After the Paint Mines, I spent a few days checking out various museums in the Colorado Springs area, and a little time gambling in the town of Cripple Creek. Each of the museums I visited (Miramont Castle, Western Museum of Mining and Industry, and Ghost Town Museum) were interesting and recommendation-worthy. But this is a ThrowBack Thursday post, not a Trip Report, and ThrowBack Thursdays are all about me Throwing photographs at you. So let’s get on with it.
Red Rock Canyon Open Space is a relatively new addition to the Colorado Springs city parks system. This park is easy to miss, even though it sits right next to a major road (Cimarron, which is also US Highway 24). This rock formation can BRIEFLY be seen from the road as you whiz by…
Red Rock Canyon Open Space is home to LOADS of trails, most of which I found unexciting. However, the trail to the 1880’s sandstone quarries and the Contemplative Trail were both quite enjoyable.
Starting with the eponymous Red Rock Canyon Trail, you encounter a small quarry, one of several long-abandoned sandstone quarries located in the park…
As you continue up the Red Rock Canyon Trail and onto the also eponymous Red Rock Canyon Path, ya gits the following scenery…
At the end of Red Rock Canyon Path, you meet up with Quarry Pass Trail, which takes you to the BIG quarry…
Then there’s this…
I made my way past the above abomination to Contemplative Trail. Many a groovy rock formation can be found here…
The next day, I was facing a 6.5-hour drive from Colorado Springs to Cortez, Colorado. I decided to start the day with a sunrise visit to Garden of the Gods…
On the way to Cortez, I drove over Wolf Creek Pass. This was the first time I’d ever been to this part of the state. There’s a rest area near the top of the pass, with very scenic views to the south. See below, eh!
Exercise is critically important in fighting the progression of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Sitting in a car for hours on end is just as bad for you as sitting in a recliner all day. So I give you this:
PD Travel Tip: When on a long drive, stop and get out of the car at least once an hour.
If I’m in my own car, I’ll bring several music CD’s. Whenever a CD ends, I find a place to stop. Depending on my needs at the moment, I might stop at a gas station, a restaurant, a scenic overlook, a rest area, or I might just pull off at the side of an exit ramp and walk around the car a couple times. It doesn’t have to be anything formal – you don’t need to be doing push-ups or jumping jacks at the side of the road. Just get off your butt and walk around for a minute or two. And if you stop somewhere that has a public toilet, use it! Even if you don’t feel like you need to.
On this particular day, I did not heed that last bit of advice. On the final leg of the drive, I suddenly and urgently needed to urinate. But US Highway 160 in southwestern Colorado is mighty desolate. I drove several miles looking for a gas station, fast food joint, or Wal-mart with no luck. There aren’t even bushes to go behind. In desperation, I pulled off the road next to a loose cluster of small trees. But it was just a little too late. The flow started as I made the dash from the car to the nearest tree, so I ended up with wet (but not soaked) pants. Needless to say, I made use of the hotel’s guest laundry that evening.
I spent the following day at Mesa Verde National Park. However, I got a late start, and I seem to recall having some issue with my Old Cheap-n-Crappy(TM) camera. Ultimately, I got very few pictures, which is a shame because this park has a stark beauty well beyond what I had expected. Also, the cliff dwellings were closed as part of the anti-COVID measures at the time. But please enjoy the following few photos from Mesa Verde National Park.
Tune in next week to see the amazing town of Telluride, Colorado as well as some cool stuff I saw on the way back to Denver.
Voyages with Parkinson's 