GARDEN OF THE GODS

Currently in Colorado Springs CO (Low 45 Rain High 64) 

The Garden of the Gods Park is a registered National Natural Landmark in Colorado Springs. The visitors center was closed for renovation so we missed getting information and possibly a film before our visit. It is a public park that you drive through with multiple turnouts for picture taking and trail walking. Here are some of the photos we took.

Balanced Rock.

We had a great time enjoying the scenery of Garden of the Gods.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

CATS CHECKING EMAIL

Currently in Colorado Springs CO (Low 49 Partly Sunny High 73) 

Our cats our social media savvy. If we leave the laptop open invariably they will be checking their email, calendar, Facebook, etc. Here is Sandra exhausted after her bout of social media.

They quite haven't learned to type that well though and sometimes things happen that we don't want to happen like appointments on the calendar being edited. Sometimes they launch applications they shouldn't. Here is a recent example:

Always an adventure when you fulltime in 359 sq. ft. with three cats.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO COLORADO SPRINGS COLORADO

Currently in Colorado Springs CO (Low 46 Sunny High 75) 

We took a short trip yesterday from Aurora Colorado to Colorado Springs. It was approximately 75 miles, here is the route we took.

View Larger Map

We had brakes all the way again, think we may have eliminated all the gremlins. We have a great backin site at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, here is the view out of our back window.

We plan to be here a week and then continue our trek back to Arizona for the winter.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

CHERRY CREEK STATE PARK

Currently in Aurora CO (Low 45 Sunny Currently 54)
Heading to Colorado Springs CO (Currently 46 Partly Sunny High 79)

Cherry Creek State Park is one of the best laid out campgrounds we have been in. There is an incredible amount of room between sites. We are in an arced pull thru. Here is the Cameo from the front.

There are few trees so easy to get a good line of sight for the dish. Here we are in site 88 from the rear showing the dish again.

To the right

To the left

We paid for a annual pass since 14 days here and a week at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. It makes the $9/day fee at Cherry Creek more palatable reducing it to $3/day.

Today, Lord willing and the slideout comes in AND the brakes work all the way, we are heading to Colorado Springs. Here is an image from the web showing the campground with mountains in the distance.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

NFL SUNDAY TICKET

Currently in Aurora CO (Low 46 Mostly Sunny High 74) 

We subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket from DirecTV to make sure we see the Kansas City Chiefs.

Usually we get the games without a hitch either on a NFL Sunday Ticket channel or our Network feeds or over the air but today we ran into something we haven't seen before. Whether the game is blacked out or not Channel 702 has NFL GameMix where all the games are on.

When you tune to the channel only then do you find it is blacked out. Bob hurriedly called DirecTV and found out it was on a local channel in Phoenix and that was our current service address. We don't normally change our service address if we are traveling every week. So we are standing in front of the TV watching the game on a real small window while they change our service address to Aurora Colorado. Once that was setup we recorded the game and stopped watching live. We have a big sports night ahead of us, finish the Chiefs game and then watch the Kansas City Royals (also recorded) in the playoffs. Let's hope for two wins today.

Another thing for Bob to remember to do is to change our service address each week so this does not happen again.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

REMOVED A FAVORITE FROM 'OUR FAVORITE THINGS - FOOD' LIST

Currently in Aurora CO (Low 33 Turning Sunny Cool High 59) 

It's always disappointing when an old favorite lets you down. It is even more disappointing when you recommend the place and take friends there. We recently went to Las Delicias in Denver for their chile rellenos. They are soft and not crisp which is our favorite but still very good over the years. We have been coming to Denver every two years for Bob's beryllium testing since 2001. We usually eat at Las Delicias once a visit and it was always good.

We knew we might be in trouble when they bring out the dish and there is a red sauce over the chile relleno. This red sauce was their green chile sauce which was our first hint we were in for trouble. The soft chile relleno had so much breading that it was hard to find the chile or the cheese. They do now offer a crispy version but also way too much breading on that too. On top of too much breading it also tasted a little old.

So without further adieu the best chile relleno entry for Las Delicias has been removed, leaving Las Salitas in Albuquerque New Mexico as the sole remaining entry. Our trip back to Arizona for the winter will pass through Albuquerque so in a few short weeks we will be making sure La Salita deserves to remain on the list for both chile rellenos and for favorite new mexican restaurant.

One thing that never disappoints is how cute are cats are. Here are two of them sharing a bed.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

GUESS IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN

Currently in Aurora CO (Low 38 Afternoon Thunderstorms High 62)

Our Cameo has been in the elements for over 5 years now and has seen snow, rain and hail. The storm we had earlier this week made national news as a very bad hail storm hit us. We have had hail as we mentioned earlier but nothing like this. It was a 3 cat storm; let us explain.

We have one cat that at the start of just about any storm hides. Then one that it takes a bit more for them to hide. The third cat is usually pretty brave but this storm was so loud for so long that even that cat hid. It was too wet to get up on the roof to assess the damage but we really didn't have to. Our skylight in the bathroom was broken.

Plus there was a leak from the Fantastic Fan vent cover over the sink. We had called Dependable Mobile RV Service to come and take a look and an appointment was scheduled a couple days out. A little later we were surprised when the phone rang and it was Dependable Mobile RV Service calling to say that another RV in the park was damaged more severely and one of their techs was going to come out and wrap the damaged vent covers to prevent leaking and was wondering if we wanted him to do ours. Of course we said yes. Not only did he wrap the skylight and fan vent cover he discovered a couple of plumbing vents that also were damaged. The good news is that the rest of the roof looked like it survived the storm. The parts are on order and will be replaced Friday at which time another inspection of the roof in better lighting conditions will take place.

The next morning Bob did a walk around checking the truck and the Cameo and found only minor decal peeling on a refrigerator vent. He noticed today that we may have some more damage, this time to our sewer hose. We are filling the grey tank right now and will check that later today.

We will end with a couple of photos of the aftermath. This is hail and not snow on the ground.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO AURORA COLORADO

Currently in Aurora CO (Low 50 Partly Sunny High 80) 

We made a very short drive yesterday from Golden Colorado to Aurora. It was approximately 24 miles, this is the route we took.


View Larger Map

We had brakes the entire way and arrived safely at Cherry Creek State Park. That makes three test drives with brakes, dare we say we think we may have found the gremlin.

We like short trips and we like our new location but 24 miles may be a little too short. We spent way more time getting ready to travel and setting up after we got there than we did driving. 

We will be here a couple of weeks. Bob has some routine testing for his Beryllium exposure at National Jewish Medical Center next week.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

JEFFERSON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS CAMPGROUND

Currently in Golden CO (Low 52 Mostly Cloudy with a Chance of Rain Currently 57)
Heading to Aurora CO (Currently 59 Mostly Cloudy with a Chance of Rain High 78)

Thought we would share more about the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Campground. Based on this photo

Paul and Marsha Weaver from http://wheresweaver.blogspot.com/ commented about the paved parking being unique for a fairgrounds campground which is true but also that it looked spacious. The spaciousness is specious as they chose to take the photo when every other spot was empty. Here is what it looks like when full.

Here is the Cameo from the front. We have been in tighter spots where the slideouts from each RV almost hit and couldn't use the awnings at all but this is pretty tight. Our rear awning cannot extend all the way.

To the right.

To the left. The paved sites that we are in are the 50a sites. The rest of the campground this direction are 30a sites. There are no sewer connections and the dump station is awkward for big rigs.

A closeup of the rear of the Cameo showing the dish getting a great line of sight. You can see how close our rear awning is to the slideout next to us.

We would probably stay here again as it is a really great location. We are getting better at having no sewer hookup. There is a honeywagon that will pump your tanks out for $30 so we took advantage of that on Friday just to be sure.

We head today, Lord willing and the slideout comes in AND the trailer brakes are still working, to the other side of Denver to Aurora and the Cherry Creek State Park for two weeks. 

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

MOTHER CABRINI SHRINE

Currently in Golden CO (Low 55 Storms Late High 74) 

Driving to the Mother Cabrini Shrine near Golden Colorado the first thing you notice is this large statue on the hill.

Buffalo Bill was not the only famous person to become enthralled with the views as you ascend Lookout Mountain. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, aka Mother Cabrini, visited the area in 1902. She purchased some land and a summer camp was first built there. What followed was a chapel, Stone House for retreats and other buildings. On her last visit in 1912 she and her fellow nuns climbed the mountain and at the top she built a heart with white stones. The stones are there to this day, under glass now to protect them.

The view from the top.

Here is the new Chapel and Gift Shop in the distance from the top.

Mother Cabrini dedicated the site to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1954 this statue was placed there and a 373 step staircase was constructed. Here is the stairs at the bottom.

Here is the statue of the Sacred Heart.

We inquired at the gift shop and got a key to drive to the top since Jo felt she could not make the 373 step journey at that altitude no matter how many benches they had along the way. Here is gate that they gave us a key for.

The gate is to be locked because there are cattle on site, here is the road and cattle.

Here are the steps from the top back to the bottom.

The first chapel built on the site was demolished in 1959 and replaced with this one.

We then visited the new chapel that is larger. There was a wedding there the afternoon we visited, luckily we got in to take photos before they closed it.

The Museum has displays of her clothes and table and chair and bed she used while her. 

A great film was playing in the museum narrated by Brooke Shields. Shrines are places of meditation and reflection, here is the garden.

There was a meditation walk area

That had benches to sit and meditate.

This was a great find, again very close to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds where we have been for the last few days. What is more amazing is Mother Cabrini herself. She made at least 26 crossings of the Atlantic and founded schools, hospitals, religious orders throughout Europe and North and South America. The credits of the film lists all those and it is incredible. Originally from Italy before her death she became a US citizen and is the first citizen to be canonized as a Saint.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

BUFFALO BILL MUSEUM AND GRAVE ON LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

Currently in Golden CO (Low 55 Partly Sunny and Very Warm High 85) 

We drove the Lariat Loop up Lookout Mountain to the Buffalo Bill Museum and Gravesite near Golden Colorado. William Frederick Cody was born in Le Claire Iowa, moved to Kansas at an early age, built a home and lived in North Platte Nebraska during the Wild West show years and founded the town of Cody Wyoming. So why was he buried on Lookout Mountain in Colorado in 1917? 

Because that was his wish as stated to his family and friends and the priest who administered the last rites. Saying that there still was some controversy about the choice. His widow had the casket opened just before it was lowered into the crypt to prove that it was him being buried. There is a famous photo of a tank parked next to the grave.

The myth was that there was fear that Cody Wyoming or North Platte Nebraska would steal the body and that the tank was there to guard the grave. The truth is that it was a photo used to sell war bonds after WWI and that they took the photo and moved on. After his widow died in 1921 both towns did raise a ruckus and the controversy remains to this day. To guard the body what was done after the widow was buried is tons of concrete were added over the caskets in the crypt. Here is the grave again and the plaque noting Buffalo Bill's wishes.

The marker on the ground noting his Congressional Medal of Honor awarded.

On the walk to the grave we noticed this plaque commemorating the Pony Express which Buffalo Bill was a young rider for. One of the three founders of the Pony Express, Alexander Majors, lived in Kansas City Missouri and you can tour his home and barn at 82nd and State Line RD.

There is a very good film that plays in the museum where we learned a lot. It is kind of hard to take photos with glass display cases but here are some of the better ones. A Buffalo Bill painting.

One of his rifles.

A neat lamp.

Of course a buffalo, or more correctly American Bison.

Bob jumped on the horse at the Reagan Presidential Library so he had to do it here too. Sure was a lot easier when he was younger :-)

He chose Lookout Mountain because when he visited here he loved the view and said he could see four states. Here are some of the views today.

It was good to do some sightseeing and not be held hostage by the trailer brakes. This was a great museum, in fact True West Magazine lists this at No. 5 of the Top Ten Western Museums for 2014. The drive to the museum is gorgeous so all in all a great day.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo