MP: ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts

One day, 3 states.  Tuesday morning we were packed and gone from our mountain house by 7 am. We knew we had to get moving, because we had an important meeting.

After loving northern colorado and the high rolling hills framed by the rockies, we traveled through Wyoming (above). Wide open spaces! Beautiful green grasses! Incredible forever blue sky! Why shouldn't we move there?!? Hmmm...strange that nearly every mile of the interstate was lined with snow fence. Like, serious snow fence. And when we stopped for a gas station break, the door into the store had a big sign saying "due to wind, please hold door when entering". Ahem.

Once we crossed the border into south dakota (beautiful forests and green mountains...lakes every 20 miles...I did not know) we started playing the cell phone signal game as we made final plan to meet our dear friends who are starting their own road trip. Little did we know that they were calling/ texting from a hike they won't forget.  Amazingly,  we did find each other at horsetheif lake (above) near mt Rushmore and then headed to the famous mountain.

We ended up in Deadwood at the koa together.  Friends, road trips, camping,  mountains, summer, and of course, fire. What more could you want?!?

MP: Gold in dem der hills

On Monday we decided we had to come down our mountain and experience a little more of Colorado.  We chose nearby Idaho springs,  an area developed when a huge gold vein was discovered in the mid 1800s.

We toured the Argo gold mine and got a great lesson in rocks and minerals,  mining techniques and history.  Then we got to pan for some gold ourselves.

 Beautiful mountain water with lots of rafters.

 The funny thing is, we did actually see mountain sheep. Of course I didn't get a picture of them.

 Entrance to the more than 4 mile argo tunnel that enabled and prospered the mine for many years until an explosion in 1941.

 We got to tour the mill and see the actual equipment used.

 Panning for gold took patience and perseverance.  Some had that. Others enjoyed swishing water around and starting over.

 All vagrants will be arrested.

Our results!

MP: mountain musings

* when captain and I first met, we asked each other if you could pick anywhere to live where would it be; without reading each other's answer, we both said in a cabin on the side of a mountain near Golden CO. No joke.

* Although we both knew a bit about the effects of high altitude,  it was still surprising to us and the kids living at 8400+ feet for several days. Thirsty and constant mild headaches.

* Good beds, great view, good weather,  no wifi as promised because router was taken out by lightening,  and the trip up and down the mountain was about more than we could take after weeks of driving.  It was 14 miles from golden, but took at least half an hour to get to it. 

* we loved Co and still do; we've decided our dream home should further down the mountain though. :)

MP: rock and roll

We decided not to do hiking in arches national park (100 degrees might have influenced us), but are so glad we drove through part of the park. Amazing formations like we had never seen.

Onward through utah to Colorado. We stopped for lunch at Randys diner in Palisade,  a long wait but worth it. As encouraged by MP's parents, we stopped to check out the valley because of advertised "perfect growing weather". We did find the beautiful orchards and produce farms and stopped for a chat.