Colby is about 3200 feet and we passed over altitudes of more than 5900 feet. We were surprised that the high plains seemed to go on forever, and the view changed little. We kept expecting to see mountains in the distance, but they never appeared until we were almost to our destination some 190 miles inside Colorado.

We made our first stop in Colorado at a Welcome Center/Rest Area in Burlington. We had driven for some two hours, so it was time for our customary break. We discovered that next door to the Rest Area was “Old Town” a section of old buildings from the past filled with artifacts of the period. A Bank, Drug Store, Blacksmith Shop, Law Office, Church and many others, some 21 buildings in all along with outside exhibits of period farm equipment and modes of transportation. We arrived at the Rest Area about 8:40 AM and the Old Town didn’t open until 9;00 AM. We decided to wait and tour it. We enjoyed two hours of discovery and reminiscence. You see a picture here of Everett behind the counter of the drug store soda fountain re-enacting his teenage years as a ’Soda Jerk”.

We arrived at our destination at Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora in early afternoon. As we pulled up to the entry gate at the park we saw signs saying, “Campground full.” “Reservations only.” Fortunately we had made reservations, but we were not prepared for the next bit of information we received. We told the gate attendant that we were staying for 13 nights. She said, “There is an eight dollar parking fee per day for your vehicle. That will be $104.” “What! You have to be kidding!” “Yes, the parking fee is separate from the campground and you have to pay eight dollars for everyday you are in the Park. You can pay by the day and buy each day from the Camp Host, if you like, or pay it all now. What would you like to do?” We had no idea that there was such a fee. “Give me one night,” I said, and handed her eight bucks.

We have to make other plans. We are accustomed to park fees for daily entrance, but usually it is only a one time fee equal to one day’s entry for the whole time that one camps. We drove on into the Park and found our campsite, a nice pull-thru with a concrete pad and full hook-ups (water, electric and sewer). The sites were placed well apart and very nice. The camping fee was reasonable. But the parking fee!? This will take some planning. I had no intention of paying $8 a day for parking my truck at the campsite.

After we set up the trailer and got settled in, I made a phone call to my sister, Carolyn Myers, who lives in Aurora, and let her know we had arrived. To visit with her was the whole reason for the rush to Colorado to get here before the snow flies. I related our parking charge situation and she had a solution. She would lend us her car to go in and out since she had a yearly pass sticker. Great! We have been parking our truck at her house and either she would drop us off at the trailer and would pick us up the next day, or we would keep her car over night and drive it back when she needed it.

We have enjoyed family visits, just “hanging out” and visiting some of the interesting sights in the area. We took a day trip to Leadville, CO. West on I-70 from Denver, then before getting to Vale, go south on US 91. The trip was 128 miles each way but well worth it. Leadville is an old mining town from the 1800’s with a lot of history. A picture of a church with the mountains as a back-drop is above. It is typical of the street scenes. We took in the History of Mining Museum and then took the train ride up the mountain. A three hour round-trip. We rose from 10,200 feet at the Leadville Depot to 11,100 feet near an old mine.

We got on the train early. Boarding began at 12:30 and we were to leave at 1:00 PM. We were a little late leaving, waiting on some latecomers. A large tour bus from Montana unloaded a group of Seniors. They were not the late ones. When the train started up the mountain, I noticed one lady on the opposite side sleeping and one on our side knitting. So much for keeping interest. The train had seats facing the windows instead of front or back. Some cars were open and some had a top and windows, which could be opened. We were in one of the windowed cars. As luck would have it, we chose the side that faced only the shear face of the steep mountain. The other side faced the valley and all the scenery. “Parsons Law“, again. We were, however, able to stand and move about to catch the view. But at times, all one could see was the forest of Aspen, Pine and Spruce trees marching up the slope on one side and cascading down the mountain on the other, so close one could reach out and touch them. We were warned to keep our hands inside.

You see a picture of the train above as it rounded a loop curve. You see the Caboose and some of the cars. The train was pushed up the mountain by the engine with the Caboose leading, then pulled down the mountain. The track was only 11.5 miles long, which is all that is left of the service to Denver from the last century. We were told that when the mine closed and the track was no longer needed, the city of Leadville bought the length of track and it’s right-of-way, 2 engines, 3 cabooses and 7 rail cars all for the grand sum of $10.

This finishes our first week in Aurora. We have another week to go. What we will do after that, we haven’t decided as yet. We may spend a little more time in other parts of Colorado, weather permitting, or not. We’ll let you know next time.