Sunday, October 28, 2012

On The Way To Our Winter Home-Oct. 2012

First thing--Pudge's finger is healing very well.  You can tell he lost part of it.  It sure was ugly before and after the surgery. 

I should have done this earlier when I could remember more of the details.  I wanted to but it just never worked out.  Now I am struggling to remember some of the stuff.  I will do my best.  I could get out receipts and literature that I gathered about the places we visited but I not going to.  I am just going to try my best. 

We tend to stay off freeways.  Makes for traveling so much more interesting.  I think out of the whole trip we were only on a freeway for about 100 miles of the approx. 2000 that we traveled.

 This is southern Minnesota.  I love pumpkin patches.  I was amazed at how big this one was. 
 Crazy Horse Monument.  Not completed.  They said that it will take about 30 more years.  We went into the museum, watched a film and then took a van to get very close to it.  It was cold and windy.  I did enjoy this very much.  The wind was so bad going through the Black Hills and Custer that when you opened a door it about went right off its hinges.  Could hardly breathe when you were walking into it.  It was incredible.
 Our view out our motel window.  This was in Estes Park, Colorado.  Really like this town.  It is right at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.  We were able to go into the park just a little way because they close it down early Oct. and it does not open again until May.  Elk were wandering around on the golf course in the town.  We really did a good job exploring this town and the outskirts.  It was a lovely fall day so it made everything very enjoyable.
 Late afternoon was when we went into the park.  A herd of elk came out of the woods and walked right in front and along side of us for awhile.  It was really neat.  I found it fascinating that it was about 17 females and 1 male.  I understand that they have harems during breeding season.  There was a younger male that tried to join but the bigger one would always run him off by charging at him.  It was really neat to watch this.
 This was a cliff dwelling on the way to Pikes Peak.  Cannot remember the name.  We had explored cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde Park last spring on our way back to MN.  These were similar but not quite as elaborate.  I could not help but think -- "how did they keep their toddlers out of danger living on these cliffs." 
 Have to climb ladders to get to some of the dwellings.  I liked this.  Something different.  This one wasn't nearly as good as Mesa Verde.  I am really intrigued by this and how they lived.  The museum would go into it but everything is really just a theory.  They do not know for sure.  They can only make an educated guess. 
 Here are the cliff dwellings from the parking lot. 
 At the top of Pikes Peak.  This is a plaque with the song "America the Beautiful."  This is what inspired the composer to write it.  Now I need to say that I am glad I went to the top but I have no desire to do it again.  It was so darn scary.  I had white knuckles and tears in my eyes as we climbed.  I was leaning very much away from the edge.  So frightened was I that I started to hyperventilate.  Then when you get to the top it was so windy and cold that you could not even walk around.  We did the gift shop and looked out the windows.  Both of us were light headed and could sure feel it.  It did not seem all that pretty to me.  I have seen a lot more awesome sights than this.  My thoughts then and now--"Why would anyone want to mountain climb?'  I read Into Thin Air.  Nothing about that sport is appealing.  And I just got a very small taste of it.  I thought what I did was grueling, frightening, and did not feel good.  I know I will never understand why people would want to do that.  BTW-the drive up there did not bother Pudge at all.  He likes mountain driving.  Not me.  On little slip of our tire on those edges and we would have been history.  I can still feel it as I write this.
This is the train that people can take to get to the top.  I considered taking it down.  It was not nearly as scary going down as it was going up. 

Okay--this documenting of our journey will have to be continued in another blog. 

1 comment:

  1. I really enjoyed this travelogue, Pat. I think it is really fun that you and Pudge take your time going back and forth. There are so many beautiful and interesting places in our 50 states.

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