Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Colorado then home


As we traveled through the Grand Teton's, Jackson Hole,  spending a night each in Rock Springs, and Cheyenne, we  finally moved into Indian Paintbrush Campground in Lakewood outside Denver for the week.  Lakewood/Morrison is situated next door to Red Rocks and 1/2 hour from long time friends, Betsy, Scott and Emma  and Micah Spinney in Evergreen, After getting situated at the campground, we took the Evergreen\Kitteridge scenic drive to the Spinney's beautiful hillside home (no pictures, of course,  we were too busy catching up).

Beautiful Butte's dot the landscape



The Grand Tetons were covered by smoke from huge fires taking place in California
 
Denver's skyline

Wednesday was a whirlwind, first taking in Mile High Stadium the home of the Denver Broncos, Boulder (lunching on Pearl Street), Nederland (hippy village, bragging of their marijuana sells), then to dinner at the Spinney's reconnecting with Betsy's son John.  Again no pictures--what is wrong with us?

On Thursday,  we headed to the mountains for Breckenridge Ski Resort.  Then on Friday we took the Coors Tour in  Golden, CO--nearby, and lunched at Sassafras--yum.   Red Rocks (Tribute 1964--the Beetles) is an outdoor venue for musical events and the rock acoustics are supposed to enhance the sound.  We had an absolutely perfect evening rocking out to the sounds of our youth. 


Boulder was wonderful people watching

Lunch at the deli
Pearl Street was very cool

Nederland was up the mountain from Boulder and hippie land

Nederland made an attempt to camouflage their communications towers



View from the Press Box at Mile High
Old stadium --part of it is in the parking lot
They loved Super Bowl 50 --Peyton's last game
Truly a mile in elevation
The guy that sits in the orange eye wears orange attire --everyone that sits in the Bronco wears the appropriate color
--all paid for by the Organization

The Broncos love Peyton too


 
Pat Bowlen is the owner of the Broncos and he and his wife both have altzehiemers--soap opera ensues as to which of their 7 children will take over--right now a panel of 3 independent executives run the organization 
You can see the different slopes coming down the Breckenridge mountain

Up the lift we went to the expanding Breckenridge Ski Resort

Even in summer there was a good size tourist crowd




The Coors plant in Golden had an interesting free tour.
 


 
We wore ourselves out and so on Sunday we headed home.  First we spent the night in Selina, KS and went to the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene.  After a night in Columbia, MO we had a marathon drive into Nashville.  What a fabulous summer trip!  We had hundred degree days in North Dakota and 40 degree nights in Yellowstone.  We saw buffalo, prairie dogs, elk; and saw mountains, waterfalls and canyons the likes of which we had never seen.  Mt. Rushmore, Red Rocks and Yellowstone were highlights but the most memorable is our people connections with the Fritel's and the Spinney's.