Okaaaay the Arches, in Moab, Utah

This entry is harder than the last. Another 100+ picture day. We had planned to see this National park for a long time. Jen, over at 'Starting Over', was here earlier this year and whetted our appetites a little more. We were warned to watchout for big horned sheep by signs, but this one was the only one we saw.
A passing friend shot this picture, but missed the name of the park. But did get two pretty people.

I will not comment on many of the photos.

This is looking back down on the visitors center to give you an idea how high we were.

These forms are huge 200-500 ft. high.

I think the above was called the court house.

Maybe this is the court house? (below)

Never saw a sheep 400' x 300'

Every turn has a view that takes your breathe away, the awesome size of this place.

I am always saying, 'How did this happen?'

Or This....

Of course the park is names for these formations, the Arches. Here they are referred to as the windows. When you get close you understand, it looks as if you are looking out a window.

I found this beauty wandering around in the Arches.

With no more room for photos, I thought I would end with the one below called the Cowboy Chaps. This is one bow legged fellow!

I know I say it often, but folks you honestly have to see it to realize how huge this place and these forms are. You are standing below something like the one they called the Court house and if there was bus on top it would look like an ant. The colors, mostly red, but scattered blue and white throughout.

We also visited Canyonland, again unbelieveable. I will try to post some photos from there.

Thanks for coming along to the Arches.

Nite Shipslog

PS:
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds
new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's
funny ...' - Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)

Crossing the Rocky Mountains in style.

We left The USAF Academy at about 8am. Early for me, but we were Crossing the Rockies today! From the flat lands to the South of Denver the sights were as we has seen them the last week. But just into the Rocky mountians we started seeing the mansions built high on the sides and tops of the lower mountians and hills.
This one was a little exceptional to say the least.

The terrain got rougher.

Until it was really rough and very rocky.

Before choosing this route, I-70, I asked around. Some said it was tough but beautiful. Beautiful does not do it justice. This was the most amazing few hundred miles we had seen since driving to Alaska. But the terrain is much worse than the Canadian Rockies or the Yukon or Alaska.

On this trip I smelled our brakes ont he motor home for the first time. I would not dirve this route without exhaust brakes. Ours probably saved our bacon. Here we enter the Eisenhower Tunnel. It is punched through a mile and a half of rock. Funny on this side the sun was shining.

And on the other side it was raining. I knew there was reason to worry when I saw so many runaway truck ramps.

But the drive was terrific. There were times you felt like you could touch the rock (of course you could not, but they seemed that close.)

I have known only one guy who has skiied Vale and that is Tuck. This is the first time I have ever seen the place.

Now this trip produced 114 pictures. It is hard to select 15 of those. But I cannot believe they are this many folk who can afford to Ski Vail. There must have been a thousand of these Ski Resorts.

More resorts and you can see the ski slopes in the back ground, of course they are green this time of the year.

More beauty and more fun. This road was cut following the Eagle river. Most of this rock openings for the road are naturally carved by God's handiwork using water.

Here is a bridge crossing the Eagle and into a tunnel. I believe we went thru five tunnels in the few hundred miles.

Once I asked, "Hey Honey what happened to the East bound road. I see the rail road track." As youcan see below, it was below me, and just now comes out so youcan see it, running lower along side the EAgle River.

The Eagle joins the Colorado river and the road continues on thru to the flat lands West of the Rockies, We made it safe along with millions of others that travel this route. We will not do it again, but both of us are glad we took I-70 thru the Rockies.

Not yet to Grand Junction, but thru the Rockies. We continued thru to MOAB, but that will be later.

We have driven cross country on I-40, I-80, I-10, I-20 & I-8. This was our last trip and we could not miss I-70.

Thanks for coming along. I wish I could have put more pics, but they would have bored you. We all know pictures never do a view justice.

Nite Shipslog,

PS: I am posting from Moab. Tomorrow we go to the Arches Nat'l Park.

NOw, A walk in Pueblo!

I will start from the end and work back. We eventually found this beautiful park to walk in. The flowers are beautiful.

Pueblo is the county seat of Pueblo County. This Courthouse was built in 1919, wonder how they had enough tax money to build something this elaborate. Surely they didn't arrest and fine that many miners.

And lout in the lawn on the right in the upper picture is the Rose garden in the lower picture. The smell was great.

But wait, before we found the park we ran into a PARADE, we have done this twice in our
wandering

Below is an old Pueble Fire engine.

A float with dancers!!!

Wendy's old truck

No parade is complete without Horses

Marching bands and cheerleaders

A beautiful Mexican float complete with dancers. They got a lot of attention.

More bands

But this one took the cake. Can you guess what this is? I could not. It is the base of a wind mill used in the wind farms. I was amazed at the size of it. This thing is humungous

There is a Vespas Company located just south of town. The company is out of Denmark

These sections are 70 feet long and some are 14 ft in diameter. that is six feet wider than this motor home. They stack these things three high, up to 325 feet in the air. Add the propellers and a generator and one can furnish the electricity for 1400 average homes. It is something to see.

Thanks for coming along and reading the log.

Nite ships log

PS:

Moving day tomorrow. Hello UTAH!

Not always a good idea to walk down town

I did get a shot of this church bell tower in Colorado Springs.

Then back to the safety, beauty and comfort of the Garden of the Gods

It is fun to climb among these formations where there are no restrictions.

Some things are disappointing and I have some attitudes that are hard to explain. First, Sherry and I love to go downtown and walk around. I love a town with a square. You know the Court House or City offices. This trip we have had some great small towns to walk in: St. Ignace, Park Falls, Kirksville, and Savannah, MO. Sometimes we just take a walk in a residential area. Folks wave at us and we smile and wave back. Most small places, even driving around folks wave. You end up with a great feeling of being around good people. That has been a practice for a long time. However I forget you cannot comfortably walk in EVERY down town.

When in Detroit, I took time to look on the net about down town. I also read comments from folks who had, we drove thru Detroit but did not stop. Here I figured Colorado Springs was small enough to be a friendly down town. We went downtown and walked. Soon I saw signs I did not want to see. Here is where my attitude is hard to explain. That is, what I consider a Christian attitude. You see I don’t want to give them a dime, but neither do I want to be approached. A good hustler knows this, and will use it to their advantage.

We used to refer to them as beggars. Now they are mostly referred to as homeless. I began to see a few around; the only way we missed being approached was the guys had someone else cornered. Here is where I have a problem. I do not mind giving to anyone in need. I do not mind buying food for someone hungry. But when do you draw the line and say no to healthy young folk who could find a job somewhere doing something? Instead of aiding in their laziness.

You see, we know personally of men who just do not want to work. I was told, I am happy on the street; I have no responsibilities. I do not want a job.

I was once on an Exit and saw a guy holding up a sign, VET, HUNGRY, GOD BLESS’. I said I am going to give him something. Before I could stop, My BIL said from the back seat, don’t you dare stop. That is my cousin and he has never been in service.

Most towns have shelters, but the shelters have rules and most of these guys do not like rules, so only on the coldest nights will they swallow their dislikes and go inside. So, a walk down town is not always a good idea. Yesterday I forgot. Next we will try Pueblo.
Thanks for reading this rant.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
A bus station is where a bus stops, a train station is where a
train stops. On my desk I have a work station...