Steamboat Springs is a fun place to window shop & chow down on yummies for your tummy. We found a cool little two-story bookstore with a café in it. We spent about an hour readin’ & eatin’. Then we walked up & down Lincoln Avenue, which passes right through “Old Town”. Lots of interesting (& often expensive) shops selling funky painted furniture, outdoor gear, leather goods & organic food.
After lunch at The Shack Café, where we were able to eat outside by the street, we strolled down to where several of the natural springs are located. Here’s some info, straight from the “Steamboat Springs Downtowner”:
It is a natural, geologic occurrence that makes Steamboat Springs infamous. Deep in the earth’s crust, thousands of feet below the city, cracks in the Dakota Formation allow molten rock to seep upward, super-heating ground water & sending it boiling over onto the surface in more than 150 thermal mineral springs. The 1st bathhouse was first constructed in 1910, & shortly thereafter an Olympic-sized outdoor pool was also built.
Right across from the library, there are two springs, Soda Spring, which is marked by a gazebo, & Sulphur Spring, which we could smell even before we could see it. It is one of the areas most active spring, bubbling up furiously a strange greenish-blue slightly foamy liquid. It is said to keep a constant 73 degrees. It stinks!
Later in the afternoon, we drove out to Strawberry Park Hot Springs:
We are located approximately 7.0 miles from beautiful downtown Steamboat Springs and our springs are by far one of the most attractive mineral springs in the world. Hot Springs Creek is nestled between Rocky Peak and Copper Ridge. This is the point where a series of hot springs spew from the hillside at temperatures of approximately 150 degrees fahrenheit, and flow down into the creek.
A fabulous display of masonry architecture divides the creek into cells where the water temperature is controlled by adjusting rustic style gates.
The largest hot pool is approximately 19'x 16' and is kept at a temperature of +/- 104 degrees fahrenheit. The next pool down is slightly smaller and cooler. The cool (creek) pool is larger than both of the other cells put together. It offers a comfortable contrast to the hot pools and sports warm spots due to geothermal venting in various places. The masonry walls were constructed to create 5 waterfalls. In addition a small private pool was created for Watsu; warm water massages. Most recently a beautiful stone stream house, a warm changing area, and picnic area have been added.
For photos, check out http://www.strawberryhotsprings.com/2005/gallery.php
I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy a full-hour massage in a room that was built around a huge boulder. A waterfall was just outside the windows, so I had real nature sounds to listen to during the massage – not a CD!
The waters were HOT! The kids played mostly in the river just above where the hot springs join it. I was able to tolerate the hotter waters, but only for a few minutes at a time at the hottest pool.
This was great fun for us – we can’t help wonder what it would be like in the winter! Brrrr…splash…ahhh!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Day 11: Climbing O-v-er Rocky Mountains...(sung ala Pirates of Penzance)
How can I describe Rocky Mountain National Park? I really can’t. It’s so massive & expansive, with a different scene at every turn (& believe me, there were MANY turns!) It took us 7 ½ hours to drive the 140 miles that connects Estes Park to Steamboat Springs. We stopped whenever there was enough space for us to park our big beast. At one stop, a family walked over to us, having noticed our Massachusetts license plate. Turns out they live in Chelmsford, the town right next door to ours!
We hiked a couple of trails, one of which brought us to an elevation that was over 12,000 feet - 2.3 miles above sea level. Our hearts were pumping hard during that one, the elevation change was quick & relentless, &, again, there was way less oxygen than we’re used to. Once at the top, however, we quickly recharged & actually felt energized – gotta love that Rocky Mountain high!
At one stop, near what’s called the Lava Cliffs, as I was walking back to the RV something told me to look out into the valley. There was a small (at least, it looked small from our point of view) pond off in the distance. Using the binoculars, I spotted an elk grazing. Phil & Shaun were able to see it, too, but Kimi had a terrible time setting her sights correctly. Phil spent about 10 minutes trying to help her see it. Then I realized (without the binoculars) that there was another elk over there. Finally Kimi was able to focus on the correct spot & see both of the huge animals eating their lunch by the banks of the pond. We were now free to travel on!
As we passed through the Continental Divide, Phil & looked at each other & said, “What exactly is the Continental Divide?” Well, we looked it up, & discovered that it is the main water parting of any continent. In North America, the divide runs along the crest of the Rockies, from British Columbia, through the United States, and continues southward into Mexico and Central America. It divides the continent's principal drainage into that flowing eastward (to the Hudson Bay in Canada or to the Mississippi River) and that flowing westward (to the Pacific Ocean). See, always learning!
See our pictures: http://app.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/106186/!
We hiked a couple of trails, one of which brought us to an elevation that was over 12,000 feet - 2.3 miles above sea level. Our hearts were pumping hard during that one, the elevation change was quick & relentless, &, again, there was way less oxygen than we’re used to. Once at the top, however, we quickly recharged & actually felt energized – gotta love that Rocky Mountain high!
At one stop, near what’s called the Lava Cliffs, as I was walking back to the RV something told me to look out into the valley. There was a small (at least, it looked small from our point of view) pond off in the distance. Using the binoculars, I spotted an elk grazing. Phil & Shaun were able to see it, too, but Kimi had a terrible time setting her sights correctly. Phil spent about 10 minutes trying to help her see it. Then I realized (without the binoculars) that there was another elk over there. Finally Kimi was able to focus on the correct spot & see both of the huge animals eating their lunch by the banks of the pond. We were now free to travel on!
As we passed through the Continental Divide, Phil & looked at each other & said, “What exactly is the Continental Divide?” Well, we looked it up, & discovered that it is the main water parting of any continent. In North America, the divide runs along the crest of the Rockies, from British Columbia, through the United States, and continues southward into Mexico and Central America. It divides the continent's principal drainage into that flowing eastward (to the Hudson Bay in Canada or to the Mississippi River) and that flowing westward (to the Pacific Ocean). See, always learning!
See our pictures: http://app.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/106186/!
Day 10: August 21, 2006
Today we left Colorado Springs & journeyed northwards, through Denver & Boulder, to Estes Park, which borders the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s normally a 2 – 2 ½ hour trip, but about 20 miles before we reached the campground the skies darkened dramatically. Soon enough, the rain started, hitting the windshield in fat splats. We decided to pull over at a conveniently placed pull-out next to a pretty field with a large gate reading “Hermits Ranch”. That turned out to be a very smart move because no sooner had we parked the hail began to pummel us. It made a huge racket as it beat down on us. The road runoff looked like a small brook as the road began to turn white & slushy. The field quickly changed from golden green to white. By the time it finished, about 15 minutes later, there was a layer of white mush 2” deep.
Then the sun reappeared. We set off & soon began the descent into Estes Park. Immediately the melted hail that had accumulated on our roof top began to rush off of us. It looked as if someone was aiming a hose at my passenger-side window. I had manuver in my seat for a clearer view of the valley.
After settling into our spot at the campground, Shaun begged to be able to do some fishing. Many of the previous campgrounds had stocked ponds on the property, & Shaun had been itching to try it. At a Wal-Mart stop, I had bought him a kid-friendly rod & reel set, so he was ready. After paying for his one-day fishing permit, he donned his special fishing outfit: khakis, tee-shirt, & an olive-green vest with matching hat. He looked adorable, grinning ear to ear in anticipation of catching “the big one”, a five-pound rainbow trout that had been living in the pond for over a month.
To our great surprise, on his very first cast, Shaun managed to catch…a tree. After buying another bobber & securing a new hook onto the end of his line, Shaun persisted for 1 ½ hours, alas, in vain. Discouraged? Nope. He’s already planning his strategies for next time…a fishing addict has been born!
As if this weren’t enough to fill a day, we were honored to be the guests of the Lewis family, who live in Estes Park, easy walking distance from the campground. The original reason for this trip was to attend the Live & Learn Unschooling Conference in Albuquerque. There is a Yahoo group that attendees can join regarding this annual event (this will be our 3rd conference; 1st was in Peabody, MA, & last year’s was in St. Louis). One of the moms on the list asked who was planning any side trips in conjunction with the conference. I wrote in about our little trip expansion, which led to Cathy Lewis writing back to me privately. First she offered to give us some restaurant suggestions, but as we emailed back & forth, she ended up inviting us all to dinner at their house, plus the use of their clothes washer & dryer! Let me tell you, I’ve never been so excited about the prospect of doing laundry!
We took her up on her extremely generous offer (remember, we’ve never met before), & got to meet her husband Garth & their cute-as-can-be children Quinn, Maggie & Zach, along with Cathy’s sister Becky. We had a great visit complete with grilled hamburgers & homemade sweet potato fries. The kids all got along wonderfully & only stopped playing to eat! Oh, yeah, since I had mentioned in my emails that Phil was flying in to Colorado on my birthday, Cathy decided that we should all celebrate it with make-your-own sundaes!
We driven back to the campground that evening, happy to have met this lovely family. We’re looking forward to seeing them again in Albuquerque!
Then the sun reappeared. We set off & soon began the descent into Estes Park. Immediately the melted hail that had accumulated on our roof top began to rush off of us. It looked as if someone was aiming a hose at my passenger-side window. I had manuver in my seat for a clearer view of the valley.
After settling into our spot at the campground, Shaun begged to be able to do some fishing. Many of the previous campgrounds had stocked ponds on the property, & Shaun had been itching to try it. At a Wal-Mart stop, I had bought him a kid-friendly rod & reel set, so he was ready. After paying for his one-day fishing permit, he donned his special fishing outfit: khakis, tee-shirt, & an olive-green vest with matching hat. He looked adorable, grinning ear to ear in anticipation of catching “the big one”, a five-pound rainbow trout that had been living in the pond for over a month.
To our great surprise, on his very first cast, Shaun managed to catch…a tree. After buying another bobber & securing a new hook onto the end of his line, Shaun persisted for 1 ½ hours, alas, in vain. Discouraged? Nope. He’s already planning his strategies for next time…a fishing addict has been born!
As if this weren’t enough to fill a day, we were honored to be the guests of the Lewis family, who live in Estes Park, easy walking distance from the campground. The original reason for this trip was to attend the Live & Learn Unschooling Conference in Albuquerque. There is a Yahoo group that attendees can join regarding this annual event (this will be our 3rd conference; 1st was in Peabody, MA, & last year’s was in St. Louis). One of the moms on the list asked who was planning any side trips in conjunction with the conference. I wrote in about our little trip expansion, which led to Cathy Lewis writing back to me privately. First she offered to give us some restaurant suggestions, but as we emailed back & forth, she ended up inviting us all to dinner at their house, plus the use of their clothes washer & dryer! Let me tell you, I’ve never been so excited about the prospect of doing laundry!
We took her up on her extremely generous offer (remember, we’ve never met before), & got to meet her husband Garth & their cute-as-can-be children Quinn, Maggie & Zach, along with Cathy’s sister Becky. We had a great visit complete with grilled hamburgers & homemade sweet potato fries. The kids all got along wonderfully & only stopped playing to eat! Oh, yeah, since I had mentioned in my emails that Phil was flying in to Colorado on my birthday, Cathy decided that we should all celebrate it with make-your-own sundaes!
We driven back to the campground that evening, happy to have met this lovely family. We’re looking forward to seeing them again in Albuquerque!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Day 9: Waterfalls & Festivals
After a quick Starbucks stop, we drove 5 miles down the road to enter Seven Falls & South Cheyenne Canyon. We climbed 184 steps up to the Nest observation platform, where we could see the falls in their entirety. After taking many photographs, we picked up our lungs & walked back down the stairs.
At the base of the falls there is an Indian Dance Area, that we were fortunate enough to come upon just as a family of Native Americans were about to demonstrate various tribal dances. At the end of the program they invited all of the audience children to join the dancers, who were also children & teenagers. Shaun happily went up & danced a ring dance of friendship.
At the completion of the show, we turned around & steadied ourselves for our next climb. Two hundred twenty-four steps took us along side each waterfall in succession, such as Shorty, Bridal Veil, Ramona, & Feather. Then we followed the 1-mile long Inspiration Point trail, which leads to the spot where Helen Hunt Jackson sat while writing her novel “Ramona”. The scenery was astounding & ever-changing as the clouds & fog shifted along the canyons. Kimi decided to branch out into video documentories, & narrated many of our stopping points along the trail.
By the time we got back to the visitors center, it was around 2:30 pm & we were hungry, having already consumed our snack provisions on the trail. We found an interesting sounding restaurant in our guide book & drove to it. The Front Range Barbeque is just on the eastern border of the area known as historic Old Colorado City, which is the original center of town. Luck was definitely on our side: 1) we immediately found a parking spot right at the corner; 2) we were seated out on the street-side patio next to the street which allowed us to 3) watch the hundred or so classic cars drive down the street as they left the Car Cruise Festival that had just ended. They had been set up on the closed-to-traffic main street (West Colorado Ave., which is where our campground is also located). After our delicious lunch, we were able to stroll down the street, still blocked off, & see the few remaining cars.
As we walked back to our rental SUV, we passed through Bancroft Park, where a young couple, dressed in regular street clothes, danced ballroom style silently while a man videotaped them. After a few minutes of watching, he asked if we cared to be in the video! Turns out the young couple are soon to marry, & this was part of their wedding video. We happily applauded them while being filmed – strangers in a park congratulating the about-to-be-newlyweds.
There’s nothing like applauding someone to work up an appetite, so we drove into the downtown area to visit Cold Stone Creamery. We have a happy memory of eating at a Cold Stone Creamery in Boston with Val, Greg & Monica the weekend we all got to cruise Boston Harbor on the USS Constitution, so this seemed like a good bet. As it turned out, there was a music festival, in Spanish, going on in the park across the street. This apparently was Festivals in the Parks Day in Colorado Springs! The kids ran their little legs off in the playground while Phil & I listened to music.
A very full day. We’re a little sad to be saying “goodbye” to Colorado Springs. There is so much more we could have done while here. We’ve already decided that we will return some day. This is definitely a city worth visting & exploring.
For photos of our escapades in the Colorado Springs area, please visit http://app.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/106189/.
At the base of the falls there is an Indian Dance Area, that we were fortunate enough to come upon just as a family of Native Americans were about to demonstrate various tribal dances. At the end of the program they invited all of the audience children to join the dancers, who were also children & teenagers. Shaun happily went up & danced a ring dance of friendship.
At the completion of the show, we turned around & steadied ourselves for our next climb. Two hundred twenty-four steps took us along side each waterfall in succession, such as Shorty, Bridal Veil, Ramona, & Feather. Then we followed the 1-mile long Inspiration Point trail, which leads to the spot where Helen Hunt Jackson sat while writing her novel “Ramona”. The scenery was astounding & ever-changing as the clouds & fog shifted along the canyons. Kimi decided to branch out into video documentories, & narrated many of our stopping points along the trail.
By the time we got back to the visitors center, it was around 2:30 pm & we were hungry, having already consumed our snack provisions on the trail. We found an interesting sounding restaurant in our guide book & drove to it. The Front Range Barbeque is just on the eastern border of the area known as historic Old Colorado City, which is the original center of town. Luck was definitely on our side: 1) we immediately found a parking spot right at the corner; 2) we were seated out on the street-side patio next to the street which allowed us to 3) watch the hundred or so classic cars drive down the street as they left the Car Cruise Festival that had just ended. They had been set up on the closed-to-traffic main street (West Colorado Ave., which is where our campground is also located). After our delicious lunch, we were able to stroll down the street, still blocked off, & see the few remaining cars.
As we walked back to our rental SUV, we passed through Bancroft Park, where a young couple, dressed in regular street clothes, danced ballroom style silently while a man videotaped them. After a few minutes of watching, he asked if we cared to be in the video! Turns out the young couple are soon to marry, & this was part of their wedding video. We happily applauded them while being filmed – strangers in a park congratulating the about-to-be-newlyweds.
There’s nothing like applauding someone to work up an appetite, so we drove into the downtown area to visit Cold Stone Creamery. We have a happy memory of eating at a Cold Stone Creamery in Boston with Val, Greg & Monica the weekend we all got to cruise Boston Harbor on the USS Constitution, so this seemed like a good bet. As it turned out, there was a music festival, in Spanish, going on in the park across the street. This apparently was Festivals in the Parks Day in Colorado Springs! The kids ran their little legs off in the playground while Phil & I listened to music.
A very full day. We’re a little sad to be saying “goodbye” to Colorado Springs. There is so much more we could have done while here. We’ve already decided that we will return some day. This is definitely a city worth visting & exploring.
For photos of our escapades in the Colorado Springs area, please visit http://app.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/106189/.
Day 8: Fun Facts about Pikes Peak!
1803
Pikes Peak area obtained by the US as part of President Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase.
1806
President Jefferson dispatches Lt. Zebulon Montgomery Pike to determine the Louisiana Purchase’s southwestern borders. Pike attempts to climb what he thinks is the peak on November 24th, but is forced back by snow for which he was not prepared.
1850’s
“Pikes Peak or Bust” is painted on many gold seekers’ wagons on their way west.
1860
Construction of the Ute Pass wagon road begins. It is the 1st road through the valley northeast of Pikes Peak. US 24 now follows most of this route.
1894
When Katharine Lee Bates, a teacher from Massachusetts, traveled to Pikes Peak, she was inspired to write the words that would later become “America the Beautiful”.
2006
The Biegler-Yablonski clan accends to the summit, at an altitude of 14,110 feet above sea level. They breathed air that has only half the oxygen found a sea level. They braved the narrow, fog-covered, often guide rail-less hairpin turns, with Christine trying to use the passenger-side “invisible break” only about 3 dozen times. They chewed lots of gum & sipped lots of liquid beverages to compensate for the air pressure changes & lack of moisture in the air. They saw amazing views & will never forget this day.
Pikes Peak area obtained by the US as part of President Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase.
1806
President Jefferson dispatches Lt. Zebulon Montgomery Pike to determine the Louisiana Purchase’s southwestern borders. Pike attempts to climb what he thinks is the peak on November 24th, but is forced back by snow for which he was not prepared.
1850’s
“Pikes Peak or Bust” is painted on many gold seekers’ wagons on their way west.
1860
Construction of the Ute Pass wagon road begins. It is the 1st road through the valley northeast of Pikes Peak. US 24 now follows most of this route.
1894
When Katharine Lee Bates, a teacher from Massachusetts, traveled to Pikes Peak, she was inspired to write the words that would later become “America the Beautiful”.
2006
The Biegler-Yablonski clan accends to the summit, at an altitude of 14,110 feet above sea level. They breathed air that has only half the oxygen found a sea level. They braved the narrow, fog-covered, often guide rail-less hairpin turns, with Christine trying to use the passenger-side “invisible break” only about 3 dozen times. They chewed lots of gum & sipped lots of liquid beverages to compensate for the air pressure changes & lack of moisture in the air. They saw amazing views & will never forget this day.
Day 7: August 18th - Birthday Surprises!
Happy Birthday, Christine!
Today is my birthday & my best present was Phil’s arrival in Colorado Springs. To make it even better – he was able to catch an earlier flight in Dallas/Ft. Worth, which enabled him to land here 2 hours earlier than planned. Of course, that meant I had to call up Enterprise this morning & ask them to pick me up at the campground earlier than scheduled, which they sort of managed to do.
After driving Phil to the RV, we decided to explore the very close by “Garden of the Gods”, a geological wonderland of amazing sculptural stone formations. Most are a stunning shade of red, just like what we saw in central Australia two years ago. However some are gray-brown to almost white – it all depends on the minerals & sediments that comprise the formation. We were able to drive a long winding roadway to see the various formations, with many stops for hiking & photography along the way. Our favourite spot was the “Balanced Rock” a 700 ton, 300 million year old rock formation that looks like a gigantic rock barely balancing on a relatively tiny pedestal. Although visitors are not permitted to climb, hike or walk on the rock formations, unless you have a permit for technical rock climbing, here we were all free to climb & pose on the rocks.
We thought it best to have an early dinner, since Phil woke up at 2:55am EST to get here! I had seen an advertisement for “The Melting Pot”, which is a fondue restaurant. We splurged on the special dinner, which included a cheese course with lots of yummy appetizers for dipping, then a salad course (no dipping, just dressing), followed by the main course of simmering broths in which we could cook our various meats (beef & chicken), raviolis & seafood (tiger shrimp & lobster tails). We also had an assortment of vegetables, but these weren’t as enticing. Finally, we had dessert – the Chocolate Course! It was extraordinary & the four of us didn’t even come close to finishing off the delicacies we had available to dip – but, boy, did we try!!
Happy sigh!
Today is my birthday & my best present was Phil’s arrival in Colorado Springs. To make it even better – he was able to catch an earlier flight in Dallas/Ft. Worth, which enabled him to land here 2 hours earlier than planned. Of course, that meant I had to call up Enterprise this morning & ask them to pick me up at the campground earlier than scheduled, which they sort of managed to do.
After driving Phil to the RV, we decided to explore the very close by “Garden of the Gods”, a geological wonderland of amazing sculptural stone formations. Most are a stunning shade of red, just like what we saw in central Australia two years ago. However some are gray-brown to almost white – it all depends on the minerals & sediments that comprise the formation. We were able to drive a long winding roadway to see the various formations, with many stops for hiking & photography along the way. Our favourite spot was the “Balanced Rock” a 700 ton, 300 million year old rock formation that looks like a gigantic rock barely balancing on a relatively tiny pedestal. Although visitors are not permitted to climb, hike or walk on the rock formations, unless you have a permit for technical rock climbing, here we were all free to climb & pose on the rocks.
We thought it best to have an early dinner, since Phil woke up at 2:55am EST to get here! I had seen an advertisement for “The Melting Pot”, which is a fondue restaurant. We splurged on the special dinner, which included a cheese course with lots of yummy appetizers for dipping, then a salad course (no dipping, just dressing), followed by the main course of simmering broths in which we could cook our various meats (beef & chicken), raviolis & seafood (tiger shrimp & lobster tails). We also had an assortment of vegetables, but these weren’t as enticing. Finally, we had dessert – the Chocolate Course! It was extraordinary & the four of us didn’t even come close to finishing off the delicacies we had available to dip – but, boy, did we try!!
Happy sigh!
Day 6: The long and winding road
It was another long day of driving, this time from central Kansas to Colorado Springs, CO – 430 miles! We hit rain after we crossed over into Colorado, but fortunately it didn’t last too long.
We are staying at the Garden of the Gods Campground, more in Manitou Springs than Colorado Springs, but the two communities seem to pretty much blend into each other. The campground is crowded. The sites are very close together & with the RV slides out, we all are just feet away from each other. Not my favourite way to camp – open the blinds & you’ve got no privacy.
Tomorrow we pick up Phil at the airport – I can’t wait!! We all miss him so much, even though it’s only been five days since we left home.
We are staying at the Garden of the Gods Campground, more in Manitou Springs than Colorado Springs, but the two communities seem to pretty much blend into each other. The campground is crowded. The sites are very close together & with the RV slides out, we all are just feet away from each other. Not my favourite way to camp – open the blinds & you’ve got no privacy.
Tomorrow we pick up Phil at the airport – I can’t wait!! We all miss him so much, even though it’s only been five days since we left home.
Day 5: Lions & Tigers & Bears - Oh, My!
We’ve been enjoying our driving break in Salina, Kansas. First of all, Kansas is beautiful. Yes, it’s flat, but then again, it’s not. The landscape has a lovely texture created by gently rolling hills. Fields may have crops or critters, usually cows, but sometimes pigs or horses. Small ponds, clusters of trees & shrubs & prarie grasses dot & color the scenery. It creates variety & is not at all boring to see. I know I had a preconceived idea of what I believed this region of the country would look like – I’m happy to write that I was wrong.
Kimi has become our resident photographer. She went out & aroundthe campground, Sundowner West, yesterday as the sun was starting to go hang low on the horizon. The soft light was perfect for her shots of the lake, picnic area & many, many resident white geese. When I can connect to the internet, I’ll download the photos so that you can see them, along with photos from today’s outing.
When we woke up this morning & lifted up the shades on the east side, we saw cows grazing in the adjoining field, the sun not quite above the hill. Very pretty.
Three miles down the road from the campground is Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, a zoological park & museum. We visited the zoo first. As it turns out, schools around here started up for the new year this week, so we were practically the only visitors – it felt like we had the place to ourselves.
We tried to get there before it got too hot (temperatures were predicted to get into the 90’s) to be able to see animals in motion. This worked out for us quite well. We could hear the male lion roaring before we saw him – he was in a mood! The primates were fun to watch. There was a capuchin monkey island where they busied themselves climbing & jumping. The giraffes were playing with each other by wrapping their long necks into & around each other. When Shaun & I approached the leopard area, one of the leopards looked at us, growled a grumpy complaint, got up & walked over to a shadier area.
The quieter animals include the wolves, tigers, rhinos, & wallabies. However, they were still laying where we could easily observe them.
After lunch we walked next door to the museum. We almost skipped it – it sounded a little...um…boring. How wrong we were! It was filled with huge dioramas of animal from many different geographical regions, along with animatronic “humans” of the time or region “talking” about that time or region. I know this sounds rather ho-hum, but we all loved it.
As if all this wasn’t enough, after we left Rolling Hills, we drove a ½ hour away to see something called Rock City. Existing 2½ miles southwest of Minneapolis, Kansas, is a group of concretions, spheriod masses of rock. At one time, the surface of the land was higher than it is at the present & the rock occupying this space was sandstone, a part of the Dakota sandstone which is the dominant bedrock in this part of Kansas. The sandstone was crossbedded & the individual grains of sand were loosely “cemented” together. Underground waters containing dissolved calcium carbonate circulated through the porous rock, leaving deposits. These deposits clumped up large enough to create large rock masses that could have eventually become one enormous rock, but instead experienced erosion from wind & rain. Now there are approximately 200 of these formations in Rock City, the only place in the world with such large samples of this geologic oddity.
The amazing thing is, visitors are allowed to climb on these huge rocks, which we happily did! Again, once we can upload photos, you’ll be able to see what I’m trying to describe.
Busy day, fun day. Tomorrow (Thursday) it’s a long
Kimi has become our resident photographer. She went out & aroundthe campground, Sundowner West, yesterday as the sun was starting to go hang low on the horizon. The soft light was perfect for her shots of the lake, picnic area & many, many resident white geese. When I can connect to the internet, I’ll download the photos so that you can see them, along with photos from today’s outing.
When we woke up this morning & lifted up the shades on the east side, we saw cows grazing in the adjoining field, the sun not quite above the hill. Very pretty.
Three miles down the road from the campground is Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, a zoological park & museum. We visited the zoo first. As it turns out, schools around here started up for the new year this week, so we were practically the only visitors – it felt like we had the place to ourselves.
We tried to get there before it got too hot (temperatures were predicted to get into the 90’s) to be able to see animals in motion. This worked out for us quite well. We could hear the male lion roaring before we saw him – he was in a mood! The primates were fun to watch. There was a capuchin monkey island where they busied themselves climbing & jumping. The giraffes were playing with each other by wrapping their long necks into & around each other. When Shaun & I approached the leopard area, one of the leopards looked at us, growled a grumpy complaint, got up & walked over to a shadier area.
The quieter animals include the wolves, tigers, rhinos, & wallabies. However, they were still laying where we could easily observe them.
After lunch we walked next door to the museum. We almost skipped it – it sounded a little...um…boring. How wrong we were! It was filled with huge dioramas of animal from many different geographical regions, along with animatronic “humans” of the time or region “talking” about that time or region. I know this sounds rather ho-hum, but we all loved it.
As if all this wasn’t enough, after we left Rolling Hills, we drove a ½ hour away to see something called Rock City. Existing 2½ miles southwest of Minneapolis, Kansas, is a group of concretions, spheriod masses of rock. At one time, the surface of the land was higher than it is at the present & the rock occupying this space was sandstone, a part of the Dakota sandstone which is the dominant bedrock in this part of Kansas. The sandstone was crossbedded & the individual grains of sand were loosely “cemented” together. Underground waters containing dissolved calcium carbonate circulated through the porous rock, leaving deposits. These deposits clumped up large enough to create large rock masses that could have eventually become one enormous rock, but instead experienced erosion from wind & rain. Now there are approximately 200 of these formations in Rock City, the only place in the world with such large samples of this geologic oddity.
The amazing thing is, visitors are allowed to climb on these huge rocks, which we happily did! Again, once we can upload photos, you’ll be able to see what I’m trying to describe.
Busy day, fun day. Tomorrow (Thursday) it’s a long
Day 4: The measure of things
4
The number of days traveled thus far.
1637
The amount of miles driven, approximately.
9
The number of states we’ve been through.
100
The maximum amount in dollars that I’ve been able to charge at the gas pump per swipe. Sometimes it only allows $75, requiring two swipes.
2
The number of days we’re staying in Salina, Kansas, before departing for Colorado.
3
The number of days until my birthday!
0300
The hour that in military time is approximately when Phil is picked up by the car service at our house on Friday to get to Logan Airport in order to fly to Colorado Springs to join me on my birthday.
Infinite
How much I love him!
The number of days traveled thus far.
1637
The amount of miles driven, approximately.
9
The number of states we’ve been through.
100
The maximum amount in dollars that I’ve been able to charge at the gas pump per swipe. Sometimes it only allows $75, requiring two swipes.
2
The number of days we’re staying in Salina, Kansas, before departing for Colorado.
3
The number of days until my birthday!
0300
The hour that in military time is approximately when Phil is picked up by the car service at our house on Friday to get to Logan Airport in order to fly to Colorado Springs to join me on my birthday.
Infinite
How much I love him!
Day 3: The rain on the plains
Well, this was a l-o-n-g day of driving. Even though we headed out from New Columbia, OH, at 815am, we didn’t get to the campground in Mulberry Grove, IL, until 6:30pm EST. Thank goodness we gained an hour when we crossed the time line. Construction delays were terrible & long-lasting, especially in Indiana. One nasty merge-to-one-lane area cost us ½ hour on our estimated time of arrival according to Gypsy.
Adding to the endless feeling of driving, the landscape really flattened out today. No more Appalachian or Allegany mountains – now it’s huge acres of farmland. We passed many signs explaining that we were seeing hybrid corn crops or soybeans to be used for biofuels.
We had to travel through some passing rain showers, but nothing heavy or sustained. However, to our south, we kept noticing towering clouds of varying scariness. Each time we thought, “Oh, oh, now we’re going to get it”, we pass by unscathed. I could see the very deep darkness behind us in the rear view mirrors & thanked the travel gods for their protection. All I wanted was to be able to get to camp & hook up without it raining on me! As I’m typing, I can see dark, thick clouds closing in. Will we get rain? I don’t know. Only the wind knows.
Adding to the endless feeling of driving, the landscape really flattened out today. No more Appalachian or Allegany mountains – now it’s huge acres of farmland. We passed many signs explaining that we were seeing hybrid corn crops or soybeans to be used for biofuels.
We had to travel through some passing rain showers, but nothing heavy or sustained. However, to our south, we kept noticing towering clouds of varying scariness. Each time we thought, “Oh, oh, now we’re going to get it”, we pass by unscathed. I could see the very deep darkness behind us in the rear view mirrors & thanked the travel gods for their protection. All I wanted was to be able to get to camp & hook up without it raining on me! As I’m typing, I can see dark, thick clouds closing in. Will we get rain? I don’t know. Only the wind knows.
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