Vacation within a Vacation

We had decided we should travel around Colorado while we are here so when our friends and former neighbors from St. Paul, Rodgers and Ellen, invited us to visit them at their house in Conifer at the last minute, we accepted.  Mark had been working quite a lot and he decided to break free.  He still ended up taking quite a few calls during our trip but luckily we were out of cell range most of the time.

We took the scenic drive to Conifer through high mountains and South Park.  It was beautiful.  We found Ellen and Rodgers' house at the top of a mountain with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.  They can even see Pikes Peak from their deck.  Here are a few pictures from their deck.  They are perched on top of a granite cliff.

View leaning over the deck

Rodgers is an artist so he gave us a tour of his studio and talked about the process he uses creating his lovely works.  We have two of his smaller pieces but Mark decided to buy a new picture for his office.  I should have taken a photo but I didn't.  You'll have to see it the next time you come to our house.

They made a lovely dinner and we sat around and talked and ate and drank wine until late.  They are wonderful hosts.  Thank you, Ellen and Rodgers, for the lovely visit.

After a great breakfast of Ellen's special pancakes, we left for more touring.  We followed a windy road to a national monument called the Florissant Fossil Beds.  We went to the ranger's talk and walked through the fossilized forest.  The trees were buried by a volcano 36 million years ago!  It was very interesting.

The Big Stump

By this time, it was mid afternoon so we decided to drive to Salida.  Salida is a town that is in Colorado's "Banana Belt".  It had been recommended to us by a couple of friends so we decided to make that our destination for the night.  It's a very cute town full of well kept Victorian buildings but it's kind of isolated from Denver and the rest of the world.  It's right on the Arkansas River just south of Leadville and Buena Vista.  It was very warm there that day, probably high 80's and sunny.  It was very pleasant weather wise.  But I don't think it will be our retirement destination.  It's just too isolated for us.

Mark on the restaurant deck

Salida Main Street

Arkansas River

Lots of people were in the water,  floating, kayaking and swimming

We went on to Buena Vista and Leadville the next morning and drove along the Collegiate Peaks on one of Colorado's scenic byways.  Beautiful views of lots of 14ers, the mountains over 14000 feet.  It was a nice vacation during our month in Colorado.  My sister, Karen, arrives on Saturday night.  There will be more fun with her this weekend.