Tag: Colorado

Colorado 2026 Trip Report (Day Zero)

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Flying to Denver: another chance for the airlines and TSA to make a good impression. And TSA delivered. I only had to tell one person that I had a medical device on me, and they knew exactly what needed to be done.

My buddies from AA (that’s American Airlines, not Alcoholics Anonymous) got everything right in the end, though their communication skills could use some work. When I got my boarding pass, it said I was in group 9. I tried to explain to at least three separate AA employees that I can’t be separated from that carry-on bag, and that I was quite concerned about the overhead bins becoming full before I got to board. Each of these people said basically, “Awwwwww, there, there, shut up, boy! Nobody’s going to take your widdo bag from you.” They were right. As I stepped into the plane, I immediately learned that AA had upgraded their overhead bins, doubling the overhead storage capacity. I had no problem finding space for my carry-on bag!

Other than being on an escalator when it lost power, witnessing a luggage jam that had to be manually cleared, and then not recognizing my own luggage, it was a smooth trip.

Fleeing the Weather

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It’s that time of year again. The “air you can wear” is in full force and effect. The forecast is calling for 100 degrees on Monday. So, what’s a lad to do? I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. This little lad is fleeing to Colorado.

Now, don’t start grabbing numbers off your favorite weather web site to throw in my face. I am fully aware that the average high temperatures in Denver and Charlotte are surprisingly similar at this time of year. But Denver is just the airport. Once I have picked up my rental Jeep, I will be heading for the really high country. Much of this trip will be around TWO miles above sea level.

Just for fun, here are the high temperature forecasts for Monday, in my destination towns:

Charlotte, NC750 Feet above sea level100° F
Denver, CO5,280 Feet above sea level91° F
Leadville, CO10,152 Feet above sea level70° F
Lake City, CO8,671 Feet above sea level75° F

That said, both Lake City and Leadville are very close to active wildfires. If I don’t pay attention, I could very quickly go from nice and cool to literally burning. Wish me luck!

2026 Travels

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I am often asked how I choose which state to visit next. Until recently, there has been no simple answer to this question.

But now, I can say, “I don’t! I let a spreadsheet tell me where to go!”

Y’see, I have built a spreadsheet that pulls (not literally) from other spreadsheets I had previously built, developing a point-based system to determine which states to prioritize. Geeky, no?

The initial output from this new spreadsheet gives the highest ranking to Kentucky, New Jersey, and West Virginia. I can’t say I anticipated any of those! But the spreadsheet has spoken! Here, then, is my highly tentative list of trips for 2026:

April: Kentucky

June: West Virginia

August: Annual Colorado Trip (hoping to reach ghost town of Alta this time)

October: New Jersey

I may combine Kentucky and West Virginia into a single road trip, since they’re right next to each other, and not terribly far from home. Also, I have very ambitious ideas for this year’s Colorado trip. I may and/or may not be able to make those happen.