Colorado

  These mountains in Colorado are called the
Book Cliffs because they look like rows of books
on a shelf.  They are part of the Rocky Mountain
Range.

We were on our way to Pines Lodge in the ski resort called Beaver Creek.  There is still snow on the ski slopes.

















Pines Lodge at Beaver Creek near Vail, Colorado.  This was off-season and a ghost town but very nice.









 We rode most of the way on I70 with the Colorado River running beside the highway!
(Having computer difficulties).  The next three
pictures shows the green and snow as we traveled
through Colorado.

 

This is the entrance to the U.S. Air Force Academy Chapel.  The one above this picture shows the Chapel from the side.  It looks like a series of airplanes side by side.  Very spectacular!

Rita is standing on a path on the grounds of the
U.S. Air Force Academy.  What beautiful scenery to learn to fly a plane!










     We left Utah on Sunday morning after having a wonderful brunch at Red Cliffs Lodge of made-to-order omelets, fresh salmon, and fresh fruit.  We walked along the Colorado River one last time and started our last scary trip out of the canyon.  Angela is obsessed with the looming rocks!  Before reaching our highway out of Moab, we stopped and walked across a bridge that spanned the Colorado River.  There was a paved bike trail parallel to the river that had a divided line which was needed for all the bike traffic.  "Happy Trails to You, Until We Meet Again...'  What an experience!
     We were finally on our way to Colorado.  When we reached the state line, we chuckled.  The sign read, "Welcome to Colorful Colorado".   The funny thing about that welcome was that the sign was in black and white!  We stopped at the first rest area we saw in Parachute, Colorado and went in the little log cabin to learn more about the mountains we were seeing.  An elderly woman with a badge that said, "Cabin Volunteer" knew absolutely nothing about the area.  She did not know the name of the mountains and she couldn't hear most of what we asked.  She admitted she had been told some information but had forgotten since it really didn't apply to her daily life.  What a hoot!
     As we rode beside the Colorado River most of the day, people continued to float down the river in rafts.  After taking over 150 pictures, Rita said, "I am not taking anymore pictures!"  In about 30 seconds, Angela would hear the click of the camera.
     We loved seeing miles and miles of the Book Cliffs that looked like rows and rows of books on a shelf.  All of a sudden, we realized that we had moved from the desert to GREEN!  But we were riding close to the sides of the rocks (Angela's favorite...Ha!) that wound continuously back and forth and through tunnels that went right through the mountains!  We arrived at the Beaver Creek Resort and the Pines Lodge for our night's stay.  Rita snagged a steal of a deal with this place since it was off season.  However, someone told her that the last Ski Lodge just closed last week!  Beaver Creek is the site of the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships in November and next February which we can watch on TV this coming winter.  We met two young girls at dinner and asked about the legalization of marijuana in Colorado.  They laughed and said it was not as prevalent as the news made it out to be.  It appears that counties have the right to allow or not allow it.  Just goes to show, you can't believe everything you hear!
     On Monday morning, we headed toward Colorado Springs.  It was a nice drive but there were constant reminders of the long winters.  We were close to the remaining snow on the sides of the road.  We stopped at a rest area and Angela was able to make a snowball.  It was in the low 50s and the wind made it feel even colder.  We reached an altitude around 1,100 feet.  Signs constantly remind truckers that they must have chains in their trucks September through May.  There are many "Chain Stations" which are wide pull-offs to allow truckers to put chains on their tires.  We saw a sign  for "Goat Rides".  It was tempting but decided against it.  We stopped for gas but passed on the regular price of $4.40 per gallon.  Next exit we were able to "gas up" for $3.41!  We ate at a Whole Foods and continued our trend of trying to eat healthier.  As we drove during the day, we listened to John Denver singing, "Rocky Mountain High"!
     We decided to check out the U.S. Air Force Academy after arriving in Colorado Springs.  When we drove up to the gate, we were asked by the young cadet if we had any ammunition or explosives in our vehicle.  He asked to see Angela's drivers' license and asked to check our trunk as well but then told us to have a good day. We went to the Visitor Center and met a nice staff member who had attended ECU and lived in Goldsboro for awhile.  We saw a replica of a cadet's dorm room and the history of the academy.  We walked a short but steep trail to the chapel which has a Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist chapels inside. The architecture of the chapel is amazing and the inside is so beautiful!
     We are headed to Kansas on Tuesday and hope we don't see any flying monkeys!