On the Road Again!

We really enjoyed Denver, but today it was time to say farewell and having packed and visited 'The Corner Bakery', we 'checked-out' and headed on foot to Avis, to collect our car. The guys at Avis were helpful to a degree equal only to that which those at Budget (Seattle) had been 'unhelpful' last year! To cut a long story.....within minutes we took possession of the keys to a brand new Chevrolet Impala, complete with 'free' Xirus-XM radio! Pulling-out into Denver's one-way traffic system the GPS kicked-in and guided us safely back to the hotel to collect our bags and then it was 'next-stop Estes Park! On the way we stopped-off at a Safeway store to pick up a picnic (and use my hard-won Safeway loyalty card!). Mission accomplished, we drove into the Park, acquired an annual ($80) pass, and made or way up the Ridge Trail to Alpine Point.

This drive features amongst the top scenic byway routes in the US and the mountain views were spectacular (complete with snow!).

There was plenty of wildlife to be spotted too.....particularly Elk and Marmot!

At Alpine Point we stumbled into a really nice Aussie couple who had been staying at the same hotel as us in Denver and who were en route to Alaska.....we talked for ages and it was late-afternoon when we finally set-out for Cheyenne. Heading north we finally arrived at our hotel around six in the evening. The air-conditioning system was blowing a gale in our room and we had to enlist the Manager's help to tame it. We had dinner at Albany's, a local eatery which came highly recommended and which had been around for seventy years. Albany's failed dismally to deliver against expectations......having sent one steak back, Pat then discovered that her baked potato was probably one selected from the first batch ever to have been baked there! On a lighter note we saw and achieved a lot today and the following track just seems to be appropriate, especially having listened to a lot of music from 60's today!

Around Denver

Our final day in Denver and it was another hot one, enabling us to seek-out a few more interesting places and City-facts. Before the sun really got going, we took a hike down to the Riverside Park area which seems to be a great place to live, enjoying great views of the mountains (and the Bronco's Stadium).

Walking back to the LoDi district we stumbled across Latimer Square, an historic shopping area which boasts 'Larimer Market'. This offers an incredible selection of proper coffees, pastries, and deli foods, all served-up in a genuine and atmospheric old-world setting.

Moving-on, we encountered the Federal Reserve 'Money Museum' and having passed the stringent entrance security requirements, we went in.....it has to said that the exhibits were not extensive, but include a $30M stack of bills (behind very secure glass!). On the way out, visitors are invited to take a bag of shredded bills!! The heat had by now risen to 'Hot' and required a hasty retreat (via 'Mad Salads') to the Art Museum for a couple of hours of air-conditioned shade.

The building and its artistic content were also well worth the visit! (I can't leave Denver without mentioning two totally unrelated facts which for some reason I find interesting. First, prior to 2009, it was illegal for people in this low-rainfall state to harvest rainwater from the roofs of houses or business premises, as it was considered to constitute 'stealing'! Second, one or two 'Prohibition-style' bars have appeared in Denver, which require prospective clientèle to announce their arrival at an innocuous-looking address and then introduce themselves to door-staff, who then open-up a door disguised as a bookcase, to allow entry into the 'back-room bar'!). Whilst admiring pieces of 'Wild West' art in the museum, we took advantage of being able to sit and admire some paintings, whilst listening to 'appropriate' music made freely available on iPods attached to the seats! No surprises therefore for guessing the inspiration for the following track!!

Time for some culture!

With the US experiencing a spell of freak weather, we found ourselves on the right side of the divide for a change as the sun continues to wear his hat in Denver! So an early morning encounter with The Corner Bakery was needed before searching-out the City's impressive Performing Arts Centre and the 'must see' giant Blue Bear close-by.

Next it was off to the Museum District to take-in some culture,

but not before crossing the path of hundreds of workers from various parts of the States who were marching to the Convention Centre for a protest rally about the unfairness of the taxation burden shared by the population's '1% rich' and 'the rest'! We met and talked with three very nice ladies who were attending the rally and were inevitably soon swapping tales about our respective countries!! Leaving them to their 'rallying' we made our way past an array of interesting public art pieces

to the newly-opened Colorado History Museum, a living story of Colorado's development from its founding to present day. Complete with innovative mobile 'time capsules' that sense their position as they glide across a vast marble floor-map and playback films commemorating events in different parts of the State, this place is imaginative in concept and is well worth visiting. We grabbed a quick lunch in 'The Mad Salad' (an idea which could seriously catch on in the UK!) before taking our final cultural sortie of the day to the Byers-Evans House Museum, to be expertly shown around by 'Dominic' and his shadow guide!

We headed back to the hotel via 16th Avenue and stumbled across a cool art retail outlet, managed by two really nice guys and a nine-month old Corgi who is clearly destined for stardom! We stayed and chatted with these talented guys for an age and could easily have stayed and enjoyed a longer conversation in their easy company! Finally, some 'easy-listening' reflecting our current location!

Denver...the 'Mile-high City'!

Arriving in Denver late Sunday evening, after two good (but delayed) flights and a long taxi ride, we were relived to find that both the weather and our hotel (The Warwick) were impressive. We sleep-walked our way to the hotel's excellent restaurant and soon settled on 'steak for dinner', which more than matched-up to expectations. It was food raised to an art-form and the draft beer was its equal! Actually, the latter isn't really surprising as Denver boasts around one-hundred breweries! Unsurprisingly, we slept well and waking to blue skies and sunshine we hit 16th Street before the Memorial Day revellers. Denver was soon offering-up reminders of why we like this very pleasant city, which is both clean and vibrant, combining a good mix of old and contemporary architecture, and where you can near always catch a glimpse of snow-capped mountains. We started-out at the State Capitol Building where having climbed to its thirteenth step, we were officially one-mile above sea-level.

Then we meandered down through the malls and the myriad of stalls that had been erected for the holiday arts-festival, before reaching the lower downtown area.

Here, we soon found ourselves in The Tattered Covered Bookstore, an enterprise situated in an old mercantile building close to the Union Pacific Rail-road Station which provides a unique setting for the written word!

One couldn't fail to be inspired to read something here and in its unique alcoves, stumbling across Harry Potter would probably fail to surprise. Leaving the tranquillity of the bookstore, we made our way in the sunshine through throngs of baseball fans to Coors Field Stadium where two games were scheduled to take place to commemorate the holiday. (Lots of families and no disorder!)

Stopping-off for lunch at Johnny Rocket's, we decided to take in some more of the art festival and then immerse ourselves in American culture by going to the cinema! ('Men in Black 3' is definitely recommended!) Our first day passed quickly and reaffirmed why we like America!! As for finding an appropriate music for today, I eventually went for an off-beat choice.....an old favourite that also serves as a reminder that with its now-licensed 'pot' outlets, it is now possible to get really 'high' in the 'Mile-high City'!

USA Road-Trip 2012......the sequel!

Hi and a big thanks to everyone who has taken the trouble to look-up this blog and read about our adventures travelling around the US. Last year we took a three-month epic tour of the States covering nearly ten-thousand road-miles, at the end of which we were ready to do it all over again! However, we thought it best to take some time-out first and now here we are once again, ready to fly to Denver on the 27th May for the beginning of a month-long tour of 'The Real America'! This region includes several states which were not on last year's itinerary, but would have been if time had allowed. From our starting point in Colorado this year, we plan to travel north to Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana, before entering Idaho and returning to Denver via Yellowstone. I hope to update the blog of our journey daily and I'll try to ensure that postings are both brief and (hopefully) interesting! The best of Pat's photo's will be featured alongside the narrative and I'll attempt to post links to some classic 'road-trip music' too! So why not join us as we roll along through cowboy country and some of America's best National Parks?