The 'Journey' has begun!!!! aka Chrissyb's USA Adventure!!!
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Monday morning came before we knew it and it was time to rise and shine, get organised and go to breakfast over at the Springs Cafe. We decided to check out and put our bags in the car for a quick get away once we had done eating. On the way back to the car, I looked up and found that the whole hillside was pink!! The same color as the building that housed the Glenwood Springs Cafe where we had eaen.
Lane informed me that she planned to take me through a pass called Independence Pass, that would be closed as soon as the first snows came and we would be traveling to the Continental Divide to 12,095 feet above sea level. Talk about being beathless!!! but the drive through it was magnificent! We travelled through Aspen and saw the ski runs denuded of trees and sitting ready to recieve the first snows. The runs were lined either side with Aspen, hence the name of the town, and pine and the town itself was extremely pretty and I could imagine what it would look like in the winter with its coat of white.
As we passed the crest of the Mountain, we could see pockets where it had snowed, but the most amazing thing was the fact that the tops of the Mountains were completely bare ........ bald in fact ...... not a single tree!
At the very top, Lane stopped and we were going to go to the lookout but I felt so light headed and quite queasy from the altitude, we got back into the car and headed down the other side. The road was narrow and windy but it was interesting to see where the little rivelets began and headed down the Mountain toward a much larger river.
We finally reached the high plains where I saw an American Antelope just standing like a statue in the middle of nowhere. He or she certainly was a beautiful animal! We drove for many miles and all the time I was watching the mountains around me and marveling at their size and beauty. While doing this, we saw the weather begin to close in and I, of course, had to snap a pic.
Fortunately the wheather only affected the mountains and not the plains that we were traveling. It was the most amazing trip and I need to thank Lane with my whole heart for organising this little trip within my large trip for it was spectacluar!!!!
We finally arrived at Lane's home where we were greeted by her dog Ivy, a beautiful rambunctious Golden Retriever. We unpacked the car and settled in for a relaxing evening with a nice glass of wine before once again heading for our beds and a good nights sleep.
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wow, what a drive...and beautiful shots, Chrissy.
.so good seeing you today...
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Lisa-on my computer the picture of you girls is partially covered by an ad. Would you mind reposting?
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Joni, hope this works
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serryc thanks for posting the link to the article.. its' wonderful that we all got to see, now, read it!!!
have a ball, chrissy, go get em girl... you'll sleep for a week, when ya get home!........3jays
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Over the next couple of days I managed to catch up on mundane things like laundry etc as well as almost caught up with posting here.....lol. I got to play with Ivy and watch with fascination the little red squirrels bouncing around the trees and playing chase. They really are the most incredible little creatures and really cute! I had a good time bird watching and even manged to get a good pic of a Blue Jay!
This little fellow was watching me as much as I was watching him! It was planned that on Thursday we would brave the heights once more and travel the Cog Railway up to the top of Pikes Peak.
Thursday dawned fine and cool and we left early as on the way Lane drove me through The Garden of the Gods, a most incredible area with the most beautiful monoliths imaginable and as usual I had my camera handy.
The trip up to Manitou Springs, where the train was based, was uneventful but again the scenery was breathtaking. The little town itself was extremely quaint in its look but full of history both old and new. We arrived at the train station and collected our prebooked tickets, got ourselves a drink and a snack and waited until the train was ready to board.
Finally we were told it was time to board and find our allocated seats, luckily for us, we were seated right in the first row of seats so we had a birds eye view as we travelled up the track. .The ride was slow but full of things to look at and the engineer was assisted by a most knowledgeable conductor who pointed out to us the most interesting facts and sights that were to be seen beside the tracks.
In the first leg of the trip, we passed little streamlets and waterfalls and were told that one third of the water for the town Of Manitou Springs came from this very water. We also passed a sign announcing that this was in the Pike National Forrest.
As we climbed, the scenery changed from granite rock and small undergrowth to more of the beautiful Aspens and Pine. These trees lined each side of the track, and some of the Aspens still had their golden penny leaves still on them and others had lost them and they were standing straight and bare in all their silvery white glory.
We climbed and climbed and the air got cooler and cooler. The trees started to thin and the view really opened up to expose what was hidden.
The train kept climbing and the rails seemed to disappear around the mountain and all we could do was watch with anticipation until we rounded the next bend and found what was before us.
As we were nearing the top, it was incredible to see the loose rocks! Over time the large boulders were affected by the weather and the heating and cooling had broken them into much smaller pieces that looked like large rubble.
As we climbed higher and higher, the tree line disappeared all together and just left bare mountain tops all around and in the distance. The air by this time was freezing and all windows on the train were closed tight ....... thank goodness!
It wasn't long before hoare frost began to appear on the rocks and it looked gorgeous in a stark way.
The clouds started to come across and block the view and we were all hoping that we could reach the summit. The snow and ice were getting thicker and thicker and the while scene was sort of scary and yet exciting.
And then we were there!!! At the very pinacle of Pikes Peak!!! and oh what an experience ......it left me a little breathless and oh so very excited!!!!!
The train puled into the siding and we all made our way into the Pikes Peak Shop where we could purchase a hot cup of chocolate and a fresh home made doughnut, use the restroom and check out the souvenirs before being called back to the train and the journey down the Mountain. Just as the trip up was incredible so was the trip down and even though we passed the same things, it was like looking at them for the first time at a different angle. A truly amazingly incredible experience!!!!!!
When we reached the base once again, we headed closer in towards Denver where we had arranged to meet Karen for lunch and transfer my baggage to her vehicle as I was staying the night with her before she took me to the airport the next morning. I had had a wonderful time with Lane and even though the time was short with Karen, I thoroughly enjoyed it. As always, it was very hard to say goodbye to both Lane and Karen but I know they will always be in my heart and who knows, they may even visit me one day!
Karen dropped me off at the airport and I entered the building knowing that this was my last short hop flight before heading to LAX for the big one to Auckland ...........but not yet .......... I have one more stop to make ...................
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Love all the pictures they are just breathtaking! Can't belive your trip is almost over chrissy, I lookforward to reading about your journey everyday!
Saginaw! That was beautiful what you wrote!
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Beautiful pictures! I have done that Cog Railway Ride up to Pike's Peak and when we got to the top, I was barely able to breathe, the air was so thin! So glad you were able to enjoy the Rockies - they are magnificent!
Michelle
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Oh such a great journey you have had Chrissy. i have so enjoyed following your journey and all of the special friends you have met. I hate for it to end. Becky
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I hope I loaded that correctly. this is the article from the San Antonio newspaper with the pictures. Same article that SherryC put on board, this one is from the actual paper.
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LOVE the pic of the rails into the mist!!!! That's a keeper Chrissy!!!
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Sagina- Dont know if any one else had a problem loading your link but what I got was "Bad request" and wouldnt open.
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wow, chrissy; you'll have lots to process when you do get home.. is new Zealand next? they've been really patient, waiting!!....3jays
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Debbie, I tried to load the pdf from google docs....not sure how else to do?
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I copied and pasted the link and it came up just fine. Printed it out, but to fit it on one page, the pics and print are verrrrrrry tiny!
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you would have to print it as an 11 x 17 for the full size. It was more than half the page of the paper. I don't think our scanner will scan as jpeg here....so sorry.
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Thats ok, I was thankful to have that copy with the pictures, even if it was a bit small! Many thanks for posting it.
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What a tremendous trip; thanks for taking us with you!
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Woke up feeling a little peckish, so fixed some cheese and crackers, and settled in to read and enjoy the next places on this fabulous journey. It's truly fun to catch up with ChrissyB and her adventures with everyone. I'm sure going to miss it when journey's end is reached.
Thank you for providing the next best thing to being there with y'all.
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Good luck and Godspeed, Chrissy! {{hugs}}
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Chrissy - hope you are having fun with Alyson. Your trip will soon have you home again. Missing you and looking forward to the next installment of your journey.
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The flight from Denver to LA was uneventful and the plane arrived on time. Hbcheryl greeted me just outside the baggage claim area and after a few good squeezes (hugs) we made our way back to her car. After grabbing a nice cool bottle of water from Starbucks, we headed back to Huntington Beach to deposit my goods at her home and then head out for a small tour of her area. We headed for Seal Beach first and then made our way back through Sunset beach and back to Huntington Beach proper. I was amazed at the amount of oil rigs I saw!! Who would have thought that there would be producing rigs in a built up area ......now that really is a first for me!!!
The beaches themselves were stunning!!! And I couldn't wait to put my toes into that icy cold Pacific water but that had to wait for another day. We drove along the coast and as usual, the camera was clicking away merrily ......all the more for you to see.... Then as the sun was starting to go down, we went back to Huntington Beach and decided to get and ice cream from Baskin & Robbin and walk along the pier before dinner. As luck would have it, there was a Ruby's diner at the end of the pier and we chose to eat there and watch the sun set. Both the food and the sunset were fabulous!!!!
On the way back to the car, we saw three of LA's finest boys in blue and I decided to accost them and ask if they would mind if I took a photograph of them with me to take back to Australia. Two of them heartily agreed but one was a little shy of the mad woman who would ask such a thing! The other two thought it was a real hoot and quickly obliged!!!
We finally made it home to Cheryl's place where we enjoyed a cup of tea, feet up off the floor on a cushion and a comfy chair where we both got caught up on the boards.
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Hey Chrissy hope you had an uneventful flight across the pacific, them sure were some cute "boys in blue" maybe I'll have to be a bad girl and have them come to my house
miss you ooddles and bunches 0 -
leave it tochrissy to find the cute ones!!! hahaha 3jays
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chrissy, take lots of pics in new zealand.. those of us up here, haven't seen it, where a lot of us knew the usa........3jays
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Saturday dawned bright and clear and after breakfast we headed out to the Simi Valley where were to meet Justjudie for lunch. There are mountains here in Southern California that are huge, but the Rockies are monsters in comparison. The differences don't stop there because as green and gold as the Rockies are at the moment, these are brown and fairly bare but none the less beautiful. They also seem to go on forever!
Lunch was wonderful and to get to meet Justjudie was great. She took us to a Golf Club for lunch and the food was yum, the conversation fabulous and the laughter raucous and all too soon it was time to say goodbye but I am so glad that I got to meet her; she truly is a lovely lady.
When we said our goodbyes, Cheryl drove us over the Santa Monica Mountains and onto the Pacific Coast Highway then through Malibu to Santa Monica. This is one of the houses we saw n Malibu!
And the glimpse of the water ......... Malibu is so built up on the beach front that it is almost impossible to see the water at all!
She gave me a huge tour of Beverley Hills (90210 area code) then down Sunset strip to Hollywood. She even showed me the Hotel Beverly Wiltshire, you know, the one from Pretty Woman? WOW!!!!! That sure is some area!!!!
After leaving, we headed back to the Freeway and home but, it wasn't as fast as it should have been as we were grid locked most of the way and traveling at no more than 12 - 15 miles an hour! It sure was a slow trip but a great opportunity for me to get some fabulous sunset pics of the cars and surrounds. Never let a photo op go begging I say, make the most of everything!
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Chrissy - Where are you now? If you are in NZ - kiss the ground for me - keep having a great time.
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After a good night sleep, we headed for San Diego where we were to meet SoCalLisa for lunch. It wasn't until we were almost there that I learned that I was going to get to meet other lovely ladies as well. After having an impromptu tour, (we sort of got lost....lol) we finally arrived at The Red Sails Restaurant to be greeted with hugs and laughter once more. Lunch as always was delicious (and by this time I'm sure I've gained at least ten pounds) as was the conversation. Unfortunately, after lunch, Shirlann had to leave but before she left we got a few good pics of us all together.
This is the ship that was used in the Movie 'Master and Commander'.
It was decided that we would go on a tour of San Diego and SoCalLisa was to be our driver a) because she knew the area well and b) because she had a car big enough to fit us all. Totally logical thinking here. All I can say is, I saw some jaw dropping sights and scenery!
The first place we went was to the light house and the Gabrillo National Monument lookout but to get there we had to pass the Veterans Cemetery. Such a moving and peaceful place and such a beautiful place to be laid to rest. It was overlooking the bay area and the city of San Diego itself.
We then headed for Balboa Park and some of the most amazing architecture and gardens. The Museum of Man is a striking building with its carved stone façade and its mosaic dome ...... just breathtaking!!!!! The colonnades and gardens that surround it are so tranquil I have not enough adjectives to describe them. We went passed the Zoo and the Museum of Natural History and it is just a shame that time didn't allow for more wandering through these marvelous areas.
You know how it is when you are traveling around, at some point in the trip, there is a need for a restroom and sure enough we needed a restroom so SoCalLisa, being a veteran, had her pass to the Naval Base so we headed on up there to use a restroom at the commissary .......... But she warned me not to say a single word as we went through the gate! I was a good girl and did as I was told for just a few minutes as we passed through and then we all burst out laughing. Yup, first stop.....the restroom!!!!
On the way back to Cheryl's car, we passed the Cancer Survivors Park ...... it is a wonderful thing to see and a great place to remember those who are not survivors.
We said our goodbyes once again and pointed the car towards home but on the way, Cheryl took me to the Corona Del Mar Bluff to watch the sunset ........judge for yourselves if it was worth while ..........
When the sun had finally gone, we really did head for home and a nice cup of tea!!!
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Stunning pictures!
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