Before we could leave behind the beautiful mountains of Colorado, we decided to take one last hike up Loveland Pass and really experience the breathtaking views of the valley below and the peaks above. Amazing is really the only word you can use to describe the beauty and majesty at every turn. Since we were all prepared for the trek, we made it a little higher than before though not as high as Mr C would have liked. However, after about 30 minutes, we did really need to start the journey down the mountain and back towards home.
Next year, we will come back with coats and walking sticks, pack a lunch, and plan to make a day of just exploring the area. How often do you get to experience the fresh mountain air, the beauty of the timber line, and views that last for miles? We did not get enough.
As we were leaving, we did decide that one of the memorable portions of the Loveland Pass is right at the Loveland Ski Area. You pass underneath a Ski Lift the goes right across the road. Under the Lift is a long net to catch things that fall from the chair; protecting the cars from ski poles etc. Of course, we thought the sight of a body (skier) in the net might be the scariest sight a driver could have on the Pass!
Thankfully, our journey towards home was a slow one. We planned a few more stops along the way to ease the transition back to reality and help us come slowly down for our mountaintop experiences. First stop was at Chic Fil A in Denver for an early lunch. Who knew that is was also protest Chic Fil A Day; a perfect day for us to go support our "friends" who stood up to the politically correct and stood firm on marriage. No wonder we love to "Eat Mor Chikin"
A little later in the day, we stopped in Ogallala Nebraska, the cowboy capital of the plains, and saw Boot Hill. Let's just say the kids were less than thrilled with this little excursion, but Miss M did find a tomb of someone born on her "birthday" so that made up for the inconvenience. Their lasting impression however was a few blocks away from Boot Hill where we came across a garage sale. On the side of the house, there was a lady cutting someone's hair right in the middle of the street. We'd never seen a garage sale/ hair salon before. Just to make sure we weren't seeing things we even went by twice.
Finally, we came to our stopping place for the evening; Kearney Nebraska home of the Great Platte River Roadway Arch. We stopped at a Holiday Inn with an indoor water park complete with two slides! We live on the edge. Giving in to peer pressure (the kids twisted my arm-really hard), I even went down the slide to my own amazement. Let's just say that I don't normally go on water slides because without my glasses I'm nearly blind and there is nothing I dislike more than going in a dark slide without the ability to see!
Let's just say it was a one time wonder. I left the slide with a bruised up arm; bleeding from rubbing the slide and being forced down under the water at such a high rate of speed. Not my idea of fun, but the kids were thrilled that I'd taken one for the team. Literally, I had "skin" in the game.
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