Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Road Trippin-Out West

I've been back for a few weeks now and can finally come up for air!  We had such a wonderful time in Colorado.  I was never really into history until I started exploring old ghost towns when I lived in Dillon in the early 80's, now I can never get enough.  The buildings tell the most amazing stories!  
This was a brand new area for both Ed and I. A friend that IN moved there a few years ago, and spoke so fondly of  the town of Victor, we had to check it out!  It was once a town of 15,000, a busting town with a gold mine, and still has an operating gold mine that harvests about a million dollars worth a day! The town is only a fraction of the people it once had, and lots of stores sit empty, but Judy and her husband have brought so many of them back to life.  We stayed at their renovated boarding house.



The old Assay
  office
A side road in Victor

Judy at her shop The Junk Posse

outside the shop,  Judy and Ed fighting off a chill at 55 degrees!

Some of the homes in the area-Cropple Creek


Cripple Creek is now a gambling town (totally redoing the roads).
Salida, CO is known for its great Art shops and yes we had to explore those too!

Leadville
This was an awesome Antique store.  Still had all the fixtures from it's former
life as a hardware store.  Leadville, CO

Keystone-Drinking a moscow mule in the proper mug :)

Hiking in Frisco


Lodge Pole Pines


Hiking at St. Johns mine, Montezuma,  CO 
A selfie with the kids,  hiking in Montezuma

Spotted some wild life!

My daughter Rosemary



The School house in Montezuma



We drove up Mt. Evans-14,000 foot road and at the top were rewarded with
these Mountain Goats, they blend in so nicely don't they!