May 30, 2009

Memorial Day Part 2





Oh we're not done yet. My last post was only half the trip. Sunday morning we woke up in Pagosa Springs to pouring rain. By the time we drove to Durango, the sun was out. We stopped at the depot for the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge railroad. Mom, Dad, and I had ridden the train back in the fall but I at least wanted to show Kyle the depot and the museum because his father-in-law really loves trains. We continued outside of Durango up the Million Dollar Highway. Our first stop was Coal Bank Pass. There was still some snow at the top and Max had a ball rolling around in it.

We kept going up to Molas Pass at 10,190 feet. This is the spot of some of the cleanest air in America. This was a really good spot to see the vista around us. By this point Kyle and I were both exclaiming at how gorgeous it was and how hard it is to take pictures because they just don't capture the beauty.We started descending down a steep and twisty road with a tunnel and a snowshed. We stopped above Ouray at an overlook and it was beautiful but I was under the impression that Ouray was the "Little Switzerland" of America and it looked like any other town in Colorado. I thought Vail was much more "Switzy". We made a quick stop in Montrose at a Sonic because Kyle had never been there. Pretty sure he'll never go again either ;) We blasted over to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. When we entered the park the ranger said there's a road that goes down to the riverbed. I thought that would be cool to be on the bottom of the canyon so I thought we'd check it out on the way back. However, after the first overlook, the skies opened up into a deluge. I could barely see where I was going and the wipers were on warp speed. We drove the 3 miles to the end of the scenic drive and by the time we got there the rain and lightning had stopped. That's what I love about Colorado weather. We stopped at a couple more overlooks and it was stunning. I'd only been to the North Rim but we were on the South Rim and it was just amazing how massive the canyon is. One cliff face is the tallest cliff in Colorado.

By this point it was 3pm and we still had to drive back to Denver. I saw about 5 cops out so I was really watching my speed but I did get pulled over. He told me I was doing 51 in a 45. He also said my registration receipt was expired but that was false. I got a warning. Kyle's convinced they were looking for something else and he invented an excuse to stop. We drove through Curecanti National Recreation Area and then made our way up Monarch Pass. By this point it was looking rainy again and by the time we stopped in Monarch we were in a snowstorm. We descended a few hundred feet and literally 5 minutes later it was back in the 50's and dry. At least Kyle got to see a Colorado snowstorm. We swung through South Park city just so Kyle could take a picture and plugged on towards home. We saw a rainbow in Shawnee and as we were exiting off 285 there was a vertical rainbow towards the East that was pretty cool. We ate and collapsed into bed because we were exhausted.

Monday was Kyle's last day. We slowed it down a bit and just hiked around Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked on snow the entire way. We went to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake. By the time we got to Emerald it was very windy and cold and we could see the clouds rolling back around. We ate a quick lunch and headed back down. Kyle apparently has the lung capacity of a Sherpa because he was barely breathing heavy while I wheezed my way up. We did some tourist shopping in Estes Park and swung by Red Rocks on the way back to Denver. We decided to go to the Fort restaurant for some Rocky Mountain Oysters (bull testicles in laymans terms). It's styled just like Bent's Old Fort and is an exact replica of a fort inside where even the servers were period clothing. We ordered from the appetizers and dessert menu because entrees started at $35. We had Rocky Mountain Oysters, Buffalo Empanadas, Duck Quesadillas and a blueberry cobbler (served in the cutest little dutch oven). It was all very good, even the balls. They even had a tepee and a pillary in the courtyard so we took some pictures because it was pretty funny. I am completely exhausted from the trip but I'm so excited Kyle finally came out here and got to see pretty much all Colorado has to offer. It was my biggest roadtrip to date and it certainly prepped me for the big one to come. It also made me very homesick to know that in a matter of months I will be back home. I'm ready for a big change.

May 27, 2009

Memorial Day Weekend

Well after months of waiting and planning the third annual Memorial Day roadtrip was here. I had a horrible day Thursday and I couldn't wait to see a familiar face. Kyle actually flew into Colorado Springs which is about 1.5 hours away but his ticket was cheap so I suffered for the greater good.

Friday we spent the day at the Ranch. The rest of my family had all been to see me when I was working at the ranch but it was really different to show Kyle around when we were both visitors. It was really great to catch up with everyone, see the changes, hear the latest news and see how much the kids have grown! I can't believe I've known the family since 2005. We decided to hike up to Lizard Rock first in order to beat the rain. It's not a long hike but it's an intense trail. I usually rode up on horseback and working in the corporate world for a year hadn't really prepared me for that hike. My calves burned the entire weekend from that hike! We actually met up with Kelvin and the wranglers at the top just as they were leaving. I think the new staff were a little surprised to see us come out of the woods and just start talking to Kelvin. The wrangler's headed down and Kyle and I took some pictures and I scouted around for a good place to leave my very special goodbye present for the Ranch. I won't say what it is but let's just say it was a very "Kelly" thing to do and they'll know it as soon as they see it! After we got back we played with the kids a bit before lunch. After they got over their fear of Max they were throwing the stick for him until Wyatt broke it on half and threw the big half up in a tree. Kyle was talking to Carson and said "Can you believe I've never ridden a horse before?" and Carson replies "Yes". I love the honesty. After lunch we walked out to the pasture where I got to see my red headed demon, Kerby. I don't think it's hit me how this is the last time I will be at the Ranch for a very long time. It has been a huge part of my life and if it hadn't been for their support (both as friends and employers) Colorado wouldn't mean as much to me.

When we left we drove back down 24 and headed up 67 north of Woodland Park and ended up on a dirt road (of course). I'd never been that way before and it was stunning. I decided to stop for gas right before I pulled into my house and when I went to turn my car back on it wouldn't start! Then the clock reset itself so I know it had to be something with the battery because it wasn't even trying to turn over. We got a guy to jump us and made it back to the house where we decided we'd better get to a shop and have them test everything. It wouldn't start again so we tried to pop the clutch. FYI, it does not work on a level surface with a 30 foot push. We got my neighbor to jump it and headed over to Advance Auto where it turns out I needed a new battery. As soon as he installed the new one it ran rougher and the dude told me my alternator was going too, which apparently is rare. I started freaking out because we had a huge roadtrip planned for the weekend and I didn't want to get stuck in backwoods Colorado. Saturday morning we took it to a shop and they said they had to order a new alternator. 4 hours later they called and said "nothing's wrong with your alternator". Apparently the idiot at Advance Auto couldn't hook up or read the machine and my alternator was fine. I was kind of mad that it took them 4 hours to tell me that but it all worked out in the end because if we went through with my original plans we never would have made it to Pagosa on time.

We did make it to Pagosa around 5pm after stopping at some overlooks. We stayed with Jess who cooked us an amazing Mexican feast. We ate on the balcony in the rain and 50 degree weather as only Coloradans do. We spent the night at the hot springs. It was Kyle's first time to a hot spring and I think I got him addicted. It was raining most of the night so we did get wet but at least the place wasn't crowded.

May 14, 2009

Memorial Day Weekend


I am taking a break from planning my summer roadtrip and am now fully focused on Kyle's visit next week. He has never been out West before (Wisconsin doesn't count) and I am so excited to show him around. He gets in Thursday night to Colorado Springs. Friday I'm taking him to the Ranch. Mom, Dad, Don and Stacy have all been out to see me at the Ranch and I'm glad Kyle will get a chance to see where I spent the best three summers of my life. That way he can see the setting for all my outrageous (but true!) stories. I've got a big roadtrip planned for the weekend. Ever since I moved to Colorado I've taken a Memorial Day roadtrip and this will be my third annual. Usually I go out of state but since I am moving away I decided to just drive around the entire state, hitting up the remaing few roads I haven't driven.

Saturday we're driving to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I've been to the North Rim with my parents but we're going to the South Rim. Then we'll take the Silver Thread scenic byway down to Pagosa Springs to stay and visit with Jess (who is preparing a Mexican feast I hear) and soak the night away in the Hot Springs. Sunday we'll head over to Durango and drive north through the Million Dollar Highway (see pic below) and the Blue Mesa byway before hitting I-70 and heading back East. I think this will really show him a lot of the state and the mountainy scenic heart of Colorado.
Monday we'll hang around Denver and see Rocky Mountain National Park and Red Rocks and eat some buffalo burgers before he flies out Tuesday morning.
In other news, I did get a job at R.I.T as a Community Advocate in the Residence Life department. I'm very excited to live on campus and make the most out of my return to higher education. I never had an opportunity like this at Keuka because it was such a small school but R.I.T is huge and I can't wait to have access to all the resources of a big and reputable institution. I am now in the process of figuring out my schedule as I just discovered they have a pretty big offering of hospitality/tourism classes, which are perfect for my future plans...