Celebrating My 70th Birthday in Colorado! Monday and Tuesday.....

We made it to Colorado Monday afternoon!

The lady at the Visitor Center cautioned us about the traffic in Denver and advised us to take the toll road bypassing Denver altogether. I turned off. Chose the wrong direction. Had to drive a good long ways to get back. Ended up on I25 where we started.

It was heavy traffic from 50 miles north of Denver all the way to Colorado Springs.

It took both of us - I was driving and Louis Dean was talking me through.

We decided to eat dinner at The Airplane Restaurant out by the airport before we checked into our cottage cabin in Manitou Springs.

Like magic - I was in the pilot's seat of this vintage cargo plane.

Louis Dean and I both had fun!

After we ordered our drinks and meal, we headed up to the cockpit for a photo op!

This was our second visit.

Pretty cool place.

Really good food!

Sticky Sweet Potato Fries and a Buffalo Burger.

Louis Dean was a happy man with his Guinness after that stressful drive through Denver!

He told them it was my birthday and I think it was so he could eat the dessert!

It was daylight when we left the restaurant.

I was talking to Amber when we came out.

However, by the time we were looking for our motel......

it was dark. And I couldn't see a thing.

Thank God for his protection and Louis Dean for his calm.

We didn't mean to be driving after dark but it happened and we need to work harder so it doesn't happen again.

Since it was my birthday, I saved the gift bag from Beverly to open on my birthday night.

A denim apron!!!!

I LOVE it!

Lotion made by Bev herself.

Homemade Tomato Soup from her very own garden and homemade wines - THREE bottles!

And don't forget the jam!

But you know the best gift of all?

The card.

After I opened my gifts, Louis Dean and I went down to the hot tub!

Ahhhhhh......

bubbling hot water soothes away a multitude of tense muscles.

Louis Dean is such a good sport!

If I am doing it - he's quick to do it, too!

What's more - he loved it!

We moon watched as we soaked.

What a perfectly lovely birthday!!

We slept soundly and woke up around 8:00.

We meant to sleep in but I guess we are used to waking up at a 'normal' time since this whole adventure started. I'm pretty sure this won't last once we get home.

I will most probably need to catch up on a lot of sleep very soon.

We took our coffee and bagels to the little tables set up outside for guests.

 

It was chilly enough to be wonderful!!

I love the beginning of a vacation day when we plan what we want to do.

Our first destination was Goodwill.

Now this is not just any Goodwill but THE Goodwill that sparked this love relationship I have with them.

My first vacation to Colorado was in 1972.

I was married to Jesse back then and it was our first big family vacation with Summer and Jesse, Jr.

I think Summer has some photos from back then.

We waited until Vacation Bible School ended and hit the road!

When we checked into our motel and was bringing in the suitcases -

Summer and Jesse discovered their suitcases were not there!

They had left them in their bedrooms!

No worries. I thought - we will just go to a Goodwill and buy them some clothes.

That was my first date with Goodwill and it turned into a real love affair.

Years later we were on a family vacation to Oklahoma in the winter.

The kids got to talking to Jesse while I was napping and when I woke up - we were driving across Kansas to Colorado.

No matter we had packed swimsuits for the Holidome in Oklahoma City.

Once again, we shopped Goodwill for warmer clothes and had a great time.

I picked up a few treasures today....although the prices are a bit higher than they are at home.

  

I loved these plates at first sight!

Even at $1.99 each - they were still a bargain!

Louis Dean scored on this coffee pot.

He has since cleaned it with vinegar and it is all ready for our morning coffee!

The Goodwills here in Colorado feature a book store ambiance with coffee and oftentimes cookies. 

We came away with a small ice chest which will come in handy as we picnic on our way home -among other treasures.

We drove up Hwy 24 to a little town I have often been before.

I have a ton of good memories from all the years of visiting Colorado.

The reason we visited Green Mountain Falls today was because I missed the turn to The Wines of Colorado. So we drove on and I was going to turn in as we drove back.

Not. I missed it again and since there was construction on the highway - I drove all the way back to Manitou before starting over and taking another run  at it!

Third time was a charm!!

I love this place!

Still celebrating my birthday!

We sat 'Creekside' and wore our jackets.

Well, Louis Dean wore his jacket - one we picked up at a Goodwill in Oregon for $14 - and I wore his black leather one.

The food was delicious and we ate every single bit!

Talk about clean plate club!! We made it!

I love the way this place is decorated.

Mural in the corner of the ladies bathroom.

And this was above the toilet!

SO pretty!

Just a few yards down is Pikes Peak Popcorn.

It has been here forever it seems!

I'm always happy to see it is still in business.

Back in the 70's it was in a bigger building a little ways up the mountain.

I bought a few bags of their gourmet popcorn and treats.

Look what I got for the critters down at the ranch!

April and October are my favorite months there.

I can't wait to feed this to them!

Garden of the Gods was our next stop.

The park has changed a great deal from my first visit back in 1972.

Summer and Jesse used to climb over the rocks and play hide and seek.

You could pull off just about anywhere and there were lots of picnic spots.

Nothing stays the same. Change is constant.

I am grateful for the memories I've made in Colorado over the last 46 years.

And I'm even more grateful that I'm still making them!

This is what I do!

I take pictures.

I record and document the good times and all the people I love.

Friends. Family. Children. Grandchildren.

The things we saw and did today will be my memories in time to come.

I think it's important to have the pictures to remember them by.

 I am not a good photographer but I continue to take pictures.

It's important to me to have them.

Tonight we did some more moon watching from the hot tub.

We met up with some wonderful people from Texas who happen to be in the cottage right next to us.

It's fun to watch Louis Dean swap stories!

So I bid you goodnight from Colorado!

We head home tomorrow.

We used to go to the the Flying W Chuck Wagon Ranch and hear the wranglers sing.

This was my favorite song......

COLORADO

Writer Dave Kirny

There's a place where Mother Nature's got it all together,

She knows just when to let wild flowers bloom,

Some-how she always seems to know exactly what she's doin'

And The Lord saw fit to furnish elbow room.

Chorus 

Have you ever been down to Colorado?

I spend a lot of time there in my mind.

And if God doesn't live in Colorado

I'll bet that's where he spends most of his time.

I'd love to be there watching, early in the morning,

The sun comes up and crowns the mountain king.

If by chance you dare to be there, high upon the mountain,

I swear that you can hear the angels sing.