Colorado or Bust!

Colorado is, as always, beautiful!
The contrast of blue, blue sky with the varying shades of green in the pines is breathtaking. The quaking Aspen and intermittent stormy skies add enough variety to keep me from getting too complacent.
I stopped for a pinic lunch in the midst of all this. Simple fare - an apple and Gouda cheese (I discovered there is no lactose in Gouda or Edam cheese) - eaten while I sat on the back bumper of the car. I was enveloped by the beauty and silence of the mountains. Only an occasional rash of passing vehicles disturbed the quiet, making the silence even more profound when the noise was gone.

I visited some of the places associated with the family name in Buena Vista and Salida, Colorado. The places were not new to me, DH and I had visited them a couple of times before. Sadly, the old school building that DH's father had attended, looked very bad. The bricks are extremely deteriorated all around the base of the building. It appears that it will fall in the near future. The trees that provided climbing joys for several generations, are overgrown and will surely show the wear after this winter's snow and ice. The land (and building?) were donated and reverted to the owners when the place was no longer used for a school.
I passed many deteriorating buildings in the area. I understand the extreme cost of restoring them but what a shame no one documents them.

One of the things I was really looking forward to was dinner at "The Laughing Ladies" in Salida. Unfortunately, they are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I missed out! Actually, i missed out on two good restaurants because I passed up the one in Buena Vista that serves elk and caribou steaks, thinking I would have dinner at "The Laughing Ladies."
Live and learn. Be sure to stop in if you are ever in the neighborhood.

I spent some time at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison today. It was certainly worth the stop! It might be more impressive arriving from the West but I took a short hike and stood in awe at the majesty of this place. Was tempted to walk down to the creek which is supposed to take only about an hour, but the return is quite arduous and takes about two hours. I had to content myself with the view from above. Sorry I can't post photos from the computer at the hotel.
I headed across the beautiful mountains, moving from mountains, trees, waterfalls, and greenery, across Monarch Pass and the through the tree line, to the red rock formations and desert of Utah. Over all, the same gorgeous blue sky.

I am stopping a little early tonight because the next services are two hours away and because I want to visit "The Valley of the Goblins" tomorrow morning. Somewhere along the way, I missed the "rare freshwater geyser." I can see that I should spend a lot more time in Utah some day. Hmmm.....seems to me I have said that before.