We are in Colorado Springs, which I may add, is beautiful. I have mentioned before that I grew up in an Air Force family, so I moved a lot. (I always considered my grandmother’s home in Northwood, Iowa to be my “home base”.) My parents moved out here to Colorado Springs after my father retired, and I liked it so much – that I moved out here years later. Once here, I didn’t envisioned moving out of Colorado, but life has a way of branching us into different paths.
Traveling from New Mexico to Colorado is almost magical. You have to go through an area called Raton Pass. For someone who lives in the flat plains of Texas, Raton Pass is an invitation to all things wonderful. You no longer see the yellow diamond-shaped road signs with jumping deer on the side of the road. Instead, you see yellow diamond-shaped road signs with bucks (either elk or deer) that have at least eight point antlers. The road curves, ascends, descends, and even does the ascending and descending on curves! The terrain brings to mind the wonderful lines from the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie: “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the rainbow!”
This isn’t to say the scenery getting to this point on our journey wasn’t memorable. Driving through long stretches of plains wasn’t all that great, but once you leave the plain plains, you go through what seems to be an old Hollywood movie set with nearby plateaus giving way to mountain ranges that were painted to look like they were miles and miles away. I almost expected to see Jimmy Stewart riding out on his trusty mare. (Can you tell I’m a fan of the Turner Classic Movie channel?)
Oh, and I am loving the weather! Such a nice change from humidly hot or hotly humid!
Cheryl says
Welcome to our city! You picked a beautiful time of year to come visit. By the way~your web site makes me so happy!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cheryl, I have always loved Colorado Springs. The Garden of the Gods and Pike’s Peak are just two of the wonderful things you all have.
Lori says
Danna, you picked a great time to be here in Colorado (I’m in Canon City, about 45 miles SW of the Springs). We moved our daughter to Dallas in May, and drove down there again two weeks ago to move her to another apt. It was so hot–above 100, and doesn’t cool down in the evenings like it does here. Although we had a lot of fun, and we hated to leave her again, it was nice to come home to beautiful Colorado. (I love your website. Thanks for doing that!)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lori, my mother’s cousin would have the yearly family get-together in Canon City. And, of course, you can’t go there without crossing the Royal Gorge at least once!
I love that you all have helped move your daughter to Dallas, and then again to a new apartment. We’ve made a few summer moves down here (between our daughter and our son) and I know exactly what you are talking about. In August, when we helped our daughter move into her apartment, my husband and I knew to take a fan with us so that we could stand in front of it to cool down. Even with her air conditioning blasting away, we needed that fan cranked up to the high setting.
Petie says
Sounds gorgeous – have never been to Colorado but now I’ll have to give it a try! Have a wonderful time …. Texas is still here waiting for you to get home. Even having some rain storms this week-end …. finally!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Petie, I love it up here. But that’s not to say I don’t love it in San Antonio. About the only thing I can complain about in San Antonio is the weather. Oh, and also the lack of seasons. And, let’s see, it has gotten too big. I guess that’s not just one thing…
Chelsea S says
One of my dreams is to move to Colorado. I don’t know exactly where in Colorado but that doesn’t diminish my dream. I have lived in Idaho, New Mexico and Utah, and now live in humid South Florida. I love the mountains, the pine trees and the change of the seasons.
Enjoy your vacation and thanks for sharing.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the site, Chelsea! I’m guessing that our weathers are very much alike, as far as humidity and heat.
The area my mother lives in has pine trees everywhere. Years ago, I picked the pine cones off the ground and mailed them to myself, to use around the house during the holidays. (Of course, now you can buy them in craft stores.)
linda says
Danna, yea a person can buy the pine cones in the crafts stores but there is just something different about being able to collect items like this out in the woods. Making your own holiday, Christmas and Thanksgiving decorations from pine cones, pine branches and acorns is just something that I can’t describe. Yea, a person can buy these ornaments all ready made up and these are a lot less messy as well. But just being able to make these decorations is wonderful. The smell from the pine branches is wonderful!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, I agree >>> but unfortunately, we don’t have pine trees down in San Antonio.
linda says
Danna, You don’t have evergreens at all in Texas? I have never been to Texas so I have no idea what kind of trees you, is the reason I am asking.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, San Antonio is located in a flat region, with very few pine trees. We have a lot of shrubby oaks.
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
You paint such a perfect picture of that drive. Having done it a few times myself I can just imagine which parts you are talking about. I am jealous of the Colorado Springs part. It is so lovely there. Get out and enjoy the heck out of it!
We’re finally getting a bit of rain here in Austin (and some in San Antonio too I think!) So needed. Cooled things off as well. I’ll grow some beans for you!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, it’s good to know you all got some much-needed rain, and cooler temps don’t sound too shabby, either.
Regina says
Danna You mentioned some of my favorite spots in CO. One year my hubby and I, while visiting my daughter, decided to drive from her home to Durango to ride on the railroad there. Coming from CT where everything is pretty close driving, for example, Boston is only 2 hours away and THE CAPE only 3, we thought that it would be a short ride. We stopped at various points for sightseeing because we expected to be in Durango in about 5 or 6 hours. Were we ever wrong. About 8 hours later we staggered into Durango. We certainly learned how large a state is CO and how small CT is. When we went to the top of Pike’s Peak on another trip, we discovered the true meaning of altitude sickness. My daughter lives 6,000 feet above sea level and her area causes me to have altitude sickness which in turn triggers my vertigo. When my grandchildren come east, they find our trees and greenery to be claustrophobic to them. They are used to wide open spaces.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, it sounds like you must have ridden the cog up Pike’s Peak. I always found it really neat to see how the vegetation keeps changing as you keep ascending the mountain. Of course, I didn’t get altitude sickness, which would have made me not enjoy that vegetation, and I’m sure I would have been hoping I was descending the mountain instead!.
marion says
Oh, Regina. How awful for you! I guess a lot of people prefer what they’re used to. I was raised in WVA and was, of course, used to buildings being close together. We moved to a small town in Texas when I was 10 and it took a while to get used to so much more room. When we visited the DC area and WVA in 1978 and 1984, when I was 18 and 23, I was struck by how ‘tight’ everything was. Perspective is a funny thing, isn’t it?
Myra Duffy says
How I envy you at the moment! From my window all I can see is the trees swaying in the blustery rain, alternating with heavy showers and the last of the garden flowers are looking decidedly woebegone. As a consolation I suppose that’s what makes Scotland so green.
Regina says
Danna, My husband and I managed to ride 4 railroads while visiting CO, Durango, Charma NM, Pikes Peak, and Leadville. Other people may visit national parks, we ride railroads. You do get a great perspective of people and the countryside while doing it. When in England we rode Britrail around the country while London was our base. I love riding trains; maybe because I grew up riding the MTA in Boston.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, I’m going to try to remember to ride trains if we travel outside of the USA. Thanks for a great idea.
linda says
Regina, One of my fondest dreams is to be able to ride on a train cross country. But I want the train to stop at night while I am sleeping so that I don’t have to miss seeing anything. I don’t guess that will happen.
Judith says
Back when I was in school, I had planned to travel by train to go home for the summer one year. I was going to go across the north of the country and then down the west coast. Just a couple days before I was scheduled to leave, I got a summer job so I did not go home and never got that train trip. I still think wistfully about that trip that never was (but having that job for the next couple years until I graduated was a very good thing!) Now, I occasionally take the train up and down the east coast and I loved traveling BritRail when I was in Scotland, but I’m with Linda and want to take a train cross country.