End of the Trail

Hit the high road Saturday towards Joplin, MO.  Had tentatively planned to visit this area and then move on to New Orleans, that quickly changed when we found out another hurricane was predicted for the coast.  We new of one of Jeremy's friends that lived through the Jophin Toronado that had hit Joplin a few months back and he was very accommodating to show us around.  Our thoughts were - can we help.  Everything is still moving very slowly with cleanup and permitting process not to mention having to deal with the insurance agencies.  Well pray for Joplin's loses and hope things will move more quickly for them to re-build.  I've never experience such mass destruction and was very saddened for those in the path.

On a brighter note, the road trip that day was great.  We ventured off the hussle and bustle of the interstate system and choose a more rural route.  We even had lunch at the ole Walmart parking lot (that's because there are no rest areas on the back roads).  Found us a nice RV Park called "Red Barn", just a little further east of Jophin.  I was so hoping for a restful nights sleep without the trains rolling through town, but NO, we were awoken by  a local drunk at 5 am brawling out his frustrations what seemed like right our our front door.  I tried to lay still, hoping this idoit would not wake Buddy, but that didn't work.  Thanks goodness, the sheriff was close by. 

We spend another day in this area and visited the Casino next door in Oklahoma.  Didn't stay very long - to busy for us.  Labor Day we spent traveling another rural route towards home. Ended up at Kentucky Lake for the a nice evening. 

So Tuesday am, we made our way through Nashville, Knoxville with the rain coming down and then decided to visit Mandy in Asheville.  Stayed at the Bear Creek RV Park just a mile or so from where she lives.  Luckily she was just getting off work and was able to meet us for dinner.  We had a little Birthday celebration, since her birthday is Friday.

So Wednesday we just have 2 hours of driving and we're HOME!  but I'm already planning another trip!

Get the Heck (out of) into Dodge

We've had an such an experience today in the wild west of Dodge City....at least that is what it use to be called.  I had a real hard time finding anything WILD.   Not disappointed, just all the old building are gone....burned twice back when but the history is still abundant.  Got an early start this am beginning with a Trolley Ride, which was on one part of the Sante Fe Trail, through the town of Dodge and Fort Dodge.  Not alot of tourist this time of year.  We were the only one on the ride.  Yea for us!  Got reacquainted with the history of part-time Sheriff/Gambler/Gunfighter Wyatt Earp, Sheriff Mat Masterson, buffalos, cowboys, other gamblers, the railroad and where MY beef is being slaughtered!





Buddy trying to get a ticket for that Train....to somewhere.

I think they really are this big.....don't won't to find out.



My future dinner's!



Long Branch Saloon
Only bartender I could find!

Only in the west will you find cowboys buried with there boots on!

Dodge City here we come......

Most of the morning we spent catching up on bills, return phone calls etc.  Finally got an internet connection. Yea!  Buddy learned that the Santa school he wants to attend is in Denver and not Colorado Springs which he had thought.  Anyway, a phone call to them and some information for the future might put Buddy on a new career.

We got a late start and hit the road for a more southern route towards home.  Our designation for this evening will be in "Dodge City".  Looking forward to some exploring of the real west.  The ride on route 50 through east Colorado and Kansas is far better than the Interstate route of 70.  I have never seen so many herds of cattle in the stock yards.  Guess that's why they are called "Grain Feed Beef".



One of many, many, many stock yards along Hwy 50



Back on the Road

It's been awhile since I've updated here.....not alot going on and the internet has been difficult to work with.  I feel somewhat lost without the internet or TV.  We finished up at the ranch on more projects, boy, we could use another few weeks there.  Just alot of maintenance items to keep up with and Jeremy works alot so he's not much help.


View looking down to Cripple Creek



  Tuesday we packed up and headed to Cripple Creek, CO in the Pike's Peak Region.  I've never been to this area so we decided to stay an extra day and be a tourist.  The boom of the Gold Rush days put Cripple Creek on the map.  Buddy and I found a nice out of the way KOA Kampgound.  After setting up we headed into the town of Cripple Creek.  A real western astomphere but now all the hotels are Casino's.  I believe there are 13 here.  They bus in people from Colorado Springs and Pueblo all day and night long. We learned that they have herds of donkey's that roam the streets free.  The town takes care of them.  They were used back in the old days of mining to help haul.  We then found a nice restaurant in one of the oldest hotels there.  Of course, I had my steak dinner.



Main Street in Cripple Creek

 We headed over to another close by town called Victor.  This is one of the largest gold mining towns around and is still operating.  It's kind of odd though, the town itself is not weathly.  This is also the town President Therodore Roosevelt gave a speech to the people from the hotel bacony.  Buddy and Jeremy helped renovate this hotel 9 years ago when they came out here with Richard Wright.  Jeremy also got the shit whipped out of him at one of the local bars.  Guess the local cowboys didn't like inturders.  Jeremy also learned here that he could go to school to be an outfitter.




Hotel as it looks today!



From 14,127 feet

Pike's Peak or Bust!  A 3 1/2 hour train trip up to 14,127 ft.  I can honestly say I PEEED at 14,127 ft.  It was a wonderful ride up and when we did reach the top, it started sleeting.  Only had about 45 minutes to take pictures, pee again and visit gift shop.  We actually left one lady on top.  Guess she didn't believe the conductor that 3:20 was all aboard time and the train was leaving.  We heard later she had hitched a ride from a couple that had driven up the mountain.  We didn't see but a few mule deer on the entire route but the views were aswesome.  Pike's Peak is only ranked the 31st hightest peak in Colorado and derived its fame from it being the furthest east of the big peaks in the Rocky chain and it was the symbol of the 1859 Gold Rush from the slogan of the migration, "Pikes Peak or Bust".



Train that got us there!



Looking up at Pike's Peak

One of the specular rock formations in "The Garden of the Gods"

Finished the train trip and headed a short ways to "Garden of the Gods".  Interesting story behind this Garden.  The surveyor ran across these sandstone formations and told his partner that it would make a "capital place for a beer garden".  His partner said it would be a  perfect place for the Gods to assemble.  So the name remains but the beer garden never materialized.  Only got to take a few pictures there and visit the "Largest" gift shop in Colorado.  We were hungry and tired so we headed to a little shop we found that was suppose to be the "BEST" wines of Colorado and great bison burgers.  I'll give an A+ for the bison lasagne but I really didn't care for the wines.  Guess I'm just spoiled from the Oregon ones.  They had a large selection and a wine tasting, but still, I couldn't get into their grapes.