Hi Vera

Hi Vera- If you see this, it means I wrote out the url correctly. Over on the left is a list of years/months of the posts I've written- from the 2009 Alaska road trip to the recent quick Denver out-n-back.
If you want to leave a comment, the easiest is to choose 'Anonymous' then just sign in the body of the comment so I know who is was. My sister signs v, so maybe you should sign va?

Kansas air

We left Denver's 5500 ft altitude early this morning. Mid Kansas now, and my altitude app says 1100 ft here. Breathing this air is like drinking whole milk- nice n rich!

Leaving soon

The original plan was to bring the camper, and do a great national parks trip after leaving Denver. For various reasons, including Colorado flooding, we left the camper home and just came by car.

Next plan was to drive up to Rocky mtns park area for a few nights in a hotel, but they are not really ready for tourists yet, b/c of the flooding. Ok, scratch that.

Well then, maybe we can go south from Denver and do some touristing down that way. But saw a map on local tv last night that showed areas south of here with some flooding. So- scratch that too.

Probably tomorrow, then, we head due east, through Kansas, retrace our route out, and just go home.

We did have a nice visit, we did Pike's Peak, and had some great Indian fry bread made by a young man using his grandma's recipe. Good trip even though weather cut things short.

Current plan: bring the camper out here some other time and retry Plan A. Not a bad idea.

Pike's Peak pix of us

Pike's Peak trip

Beautiful aspens changing color

Sign at the cog railway depot in Manitou Springs Colorado. Town is at 7500 ft elevation, and a 9 mile train ride takes you up to 14500 ft elevation at the summit. 

Train stays 30-35 minutes at the summit. They say that longer than that, the thin air starts to be a problem for people not used to it.

Impressive view!

Leaving the trees below us

Windy Point. Pretty bleak, too.

Almost to the top 

At the top 

Pikes Peak railway info

Tocabe

Went to a great American Indian restaurant in Denver today.

Indian taco 

 

It's a rainy night in Denver

I don't know who that is running to his car; just having a person in a picture makes it more interesting. Actually it's a man who couldn't stand being in a Joann fabric store one minute longer. Look at that guy run!

Denver

Here.  All is fine in Denver, although the local news is showing a lot of weather stories about outlying areas.

Elevation

Elevation is 5400 ft, and this flat. High Plains.

Colorado

We're not in Kansas anymore

I hope there isn't anyone out  here going 40mph

Hi everybody

Western Kansas

By the third day of driving, things start to look different. We are 360 miles east of Denver.

Traveling with dogs

La Quinta hotels are dog-friendly these days, and the place looks like a canine convention is being held. Dogs everywhere! The picture is of 3 dogs checking out while SydneyJane and I were out for a pre-drive walk. Woof.

Salina Kansas

700 miles today. Will be in Denver tomorrow. It looks as though our plans to spend time up in the Rocky Mountains National Park area will have to be modified.  The flooding that had been happening mostly up in Boulder has spread to the town of Estes Park outside the national park, among other areas.  Probably a good thing we decided against bringing the camper.  Only travelling in a car this time.

Here's the question.

If I posted here about upcoming camper trip to Denver and other places, would anyone be reading it??? Reply here, or email me, or text, or call, or whatever. Anyone out there?????

Never made it to France...

Ok, enough time has passed; it's time to explain. I tripped on the bathroom doorsill in our hotel in Salzburg. Broke my wrist, as determined by the doctors at the local Emergency Room the next morning. Decided to come home. Took a fantastic high speed train to Frankfurt, and home we came- plaster cast, pain pills and all.

Moral of this story? Trip insurance is  not cheap, but it's worth it.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Not especially old, was built in 19th century by Mad King Ludwig. Crowned King of Bavaria when it was 18, and it took the government until he was 40 to declare him not fit to rule. Nowadays they would have noticed way sooner that he wasn't quite right.

Ludwig was a great fan of Richard Wagner, and the inside of the castle is mostly designed in a style to honor various operas and symphonies and whatever of Wagner's. Very neat in a seriously over-the-top sort of way.

My only interior picture is the standard first-room picture,, before the guide comes in and tells everyone no pictures allowed.

Einbahnstrasse

Ok, so we're walking along a busy street here in Munich this afternoon, trying to figure out where we are, and the street signs say we're on Einbahnstrasse. I can't find it on the map, but we keep walking looking for a cross street. Then we get to the corner of Einbahnstrasse and Einbahnstrasse. That can't be good.

Einbahnstrasse = one way street

Munich

Went on a walking tour of Munich this morning. Lots of history that I will need to read about sometime in the future. Mad King Ludwig, grandson of Ludwig the Severe. I'd heard of the mad one, but the severe one was new to me.

We ended up in a city square, where the guide showed us a picture of a crowd of locals cheering the start of ww1.... Ok. But then on the next page in her album she showed the same picture with one face enlarged. Adolf Hitler as a young man. Standing right where we were standing. What a ghastly sense of immediacy... Gave me chills.

This afternoon we had no organized group activity. Quite a few went to the local art museums, a few went to the residence of the local/former royal family, and some did a church tour. We braved the subway system and went to the north of town and went to the BMW Museum. Had a good time, and enjoyed seeing another side of local culture. The subway had lots of soccer fans on their way to the game, but luckily they were taking a different line than we were. Figured out the ticket buying and validating machines, and managed to get off at the right place coming and going.

Leaving for Salzburg in the morning, by way of Neuswanstein Castle. Spelled right? Spell check has no idea either.

Snow frau

Max from  our group and a group of Swiss boys built a yung snow frau together. Also had a snowball fight. most of the American and Canadian men from our group participated, but it didn't take long before they had to declare the kids the winners, and there were friendly handshakes all around. Great time was had by all.

Cable car picture from David

Alp horn player in Switzerland last night

We each got a chance to try and play it.

Arrived in Munich

Our first rainy day. A hotel right in the old city, near the Victualienmarkt... Or something like that. It's an outdoor market, with not an alien in sight. Go figure.

Incredible church bells ringing. Every afternoon at 5:25?

Going to a beer hall later. If you do not specify, you are brought a bier mas (?)- 1 liter. It is possible to specify .2 liter though... I think that's for people who really don't much like beer. I believe I might have a .2 liter glass of something. We'll see how that goes.

Trummelbach Falls

One of those places that can't quite be captured in pictures. Phenomenal underground waterfalls. Loud, fast, powerful, with cold water splashing all over the walking surface. Pictures kinda underwhelming. Oh well.

 

 

Lauterbrunnen Valley