Fourth Day on the Road

Shawna, Ryan, Jason and Kristina.
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Okay, we actually left home Friday, May 25th. We drove to Minneapolis and had lunch with Bonnie and Jodi, then we drove down to Hollandale and went to dinner with the family. The next day we headed for Glenwood, Iowa to spend a couple days with Ron and family. It was great to see all these people, some we hadn't seen since last year. We really enjoyed playing with the little ones in Iowa (though we were dragging our tushies afterward).

Monday, the 28th (Bonnie and Sam's birthday) we left Omaha and headed west. The vacation had begun. Long driving day (about 500 miles) took us to Ft Morgan, just east of Denver. By then we'd realized that we needed a few things from the store to make our car more "rider friendly."  After purchasing some nail files, gas pills, polident tablets and a power cooler that plugs into the rear console and we were set.  What a delight it was to go to a store and be able to supply a need -- all in your own language!

the wild flowers are in bloom giving the countryside splashes of lavender, pink, white, yellow, orange and blue

Ralph and Shawna
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Today, Tuesday, we "did" Colorado. This whole trip is about doing things one or both of us has never done before. Today, it was my turn: Pike's Peak and The Royal Gorge. The Peak has become known as "American's Mountain" mainly because it symbolized the route to the gold fields.  "Pike's Peak or Bust" was the sounding cry for many a '49er.  I know, I know, we should never have driven up to Pike's Peak. And now that we've done it, I realize it was not the best choice for us. But Ralph did have his oxygen machine and we broke it out of the trunk as soon as we summited and the day was saved. As for me, I jumped out of the car into sub freezing wind chills to have my legs go to spaghetti. I went inside the summit house to use the restroom and was thankful to have the stool to sit on until my vision cleared. Pike's Peak is  14,110 feet high and you travel the last four thousand feet in about 3 miles. The biting wind at the top prohibited me from taking many pictures, but what a joy it was to be up there. After returning to the lower level (lower is a relative term in Colorado. Colorado Springs is over 4,300 feet), we felt energized and headed for Royal Gorge.

Shawna on her own
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The Royal Gorge Bridge was built in 1929. It is the highest suspension bridge in the world, hanging 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River. The bridge is nearly a quarter mile across and it takes a moment to summon the courage to step out onto those boards. There's movement in the bridge and the first tme you feel the timbers under your feet jump and sway with the weight of a car, you begin to  question your judgement.

Before I go any further, I want to tell you about the beauty of Colorado this time of year. We couldn't have timed it any better; the wildflowers are all in bloom giving the countryside splashes of lavender, pink, white, yellow, orange and blue. I only hope some of that color comes through in my photos. Even the scrub brush and grass is green. The hills and prairie have a lushness that takes me breath.

Shawna and Julie
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Hope you enjoy - more later

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