On Thursday, Feb. 15th Frank and I took an 8:30 flight from Philadelphia to Minneapolis, then a second flight on to Portland. Arriving around 1:00 pm Portland time, we had some lunch at the airport. Since Kate and her boyfriend Dan were both at work, I knew we had to get our own ride to her house. Using my newly downloaded Uber app, I put in Kate’s address. Up popped two cars that were near the airport. Selecting Alfredo and his Hyundai Accent we waited. Sure enough in about three minutes time a Hyundai Accent pulled up. Yep, it was Alfredo. He was quite a conversationalist and in no time at all we arrived our daughter Kate’s house in North Portland.
When we entered her house, we were greeted warmly by Kate’s two cats, Scarfy and Freddy. Before long both Dan and then Kate came home. That evening Kate and Dan made chicken fajitas for us. Our meal ended with freshly baked slices of pineapple upside down cake with a pineapple curd that Kate made to celebrate Dan’s Valentine’s Day birthday.
During the night, I work up to a lot of flashing lights in front of Kate’s house. I was so tired that I just rolled over and went back to sleep. In the morning, we learned that the flashing lights were fire engines! The house behind Kate’s had burned. Unfortunately, the woman of the household did not survive. I can’t believe both Frank and I slept through all of this excitement right in the backyard!
The neighboring house boarded up after the fire on Thursday night.
On Friday, both Kate and Dan went to work again. After fixing our breakfasts, I went to a nearby public pool for an aqua aerobics class at 9. It was the first time I had even tried this kind of activity, but found that it was a lot of fun. I am sure that I did not get many of the moves correct, but everyone was very helpful and it certainly did get me moving.
Here is the front entrance to Columbia Pool.
On the way to and from the pool, I was amazed at the flowers that were in bloom. Spring definitely has sprung here in Portland.
Daffodils in front of Columbia Pool.
After I returned from my swimming class and cleaned up, Frank and I headed out for lunch at an Arby’s a few streets away. After lunch, we went shopping in a Goodwill Store. We purchased a Rummikub game but decided against a 1,000 piece puzzle of Oregon’s map because of limited space in Kate’s kitchen area.
Front of Kate’s house with raised garden beds.Kate’s chickens, from l to r: T-Bone, Nibbles and Foghorn!Backyard chicken house.
We went out for supper. Going past the St. John’s bridge, we stopped at Cathedral Park which is a park under the bridge over the Willamette River. We then went to a German brewery for supper in St. John’s. Frank had a Wurst Trio and I had a pork schnitzel.
Kate, Dan and Frank walking down the steps in Cathedral Park.
Both Frank and I were quite tired, but we still managed to play a rousing game of Rummikub to finish our day! It indeed proved to be a great gift. I won!
On Sunday morning, after a great breakfast at our Roadway Inn in Alamosa, we headed for Colorado Springs, our final destination before flying home. This was our shortest driving distance of about 170 miles. I noticed on the map Brown Canyon National Monument was on the way. This is the area north of the town of Salida and is along the Arkansas River. It was made a national monument in 2015 by President Obama. I put Brown Canyon National Monument Visitors Center in the GPS. When we got to our destination, it was just an area with picnic tables, restrooms, and a boat launch to the river. I guess they haven’t built a visitors center yet.
Restrooms and boat launch along the Arkansas River, a popular rafting and kayaking area but no visitors center.
Do you know the difference between a national park and a national monument? During one of our ranger hikes in Black Canyon, I learned that monuments are set aside by a presidential order while national parks are established by the congress. Both Black Canyon and Great Sand Dunes were first monuments before became national parks.
Our next hotel was in Manitou Springs, just west of Colorado Springs. The town reminded me of Lake Placid, small with lots of restaurants and shops. This town has a hot springs which attracted many visitors. Peaks Peak Cog Railroad and the Garden of the Gods are located in Manitou Springs.
Did you know that Colorado got its name from the Spanish words Color Red? That can pretty well sum up Garden of the Gods. It is a city park full of huge interesting red sandstone formations; it was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. It reminded me of Arches National Park but smaller. The land was once owned by Charles Elliott Perkins, a railroad tycoon, whose children donated the land to Colorado Springs in 1909 with the stipulation it had to remain free to the public.
We took the hiking trail to the Siamese Twins formation. Siamese Twins formation Posing in front of the Siamese Twins. My head is partially blocking the view of Peaks Peak in the background. Can you believe it? Frank trying out rock climbing!
Our next adventure was the Pikes Peak Cog Railroad. It was a partly cloudy day so I wasn’t sure it was the best day to go to the summit, but off we went hoping for a break in the clouds. Established in 1891 it has taken millions to the 14,115 foot summit; it is the world’s highest cog railroad.
No big horn sheep, but I did spy this yellow bellied marmot! Frank ready to board our train car. It took an hour and twenty minutes to the summit. Forget sunshine! It was snowing and sleeting when we arrived! View of Colorado Springs – notice the sleet on the foreground At least the snow made for an interesting picture!
On the observation area was a monument with the words to “America the Beautiful”. Katherine Lee Bates was inspired to write a poem called “Pikes Peak” after riding on the cog railroad in 1895. It was later put to music and was the song was first published in 1910.
While Pikes Peak is the highest summit of the southern front range of the Rocky Mountains, I was surprised to learn that there are nineteen higher peaks in Colorado. Pikes Peak Cog Railroad is a National Historic Landmark.
Seven Falls was our next stop. It is a series of seven falls of South Cheyenne Creek in South Cheyenne Canyon. The site has been privately owned since the early 1880. We had quite a time actually getting to the falls. Our GPS took us to the entrance but their was a sign telling us to park at another location and take a shuttle. Putting that address into our GPS, we wound up going in the same circular route twice until a Seven Falls shuttle passed us. “Quick, follow that van!” I exclaimed. It led us to a parking area across from the Broadmore Hotel.
While the falls were pretty and the area was well maintained with beautiful flowers, Frank and I were a bit disappointed. Being privately owned, our National Park Golden Pass was not going to work here. We missed the natural setting of all of the places we had visited earlier on our trip.
Yes, we really did climb 224 steps to the top of the falls. Frank counted them! Coming down was much easier! I held on very carefully to the railings! View of Seven Falls from the Eagle’s Nest. We took the elevator to that observation area.
On Tuesday our last day of touring, we took a jeep tour to two gold mining towns, Cripple Creek and Victor. These towns are about 45 miles southwest of Colorado Springs. Gold was discovered in the Colorado territory in 1858 and led to the largest migration of people to the area. However, these two towns sprung in the 1890’s when gold was found near Cripple Creek.
The first town we came to was Cripple Creek, named after the small creek that passes through the town. After the gold rush days this town became a ghost town. In the 70’s the town voted to allow casinos and presently it has nine casinos which has brought tourists and boosted the town’s economy. All the buildings are made of brick. In the early 1900’s most of the houses in Cripple Creek burned and were replaced with brick structures. The Casinos have restored the buildings in keeping with the 1900’s style. We were surprised when two donkeys came up to our Jeep. Our driver had food for them. Then one mule went over and turned on a spigot to fill a bucket in front of a building to get a drink. Donkeys must be smarter than I thought!
Victor was the next town we explored. Also, popping up right after gold was discovered it rapidly grew to a population of 18,000 becoming Colorado’s fifth largest city at that time. At Victor’s peak, they were 3 trains, two trollies, 20 doctors, 6 churches, 12 labor unions, 15 attorneys, and 48 saloons! There were 500 gold mines. Now it is practically a ghost town with a population of 397 in the 2010 census. Along with Cripple Creek this area area became the second largest gold mining area in the country producing about $10 billion of mined gold in 2010 value. While there is one hard rock gold mine currrently in operation, the rest of the mining is now done by strip mining. Our driver took us to a quarry where gold is extracted today. You can see the terraced levels in the picture below.
Traveling toward Denver airport in order to catch our flight home the next day, we made our final stop just north of Colorado Springs at the United States Air Force Academy. We went into the Barry Goldwater Visitor’s Center to see a twenty minute film on the life of a cadet in the first year of their training. After viewing the film, I can see why only the best and brightest are accepted into the program. There are 1,000 in each class, so 4,000 cadets are trained here during their 4 year academic, military, and physical training program.
After the film we went to the Chapel on campus. It was truly amazing architecturally. There was a Protestant chapel on the first floor and a Catholic, Jewish, and Buddhist chapels on the lower level. What an impressive building and campus! There were more buildings open to the public, but we were ready to head to our hotel near the airport for our flight home in the morning.
All in all we had a great week in Colorado. We saw three national parks and some interesting sights in Colorado Springs. After we were home, one of the important things that needed to addressed was our map of the U.S. National Parks. Frank carefully put on the stickers for Rocky Mountain, Black Canyon, and Great Sand Dunes! That makes 26 parks visited! Just think we only have 33 more parks to go!
After breakfast we packed sandwiches we were off to Black Canyon. This canyon is roughly 2,000 feet deep and at its narrowest point it is 1,000 feet across at the rim and only 40 feet at the bottom. Since it is difficult for the sun to reach all of the walls because of the angles, it got it’s name “Black Canyon.”
On our way to the South Rim Visitors Center, we had some road traffic-free range cattle!
We had to wait for these fellows to cross the road.
Once in the park, we stopped at the first pull off to get our initial glimpse of Black Canyon. I could tell right away that we were going to enjoy exploring this place. At the visitors center we watched an orientation film about the park’s geology and wildlife. I was surprised to learn that early in the 1900’s they made a tunnel in the canyon to divert water from the Gunnison river to irrigate the surrounding arid land to allow for farming and cattle grazing.It took over 4 years to build the tunnel; it was completed in 1909 and is still in use today.
There is a trail called Gunnison Point at the center that offers stunning views of the canyon. There was a Ranger tour at 10 about the geology of the park. We decided to go with Ranger Kim on the hike. While I wasn’t that excited to learn about rocks, Kim did a great job of pointing out the different rocks of the canyon. The steep walls of the canyon are about two billion years old. Her talk gave you an idea how our presence here on earth is just a mere dot in the timeline of the earth.
Ranger Kim giving us a demonstration of how the canyon was formed. Showing a combination of fault collision and volcanic activity, we got the idea of how the canyon walls got pushed up and how the powerful forces of the wind and waters of the Gunnison River contributed to the canyon we see today.
The southern walls of the canyon get more sun. Notice the sloping sides on the right showing greater vegetation and erosion that the north walls.
We then took the seven mile road through the park, stopping at various view points along the way. We ate our sandwiches at one to the picnic tables. It was really hot and we were glad that we brought along lots of water. In fact before going on our last hike to Warner’s Point, the very last stop along the road, we drove back to the Visitors Center and refilled all of our water jugs.
Notice the Gunnison River cutting through the canyon.
The Painted Wall which is Colorado’s tallest cliff. Pink strands of pegmatite (an igneous granite like rock) give the wall its colorful streaks.
Armed with plenty of water, we were ready to head to Warner’s Point. We went on another ranger led tour with Ranger Megan. Her talk focused on wilderness and the need to preserve wilderness areas like Black Canyon. Looking at the awesome view at the end of the trail which is the steepest drop off from the rim to the river, we certainly understood her message!
We made it to Warner’s Point which drops 2,772 feet from top to the river. You can see both the San Juan and the West Elk Mountains from here. We were glad we had our trekking poles. Over 18,000 steps on my Fitbit today!
We loved our day at Black Canyon. Taking the two ranger led hikes were a highlight. The views from the various stops were all different yet awesome. What a spectacular park! And to think we had never heard of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison before our national park map. Second national park off our check list! We will sleep well tonight!
After packing our lunch and getting breakfast, we went back to the park. We went in the Fall River Visitors Center. They had a lot of the wildlife found in the park on display. I really enjoyed the taxidermied badger. Don’t think I had ever seen one before except for the kid’s book with Frances the badger.
Next we headed to Bear Lake which is one of the most photographed places in the park. This alpine lake sits below Flat Mountain and Hallet Peak. Armed with our trekking poles we walked around Bear Lake and then took the trail that leads to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake and on to Emerald Lake. All told round trip it was about three and a half miles but with the elevation gain of 605 ft. we were very glad we had our poles. The lakes were beautiful and different, so we stopped for a while at each one.
Frank resting in front of Nymph Lake.
Frank hiking with poles to Dream Lake.
You can see the steps gaining in elevation.
Dream Lake
Posing in front of Emerald Lake, we rested a while before hiking back. While eating a granola bar, I practically got attacked by an overly interested chipmunk!
The ascent to the parking lot was much easier. It took a little over two hours to do this 3.6 mile hike which is considered a moderate one in Fedor tour book.
We stopped in a picnic area for lunch. I tried to get a picture of a Stellar Jay, which is a much larger version of our blue jays. Once again, this bird would not cooperate, so no picture. That jay was beautiful to watch but very illusive!
On the way to the Trail Ridge Road to our next stop, we saw lots of cars stopped along side of the road. “Frank, stop the car. There must be wildlife.” Sure enough, down by a creek was a large bull elk with the biggest rack I have even seen. He was munching away on the branches of a tree. For a good bit of time all I could see was the branches swaying and horns. A lot of female and younger elk were behind him.
Bull elk busy munchng onleaves
Bull taking a break from eating
bull elks’ harem
Our next adventure was driving the Old Fall River Road. This one-way dirt road is over 100 years old, 14 feet wide, does not have guard rails, and goes for eleven miles before ending at the Alpine Visitor’s Center. Frank was agreeable to take the challenge, so off we went. Our first stop was to view Chasm Falls.
Entrance to Old Fall River Road.
Chasm Falls
Driving along the Old Falls River Road almost to the Alpine Visitors Center. You can see the building in the background.
When we finally reached the top our Jeep Grand Cherokee was covered with dust and so were we. It was sunny so the views from the visitors center were awesome. We also climbed the path to the summit. I felt slightly nauseated from the high elevation, but I was determined to make it to the top. I took several breaks and I am happy to report that I made it! Of course as usual, Frank felt fine.
Alpine Visitors Center
By this time it was almost five so we headed to the west entrance to the park. We were staying in Grand Lake, a small town with a population of 471 in the 2010 census. There is a huge lake there and a small town with restaurants and shops. We had quite a time getting around since the Main Street was closed due to construction. We found a place to eat called Sagebrush Saloon which had quite the western flair complete with peanut shells all over the floor.
The next morning we went to check out the lake for which the town was named, Grand Lake.
Scene by the boat dock at Grand Lake
Aspens just starting to turn golden on the tail to Adam Falls.
Adam Falls just outside Grand Lake
After our exploring by the the lake, we went back into the park through the western entrance. We stopped at the Grand Lake Lodge which was established in 1920. It sits on the hillside overlooking Grand Lake. From this viewpoint you could really see how “grand” Grand Lake really is! There were two antique cars sitting right in front of the main lodge; the red one was a fire engine.
Grand Lake lodge
View from Grand Lake Lodge looking down at the town and lake
Next we stopped at the Kawuneeche Visitor’s Center. I wanted to hike a little on the Continental Divide Trail which daughter Kate had thru-hiked in 2013. I knew that it went through the park. The ranger showed us where to find the trail that would intersect the CDT. It was only four miles from the visitor’s center. So off we drove to the Onahu Trailhead in search of the Continental Divide Trail. We took lots of pictures to document our historic trek. Once on the trail we walked to a stream with a bridge and a meadow hoping to see some wildlife. While the ranger had said he often saw moose there, we did not. But at least we can say we hiked ON the CDT!
Notice the CDT logo on the post.
The Continental Divide Trail!
Bridge, stream, and meadow but no moose!
After our exhausting hike, we ate our packed lunch in the park before heading south. Our next stop is Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, to the south and west almost 6 hours driving time from RMNP. We were on the road by 1 and got to Montrose, CO by suppertime. Can’t wait to see Black Canyon tomorrow!
Off again! This time to Colorado. Why? Last Christmas daughter Kate gave us a poster of the United States with all 60 of the National Parks marked with tree symbols. We thought we had been to many of the National Parks out west and we were able to put on 23 stickers. Can you believe there are 60 in all! “Well, Frank, you know what this means!” Of course he sighed.
Then last January when we were on our Antarctica trip Frank received a Rocky Mountain gold aspen leaf tree ornament at our gift exchange event. “Rocky Mt. National Park? I wonder what that’s like?” I thought. So here we are driving to Philadelphia for our four hour flight to Denver -off to see three National parks in Colorado that we have yet to explore- Rocky Mt. National Park, The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and The Great Sand Dunes. (We had already explored Mesa Verde in 1994)
Our flight out of Philadelphia was right on time at 8:15 and we arrived in Denver by 10:30 MT. The Denver airport is NE of Denver and it was really easy to take the car rental shuttle and get our Jeep Grand Cherokee. We were off for Estes Park, about an hour and a half north west from the airport and located at the eastern end of Rocky Mt. Nat. Park.
After checking in at our hotel and getting lunch, we were ready to start investigating the park. We headed to the Beaver Meadows Visitor’s Center where we saw a orientation movie and got maps and suggestions of what to do for the remaining part of the day. We headed to the Sheeps Lake area in hopes of seeing some wildlife. By now it was around 4 and usually late afternoon and dusk are prime times to catch elk.
Scene from a pulloff overlooking Sheep Lake
Spotted wild turkey. I counted 11 in all but they were not very cooperative about getting their picture taken.
Some wildflowers were still in bloom!
The lakes in this area were made from melting glacier water. That what formed the flat valleys here.
No elk but beautiful scenery at Sheep Lake – these lakes were formed long ago from melted glacier water.
Our next stop was at the Alluvia Fan which is a 42 acre area of rocks and boulders which were left behind when a earth dam broke in 1982. There sure were a lot of boulders everywhere.
There was sign warning about bears in the park. Frank’s reaction below. What can I say?
Not seeing any more wildlife we drove back to our hotel. Just as we entered Estes Park, sure enough we saw a herd of elk along the side of the road. Of course, I had to get out and snap away.
Check out the rack on this bull elk relaxing in the meadow,
.
All in all, not a bad first day of our trip to explore the national parks in Colorado. Stayed tuned for more adventures tomorrow!
This morning we headed back to the falls, but to the Argentine side. You might be thinking, why go again? Actually, seeing the falls from Argentina offered a very different aspect of the falls. Also the national park on this side had three trails which went through a tropical rainforest. That’s why both the Brazil and Argentine National Parks have been declared UNESCO Sites.
We took a train to the first trail that led us along the falls and ended at the Devils’s Throat. We saw two toucans from the train but they were too quick for a picture.
Of course, the first thing we encountered on the trail were coatis partically jumping on two tourists!
We know you have food in there. Hand it over quick
The walkways were wide and not too crowded since we were some of the first to arrive.
There were lots of tropical flowers and thick vegetation
A caiman
Falls along the walkway – it was humid, sunny and in the 90’s!
A really BIG cat fish!
There were two other trails in the park. One was a rainforest hike through the jungle. After lunch we took a boat tour to see the falls from the water level. At the end of the trip, the driver of the boat gave us a shower under one of the lower falls three times. To think we even paid extra for this! It was like a wild rapids ride at an amusement park! Since we were so hot, it certainly cooled us off.
Here I am with two other ladies from our group, we’re soaked but smiling!
Right after our boat ride, we went back on the lower falls trail and saw a double rainbow!
When we left the park, it was late afternoon. We were exhausted. I looked at my fitbit – wow! 18,089 steps! We showered and I had a much needed beer. After a short rest, we took a walk to the Triple Frontier Park near our hotel. Besides an overlook to see the rivers there were some souvenir shops that I checked out. Frank was thrilled!
Argentinian obelisk at the three borders square
After our dinner at our hotel with our group, we packed up. Tomorrow we were leaving for our flight back to Buenos Aires, then another flight in the evening back to Atlanta! Today was exhausting but full of firsts!
Our flight to Iguazu, Argentina took an hour and 50 minutes. Our local guide, Nannie, met us at the airport and escorted our group to an awaiting bus. Today we were heading to the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls. The falls is on the Iguazu River that forms part of the northern border between Argentina and Brazil. It is also very close to where it joins the Parana River at the Paraguay border.
In order to enter Brazil, all of us had to get Brazilian visas before our trip. Nannie collected our passports and at the border she provided the necessary documentation. Once we were cleared, off we went. We stopped for a quick lunch then entered the Brazilian National Park of Iguazu.
Ringed-tailed coati are everywhere in the park. They are very agressive and look for handouts from the tourists!
We walked along a paved paths to view the falls. I never saw so many at one place!
The plants and flowers that grew around the falls were amazing. It is a tropical rainforest.
Boats were taking tourists for a water level view of the falls.
Can you imagine 275 falls at one place? That’s how many are at Iguassu Falls! There was an observation tower at one of the biggest falls, the Devil’s Throat. Here is a picture of the falls from that viewpoint.
Our guide, Gonza took a panoramic picture at one point on the walkway.
Several folks in our group took a helicopter ride over the falls before we left Brazil. The Argentinian side discontinued them because of the negative effects on the ecosystem. While we waited I bought a few souvenirs from a local who had her wares spread out on a blanket.
Our hotel was the Amerian in the town of Iguazu in Argentina.It was very close to the three borders where the Iguazu River joins the Parana River. From the observation deck of the hotel you could see the three countries separated by the rivers. In the picture below, Brazil is to the right back, Argentina is in the foreground and Paraguay is across the Parana River to the left.
The Amerian Hotel
Confluence of the Iguaza and Parana- Iguaza is to the right
Wow! We saw lots of awesome sights today! And for an added bonus- my fitbit read over 12,000 steps!
Leaving the ship bright and early, we were bussed to the Ushuaia airport for a three and a half hour flight back to Buenos Aires. Some of our group of 25 would be going back home on an overnight flight. About 18 of us were staying for the post trip to Iguassu Falls. That flight there was scheduled for Monday at 9 am. Once we got back to the city, we all went back to the Panamericano Hotel where we had stayed our first two nights of our trip. Frank and I even had the same room, 512. This time our key worked on the first try!
Our group went for a late lunch at an Italian Restaurant near our hotel called Broccolino Italiano. Most of us ordered either pasta or pizza. It was tough figuring out prices. Argentina uses peso which are 16 to a dollar. When you see 240 pesos it is hard to mentally figure out the price. Thank goodness for the calculator on my phone!
We had free time in the afternoon. It felt great to relax at the hotel for a while. Later, we explored the pool and the observation deck which offered great views of the city.
view from the roof top of our hotel
This flowering tree on the observation deck was artificial!
We also went for a light supper at a nearby McDonald’s. Boy, what a time that was trying to get the gal who did not speak English to understand our order even though we were pointing to the picture above the counter. Fortunately, a man behind us told the waitress in Spanish that we wanted a Big Mac and French Fries combo!
Pointing to the pictures should have been easy, right?
Where are the empanadas?
Since our luggage had to be out by 6 and we needed to leave by 7:15 am, we decided to skip the tango club (Frank really wanted to find that dancer!) and called it a day!
Nine! We had nine shore excursions on our stay in Antarctica which is about as many as possible. We were lucky that we had sunny and relatively warm days. Sadly it was time to head back to Ushuaia. Of course, that meant crossing the Drake Passage again. Putting on a new patch, I was ready! Fortunately, the waves were milder than our previous crossing. I could even eat this time, but I did stick to a lighter diet, just in case. (Frank of course ate heartily! No seasickness for him!). I was even getting better at weaving back and forth in the hallways and on the deck.
Again there were various programs in the lounge. On Saturday when we were in the Beagle Channel and almost at Ushuaia, we met with our program director for debarkation instructions. For Sunday morning, we needed to have our luggage in the hallway by 6:30 am, be breakfasted and ready for disembarkation which would start at 7:15 am.
One of the ending activities on Saturday was viewing an apple movie put together by the four program directors of pictures they had taken of all of our excursions and of the passengers throughout the week. Those pictures I missed like the albatross, a whale shot with it’s mouth open, and the penguins porpoising were all in that movie. We were given a copy of the video as well. (Frank and I have watched it several times already now that we are home. What a great souvenir!)
Here are some of the great pictures that I missed:
Penguins propoising!
A mouth shot of one of the humpback whales feeding!
A very clear tail shot of a humpback whale
A seal saying “hello”!
One of the wandering albatross that followed our boat
Frank and I getting tango lessons with that “hot” tango dancer
Frank wondering why he agreed to this adventure!
The Corinthian can hold 100 passengers. We were divided into 4 groups for our tour. We rotated by group who was going first, so for tomorrow we will be the second group to leave. Time to pack our bags. We have had an amazing experience in the white wilderness of Antarctica making memories for a lifetime!
