More (Better) Storage … Always a Good Thing

Monday, 28 December 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 58F (14C) / Lo 50F (10C)

I try very hard not to add more stuff to what we’re already toting around in the coach.  Why, then, would I want more storage?  Well, as many of you know, the center part of the closet where the sliding doors overlap is very difficult to get into.  Simply put — I was tired of having to pull everything out to get in there when I needed something and wanted some accessible storage.

White Christmas ... Port A Style

Friday, 25 December 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 73F (23C) / Lo 69F (21C)

Nope, it wasn’t snow that made our Christmas white … it was fog!

The fog, which wrapped us in a warm ... if damp ... cocoon yesterday evening, was supposed to burn off by noon.  There were occasional signs that the forecast might come true.  In the end, though, it was to no avail, and we continued to be enveloped by the thick mist.  The sun lost the battle today. 

This is what it looks like on the beach when we go for our walk this afternoon.

It’s only slightly better looking back towards the GWRVR beach access …
You’ll have to take my word that we’re not that far from it.  As for that black
spot on the photo … that’s not a spot, it’s a kite that the group is flying.

Oh well; can’t complain.  We’re at the beach after all, and we’re not having to shovel any snow ;-)

© 2004-2015 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.

Merry Christmas … Happy Holidays

Thursday, 24 December 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 72F (22C) / Lo 66F (19C)

Merry Christmas — or if you prefer, Happy Holidays — and a Happy New Year to all.  May 2016 be a healthy, happy, and enriching year that we all share with family and friends … one that is filled with safe travels to destinations of our choosing regardless of the mode we use to get there ;-)

The Emperors of the Ross Sea join Erin & Mui
in wishing everyone a fantastic holiday season.

© 2004-2015 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.

Grainy but Gorgeous

Sunday, 20 December 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 70F (21C) / Lo 64F (18C)

It’s been a week of gorgeous sunrises here.  For the most part, I’ve been enjoying these colorful starts to our days from our site — often recording the memories with my eyes only … leaving the camera sitting on the dash of the Phaeton — Thursday was an exception.

Sunrise — Thursday Morning — 17 December — Site 408.

This morning’s sunrise, however, proved to be too much of a temptation.  I grabbed the iPhone and headed over to the big pond, hoping to get some reflection shots.  Alas, the breeze was rippling the surface, so I walked the additional steps to the beach access ramp instead.

Today’s colorful sunrise from the beach access pathway.  But wait … it gets better.

I should have grabbed the Fuji camera — I would have gotten better shots … certainly less grainy ones.  But hey, these get the message across.  Except for a little contrast and noise reduction applied in post-processing, the colors are what came out of the iPhone … and more importantly, what I beheld with my eyes.

Certainly a sunrise to remember on a warm December Day just a few days before Christmas!

---

P.S.  I published this post using OLW — the Open Source version of Microsoft's Live Writer, which no longer works with Google/Blogger.  Sure, there are some functionalities that are missing, such as the ability to add categories (I simply went into the Blogger html tab after I published this post to add the categories).  But that's a minor irritant.  Just having the ability to write WYSIWYG blog posts offline is priceless.  Thanks to all those who volunteer their time to make OLW possible.  Now could you work your magic and make OLW possible for MAC OS ... pretty please ;-)

© 2004-2015 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.

A B&W Kind of Day at #408

Wednesday, 9 December 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 73F (23C) / Lo 64F (18C)

Except for some early morning fog yesterday, the past seven days have been sunny with bright blue skies and comfy temps.  Today’s high actually feels more like 77F (25C) according to the forecast … sure felt downright hot during my beach walk this morning.  But at our pad, we still seek out the sun when we sit outdoors.

On a clear day, you can see Aransas Pass across the water, but when we went for a walk in Port Aransas yesterday morning, you could just make out the ferry terminus on our side of the Corpus Christi Channel.

Nary a complaint from us; we’re loving this December weather and making the most of it white it lasts.  I hear we might get some rain by this weekend.  And that will be OK too — aside from the fact that Texas is still in a drought, I could use the time indoors to reorganize some cabinets now that Mui has completed his TV box-to-storage conversion … but that’s for another post.

A foggy, moody morning from our pad at GWRVR yesterday might qualify for the B&W theme …

… but it would be the exception, not the norm … our days have been looking
mostly like this ever since December rolled around on the calendar.

Rosie Pays Us a Visit

Thursday, 3 December 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 62F (17C) / Lo 53F (12C)

After a week of mostly overcast weather, the sun finally came out today.  Nice to have bright sunshine and blue skies even if the temps are on the coolish side.  Normally we go for our beach walk first thing in the morning, but I waited for the temp to reach the day’s high before going out … Mui was excused to work on a project in the coach, but more on that later.

Anyway, I had just returned to the pad after my walk when what should I see across the pond but a roseate spoonbill.  Granted, its coloring was rather pale — a juvenile would be my guess ... but it was a roseate nonetheless.  The bird was inching its way along the edge of the pond, its bill constantly sweeping below the surface of the water for a tasty tidbit or two.

Giving Thanks on Our Anniversary

Thursday, 26 November 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 77F (25C) / Lo 70F (21C)

Thirty-four years.  That’s how long Mui and I have been married.  Today we took a step into year 35 — and we did so with the dawning of a beautiful day on the beach at GWRVR.

When we got married in İzmir, Turkey in 1981, 26 November happened to fall on Thanksgiving.  Every so many years, the calendar brings us back to this special holiday — perfect for giving thanks for all we have … all we are able to do … times two.

Beginning Year 35 with a beautiful sunrise.

What made today extra special was that we got to celebrate it with friends here at GWRVR.  We were asked to bring dessert to the Thanksgiving dinner our friends were hosting at their pad.  So, Mui had the idea to surprise everyone with an anniversary cake.  Laughter and camaraderie … the crowning touch on our day.

Our dessert contribution to Thanksgiving dinner — surprise!

Happy Anniversary to us … and here’s to many, many more happy returns.

We’re Baack!

Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Gulf Waters RV Resort — Port Aransas, Texas
Temps: Hi 73F (23C) / Lo 71F (22C)

Actually, we returned from our trip to Europe on 14 November.  Hard to believe it has been nearly two weeks since we left NCL Jade in the Port of Houston following a 16-day cruise across the Big Pond.  We’ve been keeping busy with “getting settled again” chores, so perhaps the quick passage of time shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Hello Port of Houston!                                                                 

Phaeton Journeys Goes on Hiatus

Saturday, 29 August 2015
Advanced RV Resort — Houston, Texas
Temps: HI 91F (33C) / Lo 72F (22C)

It’s time for us to go gallivanting overseas again.

The big-city shopping that I mentioned as a reason why we returned to Houston early is completed.  Our bags are packed and zipped; passports tucked securely into our wallets.  The car service that will take us to the hotel for our overnight stay is booked.  One airline check-in is completed; the overseas haul will be done this evening.  And the Phaeton is all but ready to go into storage later today — Mui’s winterizing our home on wheels even as I write this quickie post to put Phaeton Journeys to rest for a while.

If you’re curious about where our overseas travels will take us this time, hop on over to Two to Travel.  I’ll probably be too busy to write much — exploring new-to-me places in Italy and elsewhere and visiting family in Turkey will keep me plenty busy.  But there will most likely be some “post”cards to keep you abreast of what we’re up to until we return to the US in mid-November.

See you when we get back!

© 2004-2015 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.

Back in Texas

Thursday, 27 August 2015
Advanced RV Resort — Houston, Texas
Temps: Hi 89F (32C) / Lo 78F (26C)

We’re back in Texas again … have been since we left San Patricio, New Mexico on the 10th, but not all of that time was here in Houston.  And none of it was at our home pad in Port Aransas.

We would have stayed longer at our quiet spot in San Patricio, where it was comparatively cooler, but a couple of reasons played into our decision to return to Texas where it is still broiling … although the temps have moderated a bit these past few days.  First reason: to catch up with friends; and second: to be near big city shopping before we set off on our fall trip to Europe.

Inn of the Mountain Gods … X-T10 Testing: Landscape & More

Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 93F (34C) / Lo 63F (17C)

We would have gone out yesterday to continue our sightseeing with a purpose — the purpose being to continue to test the FujiFilm X-T10 I am considering as a replacement for my DSLR kit.  But there was a more important matter that Mui wanted to resolve — resetting the TireTraker system … safety comes before fun.  Since replacing the sensor batteries, the monitor was refusing to clear alerts.  Determining that the monitor was faulty, TireTraker replaced it … to no avail.  So troubleshooting the problem with the help of a tech support agent was scheduled for yesterday.

I am happy to report the system is functional again.  While we don’t rely entirely on TireTraker for monitoring the tires, it does give us a little more peace of mind and we’re happy that it is working once again.

Postcard from Lake Mescalero.

[The postcard above and the scanned image below are the only ones in this post not taken with the X-T10.]

So we drove to the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino (Inn) today instead.  We had more blue skies today than yesterday, so the delay worked out to my advantage ;-)

X-T10 … Testing Continues: Wildlife … Kinda

Saturday, 1 August 2015
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 86F (30C) / Lo 64F (18C)

As most of you know, I am a mixed-subject photographer … landscape, cityscape, art, museum exhibits, wildlife, and more.  I’ve petty much decided I like the results the Fuji X-T10 gave me for museum photos, so I have moved on to more testing in other fields.

Wildlife photography usually requires a long lens.  Equally important — or perhaps even more so — is the speed of the camera/lens combo.  A DSLR is perfect for wildlife photography — especially when animals are in motion.  How will the X-T10 perform was the question on my mind?

Today I attached the 55-200mm lens and went out to find out … my models were the black-chinned hummingbirds that visit our neighbors’ site and some horses on the other side of the fence at Deer Crossing.  The sky clouded over with storm clouds by the time I got around to the horses, but I wasn’t testing color, so it didn’t matter that the light wasn’t great for today’s testing purposes.

Photobombed!

Overall, I am pleased with the results — especially considering this was a first-effort to photograph animals.  The hummers were buzzing about, and the horses were a-twitching, trying to get some relief from the swarming black flies.  I have a sense now of what kind of results I can get with the X-T10 when I’m around wildlife … and even improve upon them as I become more familiar with this new camera system.

© 2004-2015 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.

Hubbard Museum of the American West

Thursday, 30 July 2015
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 84F (29C) / Lo 62F (17C)

We’ve been planning to visit the Hubbard Museum of the American West since arriving here.  But we were waiting to do it on a really hot or rainy day.  We had such days in recent weeks, however, we decided to delay our visit until after my new camera arrived.  That happened on Monday; the museum is closed Tuesday and Wednesday … bringing us to today!

You see, traveling overseas with DSLR equipment is getting to be more of a pain in the you know what than it used to be.  Not only is the weight of the camera and the lenses an issue while wandering around to see the sights, but it’s also a problem on airlines, which are paying closer attention than ever to the weight of carry-on bags.  We almost got into trouble on the way back from New Zealand when the flight out of Auckland had a carry-on restriction of 22 pounds (10 kg).  My equipment far exceeds that!  Crazy, I know ;-)  Mui got us through by hefting the bag like it was empty and the agent believed him without weighing the bag.  Had he asked us to put the bag on the scale, my goose would have been cooked to a crisp!

Anyway, with Mui’s encouragement, I recently started looking at alternatives to my Canon DSLR.  Don’t get me wrong, no camera can match what a DSLR can do, but considering my photos are mostly for publication in the blog, and I do little more than look at them on occasion in my online galleries, we figured I could find a reasonable alternative.  And I think I have.

Anne Stradling — a lifelong collector
Blaze — Trail … Alfred G Haigh (1920)

All this to say that the photos in this post were taken with the FujiFilm X-T10, a recent — like May 2015 recent — entrant into the mirrorless camera market.  Its newness not withstanding, there are already very happy users out there and I am leaning towards being one of them even though my “testing phase” still has a few weeks to go before I have to make a final decision — thanks to B&H’s 30-day return policy.

OK — so let’s move on to our morning at the museum and the pictures I took.

Fort Stanton: Marching on Roma … Almost

Saturday, 25 July 2015 (Part II)
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico

After stumbling across and stopping to visit the Merchant Marines and Military Cemetery — popularly referred to as Fort Stanton Cemetery — Mui noted that we were just a few miles from Fort Stanton Historic Site.

We decided that since we were so close, we’d jiggle our plans even though we had left home unprepared for a lengthy outing.  For that you can read that I only had my small camera with me ;-)

Looking Across the parade ground from the porch of the enlisted barracks-turned-museum.

But there was a surprise in store for us when we arrived at the fort!

Fort Stanton: the Cemetery

Saturday, 25 July 2015 (Part I)
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 91F (33C) / Lo 64F (18C)

While chatting with Denise, she mentioned two roads that we could drive where after a short distance the views open up and become quite scenic.  “They’re gravel roads; not bad, but if you’d like to borrow our truck, you’re welcome to do so,” she told Mui.  We took her up on the suggestion to check out one — Devil’s Canyon Road — but did so in our own car.

We encounter several areas where recent rains have washed debris across the road, but this is the only spot that must be a regular ford as there is a marker alerting drivers to the depth of the water.  No fording was required today.

Our plan was to do some hiking while we were on our outing, but that part didn’t work out as the trail was a muddy mess after the recent rains.

Exploring the Vicinity Small Communities

Wednesday, 22 July 2015
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 88F (31C) / Lo 61F (16C)

If there is one thing we can count on here, it’s afternoon rain … sometimes falling gently; more often as downpours accompanied by boomers and lightning.  Either way, combine the wet stuff with quickly rising temps that feel hotter than what the thermometer is showing and you have conditions that don’t invite me to be out and about!

House Sparrow

I can deal with rain, but I’m a wimp when it comes to hot temps.  With that in mind, we decided to do just a ½-day outing today and check out some of the places our Google search uncovered in the immediate area.  Oddly, none of these sites were mentioned by the Visitor Center.  But that’s a good thing as it means fewer people exploring those places.  I like having such sites to myself ;-)

Out and About in Ruidoso Downs and Ruidoso

Sunday, 19 July 2015
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 90F (32C) / Lo 67F (17C)

After taking care of a few things at home, we set off this morning to pick the brains of the people who man the visitor center Mui spotted when he drove into Ruidoso a few days ago.

We didn’t make much headway before we made our first stop.

Spotting a cute little church right after we passed the sign for Glencoe, another small community along Hwy 70, we flipped a u-ey so I could take a quick shot of St Anne’s Chapel.  Dating back to the 1930’s, it is the founding Episcopal church in Lincoln County.

Services were just ending, and one of the congregants said I was welcome to enter the church and take photographs.  There were still too many people inside, so I thanked him and said I’d stop by another time.  As the only church in the area open 24 hours a day, I should be able to find a more suitable time to take pictures of the interior sometime before we leave.

Our Quiet Spot in Billy the Kid Country

Friday, 17 July 2015
Deer Crossing RV Park — San Patricio, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 89F (32C) / Lo 63F (17C)

A few more days and it will be a week since we left Santa Fe and arrived in San Patricio, New Mexico — a tiny little community in the central region of the state.  No one recognizes it when I mention the name, but if I say we’re between Roswell and Ruidoso — closer to the latter than the former — than the light bulb goes on … heh, heh, heh ;-)

Rufous Hummingbird

Considering we haven’t done much, hard to believe the time has flown by so quickly and we’re already down to about three weeks left in our stay here.  After finally catching up on my Santa Fe posts, I thought I’d do a post to introduce you to our home through the first part of August.  Glad we came this year as the property is for sale and might not be around next season.

Santa Fe Church Visits Continue

Sunday, 12 July 2015
Santa Fe Skies RV Park — Santa Fe, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 85F (29C) / Lo 56F (13C)

A day of rest did wonders to rejuvenate my batteries.  Too many people; too much heat … draining for an introvert like me who prefers cool temps to summer heat.  Staying home yesterday also allowed me to process photos … always a good thing in my book.

Mui wandered off for a while to visit the Saturday farmer’s market — he needs people to recharge his extrovert batteries don’t you know :-).  He came back with a few goodies that I am sure he will make good use of over the next few days.

With a travel day ahead of us, we decided to stay local today.  We did a few chores, and then set off to enjoy a few more sites in Santa Fe and give Mui a break from the kitchen by having lunch at one of the many restaurants and cafés in town.

Our short stay in Santa Fe has somehow turned into a visit with a focus on churches.  You’d think we are especially religious people — we aren’t.  That said, we enjoy visiting ecclesiastical sites — be they churches, mosques, or synagogues — and appreciate the sense of quiet peace they afford.  Add to that the history that many of the churches in Santa Fe come with … well, let’s just continue the theme.

Las Golondrinas: Walking the Trail

Friday, 10 July 2015 (Part II)
Santa Fe Skies RV Park — Santa Fe, New Mexico

After we completed our tour of the placitas [little plazas] at El Rancho de las Golondrinas [Ranch of the Swallows], and I went back and photographed the various rooms in each (post here), it was time to head off on the trail that meanders around the far end of the living history museum.

threshing floor (Left) and sorghum mill — first stop on the trail.

When the Curtin/Paloheimo families came up with the idea to convert the original ranch into an open air museum, they began by restoring or reconstructing whatever buildings were already on the property.  If the state of disrepair was too far gone, they rebuilt on the original foundations.  Some old structures — mostly log buildings — were grouped in the hills as a mountain village; a Peninte meeting house in Abiquiu was used as an inspiration to build a similar one; and rural buildings from elsewhere were carefully de-constructed, moved here, and put back together to represent buildings that had disappeared long ago.

Ranch of the Swallows … aka El Rancho de las Golondrinas

Friday, 10 July 2015 (Part I)
Santa Fe Skies RV Park — Santa Fe, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 76F (24C) / Lo 53F (12C)

¡Bienvenidos a El Rancho de las Golondrinas … Welcome to the Ranch of the Swallows.

Those were the first words in the brochure we picked up for $1 when we went into the gift shop to pay the $6pp admission fee for the open air museum that is located 20 minutes south of Santa Fe … and maybe about 10 minutes from the RV park where we are staying.  We went thinking we’d just spend half a day there.  As it turns out, we arrived just as the museum was opening at 10:00a and left just before they locked the doors at 4:00p ;-)  Luckily, the sun did not become unbearable until late in the day as much of our time was spent outdoors ... except when we were inside the buildings that dot the grounds.

An Ecclesiastical Kind of Day in Santa Fe … Cont'd

Thursday, 9 July 2015 (Part II)
Santa Fe Skies RV Park — Santa Fe, New Mexico

In the previous post we had lunch in Historic Santa Fe and toured the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi (post here).  Let’s continue our a-wanderin’ of the landmarks near the city’s famed Santa Fe Plaza.

Scanned copy of the map we picked up from the Visitor Center (marked with an “I”). Marked up to show where we had lunch at Café Pasqual’s (across the Water Street parking lot), and the landmarks we visited (green stars). Starting to the right of the Plaza: St Francis Cathedral and City Park; Loretto Chapel; and the Oldest Church and House. Click for a larger image.

Our next stop was not far.  But before we leave the cathedral gardens…

A-Wander in Historic Santa Fe

Thursday, 9 July 2015 (Part I)
Santa Fe Skies RV Park — Santa Fe, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 72F (22C) / Lo 53F (12C)

The recorded high for the day might have been 72F (22C) … but it sure felt a lot hotter in the sun!  No matter; we found plenty of places in Historic Santa Fe where we could seek shade.

Santa Fe — meaning “holy faith” in Spanish — was established in 1610, making it the oldest capital in the US; and the oldest city in New Mexico … the Land of Enchantment as the state is nicknamed.  As such, there is a lot of history to enjoy … much of it preserved in landmarks in and around the city.

After a long travel day, we took it easy this morning, heading into downtown Santa Fe close to 11:00a.  Our first stop was the Visitor Center, across the street from the State Capitol.  Our goal was to get an idea of a few things to do in the immediate vicinity — both on good-weather days as well as rainy ones.  Turns out we didn’t have to worry about the 40% chance of rain forecasted … all the wet stuff we got today fell overnight and into the wee hours of this morning.

Colorado to New Mexico … Travel Day

Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Santa Fe Skies RV Park — Santa Fe, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 80F (27C) / Lo 52F (11C)

Colorado to New Mexico — a new-to-us state … with or without the Phaeton.  We drove through New Mexico on the way to our month-long stay in Colorado Springs, but since we didn’t overnight, that passage doesn’t count in my book.

Our 342-mile (547 km) travel day brought us from Colorado Springs to Santa Fe.  I know, I know … that’s longer than what most of you like to drive on a travel day.  It’s a little more than what we prefer to drive as well, but it really was an easy one … a straight shot down I-25 South; with only one “real” pass — the Raton Pass — just before entering NM.  I even managed to wrest the wheel from Mui for a while and drove 60 miles (96 km) from one rest area to the next ;-)

USAFA: Let's Take a Tour

Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado
Temps: Hi 61F (16C) / Lo 54F (12C)

Brrr!  Turned on the heater today and yesterday.  A cold front parked itself over us and cooled things down considerably.  Not complaining; enjoyed the change of pace from what, by my standards at least, were rather hot days … especially at the altitude we’re sitting at.

Two drizzly days, preceded by a couple of big afternoon/evening downpours, put the kibosh on our plans to hike the trails on the USAFA campus during our self-imposed confinement over the 4th of July long weekend.  What can I say … we prefer to hunker down and stay out of the way during holidays.  It wasn’t that the rain was continuous; rather there was enough of it falling to make the dirt trails a muddy mess.

No matter, we still managed to get out here and there.  And we used the time at home to plan our route for the next leg of our trip; complete a few errands; get the awning fixed … it was extending, but not retracting; and have the LCD panel on my Mac replaced a second time … turns out the first panel had what I can only describe as an Ebola virus-like squiggle behind the screen.  Mui even managed to drag me shopping to pick up a few casual chic outfits for our fall cruise.  But that’s an entirely different story.

USAFA Map — need one to help us get around!          

Miramont Castle: Exhibits & High Tea … and a Mural-Wander Around Manitou Springs

Thursday, 2 July 2015 (Part II)
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado

In addition to being an interesting historic venue to tour, Miramont Castle is a museum-within-a-museum kind of place, with several exhibits housed in rooms on the property.  In my previous post, I wrote a bit about the history of the castle and took you on a virtual tour of the rooms that are open to the public.   Now let’s briefly visit the exhibits.

Manitou Springs: Miramont Castle

Thursday, 2 July 2015 (Part I)
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado
Temps: Hi 76F (24C) / Lo 57F (14C)

Our days in CoS are winding down — fast.  Alternating sightseeing and hiking with relaxing at home, we found the days flew by too quickly.  So much to still see and do in the area.

Some might say that we should have spent more time exploring, but we like the pace we set ourselves … quite different from our “vacation” mode trips when we are traveling without the Phaeton.

Glimpse of the Miramont Castle Gardens.

Don’t let the patch of blue sky in the photo above fool you … it was momentary … here one minute; gone the next.  In fact, the skies threatened rain, with a high chance of precipitation in the forecast.  Figuring that an indoor activity would be preferable to the hike we planned to do, we looked to see what was available in the immediate area.  None of the museums enticed us, however, so we decided to check out a “castle” instead!

Historic Old Colorado City

Tuesday, 30 June 2015 (Part II)
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado

Mui had his heart set on having tapas for lunch, so after our hike in the Garden of the Gods (post here), we got in our car and drove the short distance to Old Colorado City (OCC).  Like so many towns in the west, OCC owes its birth to gold.  It was founded in mid-1859, shortly after prospectors were lured to the area by major gold strikes that were announced in the Pikes Peak region.  Pikes Peak or Bust was the rallying call of the day.

We had already checked the TripAdvisor comments and knew not to expect much of our visit.  Of course, if you are an art gallery browser or just like to check out the various stores lining the streets, there’s plenty of that.  And restaurants as well.

I sort of got the sense that the place comes alive later in the day.  But no matter, we were there for lunch not to sightsee … although we did stroll up and down the small historic center while we waited for the restaurant to open at 11:30a.  Since I’m not much for crowds, the quietness of the streets worked out for me.

Fun mural at the Colorado City Creamery.

Garden of the Gods … Redux

Tuesday, 30 June 2015 (Part I)
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado
Temps: Hi 87F (31C) / Lo 52F (11C)

When we left the house this morning, we had no intention of going to the Garden of the Gods.  But we had to jiggle our plans a bit, so that’s where we ended up.

Florissant Fossil Beds: Giant Redwoods in Colorado! … and More

Thursday, 25 June 2015
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado
Temps: Hi 84F (29C) / Lo 55F (13C)

Sarah, a fellow-blogger and RVer (of See Where the Road Leads fame), took time out of the Alaska road trip she is on with her hubby and Kitty to suggest that we might enjoy visiting some fossil beds in nearby Florissant.  After a couple of hazy-skies days at home, we were raring to go somewhere fun.  So this morning we hopped in the CR-V and made the 40-mile (64 km) drive to the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (FFBNM) — one of only nine NPS units specifically set aside to protect fossils.

Falcon Trail: 13 Miles Up and Down … and a Side Trip to 1871

Saturday, 20 June 2015
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado
Temps: Hi 86F (30C) / Lo 63F (17C)

The morning dawned bright, with blue skies and puffy clouds, and comfortably cool temps.  The forecast was for a hot day, but by leaving early to get on one of the hiking trails here at the USAFA we figured we just might beat the worst of the heat.  Hah!  We were wrong!

For today’s hike we opted to do the Falcon Trail, a multi-use loop trail that runs entirely within the boundaries of the USAFA.  When we left the Phaeton at 7:00a, we were still debating doing just a portion of the 13-mile (21 km) trail as an in-and-out hike.  By the time we were at the trail access point five minutes later, the decision was made to hike the entire loop.  Five minutes after that we were walking, our Camelbaks heavy on our backs … the water bladder filled to the gills with the liquid refreshment we knew we would be needing for this moderate-to-difficult hike.

Driving the Pikes Peak Highway in 7 Minutes and 8 Seconds

Wednesday, 17 June 2015 (Part II)
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado

Seven minutes and eight seconds … that’s all it will take you to make the 39-mile (63 km) roundtrip drive on the Pikes Peak Highway.  Mui processed his GoPro video; cut out some scenes … added others; slowed down portions of his footage … sped up others.  Just so you can come along on this drive at warp speed.

Strap on your seatbelt and let’s go.  I don’t think you’ll need any motion sickness meds … just be warned!

© 2004-2015 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.

Pikes Peak: America’s Mountain

Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado
Temps: Hi 80F (27C) / Lo 55F (13C)

The mountain that looms over Colorado Springs has been known by many names.

The Ute Indians referred to it as Sun Mountain because it catches the early mountain rays.  The Arapaho called it Heey-otoyoo, meaning "Long Mountain” — that’s self explanatory; just look at the photo to the right.  Then came the Spaniards in the 1700s … they named the mountain El Capitán.  In 1806, when Lt Zebulon Pike was sent to survey the lands acquired through the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, he named the mountain Grand Peak … some say it was Highest Peak.  That name lasted until the first recorded ascent in 1820 when the mountain was named James Peak … in honor of the botanist who made it to the summit.  Thirty years later, the mountain was officially named Pikes Peak … the name that has lasted to our time.

A Day at Home … Fixin’ a Leak and Makin’ “Kuru Köfte”

Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado
Temps: Hi 77F (25C) / Lo 53F (12C)

Sometimes you decide to stay home for one reason — in this instance, to relax and catch up on “living life on the road” type of stuff.  But today it turns out to be good for an entirely different reason that we decide to spend the day at home.

Garden of the Gods: Light Hiking

Monday, 15 June 2015
Peregrine Pines FamCamp; USAFA, Colorado Springs — Colorado
Temps: Hi 72F (22C) / Lo 53F (12C)

A return visit to the Garden of the Gods (GotG) today proved more fruitful for our plans to hike a couple of the trails in the park.

We tried to start our day early, but “things” got in the way, and we didn’t leave the Phaeton until 7:30a.  Twenty minutes later we were turning onto the Gateway Road — the entrance into the park from 30th Street.  Having studied the map we picked up from the visitor center (V&NC) yesterday (post here), we already knew which trail we wanted to hike.  The bonus for picking a trail at the far end of GotG was that we got a sneak preview of the park by car on our way to the trailhead — which wasn’t that easy to find after all.