Colorado                                                March 14-20, 1998
                                                               1592 miles

Having been to Colorado Springs by myself twice last year, it was time to include the family. Spring break comes in the middle of March, which is the start of spring in Lubbock, but the worse winter weather of the year for western Colorado. Planning for the worse (if one really can do that), we prepared a driving tour. Our first stop was to be Salida.

Surprisingly, the family understood the necessity of leaving at 6 a.m. Saturday morning for the 500 mile, 9 1/2 hour drive. Like my previous trip (see "Air Force Academy" Sept 13-14, 1997), we took I-27 north and ate breakfast at McDonald's in Amarillo. I like staying on dual-highways (sometimes) so continued up Hwy 287 to Dumas (remember helium?), then west on 87 through Hartley, Texline, and New Mexico. It was sunny and 40's so going over the mountains at Raton was fine, and we stopped at Trinidad to visit the Colorado Welcome Center. Getting back on I-25 and picking up speed, I rolled up the (electric) windows. A loud scream alerted me that my son's hand, which had unknowingly to me been out the back window, was now crushed. I quickly released the window and luckily no bones where broken (I apologized then, and do so again now). We all wondered what omen this portended.

At Walsenburg I strike out on new territory and follow Hwy 69 along the Sangre De Cristo Range. The road winds and climbs as we first come to Gardner at 7,000 feet elevation. Westcliff is 7,888 ft, Hillside - 7,480, and a shortcut along an unnamed road takes me to Cotopaxi - 6,380. Every one of these towns is higher in elevation than in population (by a lot).

We follow Hwy 50 west along the Arkansas River. This is a true roller coaster ride and I keep the speed down so's nobody gets car sick. The Arkansas river is the most popular place for white water rafting in the country. Beginning high on the snow covered peaks of the continental divide; dancing, twisting and diving; it knifes its way through a number of spectacular natural canyons. More than 300,000 boaters took trips down the river in 1996, more than any other river in the world. Its popularity is based on the number, size and technical nature of its rapids, and its unsurpassed beauty. The spectacular scenery and quality of life around Salida is the reason Cheryl moved back. She is a photographer with one of the big river rafting / skiing companies, and the mother of my son's schoolmate from Lubbock.

What pumps the economy? White water thrill seekers who spend from $30 (half day) to $400 (multiday trips) to plunge through Pinball, Zoom Flume, Big Drop, Staircase, Widowmaker, Raft Ripper, Seidel's Suckhole, and Twin Falls. The trip is so exciting that many of the rafters come back to do it every year. Some stretches of the rapids will have you go through Gosh Awful, Texas Creek, Maytag, Devil's Hole and Lose Your Lunch. These easy rapids are followed by more intense and closer together parts, such as Three Rock Falls, Five Points, Spike Buck, Shark's Tooth, Double Dip and Puppy.

The many ads for rafting also give a sense of the fun and danger. They'll tell you to wear clothes that dry quickly (guess you'll be getting wet), but go on to say rain gear is provided and wetsuits available for rent. In describing their staff - they are personable, educated, FUN guides who have extensive training in river navigation, first-aid, CPR, swiftwater rescue, natural history, & customer relations. (Notice how they slipped in that CPR stuff.) I also liked how they have self-bailing rafts (as if the river wasn't able to swamp you all by itself), foot cups, throw lines, top quality lifejackets, and photo service.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Salida (pop. 4,737; elev. 7,036) visiting the quaint downtown shoppes and then dinner at Il Vicino, a microbrewery and pizza place. From their website [http://www.ilvicino.com], set in Colorado's largest historic district, Il Vicino Salida took up residence in a former mortuary built in 1888. The interior was completely re-worked into a contemporary Italian design while leaving the original exterior intact to fit in with the rest of the abundant historic buildings in downtown Salida. The beer and pizza were acceptable from this chain which has (or is building) restaurants in Colorado Springs, Santa Fe & Albuquerque, NM, Clayton, MO, Tulsa, OK, and Wichita, KS.

Many other shoppes were unique and most had tin ceilings. Of particular distinction was Balloonatics, hot air balloon miniatures sculpted in glass and copper. Each "balloon" is first cut from a G.E. lightbulb, and the open base is then wrapped in copper. The wire is intricately wrapped in a variety of patterns to give each piece a Victorian touch. Gold and silver plating, acid etching, glass engraving, and hand painting the "inside" of the bulb complete the artwork.

Besides needing good travel weather, first time skiing for my kids was aided by sunny skies and temperatures in the 30's (40 by late afternoon!) We were joined by Cheryl and Nate (Steven's schoolmate) as we drove to the 10,790 foot base of Monarch Ski & Snowboard Area. Monarch sits right at the Continental Divide on public lands, covering 670 acres in the Sawatch Range in the Pike/San Isabel National Forest. The area has an annual snowfall of nearly 30 feet (in a non-El Nino year) and this day was covered with a 69 inch, well groomed base. The perfect weather on this spring break Sunday was to draw 2,000 people to the lifts, which combined, could take 4500 skiers/hr to the 54 trails. Of course my kids would be on the bunny slopes.

Even though Nate had skied before, the 3 young adults signed up for the Never Ever package - all day lift tickets, ski rental and 2 hour lesson. Despite packing it, we left the sunscreen in the motel and had to borrow some from Cheryl. At two miles up, you can get a wicked sunburn. Then Steven's glasses broke at the loop over the ear. Although he had a second pair (we were prepared for anything), only this pair fit his clip on sun shades. At 2 miles up with total snow cover, the light is blinding and sunglasses or sungoggles are necessary to prevent blindness. String, bandaid and a ski mask gerryrigged the problem. Although the temperature and the lack for breeze allowed us to shed some layers of clothes over the day, Nate stood out as the only person wearing shorts and bare legs.

Another thing about 2 miles up, the air is thin. The adults got exhausted just walking about and following the kids. By lunch my kids were suffering from Mountain sickness - irritable, tired, hungry and slow thinking (yeah, hard to tell from their baseline). Some rest and food fixed up Barbara, and she and Nate skied til 4 p.m.

Monday we set out to travel to Denver following Hwy 50 east to Pueblo. Clear weather with postcard views of the mountains were to be a thing of the past. As we drove along the river, the greens, yellows and reds of the plants were muted in the light fog clinging to the grey red rock of the canyons. The fog became impenetrable as we past Royal Gorge and Canon City. Picking up a dual-highway at that point and heading out to the plains helped, but Pueblo is still 4,695 feet above sea level and visibility was still poor. However, if you remember my account of Pueblo from the last travelogue, this was no loss. An abbreviated tour through the city (for benefit of my family) was sufficient, and I entranced I-25 to finish the 220 mile, 4 hr drive to Denver.

Sandy had been expectant on arriving to Denver to experience that Rocky Mountain high. A combination of the John Denver mystic, Dr. Quinn - Medicine Woman, and the good PR from me and her friends and relatives. An interesting phenomenon, let smog eliminate any visual of the mountains, and Denver is just another big American city. We decided to check into our motel on the north side (Northglenn) and head directly to Boulder.

A light mist in Boulder also blunted the natural beauty of the countryside and mountains, but we managed to get a feel for the city and the university. My degrees in Physics & Astronomy, and Steven's interest in same, should have made a visit to NIST perfect. The U.S. Dept. of Commerce houses the National Institute of Standards and Technology where the atomic clock keeps the nation's official time to better than a millionth of a second per year. First class physics and engineering are done on this campus and self-guided walking tours allow you unfettered access throughout the government buildings. The "exhibits" were mostly posters or views through windows into research labs, and we halted the tour before its natural end. Alone, I would have spent more time. The most amazing thing was the lack of guards or restrictions within this Federal facility which obviously shared the relaxed open atmosphere of its neighbor and collaborator, Univ. of Colorado.

Our visit to the National Center for Atmospheric Research was better. Hands on exhibits of lightning, storm down drafts, and even a tornado were excellent. Their supercomputer center with a number of working CRAYs was interesting to us computer people. The laboratory building was designed by architect I. M. Pei, designer of the glass pyramid, Louvre museum, Paris and additions to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. A drive up the foothills of the Rocky Mountains takes you to soaring rock formations called the Flatirons which poke into the clouds. The lab itself is a futuristic structure with overtones of the Indian cliff dwellings found at Mesa Verde National Park.

Back to Denver where cuisine seemed to alternate between McDonald's and chinese buffets. We hoped the weather would clear, but next morning we drove into the city with the rush hour traffic and fog so thick we couldn't see the city skyscrapers much less the Rockies. Our first stop was the U.S. Mint where 10 BILLION coins are produced each year! As opposed to NIST, we were x-rayed and searched before being admitted to this Federal facility. Look in your pocket, coins have either a "D" or "P" stamp, the latter for Philadelphia (Washington, D.C. in where paper money is printed).

Denver was founded in 1858 and Congress established the mint 4 years later. However, no coins were produced until 1906 for various reasons. Initially, one reason was "the hostility of the Indian tribes along the routes, doubtless instigated by rebel emissaries (there being a Civil War) and bad white men" according to the Mint's Director. The guided tour was great (watching how money is made always is). Seventy percent of the coins are pennies with a $50 bag weighing 24 lbs. A billion dimes and quarters each, 800 million nickels and 20 million half dollars make up the rest which is shipped directly to the Federal Reserve Banks for distribution.

As my heritage demands, we next went to visit the Mizel Museum of Judaica housed in the BMH Synagogue Complex. Denver's million people consist of only 0.5% Jews and keeping kosher is not an easy option. After a tour and gift shop we got instructions to a good deli. We feasted on matzoball soup, chopped liver, corned beef and Jewish rye bread. The kids wanted to go ice skating, and the deli's proprietor directed us to South Suburban Ice Arena. Public skating times can be quite variable, but our luck returned as we hit it exact for a 1-2:30 session. I used my own skates which I had purchased 16 years ago when living in Madison, WI. Barbara and I took it easy, Sandy videoed, and Steven showed real promise as a speed skater. No altitude sickness this time in the Mile High City, but Steven managed to rub and blister the skin right off the arches of his feet.

I spent some time just driving around Denver. As I said, it's a real big city, full of nice neighborhoods, wealthy people with big homes, and plenty of businesses. In fact, it is at its limit for support services, utilities and roads and is not trying to attract people or industry any more. The mayor is also cautious. A new retractable domed stadium has been proposed and he is dead set against it (the retractable part). After the disaster with the airport's state-of-the-art baggage mover, he doesn't want to have the city be first in any new technology.

We took a ride out to the new Denver International Airport. Are we in Kansas? The highway left the city and winded through 16 miles of grassy plains. The architecture, inside and out is impressive. We hit it at a slow time. (I've never hit LAX, DFW, Chicago or Washington at a slow time.)

The weather man (a paragon of accuracy) was calling for 2-5 inches of snow the next day. The 70 mile trip south on I-25 to Colorado Springs didn't seem in jeopardy as this was Colorado, they can handle a little snow. I waited til after the morning rush hour and set off at 9 a.m. Visibility was poor in the falling snow and we left Denver sans a view of the Rockies. The interstate was moving, albeit slowly, and cars and trucks littered the median and shoulders. I had hoped to make the Air Force Academy and start our tour, but 10 miles short traffic came to a stop due to a 30 car pile up. By this time the weather man had revised the forecast (is it fair to call it a "fore"cast after it happens?) to 1-2 feet! This was THE major storm of 1998. I managed to inch across the Interstate and get off at an exit with a Burger King. God it felt good to pee. The burgers were ok too. I drove direct to our motel. Denver to the Springs took 5 hours, and that with 4-wheel drive. I-25 between the two cities was closed in both directions nearly all day. We had the foresight to reserve two rooms, and the kids watched TV, etc in one while Sandy and I had the other. Other activities included cleaning a foot of snow off my Jeep and walking to the closest McDonald's for dinner.

Thursday morning saw the end of the snow and clear sunny skies. Finally, the Rockies. And they were beautiful with the new white covering. The plows had worked all night, but the major streets where still dangerous til afternoon when everything was melting in the 33 degree sunshine. Schools and most businesses were cancelled or delayed. Sightseeing was to be limited. I decided to risk a ride up to the Garden of the Gods. Since this mountainous road was completely untraveled during the snow (no one is that crazy), there was no packed and frozen base to interfere with the plows when they came through. Thus it was perfectly clean and we easily drove around the massive red rocks. The visitor center wasn't open, but the view from there with the Rockies and Pike's Peak was incredible. A professional photographer was sent up taking what would surely become postcards and brochures. Surviving the storm produced unique benefits. The fresh heavy snow gave me a new vista compared to the same view last year in the summer.

On to the Air Force Academy. Luckily I took the south entrance as I found out later the north entrance was never plowed. The visitor center opened late, and a power outage the day before cancelled their great audiovisual theatre presentation. The family was able to walk through the visitor center and some of the grounds around the chapel. Still very impressive and worth the trip.

Finally, back into town to see the U.S. Olympic Complex. As everything was running late, our noon arrival marked the start of the first tour. This $40,000,000 facility was opened 1977 (the other two - Lake Placid, NY, 1982; Chula Vista, CA, 1995). The US Olympic Committee is a non-profit body getting its $100 million budget from donations and sponsors. This is a thrilling place to see. The 15 minute movie is a highlight of recent past Olympians. The tour through the buildings let us see real live world class athletes (athletes in the top 15% of their field) training and in the case of gymnasts, falling. Although the new snow interfered with this sightseeing stop, patriotism still permeated the complex, and the Olympic symbol of the five linked rings (the 5 world continents) left us with Olympic pride.

After a chinese buffet lunch we left Colorado Springs at 2 p.m. for the 9 hour, 500 mile trip to Lubbock. Since this is a road trip, and I was driving, I decided to take a route back I hadn't traveled before. Thus I headed due east out of town on Hwy 94. This is a straight line on the map and they must have used a ruler to make the actual road. The elevation afforded by a small hill lets you see 20 to 30 miles across the Colorado plains. Of course this terrain does nothing to block or modify the weather which manages to cross the Rockies. Winds of heroic portions whip across the plains and drive tongues of snow across the highway. The ranchers put up wind breaks for their cattle. Dustbowl of snow. What the wind did to the snow, it did to the dust during the early part of this century. This road must have a nickname. A sign warns no services for 70 miles. Permanent gates at highway intersections, open now, are ready to be moved across the road as barricades with signage - road closed. Towns of Ellicott, Yoder, Rush and Punkin Center are too small to deserve being called townships, nothing more than two buildings each. Aroya didn't even have a building. I feel isolated out here, especially with the winter weather. The road is mostly clear, but an eighteen wheeler seems to appear as soon as I reach a patch of snow and ice. My windshield gets sprayed. Once with more than snow and ice as evidenced by a chip and small crack.

I finally reach Hwy 40/287 and stop at Kit Carson for gas. However the price of gasoline scares me more than the isolation and I turn south on 287 towards Lamar. Before we get there, we drive through Eads, and then near Nee Noshe Reservation, a sight. Looking east, with the setting sun shining on their bodies, are thousands of snow geese, stretching for miles in low flight over the fields and reserve lands. Sparkling white dots with black tipped wings move in formations against a background of blue gray clouds, further illuminated by the reflected light off the snow cover. My first encounter with these birds, and a more pristine site could not be found. A perfect reward for traveling this byway.

Lamar is a fair sized town with a Visitor's Center which I have visited before. I gas up at a major truck stop and continue south on Hwy 287. There's not much to stop for. We pass Two Buttes, a curious sight of two large hills sticking up in the middle of a endless plain. Four inches of snow cover the countryside as small trees, bushes and sotol poke through to create a variegated appearance. By Springfield I was hoping for a spectacular sunset as the sun touched the snow covered Colorado grasslands. But no. Interfering low clouds left me wanting west Texas.