Road Trip

September 26 – After a leisurely breakfast the plan was a trip to Cripple Creek.  On the way out of the park Bill stopped and retrieved the missing driver’s license so he’s legal again. 

Lake along drive

The drive to Cripple Creek was nice except for the road work.  Luckily we arrived at the stop just as they were allowing our lane to go.  It’s a nice ride over small hills and valleys with ranches dotted along the way.  Once we started ascending higher and closer to Cripple Creek the beautiful yellow clusters of aspen trees stood out among the

Aspens in front of mine tailings

evergreens.  So beautiful but with the 2 lane road and no pull offs we didn’t get to do much stopping for photos.  There seemed to always be a car coming behind us.  Cripple Creek was pretty much as we remembered except now there were more casinos and fewer shops and restaurants.  We drove through town, which didn’t take long, and at the far end I spotted a small

My new friend

herd of donkeys roaming free.  We stopped and opened my window and one came right on up to me.  I think he expected a treat but we didn’t plan on donkey snacks.  We found out later that they have 15 in town.  They just had the first baby in 20 years.

It looked like a slow day in town and we easily found street

One block of town

parking.  We went into a shop and I looked for Bill to show him something and he was gone.  I went out and stood by the car and called him and heard his phone ringing in the car.  He had left a rear window half way down so I just stood there and waited for him to return.  He was in the shop next door.  He opened the car, got his phone, rolled up the window and realized he didn’t have his wallet but he did have a license.!!!  We stopped in the first casino we came to and he needed the restroom and I need to

Bill won big!

donate $10 to the casino.  Further down the street the Bronco Billy’s takes up the whole block and Bill wanted to go in.  The first machine we saw was a Big Bang Theory machine and after a photo session Bill wanted me to give him $1 so play.  I could not believe he put $1 for 1spin and won $20.  He had the appropriate “Bazinga” pop up and it gave him a spin of the big wheel and it landed on $20.  Of course the one next to it was $100.  It was almost enough to buy lunch! 

We stopped in a nice shop with lots to offer and I found the most beautiful, perfect slippers!  I tried them on and left with them.  I’d been watching for some new ones for in the RV and Bill was shocked that I

My new slippers

paid the price but they are SO nice.  We asked the clerk for a lunch recommendation and she said Maggies.  Lunch was excellent.  The soup of the day was White Cheddar Broccoli so we each had a cup and we each ordered the Chicken Fajita Appetizer.  Wow, it was much larger than we each expected but Bill managed to knock his off.  I got a take home box (which I discovered later I left on the lobby counter while I waited for Bill to go to the bathroom)!  We drove up around some of the old mines which was interesting.  They mapped out a couple of walking trails with placards telling about each stop. 

Victor is only a few (literally) miles away so we headed there. Between the towns is the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine Company which is a VERY

Three mines in Victor

active and huge mine.  We were told they take millions of dollars of gold out still.  That place is huge with mounds and mounds of tailings.  They stagger them in a pyramid and leave a road all around it to continue building it taller and taller.   It is unbelievable! 

Victor had no casinos, so is much smaller but has lots more shops.  We didn’t stop at any but picked up a map at that showed us

Staggered pilings

around.  We drove by the Lowell Thomas house.  He was an American writer, broadcaster and traveler.  He narrated movie reels until 1952 and that’s what most people know him from.

On the way back to Canon City we stopped again for the road construction and once again were lucky that we didn’t have to wait.  We visited a used book store in town and boy did she have the books.  They were EVERYWHERE.  Such a nice lady and she lived and taught in Mt Dora when she got out of college in Tennessee.  She’s a Coloradoan, born and raised, so in a few years moved back.  We turned in a big bag us books we’d read and got a much better deal on our purchase than in Tucson.

Back at the campground as soon as we got out of the car a teenage boy was standing by a car in a spot 2 away from us and he was screaming to beat the band!  We came inside and you could clearly hear him.  I realized his mother was sitting in the car on her cell phone and he kept screaming to please let him have his things from the car.  I stuck my nose in the situation after she got out of the car and told her to please get him to stop.  She told me he is special needs and she had the crisis line on the phone.  Then the campground manager arrived and she got him inside her RV and things got quiet.  I felt bad for her but after 10-15 minutes it was hard on the nerves. 

The good news is the water was back on!  I made steel-head trout, mixed rice and steamed broccoli for dinner with a brownie for dessert.  Later we watched NCIS, Bull and NCIS New Orleans.  I also worked on my health insurance papers.