July 14, 2015 Leadville, Colorado

This afternoon we took a drive up to Leadville, a historic mining town.  A beautiful drive through a long valley beside the Arkansas River.  Mt. Ebert dominates the skyline up at Leadville; it truly is majestic.  The weather was c-c-chilly, with lowering skies.  We walked around the town, wandered through some fascinating shops, and stopped in at the Tennessee Pass Cafe for coffee and dessert.  We would happily go back here again and do some further exploring!

At the local museum.

Pink lupines.

It's for sale!

Not ideal weather....

Old mine entrance (now filled in)

Three layers and still chilly....

July 13, 2015 Hancock Ghost Town

This afternoon we took a drive waaaaay up in the mountains by Mt. Princeton, up to a mining ghost town named Hancock.  We started on a small paved road in a drizzly afternoon, drove through lots of houses and summer camps, into the San Isabel National Forest.  Then the road became unpaved but well-maintained.  Then the road became a dirt track that was sort of maintained.  And we went up and up and up; started about 8200 ft. and ended up at 11,060 ft.!  Drove right up out of the rain.  It was amazing to see other people driving around up there as though it was normal....  Well, for them I guess it IS normal!  :)  There were lots and lots of folks with off-road vehicles up there.  Just an amazing afternoon.

Started out in a drizzly afternoon rain. 

Passed a "wildlife viewing area" and spotted this sheep.

Passed by the little community of Alpine and saw this sign.

And finally, after an hour of driving, here we are!

Hard to see in a photo, but we could see flat spots in this alpine meadow where buildings must have been...

The old tipple.

This is "Rocky Mountain High" !

It was COLD up there, with the wind.  We were just below the tree line.

This road was not in the best shape....

......but it went through some beautiful aspen groves.

Our trusty truck got plenty dirty today!

July 13, 2015 Buena Vista, CO

During our travels in Colorado, via facebook, we found out that our cousin Neal and his family were also out here.  After some back & forth, we managed to get together with them here in Buena Vista, where we are camped.  What fun!  Neal and Katie and their kids Sarah and Andrew are lots of fun to be around;  plus as a bonus Katie's mom also came down from Breckenridge and brought 4 more little boys!  What a hoot!  We were in a small circus.....  The Arkansas River runs right beside Buena Vista so we walked down to the water and waded a bit.  Then it was time for lunch!

Beside the local museum.

Bubba, Nannie, Katie, Neal.

Neal, Kathie's Mom, Katie, and the boys.

Cousins!  Ben on the left, and Andrew on the right.

Nannie and Andrew hamming it up.
(that water was c-c-c-cold!)

The playground was a big hit with the boys.

Bubba ate this for lunch.

And here's what he drank for lunch.

Skies got a bit threatening as we left after a wonderful lunch.....

July 12, 2015 Florissant Fossil Beds, Florissant, CO

On our drive from Colorado Springs to Buena Vista, we stopped along the way to investigate the Florissant Fossil Beds.  Oh my, what a treat!  A spectacular day in a magical place!  Amazing walk around this place, first through a ponderosa pine forest, then out across the open meadow;  we were huffing and puffing along at 8200 ft. elevation.  The whole area was once a lake and then a volcano erupted which sent a lahar down to bury everything in mud.

What a gorgeous day!

Small piece of petrified redwood, plus my shoe.

"The Big Stump" 

Sego Lily - first one I've ever seen... 

These things are HUGE, that's me in the pink... 

Those black lines are bands of metal holding it together.