Rocky Mountain High

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!"                                                     

                                                         Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
Day 23 & Day 24

Kansas to Colorado

Sunday, the 23rd day, we left Kansas to head for Colorado and our meeting with Lisa & Kim in Boulder, driving across miles and miles of pretty lonely country.  When we got into Colorado, we decided to head off the interstate again and drive to Denver on the scenic byway.  As we started on this route, we saw an incredible, striking landscape before us.

Looks fake, doesn't it? Almost like the View from the Fit background!

As we drove, we realized we'd be driving right by my old friend Nancy's farm.  We visited her last year, but this year we'd given no notice.  I tried to text to see if she would be home, but when we got no response, we decided to try to find her home.  Mind you, we did not have her address, and had not driven to her house last year (she picked us up from, and returned us to Denver).  She lives on a farm/ranch in the middle of open countryside in Kiowa, CO.  I vaguely remembered where to turn and we began our wild goose chase.  After wandering down several dirt roads, and past several farms, this was beginning to seem crazy (and a little like stalking!).  Then it became a detective challenge.  We were determined!  Mimi looked up her pictures from the horseback ride she had taken with Nancy's daughter last year and we located some landmarks (a row of trees on a bluff, a long white fence...).  After a little more wandering, we found it!  Suddenly, our adventurous spirit turned to trepidation, that when we showed up unannounced on Nancy's doorstep, she'd be freaked out.  Thank God, she was (appeared) excited and welcoming, and we had a great visit with Nancy, her family, and their animals!

Mimi with "Dolly Parton" the goat (a reasonable substitute for Dollywood!)

After Kiowa, we headed to Denver for dinner with Lisa, Kim, and Kim's friends.  Of course, we sat outside, and of course it rained (Dinner conversation:  "I felt a raindrop."  "It's not going to rain until 9:00." "I felt one too."  [thunder and lightning] "Okay, now it's raining." "No, it's not going to rain until 9:00."  [closer thunder and lightning].  "It's RAINING."  Finally, we move inside).  Then off to the night in Boulder through dark, winding roads with constant lightning on the horizon.  We're staying at Boulder Mountain Lodge -- very rustic, but beautiful surroundings.  It's a little like glamping (glamorous camping -- a real upgrade from a tent and peeing in the woods, but not exactly the Ritz!). The only disturbing part was discovering that, based upon the large blood stain on the box spring, clearly someone was murdered in our room! (Trust me here.  I've watched enough "Snapped," "Dateline," "The First 48," and "Blood, Lies, and Alibis"... to identify a murder scene).

We slept soundly, except for the beeping in the night.  We initially identified it as the alarm from Mimi's Doppler radar app. indicating approaching flash floods.  There are signs posted all over the Lodge property saying, "In case of flash floods, climb to higher ground."  Thank God, Mimi realized her phone was just losing charge, and we didn't have to evacuate in our PJs!

Monday, July 15th: Day 24

When we woke in the lodge, I thought the air conditioning was loud until I remembered we don't have air conditioning.  Upon investigation, we (city girls) realized that was the sound of rushing water!  Our room is right on the creek, and although we didn't have flash floods, there was a sudden, loud rush of water in the rising creek!  (At least we weren't so citified that we couldn't recognize a goat.  Yesterday, Nancy told us that when she takes her goat kid to farmer's market with her, people inevitably ask: "What kind of dog is that?"  I may not recognize a raging river, but I at least can distinguish a goat from a dog!).

We went to Estes Park today and wandered around the Stanley Hotel (setting of and inspiration for "The Shining.")  It reminds me a lot of the Wentworth (aka, Sherry, the Merriweather!).

REDRUM, REDRUM!

 

After wandering around Estes Park, we went into Boulder for some shopping and relaxing and an early birthday dinner for Mimi.  Nice day (and NO driving involved for either of us -- thanks, Lisa!).  Two more nights in a hotel, and then our own bed! 

Fun with friends at the "Best Starbucks in the country" (according to Lisa)