Roxborough State Park

     Before we travelled to Colorado this past summer, I asked one of my co-workers, who happens to be a native, to recommend some of his favorite places to visit. Consulting with our hosts, the Sherpa Girls, we opted for Roxborough State Park just south of Denver, and it was a good choice. The park is sort of indicative of the state as a whole, in that it is a mix of prairie and mountains. You enter Roxborough through the prairie, and as dramatic as mountains are, I also appreciate these wide exposed places, with their broad skies and bending grasses.

     With the prairie at your back, you enter the rest of the park through a cleft in the rock.

     Once inside, ancient red rocks reveal themselves. These are part of the same formation that form Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, and Red Rocks Park just west of Denver, only Roxborough lacks the crowds of these better known places.

    The rains had been more generous than normal, benefitting the grasses and wildflowers, including a few non-native interlopers.

          I think I could live here, even for just one summer afternoon.

Even Weeds Don't Grow in the Pet Cemetery

     To my regular visitors who may have tuned in to read one of my annual Halloween stories, I apologize, I wasn't able to pull it off this year. I'm living my own drama at the moment, plus I have two articles past due, so writing for fun will have to wait. In the meanwhile, you can create your own stories from these photos I took this summer in Salida, Colorado. The pet cemetery is just outside of town, and Sherpa Girl K and I found it while on an early morning exploration. There was quite a bit or roadwork going on, and she got dirty looks from a highway worker when she quickly pulled to side of the road to indulge the photographer.

Another Year Older in Salida

     Part of our trip this summer was spent in Salida, Colorado, a quirky town on the Arkansas river in the state's "banana belt". Once a railroad town, Salida now relies on tourism from outdoor enthusiasts, and is a mecca for cyclists, skiers, hikers, kayakers and rafters. My birthday happened to fall while we were there, and as a gift, Sherpa Girl B took me and my son whitewater rafting through Brown's Canyon. Though the water was alarmingly cold to this southerner, even with a wetsuit, the awesome scenery, and the need to paddle were more then enough of a distraction. For those less active times, Salida is flush with art galleries, uniques shops, restaurants, music venues, and places where really good beer is served. Outside of downtown we discovered Murdoch's, which had "everything for ranch and home". I also enjoyed stalking through some of the town's neighborhoods looking at local landscape choices. I am very glad Salida was part of our vacation.

     My usual disclaimer is included in this post, in that I have received no compensation for the mention of any organization or business. Although, I would not refuse an XL Carhartt - Men's Sandstone Sierra Jacket/Sherpa Lined, that is if any organization or business was to send me one. If you would like to see my complete photo set from Salida, the link is here to my Flickr page.