Black Hawk, CO

For my next stop, I headed to Black Hawk for a few days so that I could be close enough to home to do some necessary meetings for work.  But I did enjoy walking around the town in my free time.

Joyful Journey

Today was a travel day from Alamosa to Black Hawk, so I was looking forward to a few hours of driving with some stops along the way.  My first stop was Joyful Journey Hot Springs. This resort is just off the highway about an hour north of Alamosa, and you can get a day pass to their three pools for $15. (They also have lodging available - you'll see a lot online about their tepees and yurts, but I have to say their regular lodge looked really nice!) I arrived around 11am, and was only one of four people in the whole pool area.  A few more arrived before I left, but still - it was a very relaxed environment with a great view of the mountains.

One of the things I liked about this place is that this is not a hot -sulphur- spring location like many in Colorado: so no rotten egg smell.  And I do have to say, my muscles felt great after my hikes yesterday, and my skin very smooth! Whether it was just the warmth on it's own, or a combination of that with the minerals in the water - either way, I'm not complaining!

About an hour north I stopped for lunch at Vino Salida Wine Cellars. They had these great light fixtures by a local artist, so I had to snap a quick pic.

A great view to go with a great selection of wine.

View of the tasting room.

So...today was supposed to be a hiking day after all of the relaxing in the morning, but...I managed to miss my turn and go two hours out of my way.  However, I ended up enjoying the great view of the continental divide at Monarch Pass in the process.  (And I don't feel *too* bad - I did stop quickly at my intended hiking spot towards the end of the day, and it didn't look like it was going to hold up to the hype.  So I'll take this day for what it was.)

I finally made it to Blackhawk a bit later than I anticipated.  I grabbed a quick bite to eat, and decided I wanted a drink or two.  Since Blackhawk is a casino town, there aren't really any traditional bars so much - rather, just *free* bars in the casinos as long as you're gambling.  Since I really only wanted a glass of wine, I put a $10 bill in the quarters machine at my hotel's casino, intending to milk it slowly for the drink.  I played once, twice, and BOOM! Won $50. I cashed out, got my glass of wine, and put a few more dollars in while I drank my glass.  I headed back to my side of the hotel complex and decided I would treat myself to another glass.  So I sat down at the penny slots at the other casino, put in $20, and BAM! Won $35.  Again, played a few more dollars while I enjoyed my second glass.  All in all, I doubled my money just in my pursuit of free wine.  Not a bad way to end my journey to my second destination on this road trip.

Hiking, day 47: Zapata Falls & Great Sand Dunes Park

My main focus today was Great Sand Dunes Park, but on the way was Zapata Falls.  I almost passed it by because of the warnings about the road; it was definitely one of the more poorly maintained graveled roads I've been on recently.  But, if my tiny car can make it up there, so can yours - just take your time.

After parking, the trail up to the falls is quick - here's the view right before heading over the hill down to the river leading towards the falls.

The last twenty feet or so to the falls requires wading into the creek. Even at this late in the summer and early fall, the water was pretty cold! So while you can ignore the warnings about the road to the trail head, definitely bring a pair of water/old shoes and a change of socks.

After going around the bend, you enter into the almost-cave to see the falls!

(A look back at the entrance to the falls.)

Another close-up of the falls.

A view from the top of the trail on the way down.  Below the mountains in the distance, you can see a hint of the sand dunes.

A closer view.

After leaving Zapata, I headed into the Great Sand Dunes Park.  Here's a panorama from the back porch of the visitors center.

And finally, my walk out onto the dunes.

My panaromas and 360 shots from the top of the third ridge I climbed.  I'm about half way up to the top at this point, but since I had already done one hike earlier in the day I didn't push myself to the top.  Still, a really great trip - and, I would recommend bringing a snow or body board to visitors for sand surfing, especially in this mild September weather.

Alamosa, CO

I decided I needed a week off from my crazy work schedule (and to satisfy the traveling itch), so I'm doing a bit of a road trip over the next few days.  The week's first stop is Alamosa, CO.  I arrived around dinner time, and headed over to the local brewery, San Luis Valley Brewing Company.  I've been doing a carb-restricted diet over the last few weeks, so this was pretty much the first time I've treated myself to the equivalent of one pint of beer in over a month!

After dinner I walked down the street to the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad yard.  I won't have time to take a trip while I'm here, but I did want to take the opportunity to walk around a few of the historic cars they have on site.

Hiking, day 46: Brunch

In the theme of walking a great distance for a good meal - here's a quick shot of one of the historic buildings in downtown Longmont, now the home of one of the local art galleries.

Hiking, day 45: Crab Feast

So...I've already established in the past that if I'm walking a good distance to get a delicious meal, that I'm totally counting it as a hiking day.  Today was no exception: one of my favorite local restaurants had Alaskan king crab flown in over night, so it was well work the 25 minute walk. Unless you've lived in Colorado, you can't really appreciate how hard it is to get high-end, fresh seafood out here!

Hiking, day 44: Longmont, CO

I had a chance to walk to a different part of town for dinner Sunday night, and grabbed this quick shot of the historic Callahan House.