Honeymoon Bests

Mr. Prairie and I exchanged official rings in front of our families and then proceeded to flit off to Central Europe for a bit of a honeymoon. Here are, by no credible rating system, our favourite things.

• Best Beer Garden: The one in Munich where we had the Ayinger beer, possibly here
• Best Hostel: Hands down, Ruthensteiner in Vienna 
• Best Subway Sytem: Munich and Vienna are tied
• Best Hotel: It's close, but I'd say K+K in Budapest, on account of its free breakfast buffet having six types of fancy cheese!
• Best Supper: At the Bouchon Restaurant in Budapest
• Prettiest City: Prague
• Best Looking Church: St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, for it's mosaic stained glass windows
• Best Bridge: The Chain Bridge in Budapest
• Best Museum: a toughy, but probably the Prague Castle Museum, followed by the Art History museum in Vienna.
• Best Dessert: was too hard to choose!

And now, here we are, back in Colorado Springs, renewing our local adventures.

RMNP Pre-plan

This weekend, we are headed out to Rocky Mountain National Park. By my reckoning, everything is perfectly planned.

I phoned the backcountry office several weeks ago to reserve our site for Saturday night. Then I reserved our site for Friday on recreation.gov. We have our topo map, the Saturday night supper is composed. All that remains is to pack up the car (and backpacks) and bolt out to the campground after Mr. Prairie gets home from work on Friday.

Our hiking plan for Saturday looks something like this:

The teeny tiny portion of the park we will be viewing.

Get up super early, pick up our permit from the office at 8, get to the trailhead before 9 am. Hike to the Sky Pond (which, if we are to trust google, may look something like this) eat lunch, retrace our steps a bit (well, quite a bit actually, but only my third choice site is available) set up camp, and enjoy a nice snooze.

Of course, when a plan is very specific, sometimes unexpected situations arise. I'll advise you of any such surprises upon our return.

--- Oct 10 --- editing to add: we were so efficient with this plan that we arrived at our campsite 3 hours ahead of schedule and didn't know what to do with the extra time.

New Garden

Few things exemplify spring and the promise of summer like planting a garden. 

Two tiny rows, lettuce and beets, to begin the anticipation of sprouting.

A nice gentleman at Rick's Garden Center gave us some information on planting times here:

• May 15 - Average last killing frost in Colorado Springs
• June 3, 1951 - latest recorded spring frost
• October 10 - Average first killing fall frost
• September 3, 1961 - Earliest recorded fall frost
• Average growing season is 148 days
• Average annual rainfall is 15.42 inches

The sheet indicates that lettuce, peas, turnips, and squash can be sown outside after April 1. Beets, chard, and radishes are good after April 15. Everything else we should wait until May 15 for.

I actually have no idea how this compares to back home, since I've never looked up this information for Winnipeg before, not even dreaming of ever planting anything before Victoria Day. This is my first 'real in the ground' garden since moving out of my parents house, and Mr. Prairie's first 'real in the ground' garden ever!

10 Things I Learned in Utah

Double Arch at Arches National Park near Moab

10. A sleeping bag rated to -7 degrees Celsius may not actually keep you warm at that temperature without other precautions.
9. Mainly, the yummiest I.P.A.s are from Colorado.
8. The fine red dust that helps to form the beautiful stone formations throughout the state also exists in campgrounds and will blow into your tent if you give it the opportunity.
7. "Jeep Weekend" is one of the busiest events of the year in Moab. Reservations are advised. (Who knew?)
6. You can fit 5 people, their hiking and day packs, a cooler, a large water jug, a small guitar, a ukelele, and a mandolin into 1 Honda CRV and still drive said vehicle down Hole in the Rock Road.
5. The canyons along Hole in the Rock Road are well worth the trip. We visited Spooky, Peek-a-boo, Zebra, and Tunnel.
4. Spaghetti and tomato sauce is a wonderful change from bean burritos, even when consumed at top-speed at 10 pm.
3. "Harumph Harumph" band names have many possibilities.
2. Time spent with good friends is always valuable. Loved ones not along on an adventure are always missed.
1. I will always be a prairie-girl when it comes to heights, drops, and twirly roads.

Sojourn

While I was gone, Stella's added 2 locations to their empire!

Keen readers may note that the "followed by who-knows-what" must be happening soon. Happening it is. I am back "home," contemplating the definition of "home," and experimenting with living bits of other people's lives by staying with them.

I thought perhaps I would have a cute list of major differences between Colorado and Manitoba when I sat down to write this post, like when I returned from my first trip to Europe, but I don't think I've learned enough (or that the differences are big enough) to put my finger on them just yet.

Hopefully when I return I'll be able to discover more. In the meantime, there are a few Colorado adventures I haven't detailed yet that I can tell you about.

Palmer Park

This past Sunday we finally, intentionally, did a hike out of this book. Like reviewers on Amazon.com state, if you had to find your way solely out of the book, you might spend a fair bit of time feeling distraught, but luckily the Templeton Trail is well marked. (Finding the beginning had us scratching our heads for a minute or two, but that's all.) We ended up doing the trail in the opposite direction than the guide suggests, so maybe that is an unfair review.

Beautiful views of Pike's Peak were everywhere

The trail system in the 730 acre park (just under 3 square km) can be viewed here. It's the largest park within the Colorado Springs city limits. William Jackson Palmer used to own the land, and sometime after founding this fine town, he donated it. Come check it out!

Never mind milk and cookies, this year leave Santa a chocolate-chip cookie dough cone

The local ice-cream shop is ready for Christmas!

There's something unusual about an ice-cream parlour being not only open in December, but also decorated in such a festive manner. What flavours do we think are a big hit at this time of year? Candy Cane Swirl? Cranberry? Ice-creamy potatoes and gravy? What would you sell if you were an ice-cream purveyor?

T.G.I.F... M.B. – Light vs. Dark

In the eternal struggle of Light vs. Dark, Dark wins this battle.

Here we have two completely different beers, sampled last Friday, at the Colorado Springs establishment called Thunder & Buttons. I had been reluctant to enter this pub, but it turns out it's very cute and cozy.

We tried two beer (one each) Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout and Upslope Lager. We could not have chosen two more opposite drinks. The pale-beer lover of the two of us enjoyed the upslope immensely, but I would have preferred a glass of water over that tinted weak tea.

• What kind of beer? Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout. Says the website: Chock full of highly roasted barley malt and 100 lbs. of flaked oatmeal, the Warlock is a dark and satisfying winter elixir.
• Where is it brewed? Bristol Brewing Company, right here in Colorado Springs.
• Alcohol content? 6.0%
• Tasters' rating? G for Grand! This Warlock cast a spell on me. >Giggle, snort< Come on, it's the Christmas season, allow me to bring out the cheese! 

Got Your Goat?

I was biking home today, and went to take my usual short-cut through an empty lot everyone in the area uses to access the little park that our street butts onto, when I saw the gaping holes in the fence were fenced over. As I emerged guiltily from the empty lot, two people walking by (with cameras) said hello to me and told me not to hurry away because the goats were coming.

"Goats?" I asked.

"Goats."

So the couple's neighbours invited me into their house (which was halfway ready for American Thanksgiving - more on this holiday later hopefully) and took me to the back deck and pointed over the fence, where, many goats were nibbling daintily. Families in this neighbourhood rent goats once per year to eat all the noxious weeds and keep the risk of winter grass fires down. The goats are from Wyoming and they travel the country to provide this service, at the rate of $3 (US) per day. This is real, people. I HAVE SEEN THE GOATS!

Deer on the Porch

This was a few weeks ago, but not an uncommon occurrence

"I opened up my eyes to see
A land of sunny rocks and funny trees
I guess (Yes,) I'm on the moon again
A heavy earth exchange a lighter breeze
Got no coat and got no money
A pair of tennis shoes to last through May
A crater for an outdoor pool
A few good cats to help me pass the day"

Porch by Widespread Panic (a band I've never heard of before)

The deer down here are Mule Deer, not White-Tailed Deer. From my super scientific observation, the Mule Deer have slightly chunkier bodies, big long donkey ears, and of course, no cute white flag tail. To me this gives them a more ungainly and dopier appearance. Which makes them both more and less cute at the same time.

T.G.I.F... M.B.

Tasting Grand or Ickily Formulated Microbrewed Beer

Coconut Joe & College Football.
(I didn't really watch the football.)

• What kind of beer? Coconut Joe. Coconut Coffee Stout.
• Where is it brewed? Papago Brewing, Scottsdale Arizona. (A suburb of Phoenix.)
• Alcohol content? Not listed, but it felt substantial.
• Tasters' rating? You may be squinching your noise up in suspicion, but I assure you, this hearty beer deserves its G for Grand! Strong stouty taste (reminiscent of the Half Pints Stir Stick Stout) with a toasty little coconut undertone. Yum! Even Mr. Prairie, proclaimed coconut hater, smiled after his sip.

Phoenix, Arizona

Cactus, cactus everywhere!

Some friends from home were visiting Phoenix for a few days, so we jumped on a cheap flight from Allegiant Airlines and stayed with them. Allegiant is one of those airlines with very few frills, rush seating, $2.00 soft drinks, but enjoys the added bonus of using a smaller airport in Phoenix, which is a relief when you're new somewhere!

All cacti are succulents,
but not all succulents are cacti!

The first thing we did, upon arriving, was visit the Desert Botanical Garden. A little expensive, I thought, (free if you're in the military though, at least on Remembrance Day [Veteran's day here]) but it turned out to be huge. There are many different kinds of cactus, by the way. 

Cactus skeleton

After viewing the cacti, I saw my very first live NHL game, for $20. This included a free drink!

Petroglyphs, department store Chinese Murals, Frank was a man of many inspirations.

The next day, we visited one of Frank Lloyd Wright's estates, Taliesin West, (Tally-essin) where we enjoyed the 1-hour panorama tour. What did we learn? Frank's summer home was not a very polished place. It was made in the late 30's, out of whatever building materials he could find cheaply, by him and his students, as a testing ground for his ideas.

Can't find work? Start your own school, train architects,
and have them build you a  home, just like Frank did!

For all of that, it was still a very impressive site!

Mr. King, I understand you so much better now.

I think these storm sewers could inhale anything they wanted from us.

I can totally picture a creepy clown lurking under there, can't you?
*Shudder* I know I'll be hovering very far above the toilet seat when peeing for the next little while.

T.G.I.F... M.B.

Tasting Grand or Ickily Formulated Microbrewed Beer

Even a sepia filter could not save my terrible photography

• What kind of beer? Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale. With a touch of pure maple syrup.
• Where is it brewed? Idaho Springs, about 100 miles from here. 
• Alcohol content? 4.5%.
• Tasters' rating? G for Grand! Not too sweet, not too strong, not too light. Just nice!

Emma Crawford Memorial Coffin Race

Happy Hallowe'en!

On Saturday, we observed one of the coolest events I've ever seen a town put on. Manitou Springs is close to Colorado Springs, and about a 7 minute drive (or a leisurely 26 minute bike ride) from home. It's the town where I do a lot of yoga.

Emma Crawford was a real person, who died young, and whose request was to be buried upon Red Mountain. Eventually her coffin was washed down into town, and now this event is commemorated by annual coffin races. There was also a hearse show.

Some interesting rules taken from the coffin race application form:

• Each participating team will provide four runners (pushers) to propel the coffin. At least three of the four runners must be in direct contact with the coffin at all times during the race until the coffin has come to a complete stop after crossing the finish line.
• Each participating Team shall provide one "Emma" to ride in their coffin. All Emmas must wear a helmet during the Coffin Race.
• The race is approximately 585 feet (195 yards). (That's 178.3 meters according to google.)
• SPECIAL NOTE: Nothing is to be distributed to the crowd by any participant in the parade. Doing so can create safety hazards for the racers and will result in disqualification. The parade will flow more smoothly if you will keep your entourage to under twelve people.
• Each coffin must have 4 firmly attached wheels, attached in such a manner so that coffin will roll on all 4 wheels when propelled down the race course. Wheels are not to exceed 8" in diameter.
• Functional steering mechanisms are prohibited.
• Coffin race officials may disqualify any coffin if they feel it is dangerous.

Next year, I'll remember my camera!

Snow

Snow covers fall leaves

Seasons change cause reflection

All life is fleeting

Garbage

One of the stranger notions I have encountered here in lovely Colorado Springs is how one's trash makes it from their house to the landfill and/or recycling depot. Back home, you pay some taxes, and once a week or so, someone shows up and takes your garbage and recycling away. You don't consider it too much, until you have a giant something-or-other that needs to be hauled to the dump.

Here, you have to pay someone yourself to do it. A quick search in Google shows us that you have your choice of no fewer than nine (9!) waste removal companies, ten if you count "Hauling by Steve." So, on our street, Wednesday is garbage day for some people, Thursday for others. Some cans are fetched in the back alley, some in the front lane. Some take recycling, some don't. I still can't wrap my head around it.

Love privatized liquor, not so crazy about privatized waste removal.

Delayed Posting of Itinerary Items #4 - #6

Well, now that I have created a month's worth of suspense, and the trip we took in early September is a complete blur, let's see if I can finish recounting it. I'll attempt a highly efficient summary.

4. Wednesday. Drive to the spot where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico intersect. Take photos.
5. Something something.
6. Friday - drive to Santa Fe and camp there for one night, coming home Saturday.

4 Corners Monument - where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico converge.

Best part: Standing in 4 states at once!

Worst part: There's really nothing else to do there.

Lesson learned? Use the bathroom before you arrive, if possible.

Rating? 3 outta 5 stars. If you're in the area, you really must go. But don't plan to make a day of it.

#5 - Something Something
Well, we managed to do it all folks.

Angel Peak Scenic Area

Angel Peak Scenic Area was certainly scenic. To summarize: you can camp here, for free, but there is no water source. It's a little eerie, because there is a lot of oil drilling going on in the area, and you can hear the distant whine of the machinery. We won't mention the guy all alone in the VW van that wouldn't even make eye contact with me when we walked by his campsite. Creepy! But it's beautiful, definately worth a picnic stop, and you can hike out to that middle structure on the above picture. If you're a real daredevil, you can possibly even slink your way over to the structure on the far left.

After cruising away from Angel Peak, we tackled the highly vibratory washboard drive into Chaco Canyon. This was worth making Mr. Prairie's car lose several years of life in one day.

Ruins in the Chaco Culture National Historic Park

• Best part: It's between camping right next to actual ruins, the wonderful free guided tours, and seeing petroglyphs!
• Worst part: There's no water in the campground. But you can get some from the nearby visitor center.
• Lesson learned? Bring a dust mask for the drive in, and make sure your shocks are in good shape.
• Rating? 5 outta 5 stars. We stayed one night, could have stayed 2 or 3!

Taos, which was also listed under "Something Something" was a town that we visited on our way home from Santa Fe.

#6 Santa Fe

I don't have any amazing pictures of Santa Fe, but the fact that it has a street with this name is a nice summary!

Santa Fe was brilliant. We camped at a fairly decent campground on Route 66 called Rancheros
which was about a 15 minute drive from downtown. There is a Spanish-style plaza downtown, a pretty good history museum, lots of booths for the Zozobra festival that was going on while we were there. We at a lot of food there, and it was all amazing. Of particular note were two places near to our campground: Harry's Roadhouse and Real Food Nation. Yum. I think I'll go cook dinner!

T.G.I.F... M.B.

Tasting Grand or Ickily Formulated Microbrewed Beer

This is a "growler" which contains 1 half gallon of beer (1.89 l)

We tried 3 of these fine people's beers - Raspberry Wheat ale, Colorado Trail Nut Brown Ale, and this growler of Lightner Creek Lager. The restaurant is tasty, and the brewery is powered by wind! At last, one can enjoy delicious goodness and be good to the environment at the same time.

Lightner Creek Lager

• What kind of beer? Light fluffy easy to drink great for a day of camping beer.
• Where is it brewed? In Durango, the only place to buy it. 
• Alcohol content? unknown, probably not too much though.
• Tasters' rating? G for grand!

Itinerary Items #2 and #3

• Monday morning... go to the hot springs in Pagosa. Shower.
• Monday afternoon... drive to Mesa Verde National Park. Camp two nights, hike, eat.

The springs...
Not too much to say about them really. This is the place to go because there are all kinds of pools to soak in. All the warmer ones are pretty smelly. We had gone in the winter too, and I think it's more fun in the winter actually. It's pretty expensive but there are free showers and they'll give you free shampoo and soap if you ask for it.

Mesa Verde National Park

Cliff Palace (left) was a short downstairs walk, while Balcony House (right) required a climb up the fun ladder in the centre. Ancient Puebloans occupied these cliff dwellings at the end of the 12th century / beginning of the 13th.

• Best part: The $3 guided tour of Balcony House.
• Worst part: We could have stayed for another day or two to see all the sights and sites.
• Lesson learned? The hiking for the guided tours isn't very grueling, you probably don't need to carry a pack with a litre of water in it when it's overcast.
• Rating? 5 stars! (outta 5)

This place was great! The Morefield campground had free showers with hot water, potable water taps at the campsites, you get to pick out your own site to camp in (reservations are advised) and beautiful views were everywhere.

Seeing and learning about Cliff Palace and Balcony House from the guides was well worth it, even if the hiking wasn't of the thrill seeking sort. We had a bit of that ahead of us yet.