Days 12-13: Going Home

"Scenic" in Kansas may not be the same as "scenic" in Colorado, but there are lovely spots east of the Rockies. Steve looked at the Highways and Byways book and decided it was worth checking out Route 91 from Eminence to Salem even though it was out of our way to St. Louis. He would have liked to have avoided the Interstate altogether and crossed the state on backroads, but I wasn't quick enough figuring out the GPS alternatives, and we were on our way to Springfield on the Interstate before we knew it. But the last part getting to Eminence was rolling countryside and lovely. Too bad we didn't have that the whole way.

The book suggests that Route 91 is best in spring with the dogwood and redbud and fall when the leaves change. The sumac had changed when we traveled, but in a couple weeks this route will no doubt be gorgeous. This overlook is just north of Eminence. A service road leads into a network of horse trails that would be fun to explore--watching where you step, of course. 

Near the Salem end of the route is a string of state parks. We picnicked at Round Spring State Park.

The spring itself is turquoise, which reminded me of glacial lakes around Banff. The sign said the color was from the minerals taken out of the limestone conduit underground, which would essentially be the same as the ground rock carried into lakes by glaciers further north than Missouri.

We had a pleasant evening in St. Louis with Steve's brother and sister-in-law. Nan always waits to walk the dog until I can join her to stretch my legs, something I look forward to. Then Tuesday we headed north, expressway all the way, accelerating time from late summer to early fall. Woke up to this.

And so ends another travel adventure. It is a real pain sorting and editing photos every night as we travel, but the fact is, I enjoy looking back at these posts, so I keep doing it. Until next time...

Day 11: The other side of Branson

We slept late after our late night at Shepherd of the Hills. Steve had encouraged me to go hiking while he watched the Vikings play American football in London. Except it wasn't on any station we could get here. So he came along and listened on the car radio.

We went to Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area, a place that had been recommended by the locals sitting next to us last night. It turned out to be the place Erika and Simeon and I hiked when he dislocated his finger. We had never completed that trail, so that was my goal for the morning. It went down 300 steps to the river. 

I climbed back up a ways and took a contour trail to this waterfall, which had no water at this time of year.

It's probably quite lovely in spring.

There was a warning at the top of the steps here that the trail would end shortly and there was no way out except to return the way you had come. For that matter, there was a warning at the top of the trail that this was not a loop, and it would be necessary to retrace your steps--all 300+ steps. Not recommended for older or obese people, those with fear of heights, etc. When Erika and Simeon and I were here, it was later in the fall. I remember wearing wooly caps. Today it was in the 80s. I was glad for the ice in my CamelBak and my wet bandana around my neck. Also for the protruding rocks and occasional bench to rest on. Frequently.

When I got back to the car, I found that Steve had used halftime to hike around the top of the ridge with its old homestead ruins. A very pleasant walk that I remember from before. (Vikings won!)

Tomorrow we start north. Steve has found a scenic detour in the Scenic Highways and Byways book for us to take. :-)

Day 10: Branson, MO (not really Colorado anymore)

We have left Colorado behind and taken a swing through Branson, MO, on our way home. I know. Not the most direct route, but...

What is Branson without going to a show? (Well, it's hiking in the beautiful parks like we have done before, but this time we thought we should check out the shows.) When we were in China, we attended a dinner show of traditional dumplings and dances and enjoyed it very much, so we went to the Grand Shanghai Acrobats. Lighting and backgrounds were fabulous, and the acrobats' balance, strength and skill was incredible.

I thought the Shepherd of the Hill pageant had closed for the season, but it hadn't. We were able to get tickets. The Shanghai acrobats finished a little before 4. Our Shepherd of the Hills tickets said 6 PM. No point in going home. We headed in the right direction. Along the way we stopped at Henning Wildlife Conservation area and took a trail with views of the city in the distance. Mostly pretty civilized, but I should have changed out of my sandals.

When we got to the Shepherd complex, we found out the play was not until 8. The 6 PM time highlighted on our receipt was for the dinner theater we hadn't gotten. No problem. We had brought granola bars and an apple to eat between shows, but Shepherd of the Hills had a restaurant, and we abandoned our granola bars for BBQ (not the best we have had this trip.)

The original book by Howard Bell Wright was my mother's favorite as a teen. I have a first edition copy with my grandmother's name written in the front with Mom's signature under it. I, too, read it multiple times as a teen. The story is set in this part of the Ozarks.

The book, published in 1907, made this area famous, and tourists began to come to see the beauty of the hills. The town wasn't even incorporated until 1912. This outdoor pageant has been going since 1960, one of the first of the ubiquitous shows Branson is famous for.

The Adventure Park is much more than the pageant and there was plenty to fill the time until 8PM. The hillside is built up like an old town.

There are farm animals.

And a suspension bridge through the tree tops,

Old Matt's Cabin,

And a relocated chapel.

It's October, and I even got my picture took.

The outdoor stage gives lots of opportunities.

There were sack races for the kids before the show. Act one ends with a big community party with a blue grass band. During the intermission, we were invited down to join the square dancing. Cast members interacted with the kids and led them in activities.

Horses came galloping through. There was an old horseless carriage, a shootout, and the bad guys carried torches.

They even burned Dad Hewitt's cabin.

The script could use some tightening, and the dialog could have been snappier, but it was a fun experience, and very sentimental for me. We didn't get home until nearly midnight.

Colorado Day 8-9: Good-by to the mountains

 Have I mentioned how spectacular I-70 is west of Denver? If you prefer freeway driving to the twisty backroads we have been doing, this is the place where you can get easy driving AND scenery. There are a few overlooks, but not at the most spectacular places.

This overlook is just east of the town of Frisco.

Once again, in the most spectacular area, Glenwood Canyon, there was no possibility of pulling off for pictures unless we had exited at Hanging Lake, which I didn't think of until we were passing it. Check here for Internet photos.

We descended into the west side of Denver a little before noon. By the time we reached the eastern suburbs, the mountains couldn't even be seen. I felt like our grandson Simeon when he was little and cried as his parents drove him away from Bamff, Alberta, because he didn't want to leave.

This is what eastern Colorado looks like: _____________________ ,

This is what Kansas looks like: _____________________ .

We slept in Hays last night. There was an Old Chicago Pizza place across the parking lot. Supper was a no brainer.

The scenery got a little more interesting today when we angled southeast of I-70 toward Branson, MO. 

"Are there any scenic byways going this direction?" Steve asked.

I pulled out the book. There was one going the wrong direction. Evidently we took it last spring. I had made a note. "Scenic" in Kansas is not the same as scenic in Colorado."

Arrived at the Holiday Inn Resort around 4PM. Last time we were here is was too cold to eat outside. Not this time. This time it is too nice to go in, so after supper I set up my computer to update you.

Tomorrow we have tickets for not one, but two, shows: Chinese acrobats and the Shepherd of the Hills pageant. That was my mom's favorite book as a teen. It may have been here mom's as well. I think my first edition as Annie Lizzie Clark's name in the front. I'm sure it will be Sunday before I can tell you all about it.

Colorado Day 7: San Juan Syway2 and Unaweep-Tabeguache Scenic Byways

Another beautiful day. We followed the Dorlores River up a beautiful valley. Taking pictures was difficult because of the lack of places to pull off and the sun being in exactly the wrong place. I got this one at Lizard Head Pass Trailhead where a hiking club was gathering for a climb. You can see that I had to use a shelter to block the sun.

Lizard Head Mountain could not be seen from the trailhead, but fortunately it was on the west side of the road with a wide enough shoulder to pull off.

Telluride is a lovely 19th-c mining town turned 21st-c ski town. We drove through, looking for Bridal Veil Falls farther up the valley. It turned out to be 1.2 mi uphill to the base of the falls. I decided to give it a miss this time, but the picture below was taken from the trailhead. Next time, I'll have to plan on half a day.

We turned off the San Juan Skyway, continuing on 145 and stopping in the town of Naturia for a burger and onion rings at a local joint with a 1950s theme. Shortly after lunch the road  turned into 141 and the scenery turned to a series of incredible sandstone canyons.

Lots of the best places had no possibility of pulling off.

At Hanging Flume overlook the view is fabulous in both directions. The flume was built around 1890 to carry water, I think, to a mine that closed a few years later. You may be able to see the remains clinging to the wall of the canyon at the top of the lower wide smooth layer. The upper smooth layer is above the road.

Our last stop was West Creek Picnic Area, a delightful fishing spot along the stream that carved all this. We chatted with a delightful motorcyclist at least our age.

 Tonight we are in Grand Junction. Steve picked up a map at the front desk that shows another two days of  places to explore in the surrounding area.

Tomorrow we head east to Hayes, Kansas, along the fabulous stretch of Interstate 70.

Colorado Day 6: Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

 Yesterday at Mesa Verde we followed each other from overlook to overlook and competed for parking spaces. Today was the road less traveled--miles of awesome desert countryside with hardly any tourists.

We started at the Anasazi Heritage Center, a museum which didn't open until 9 AM, which gave us a chance to sleep in. This shows what the inside of one of those pit houses we saw yesterday might have looked like.

We climbed a long, but gentle, ramp to the Escalante Pueblo behind the museum.

Amazing to imagine real people living here a thousand years ago.

At Lowry Pueblo 25 miles down the road, we could enter this door

To this resorted ancient kiva.

Nearby was a grand kiva, an ancient community center. Modern Pueblans have said these figures on the floor probably represent the Summer People and the Winter People.

A woman we met at Lowry Pueblo told us that we didn't have to do the whole loop trail at Painted Hand Pueblo to see the ruins. (The map labeled two places as "technical scramble," which we figured wasn't us.) From near the top we could look down on some of them.

When I took this picture, I hadn't even noticed there were ruins on top of those rocks sticking out.

We drove on and crossed into Utah to Hovenweep National Monument. Wow! A whole slough of Pueblo ruins around a canyon. This picture of one end of Stronghold house shows Twin Towers, Eroded Boulder House, Rim Rock House, and Tower Point in the background.

Hovenweep Castle is the most impresive, with a couple other ruins within sight of this point.

I filled my CamelBak with ice this morning for a good water supply and wet my bandana for air conditioning around my neck, but by this time it was nearly dry. The longer route all the way around the canyon involved climbing down and back up. At 3 PM the temps were in the mid 90s. Hiking further should be a morning activity. Not this afternoon.

The route back to Cortez passed Sand Canyon Pueblo and trail system. From the road it looked like a fabulous sandstone canyon with awesome rock formations. Too late. Too hot. Next time. Starting in the morning.

Today's route:

Tomorrow we head back north on the second half of the San Juan Skyway. The itinerary in my notes looks like it will be another incredible day.

Colorado Day 5: Mesa Verde National Park

 This was the goal of our trip, and it lived up to expectations. They don't allow tourists wandering about the cliff dwellings. You have to reserve your tour online within the last two weeks, although they are quite cheap. We signed up for Cliff Palace at 9:30 AM. We got there well ahead of time and enjoyed sitting in the shade while we waited. 

You can see the ancestral Pueblan village from the look out, but that is not the same as going there.

Along about here, I thought Steve might be considering backing out. He is at the top of a sandstone stairway.

This village of around 25 families was used for about a hundred years before it was abandoned, probably because of drought.

The doorways were tiny.

Getting out was more challenging than getting in, and the ancients did it with just toe and hand holds in the rock.

At the top we had the advantage of several ladders.

Balcony House is the other major site on that loop where you can take tours. We skipped it because there were more and higher ladders and a place where you had to crawl on your belly, but we ran into plenty of people who did both tours. Most were significantly younger than we are. I hiked to an overlook where I could see it across the canyon, but it was far enough away that pictures don't show much.

Before leaving home I downloaded an audio tour of Mesa Top Loop, narrated by a modern Pueblo Native. We listened as we drove from site to site and then investigated the site. This is Square Tower House, around AD 1200. 

Several sites were pit houses built on top the mesa, much older than the cliff dwellings. The oldest (not this one) dates from the sixth century.

Our audio tour took us from overlook to overlook.

The Sun Temple reminded us of Great Zimbabwe in Africa.

On one side there were a couple openings where we could see inside. Note the juniper beams that hold up the roof.

Here in the afternoon sun is Cliff Palace where we toured in the morning.

And at this point my phone died, no doubt due to all the pictures I had taken and listening to the audio tour without plugging in. Consequently, I have no pictures of the extensive later Pueblo villages at Fair View. We'll just have to come back. There is a whole part of the park that is closed right now for maintenance, so we have to return anyway. Besides, I think it would be cool to climb more ladders and crawl on my belly.

KFC at a patio table for supper. Tomorrow we are off to the Anasazi Heritage Center and a few lesser sites.