Best of Three States Plus One Saturday!

Howdy, y'all! It's a cloudy and a bit cool (58 degrees) in Augusta, Maine this morning and it's a good time to grab a cup of coffee and take a look at some of the Best of Three States Plus One! I have hand-picked some of the most interesting posts of the past year form you to read again or, in some cases, see for the first time. Either way you'll like what I have chosen for you today as the material presents a look at our great country that will have you wanting to take a trip to new and exciting locales across the Fruited Plain. I hope you enjoy your virtual vacation and make plans to see something new in America this summer.

• Texas Tidbits: First Monday Trade Days in Canton
• Maine Minutiae: Oh Little Town of Bethel
• Colorado Chronicles: The Healing Waters
• Plus One: Funny Town Names Across America 

That should keep you busy for a while. If you'd like to learn more about some great places, use the search box at the top right of the side bar to access the archives. There's a ton of cool stuff stored there.

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Taking a Few Days Off

I am taking at least a couple of days off from blogging to let my mind and body relax. I know that must come as a shock to you (that's sarcasm, BTW). I will, however, not leave you empty-handed as far as reading material goes. I happen to know that those of you with laptops and a router find great comfort in perusing my brilliant content in the john. Fitting, that. Where do you think I do most of my writing?

Here are three posts from the very beginning of this blog that have irritated and repulsed people from all corners of the world for almost a year now. Carry on.

• Texas Tidbits: Armadillos - Hillbilly Speed Bumps
• Maine Minutiae: Whales
• Colorado Chronicles: Longs Peak

The posts are very short, but there are some embedded links to some really cool information, so be sure to click on them and see what's up. The archives are full of good material, just give them a look using the search box at the top right of the right sidebar or scroll down the home page and click where it says "Older Posts" and look 'em over.

I'll see you in a few days with more of the kind of extraordinary tomes that you've come to expect from me. Actually, I'll try to do better. :)

Adios,
Toby

Three Places That Make Americans Special

Howdy, y'all! Today we are going to take a trip through the Three States Plus One archives and pick out some posts about some extraordinary places in this wonderful country. The locations I picked are so full of history that it would be easy to write a set of encyclopedias on each one. Please take time to read each post because it will remind you of what you already know or teach you something new about how these States were so instrumental in the formation of the United States.

Virginia - The Old Dominion holds a special place in American History. Read the post and you'll be astounded at what this one State has contributed to the United States.

Tennessee - It's called the Volunteer State for a reason. I love Tennessee. Enough said.

Colorado - Colorado entered the Union in 1876, thus its nickname "The Centennial State". Located within its borders are some of the most amazing sites that are memorials to a Great People from over 3000 years ago. This post is a tribute to The Ancient Ones.

The three posts above are three of my favorites from the over 500 stories I have written for this blog, and that's saying a lot. Each and every post I write is like a child to me, it's hard to like one more than the other, but in this case, I am comfortable in picking those listed above as special to me. They represent the best of America and have allowed me to re-understand what a blessed place these United States are. i think you'll agree. Enjoy.

Colorado Chronicles: The Greeley Grizwalds

Grizwald's Light Show

You know that movie "Christmas Vacation" or whatever the hell it is, with Chevy Chase? He tries like crazy to get his Christmas lights going and hilarity ensues? Well, there's a guy up in Greeley, Colorado that is a real life "Grizwald" without any of the technical snafus and Cousin Eddies to frak things up. I mean this guy, Mike, has it down like James Brown. There are several videos of Mike's handiwork here. I need to give you a little notice that Mike must live out in the country as there are no city lights or artificial light of any kind to get in the way of his light show. The lights are synced to music, so at times things will be dark for a few seconds or only a few lights will "dance" to the music. Just stick with the video. When the music revs up so do the lights. Please keep that in mind as you view the videos. You won't be sorry.

On this page of Mike's web site, you'll find out some really cool information about his Christmas lights display, such ass, there are over 108,000 (!) lights in the display. You'll also find out that Mike has won numerous awards as well. Click the link above and check out the rest of the facts about the show. It's very impressive.

Christmas is a joyous and happy time of year, and it's guys like Mike and the Picketts, who we featured yesterday, that take the joy and happiness of the yuletide season to new levels. Their hard work and attention to detail are overlooked most of the time, but the smiles they put on children's faces when the kids see the fantastic display of lights Mike and the Picketts have labored over, make all the time and labor spent each Christmas season on getting the show together well worth it all. Thanks, Mike and thank you Kevin and Linda. You are truly filled with the Spirit of Christmas.

Colorado Chronicles: A Haunted Mine Story

Haunted?

I have written many stories about Colorado on this blog, and there's a recurring theme to most of them - something to do with mines. On two other posts today, I wrote about a haunted hotel in Texas and a haunted lighthouse in Maine. I think each of those topics are appropriate for the state they are located in - Texas, Wild West, Hotel and Maine, Lots of coastline and a lighthouse. So what could be more fitting as we near Halloween, than a haunted mine in Colorado? The best way to tell this story is to let the old time newspaper articles speak for themselves.

• Here's an excerpt to a newspaper article dated October 13, 1840. Read it the click on the orange "McDygut Journal" link at the bottom left of the story.
• The "McDygut Journal" link above takes you to a new page with a replica of the journal in question. When you get to this point, the bottom right hand corner of each page of the journal is "dog-eared". Click on the "dog ear" and turn the page by dragging the dog ear to the left. The journal features the original writing of Mr. McDygut on the right hand page, and a transcription on the left hand page. 

This is real stuff and it's real good. let me know what you think in the comments.  :)

Country Music Month - The Colorado Connection: Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.

I might, and rightfully so, get an argument as to whether Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. was a Country singer or a Pop singer. Since I am the final, and only, arbiter of the content of this blog, I say Country. And Country it is. HJD, Jr. was born in Roswell, New Mexico on New Year's Eve, 1943. It wasn't until he pursued a musical career that he changed his name (Deutschendorf was a little long to put on a marquee) to John Denver. He chose Denver because it was the capital of his favorite state, Colorado. Country or Pop, John Denver wrote and sang songs that Mid America could relate to. (Take Me Home) Country Roads, Rocky Mountain High and Annie's Song. A great song that Denver wrote was one that was a huge hit for Peter, Paul and Mary, many of you will recognize and say "I didn't know that!", Leavin' On a Jet Plane. One line I have memorized for well over 30 years is the opening line to Rocky Mountain High, "he was born in the summer of his 27th year coming home to a place he'd never been before". That's some serious songwriting right there. That line says in 19 words what I feel every time I find a special fishin' hole. I may have never before been there physically, but I have seen that place in my mind and felt it in my soul at least a hundred times. I'm home at place I've never been before. Good stuff. Besides being a singing star, John Denver was a good man, with his own set of flaws, but the good works he did for the less fortunate, including starving people in Africa and conservation projects.

Denver hosted the Grammys in 1983 & 1984, did a ton of TV shows and starred in a few movies, including the popular hit Oh, God with George Burns. Oh, I almost forgot he did some great Christmas songs with the Muppets. Sadly, he died doing one of the other things in life that brought him solace and joy - flying. John Denver was a very experienced pilot with over 2700 hours and several certifications. An experimental aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Pacific Ocean on October 12, 1997. As much as I like my music with an edge to it (Hank, Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc.), there's something about the imagery in a John Denver song that "takes me home to a place I've never been before".

Last Weekend of September "Best of..."

Talkin' With God

Did the month of September zoom by or what? They say as you get older, time seems to move faster. I guess that's true, because this month went by like time lapse photography. Personally, I celebrated the birthday of my favorite uncle, Tony, who died way too young at 58. My 54th birthday came and went and I still don't look a day over 75 and I mourned the loss of a dear, sweet friend to that hideous disease of Satan, cancer - and we've still got five days of September to go! I can think of at least three more family birthdays to come.
Here at Three States Plus One, we are gaining hundreds of new readers from all over the world each week. As I type this post, TSPO has been read by people in 41 of the 50 United States and 26 countries around the globe, with the latest being The Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain. I can't thank you all enough for taking the time to visit our humble abode. Thanks to you, this blog has shot up the Alexa Rankings from 20-something million back in June to 1,411,552 in the world as of a few minutes ago. In the US we now stand at #106,610. That is nothing short of amazing. And it's your fault! it's because we have the best and most loyal readers a blog could ask for. Thank you.

For our newer readers:  I dug deep into the dark, damp,musty bowels of the Three States Plus One archives and slogged through the muck and mire to dredge up some of the most read posts of the past three months. This is what I got stuck with found for your perusal. In other words, I said "eeny, meeny, miny moe" and these three are what you get. Hey, at least I'm honest! If it tickles your fancy (or tickles some place else, it's all good), you can search through the archives and find some real good stuff. There's a search box on upper right of each page of the blog.

Here are this week's Best of...

• Texas Tidbits : Woodville - Where Fish.Fear.Me.
• Maine Minutiae : Augusta
• Colorado Chronicles : Headless Chickens and Other Fun Stuff

That's what's cookin' in Three States Ville this weekend. As always, you are welcome to express your views or thoughts in the comments or to email me at threestatesplusone AT gmail DOT com. Thanks again, y'all. You're the best! Adios!

Colorado Chronicles ; Major Moves

Number 2 Son

NOTE: I am writing this story with my Son's knowledge and approval.
 See that good lookin' young man in the photo? That's my Number 2 Son, Toby. It's come to my attention that Young Tobe is about to make a major move that could impact his life for many years to come, maybe forever. Here's the deal: A while back Toby met this young lady, Hope (not her real name), when he shared his ChapStick with her. After sharing ChapStick with a pretty young woman, it's traditional to go bonkers over said young lady. They shared, he went bonkers and that brings us to this Major Move I mentioned early in this post. Toby's relationship with Hope has gone way yonder beyond ChapStick sharing. We're talkin' serious business here. Since the ChapStick Share-a-Thon, Hope has moved to Colorado and these two young folks have had a long distance romance. After a while, long distance love is no bueno for caca. So, Toby, ever the romantic fool like his dashing, and equally handsome Father, is packing up and haulin' ass to Denver. I can't say I blame the lad. Toby and I had a discussion of this matter a while back, and I gave him the best Fatherly Advice (patent pending) that I could. Before I go on, Hope moving back to Texas was not an option. I told him that a love like the he has for Hope is a once in a lifetime thing and that, in my mind, he had two choices. Move to Colorado and be with Hope and be sure this is what he wants. If, for some reason, things don't work out like he wants them to, he and she at the very least had given it the old college try. If he didn't go, some day he'd sitting around wondering what if I had gone to Colorado. Personally, I'd rather take a chance and lose than to do nothing and never have a chance. Toby's a level headed young man, so he took what I told him, along with what his friends had to say about the matter and of course listened to what his Mother and older brother (Number1Son) thought about it all. The dude is heading to Colorado in about three weeks.  I've never met nor talked to Hope, but if she's captured my Son's heart, she's gotta be a keeper. I pray that Toby's leap of Faith (see what I did there, Tobe?) will be as rewarding to him as the one I took 4 years ago to come to Maine. Hope, I look forward to meeting you some day soon. Toby, have a safe trip, my Son. Your Old Man is mighty proud of you and I love you.

Colorado Chronicles : Balloon Boy Family Moves to Florida!

It's been almost a year since we first heard about the "Balloon Boy" of Colorado. You remember the story - the kid's dumbass  Dad was trying to pitch a reality TV show and instead of a novel idea and good storyline to present to TV producers, this nimrod concocted a steaming pile of a story that involved his young son and a runaway hot air balloon in which the boy was supposedly a passenger! The dumbass Dad left out one itsy bitsy detail of the story - the boy was at home in the attic while God knows how many policemen and other law enforcement types were frantically trying to save this poor kid as he supposedly soared all over North Central Colorado in a runaway balloon at altitudes of up to 7000 feet!. Long story short, the dumbass Dad got busted and paid his debt to society and is now a registered felon. It seems the notoriety of being a dumbass Dad got to the guy, so he is packing up his family and moving to Florida! I am sure the good citizens of the Sunshine State are thrilled at the thought of having another famous dumbass move into their fine state. I' mean, hell, they've already had OJ Simpson (before he was convicted of some serious crime in Nevada, where hopefully he will a prison bitch to some Deliverance-looking redneck named Leon Bob). As you know, OJ spent many years scouring the ritzy golf course of South Florida looking for the "real killers". He was unsuccessful in his search because the stupid bastard never looked into a mirror. But, I digress. Now dumbass Dad will pursue other interests while dodging alligators and hanging chads in Florida. I wish Balloon Boy and the rest of his family well in their new home, but as for dumbass Dad, my advice is to stay away from the swamps and do not take your dog for a walk in gator-infested areas. Gators love the smell of Little FiFi. On second thought, a splash of eau de chihuahua might do you some good. Dumbass.

Second Chance Sunday

French Flag Flying  High*

Man, we have a nice breezy autumn-like day here in New England, so I think I'll take the day off from blogging. I will, however, put up some of the most-read posts from recent weeks, so break out your Sooper Sekrit Three States Plus One Decoder Beer Can and see if you can decipher the Sooper Top Sekrit Submit Now or Be Sent to France and Be Forced to Live Like a Sissy Boy or Hairy Woman Forever Message. Make sure you send any information you find to me only. We do not want the French to know what we are up to! Not that they'd notice or do something in retaliation if they did notice. Well. except raise their national flag - the white flag of surrender. But that's another story for another day. Let's get to this week's round up of stories that would make the Frogs tremble with fear.

• Texas Tidbits : How to grow Tomatoes, Peppers and Missiles? - This explosive story has been one of the most-read articles in the nearly three month history of this blog. It's so stupid that you just know it has to be real. It's a riot.See for yourself.
• Maine Minutiae : Open Lighthouse Day - I also had a good response to this little diddy. Open Lighthouse Day is jsut around the corner on September 18. In Maine there are dozens of lighthouses, so chances are there's one near you.
• Colorado Chronicles : Teach a Man to Fish - This post was very personal to me. In it, I tell of how God and I talk when I go fishin'. A lot of people agreed with me.

At this time, I'd like to thank all you and the Good Lord His Own Self  for any role you may have had in steering Hurricane Earl away from Maine. It was the "perfect storm" of circumstances. Earl ended up making the right hand turn I was praying like hell hoping he would. We ended up getting a couple of inches of rain and in Eastport, where my Mother in Law lives, they got rain and bad ass winds which inflicted no major damage in the area. I am happy about that. I am plain old ecstatic that she did not have to evacuate and come stay with us. Just another example of the Power of Prayer. And damn good luck. I'd rather be lucky than good any day, any where and any time. :)

*Photo from wired.com

Colorado Chronicles : Caught

Damn, that's a purty picture. I envision the hungry trout in that pond voraciously gorging on as many insects in the wrong place at the wrong time, that is from the insects' point of view, as they possibly can - instinctively knowing that winter is coming soon to the top of the Rockies. Fall, to me, is the best time of year to trek off into the upper reaches of the mountains and be mesmorized by spell that Mother Nature has cast upon the High Country. The weather, barring any sudden storms barreling over the Continental Divide, is perfect for taking a nice long hike to the tree line (usually about 10,000 feet), locating a creek that began as a small, steady drip from the permafrost above, hugging that creek bank as it meanders down the mountainside,  fishin' my ass off for several hours and several thousand vertical feet. I tend to go to the remote fishin' spots where the likelihood of seeing another human is, well, remote. Then God and I have a visit about stuff and the sounds of the alpine wilderness speak to my soul, as if He has commanded them to do so especially for me, a goofy fisherman. As Crocodile Dundee said, "Yep. Me and God, we be mates". When I am fishin', I am the hunter, tempting the fish to accept the bounty of my offering, while in my thoughts the words "teach a man to fish..." reverberate, like an echo in the canyon that lays before me. Then it hits me. I ain't so smart after all, for I am the one who has accepted the bounty of an offering. The offering that is the place where I am. Hooked like a hungry trout who at the moment of capture realizes that he's been caught. I, too, have been "caught". Lured by something so tempting that refusal is not an option. I have been "caught" by the Greatest Fisherman of All. God. The Fisher of Man. Yep. Me and God, we be mates -and Fishin' Buddies.

Colorado Chronicles : Honey, Can We Move Here?

I think I have died and gone to Heaven. Nope, I just pinched my self and I am definitely awake. I was questioning the state of my mental alertness because I discovered a place that is mighty close to being Heaven its own self and I ain't gonna rat the place out. Wait. That's what I do on this blog. Please disregard my previous statement. Meeker, Colorado. That's the place I was ready to keep all to myself. Can you blame me? Meeker is located in the fertile White River Valley in northwest Colorado, a little over 200 miles from Denver. Meeker's location is ideal for agriculture and that's exactly what the main industry of the area is - agriculture. I love to grow veggies, flowers and whatnot, so that's one point for Meeker. The town is situated near/on the White River. I read a piece on another site about the river in that area and people catch twenty inch trout there. Fish.Fear.Me.Especially.Twenty.Inch.Trout. That's two points for Meeker. It's also at the western end of the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway. Score another one for Meeker. That's three. Point number four for Meeker is its proximity to the 235,000 acre Flat Tops Wilderness Area. I could go on, but the four points above about the Town of Meeker have convinced me that you don't have to be in Paradise to experience a little Heaven.

Colorado Chronicles - Nature's "Gold Rush"

Gold Rush*

Many posts on this blog mention the fact that at one time or another over the past 150 years or so, Colorado has had a sporadic gold rush in this place or that. I have not, however, made mention of the "gold rush" that comes like clockwork every year, year after year. It's as dependable as, well, an old clock. The gold rush of which I speak has nary a thing to do with mines or miners. It has to do with trees, namely aspen trees. In my experience while living in Colorado on and off for over 20 years, mid-September seems to be about the time that the aspens start their annual change of color from green to, eventually, gold. In my eyes, the golden leaves of the autumn aspen tree are worth more to me than any amount of gold ore dug out of the mountains underneath them. It's one of the most beautiful displays of Nature's artwork you'll ever see. If you're planning a vacation to Colorado soon or maybe even in the future, mid-September is a great time to do so. The seasons are changing along with aspens, so the weather is neither too hot nor too cold to enjoy a leisurely drive or hike through the Rockies to witness this spectacle. To help with planning your trip to Colorado, I found this place, this place  and this place, all of which contain useful information for doing so. Nature's Gold Rush, over 1 billion aspen trees strong....... and growing.

*Photo from photography-on-the-net.com

Colorado Chronicles : Buffalo Bill - American Original

William Frederick Cody was born February 26, 1846 near LeClaire in the Iowa Territory, destined to become one of the most famous men of the American Wild West era. The Cody family moved to Leavenworth, Kansas when William was seven years old. It was there that the tales of adventure about the cowboys of the day captured young William's heart and imagination. At age eleven when William's father, Isaac, died leaving the Cody clan in desperate straits "he took a job with a freight carrier as a "boy extra," riding up and down the length of a wagon train, delivering messages." (Wikipedia). Three years later, Cody was hit with gold fever and decided to set out to strike it rich. Somewhere along the way he met an agent of the famed Pony Express and the gold fever subsided rather quickly when William was hired by the Express. He built several  Pony Express stations along the PE route and was rewarded with a job as a Pony Express Rider. After a stint as US Army Scout, Indian Fighter and buffalo hunter supplying meat to the Army and some other endeavors, Cody, now known as Buffalo  Bill, began producing and performing in Wild West Shows all over the world. Though highly rewarding and popular shows, the performances didn't leave Buffalo Bill exactly a wealthy man as one would expect. Bad investments away from the Wild West Shows left Cody with little money to retire on, and though he was ready to call it a career, he kept on keeping on until his dieing day. In 1917, while visiting his sister in Denver, Buffalo Bill Cody died and was buried, per his last wishes, on Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado. His burial site is still a major tourist attraction for people passing along I-70, west of Denver. William Frederick Cody, truly an American original.

Colorado Chronicles : The Healing Waters

Pagosa Springs

I haven't often been to the Western Slope of the Continental Divide, except to go fishin' a few times, so my personal knowledge of that part of Colorado is limited. I do know, however, know a cool place when I see one. Pagosa Springs is such a place. The Good Lord chose to put Pagosa Springs at 7000 feet above sea level on the Western Slope surrounded by what is now the San Juan National Forest and land owned by the Southern Ute Indians. He could have done worse. This site has several links to webcams viewing different parts of Pagosa Springs. It appears that the cameras show only still pictures, so you'll need to refresh your browser window every once in a while. The "Springs" part of the town's name comes from the Ute words "pah gosah" meaning "healing waters". "Healing waters" refers to the mineral-rich hot springs in the area. It is to these hot springs that people from all over the world come to cure various and sundry ailments. And it is these springs which provide much economic benefit to Pagosa Springs. Nearby Mesa Verde National Park offers visitors an incredible look at the lives, including magnificent cliff dwellings, of the Anasazi of hundreds of years ago. Mesa Verde isn't the only National Park in the neighborhood, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is also a short distance from Pagosa Springs. Wolf Creek Ski Area, with over 1600 acres worth of snow skiing, is yet another destination that makes Pagosa Springs a favorite of tourists (and an economic benefit to the community). After learning all this new stuff, I do believe that a trip to Colorado should include a drive over The Divide to a cool place that is the home of the "Healing Waters" - Pagosa Springs.

Three States All-In-One (Best of)

The Way I Feel*

Well, it looks like life over for most of today and so did my new friend Arthur. You may know Arthur, his last name is Itis. Arthur Itis. We went grocery shopping today at Super Wal Mart and it took a while longer than I had anticipated. With my wife recently adopting a healthier lifestyle, it's very important to know what is in the food we buy. She read the labels on EVERY DAMN THING in the grocery department. It would have been faster to read War and Peace. I guess what I'm trying to say in a roundabout way is that I am tired and my buddy Arthur is killin' me.
I have picked out some popular posts from the past for your perusal.

• Texas Tidbits : McDonald Obsevatory
• Maine Minutiae : The Gretest Mountain 
• Colorado Chronicles : Central City

For our newer readers, it'll give you a chance to catch up on what you've and for the Old Timers, maybe you can read something you missed the first time through. Thanks to you all for visiting and we'll see you manana. Adios, y'all.

*Photo from guyhatcher.com

Colorado Chronicles : Bat Masterson

denverBat Masterson*

Bartholomew Masterson, was born November 26, 1853 in (sit down for this) Quebec, Canada! One of America's most revered lawmen was a freakin' Canadian! Sad, but true. No offense to our friends to the North. And all these years we thought he was one of us. This is almost as bad as if you hosers up there found out that Wayne Gretsky was born in Oklahoma or God forbid, Massachusetts! The blow to American ego and pride aside, Masterson did call Colorado home for twenty-three years, including stints in Leadville, Trinidad and Denver. Best-known as a US Marshal and local lawman, Masterson was also a prizefight promoter, gambler, Army Scout, buffalo hunter and newspaper writer. After his arrival in Denver in the late 1890's, Bat published a weekly sports column in Goerge's Weekly. Wikipedia tells us of more of Masterson's writing exploits : "Masterson continued his writing career in New York at the New York Morning Telegraph, (a sporting newspaper featuring race form and results whose reputation was part of what was known as 'a whore's breakfast,' which consisted of a cigarette and the Morning Telegraph) circa 1904. Hired by the younger Lewis brother, William Eugene Lewis, he reprised his role as sports writer, later becoming the paper's sports editor. The politics, sporting events, theaters, fine dining establishments, and varied night life of his adopted city became fodder for his thrice weekly column "Masterson's Views on Timely Topics" for more than 18 years. W. E. Lewis eventually became the general manager and president of the company and promoted his friend Masterson to vice president and company secretary.
While in New York City, Masterson met up again with the Lewis brothers. Alfred Henry Lewis eventually wrote several short stories and a novel "The Sunset Trail", about Masterson. Alfred Lewis encouraged Bat to write a series of sketches about his adventures which were published by Lewis in the magazine he edited, Human Life (circa 1907–1908). Masterson regaled his readers with stories about his days on the frontier and his gunfighter friends. He also explained to his audience what he felt were the best properties of a gunfighter.
It was during this time that Masterson sold his famous sixgun—"the gun that tamed the West"—because he "needed the money". Actually, Masterson bought old guns at pawnshops, carved notches into the handles and sold them at inflated prices. Each time he claimed the gun was the one he used during his career as a lawman." The great Bat Masterson, con man. He probably would have been a Mets fan, too. Heh.

Colorado Chronicles : The Rio Grande Starts Here

Falling For the Rio Grande

The Rio Grande is one of the most famous rivers in the world. "The Big River" has been memorialized in John Wayne movie classics, Johnny Rodriguez songs, and literature. Texans think of the Rio Grande as a border between the Lone Star State and Mexico, where it's known as El Rio Bravo del Norte. But it's much more than that. Modern history shows that the river has been used for irrigation since before 1540 when Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado set eyes on the Pueblo Indians doing just that near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Some folks will be surprised that the Rio Grande begins as a trickle high in the mountains of Southwest Colorado in Rio Grande National Forest. Located four hours southwest of Denver and four hours north of Albuquerque, Rio Grande National Forest is an outstanding place to hike, camp, cross country ski or snowshoe, depending, of course, on the season. According to the USDA.gov website : "The 1.86 million acre Rio Grande National Forest is located in southcentral Colorado and remains one of the true undiscovered jewels of Colorado. The Rio Grande begins its 1800 mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico high up in the San Juan Mountains in the western most part of the Forest. The Continental Divide runs for 236 miles along most of the western border of the Forest and the jagged tops of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains form the eastern border.  In between these two mountain ranges sits the San Luis Valley which is the largest agricultural alpine valley in the world. The Forest is composed of a myriad of ecosystems ranging from high elevation desert at 7600 feet above sea level to rocky crags at over 14,300 feet in the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  Portions of four Wilderness Areas (South San Juan, Weminuche, La Garita and Sangre de Cristo) make up almost ¼ of the Forest." Rio Grande National Forest is a more than worthy addition to any vacation schedule. I plan on taking my family on a cross country trip in the next few months and Colorado was on the list because my Mom lives there. The Rio Grande National Forest is not on the direct route home for us when we head back to Maine, but having discovered such a place as RGNF and its incumbent Natural Splendor, I think we'll take the long way home.

Colorado Chronicles : Alma - Town in the Clouds

Alma, Colorado, 10,578 feet closer to Heaven than sea level, is a town of about 200 people located between Fairplay and Breckenridge in Park County. Alma is the second highest incorporated city in the Lower 48 (Leadville is #1) so it is no surprise that it sits at the feet of five 14ers (mountains of at least 14,000 ft elevation and those mountains being Mt Democrat (14,148), Mt. Lincoln (14,286), Mt. Bross (14,172), Mt. Cameron (14,238 and Mt. Sherman 14,007). There's even a lake, Lake Kite, way up there at 12,400 feet! There are photos of Lake Kite at the link. One thing to keep in mind while viewing them, is that they were taken in Mid June! Mining, of course, is intertwined with Alma's very existence, even today. From colorado.com : "the current town lies downstream from the original Alma, or Buckskin Joe, as it was known during the mining heyday. At one time, area mines produced over $1,500,000 annually, before the ore petered out and a smallpox epidemic all but wiped out town residents. Relics and spirits remind Alma visitors of the town's mining history. The Sweet Home Mine still produces world-class specimens of rhodochrosite, a mineral known for its beautiful pink rose color". The scenery around Alma is magnificent as you can see in the photo above, so, in closing, I offer you this awesome photo collection from coloradoguy.com.

Colorado Chronicles : Sports Fan Edition

 When it comes to professional sports, few cities are as rabid about the home team as Coloradans. At the top of the list, without a shadow of a doubt, is the two-time Super Bowl Champs, Denver Broncos. There have been some outstanding players wear the Blue and Orange - Floyd Little, Haven Moses, Karl Mecklenberg, Terrell Davis. Only one name, however, is ever mentioned as Mr. Bronco and that is Hiram Lipschitz, I mean John Albert Elway. Number 7. The guy who sells a million new cars a year in Denver alone. Maybe I exaggerated that about the new cars, but there is no denying the man's career stats in the NFL: 51,475 yards passing, 300 TD passes, 2 Super Bowl Titles, etc. etc., etc. Elway was a beast on the gridiron. The picture above is of  Invesco Field at Mile High, the Home of the Broncos and 76,125 insane fans, not to mention the millions of other Broncos supporters throughout Colorado. On your typical autumn Sunday, it seems like the whole state shuts down for three and a half hours during Broncos games. Denver pro football fans are nuts about their Broncos.
During Major League Baseball season, the Colorado Rockies rule the roost in the Mile High City. 50,445 seat Coors Field (yes, that Coors) is home to the Rockies 81 games a summer and is one of, if not the, most beautiful ballpark in the majors. Of course, having the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop doesn't hurt things much. The Rockies inaugural season was 1993 and they have had some success having made the playoffs and even reached a World Series, but it's hard to measure up to the 50 year history and tradition of the Broncos. Still, there are worse ways to spend a summer night than at Coors Field soaking up the National Pastime. It just goes to show that Denver is a big-time city with big-time pro sports and two beautiful facilities in which to enjoy them.

NOTE : I know about the Nuggets and the Avalanche, and we'll get to them another time.