Estes Park, Colorado

June 15-18, 2010

Another Comfortable Mountain Town

 Estes Park is an attractive and comfortable mountain town that draws many tourists.  Bob and Zach found a shaded area to wait while Joan shopped.

 

Landscaping around the streams in the parking lots behind the stores are cool and pleasant areas through which to walk.

Zach seemed to crave a dip in the heat of the day but he waas constrasined by his leash.

Street scenes reveal a prosperous town.

Dogs are welcomed in many businesses and some merchants make an extra effort to provide comfort for visiting pooches.

Tee-shirt shops display a variety of signs and sample products. 

 

 

We discovered this rock sh opand couldn't resist picking up a few.

 

Rocky Mountains

June 15, 2010

Rocky Mountain Park, Colorado

Wildlife is plentiful in the park and the animals are protected from humans.   These in the meadows were left alone and seemed comfortable with many people watching them from the road.  A telephoto lens enabled this shot.

 The animals at higher levels are shyer and drift away from people.

Sprague Lake is in a picture post card setting.  The shallow depth attracts fly fishermen and there were many in the area.  Joan managed to capture just two while capturing the beauty of the lake.

Waterfalls surged with snow melt at the lower elevations.

The snow at around 11,000 feet was melting and it was hard to imagine conditions a week earlier when the roads were closed.

The wind was cool and fierce but the bright sunshine provided a little warmth.  We were glad that we brought warm jackets.

We were surprised to see animals feeding on the sparse ground cover at this altitude.

The air was crisp and smelled fresh.  The landscape was harsh and filled with eye-catching sights that needed to be photographed.

Imagine what it looked like back when lava shot into the air at this altitude.  The steam and ash probably darkened the sky.  We were gratified to have had the opportunity to see this marvel of nature.  It reminded us of the walls of Devil Tower.  

It was a wonder that we could drive up this high on a good road and we had the impression that we were on top of the world.

Last year we took the railroad up to Pike's Peak and the landscape was rocky and bare and seemed to be like a moonscape.  This was equally exciting but different.

A beaver pond was at the base of the mountain and, while none were visible, the setting was quiet and
peaceful.  The breeze provided a bug-free day.

 The pine bark beetle is devastating to the forests in the West.  You can see the brown needles and dying trees on the mountains.

Ouray, Colorado

June 12, 2010

 Colorado Mountains

The trip north from Durango provided extraordinary views of snow-capped mountains and cool fresh mountain air.  It was a delight after sweating in Arizona's heat.

Aspen trees flourish along the higher mountain roads and thrive in the cold mountain winters.

Ouray is a beautiful mountain town rich in mining history.   Joan soaked for a while in the hot springs and felt fantastic.  The motel in which we stayed has a variety of carvings.

The path behind the motel seemed to extend along the river between it and private properties.  It was refreshing and inspirational to walk with Zach and hear the rushing water as it surged past rocks.

An old hound across the river looked at us and went back through the bushes.  The strong current would have carried an animal or child mercilessly downstream.

The Duckett Connection

Ouray is a beautiful old mountain town with a good share of tee shirt and gift shops, restaurants and motels.

Joan's mother's father was a Duckett from a large family in Kansas.  The family moved from Sprawn when the a dam was built for a reservoir and the town was eliminated.  Some of them moved to Colorado and it was quite a surprise to see this sign over the town market.

The clerk told us that the present owner of the market is a daughter of the founder of the business.  A visit to the town library resulted in a telephone number for the Ducketts and Joan called and left a message.  Hopefully, a followup will shed more information on this discovery.

Durango, Colorado

June 12, 2010

Festivities in Durango

Durango hosts festivals and events just about every weekend during the summer months.  The street was roped off for a multi-grill barbecue.  The photo at the right shows the front of a smoker grill and smoke came out of the mouth.

The back end shows the cooking area.  The cook in the bowler hat below was working another booth.

This cat may have been a remainder of street art that had ponies, cows and pigs as themes.

The patriotic jackass was in front of the Durango Democratic Club.

Athletic and creative young people are attracted to Durango and this truck is an example of their industriousness and independence.This home-made cap was equipped for travel and camping.

This gem of a 60's VW Thing is a rare sight.  The owner spent several years rebuilding it and giving it a new coat of paint.

The VW Thing is a flat-bed vehicle that seemed to have limited production.

Note the clever canvas cap that was added to the back.

 The interior was in like-new condition.

Four Corners

June 11, 2010

Strolling Through 4 States in 10 Minutes!

The map shows the unique spot where 4 states come together.  The site is on a Navajo reservation and serves as a special location for display and sale of Indian crafts.

There was a time before the present renovation when we stood in the four states at one time.  The attraction is being improved as can be seen in these two photos.

 

American Indian jewelry and handicrafts are sold from the booths that ring the perimeter.  The vendors are helpful and proud of the creations that they are selling.

Joan enjoyed looking at the work in all of the booths

This vulture was secured to the back of a motorcycle in the parking lot.

Frybread is a delicious corn-flour thin bread that is ck selling frybread, this was fried in a pan.  While there is another shack, this one was interesting because of the trailer that's built against it.

This colorful van was in the parking lot and Bob took several photos of it.

It was reminiscent of the 60's and reminded Bob of the  '63 VW bus that he and Joan traveled i n.

The hand-painted work was done by three graduating students in anticipation of the road trip after school was over.

Henry and Connor (in the driver's seat) are from Illinois and planned this trip with their parents' blessings.

Bob encouraged them to see as much of this beautiful country as they could.  He gave them some tips on travel based on his 11 years of retirement travel through 49 of the 50 United States.