Weekend Fiasco

On September 8, 2015September 8, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado3 Comments

We decided to take advantage of the three-day weekend and go to Boulder Colorado, which is very close to Rocky Mountain National Park. We often tell people not to travel during busy holidays unless there is a compelling reason to do so, such as it is the only opportunity to view something special. This was not one of those cases and we should have listened to our own advice, we would have been much happier had we done so. Our goal was to go hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, view the incredible scenery, hopefully get a glimpse of some wildlife, but mostly get into nature and away from the heat. That isn’t what ended up happening.

We should have known how the weekend was going to go when we arrived at our hotel. We belong to several hotel reward programs, something that anyone who travels frequently knows is an absolute must, and used points to book our room for the weekend. When we arrived at our hotel, we were told that our room was on the first floor, which is opposite of our preference as we prefer to be on the highest floor possible, we don’t like the noise of people above us. When we asked for a different room, we were told that we were in a smoking room and those are only located on the first floor. Our jaws hit the floor. We both have asthma and absolutely cannot stay in a smoking room, seriously didn’t even think there was such a think as a smoking room in this day and age. Then the next surprise, because of the holiday weekend, the hotel was sold out and this was the only room they had available. We were staying at a Hilton property, so we asked if there was another hotel in the Hilton family that might have rooms available, which there was, so they called and confirmed availability. However, since we were using points, we had to call the corporate offices, have our current reservation cancelled, redeposit the points, and make a new reservation, which was now not in a suite as we had originally booked. At least we had a room, so after an hour of dealing with the reservations, we were driving to our new hotel. Once there, the staff couldn’t have been nicer, they upgraded us to a suite and let us know that there was a complimentary shuttle to take us to the Pearl Street Mall, which is the heart of the shopping and restaurant district in Boulder. We dropped our bags off in our room and took advantage of the shuttle to go grab a bite to eat and enjoy happy hour at West Flanders Brewing Company, which was celebrating having just won two gold medals for their IPA at the Colorado State Fair. Maybe this weekend wasn’t going to be bad after all.

The next morning, we woke up and tossed our camelback and camera into the car and headed off towards Rocky Mountain National Park. As soon as we hit the small town of Lyons, we should have known what we were in for. Traffic was at a crawl as we made our way closer and closer to the only light in town where the local fire department was collecting donations for the annual “fill the boot” campaign. Once through the town, our pace picked back up and we thought things were back on track. As we neared Estes Park, the town just outside of the park entrance, we realized how foolish we were to think that we were going to get away from the crowds and get into nature. It seemed as though every other person in Colorado had the same idea as us. Another agonizing traffic jam as we moved through the main street of Estes Park lined with an art and craft fair, there was still some slim hope that people were there to visit Estes Park and not Rocky Mountain National Park. Once through town, we stopped at the visitor center just outside of the park to grab a trail map and talk to the ranger. There was a large group of hikers situated at a bus station outside of the visitor center, which we assumed were there for some sort of guided tour, we were about to find out otherwise. The ranger quickly informed us that there was no parking available at any of the trailheads and that they were busing hikers in to a single trailhead. Over a thousand hikers on a trail, not exactly our idea of getting into nature. In addition to going to the park on a holiday weekend, it was also the park’s centennial celebration and there were over fifty-thousand (we heard a hundred-thousand) people at the celebration the night before. We promptly got back into the car and headed back to Boulder.

After dealing with traffic and three hours driving back and forth, we were ready for a glass of wine. We took the shuttle back to Pearl Street and enjoyed some oysters at Jax Fish House. Pearl Street Mall is an outdoor shopping area that is closed to anything other than pedestrian traffic, which has a wonderful variety of restaurants, but on a holiday weekend, finding a seat without a reservation isn’t easy. We were lucky to get to Jax at just the right time, so we were able to get a seat at the bar. Only moments later there wasn’t a seat left in the place and reservations were booked solid until after 8:30 pm, so we weren’t about to give up our seats until we were done with dinner, which was a wonderful special of shrimp and grits. It was time to adjust our plans, so we enjoyed some people watching and the street performers that are all over the mall and decided that we would find a place near Boulder to go hiking the next day.

We talked to the staff at the hotel and they recommended a trail that only the locals knew about, so after a quick lunch, we were finally going to get our long awaited hike. We ended up hiking Sunshine Canyon Trail and then connected to Lion’s Lair Trail, which turned out to be just what we were looking for. Although there were houses on the surrounding hills, we only came across a couple of other hikers, so we got the tranquility that we were hoping to get. After several hours of hiking, it was back to the hotel and one final visit to Pearl Street. We love the oysters at Jax so much that we had to join them for happy hour once again. We walked the streets and enjoyed our final night of the weekend, finally relaxed and fulfilled.

Even though we didn’t listen to our own advice and stay away from the crowds, in the end we got what we needed, which was some down time and a chance to get into the mountains. It certainly wasn’t what we had initially planned, but we were together and that was all that mattered.

Garden of the Gods

On August 31, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado1 Comment

Anyone visiting Colorado should definitely make their way to Colorado Springs to visit the Garden of the Gods. The rock formations, with their vibrant reddish-orange color, are visually stunning against the back drop of Pikes Peak and the surrounding foothills. It is hard to imagine that the majestic orange sandstone rocks that are so beautiful today were once sand dunes millions of years ago when an inland sea covered the area. It is this vast geological history with all of the forces that produced the Rocky Mountains that gave birth to the rock formations that make up the Garden of the Gods.

Many people are aware that Colorado is an active area for discovering dinosaur fossils, but most people don’t associate that with the Garden of the Gods. The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center opened an exhibit in 2008 to celebrate the discovery of a new species of dinosaur based on fossils that were found in the park. The discovery actually occurred in 1878, but the fossil was misidentified as a Camptosaurus and it wasn’t until 2006 that it was reexamined and determined to be a new genus and species.

The park offers great activities for people of all ages. There are hiking trails, nature walks, Jeep and Segway tours, rock climbing, or even bird watching as there are many species of birds that make the rocks their home. Rock Ledge Ranch, located within the park, is also worth a visit as it provides a glimpse into the early settlers and native inhabitants of the Pikes Peak region. Whether capturing images with a camera or a canvas, Mother Nature has made sure that there is plenty of picture perfect opportunities.

Not surprisingly, over time people have given names to many of the formations within the park. Some are obvious such as Balanced Rock. Others are more imaginative, such as Three Graces, The Cathedral Spires, Getaway Rock, or Steamboat Rock. None is probably as famous as the Kissing Camels, which is an often debated conversation amongst the visiting tourists as to whether they really look like camels. With or without names, each of the different rock formations is inspiring to realize that time, weather, and geological upheaval could reveal something so amazing and beautiful.

Fittingly enough, the park got its name from a couple of surveyors who were exploring the local area. When they came across the park and its natural beauty, M. S. Beach, for whom the story is attributed, stated that it would “be a capital place for a beer garden”. The other surveyor, named Rufus Cable, replied “Beer Garden! Why it is a fit place for the Gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods”. The name stuck and after a long day hiking and climbing in the park, a beer is the perfect complement to a day outdoors.

Obviously there are other attractions in the Colorado Springs area that are all worth a visit as well. Places like the Cave of the Winds, Pikes Peak Scenic Highway, the Cog Railway to the summit of Pikes Peak, Seven Falls, or the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, just to name a few. But a visit to Garden of the Gods is on the top of our list of sites that need to be seen, not just in Colorado Springs, but in the whole state.

There’s Gold in Them There Hills

On August 17, 2015August 17, 2015 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn ColoradoLeave a comment

Even though we’re still in the heat of August right now, there is a sense in the air that fall is right around the corner. Living in Colorado, it isn’t a surprise that we’re avid hikers and there isn’t a more picturesque time of year to be in the mountains than during the fall when the leaves are changing and temperatures are falling. Although the weekends can be crowded as people from the cities head into the mountains for a day to view the Aspens as they turn to gold, it is actually off season in the resort towns and a perfect time to spend a few days surrounded by some the most beautiful scenery in the country. Each town or resort provides its own unique opportunity to view the natural beauty of forests as the leaves change as well as places to stay and restaurants to eat.

One of our first memories of getting into the mountains during the fall was when we went to Estes Park and stayed at the Stanley Hotel. Estes Park is a beautiful little town that is right outside of Rocky National Park, which is the Yellowstone of Colorado. At the time, the Stanley Hotel was a five star hotel that was proud of its heritage of having hosted many presidents, including Teddy Roosevelt, and of its original owner who was the inventor of the Stanley Steamer. Nowadays, after appearing on an episode of Ghost Hunters, they are all about the Shining and the ghosts that may inhabit the property. Oddly enough, we actually stayed in the same room that Stephen King stayed in when he wrote the Shining, which made our stay even more special.

We’ve also stayed in Breckenridge and Vail during the fall and they are both wonderful places to stay, but our favorite place to go is to Beaver Creek. Beaver Creek has a feel of exclusivity without being pricey. The center of the resort has an ice skating rink with shops and restaurants all around. There a plenty of places to sit outside and watch the sun set over the mountains, all with fire pits or heaters to keep you warm as it can get fairly cold at night. Hiking up the mountain can be quite strenuous, but the views that you are rewarded with are well worth the effort.

In addition to hiking, there a lots of small little towns with plenty of history. Towns such as Minturn, Georgetown, or Leadville make for perfect excursions from wherever you’re staying. We have fond memories of going to Minturn and having lunch in a saloon that boasts that Jesse James used to frequent the place. In addition to the historic towns, there are also a few ghost towns in Colorado, such as the ones near Cripple Creek and Leadville.

Regardless of where you stay, getting into the mountains of Colorado during the fall will leave you with images that will last a lifetime. Whether going to Aspen and hiking the Maroon Bells, going to Winter Park where the college students love to frequent, or going to a resort such as Beaver Creek, you will enjoy getting away from the crowds while the locals prepare for the oncoming ski season. As with any time travelling into the mountains, there can be a chance of snow, but generally speaking the chance of perfect weather far outweighs the chance for inclement weather. Even if it does snow, it will just add to the beauty of the mountains. So, despite the lack of proper grammar, the old mining saying is still true that “there is gold in them there hills”.