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Dinosaur National Monument
When we volunteered at Dinosaur two years ago, the main Quarry and visitor center were under re-construction and closed. It was finished last October, so we just had to see what it looked like, and altered our course to Fort Vancouver so we could. It was nice to be back and finally see this very important exhibit.
We started out early with one of our favorite hikes. Only 2 1/2 miles, but with very varied terrain. And since we haven’t hiked much lately it was a good way to get back into it. The scenery was just as nice as we remembered it.
Then we went to the new Visitor Center and up to the Quarry. This area has one of the worlds largest deposits of dinosaur bones. The Quarry has given up dinosaur artifacts to museums and exhibits around the world. The Quarry itself still has an amazing amount of bones visible. These were left in site so people can see what they look like undisturbed, you can even touch some of them. These small pictures don’t do it justice, you really ought to take a look yourself.
The Green River, rafting pullout area
The way up
A view into the valley
Saw this little guy catching some shade
Looking back to where we started
A small part of the Quarry wall
These bones are about 6 feet long
Here you can see an Allosaurus skull with part of the spine
A section of spine of a “smaller” dinosaur
A full Allosaurus skeleton on display
Driving to Dinosaur National Monument
Our drive yesterday was one of the shortest of our trip, but one of the most tiring. Almost all of the 140 miles was on winding, narrow, bumpy 2 lane roads with no shoulders. And with heavy truck traffic it required constant attention. Oh well, we’re here now and we can explore the Monument.
Typical road surface conditions
Road construction didn’t help the trip
At least some sections had some decent views
Leadville, Glenwood Springs, Rifle Gap Falls
Our drive today was a truly spectacular one. We started in Buena Vista, CO and headed north in Highway 24. This took us through Leadville, right at 10,000 ft. elevation. From there it was a 30 mile drive through some pretty canyons and spectacular scenery. Too bad I didn’t have time to look more, but on a road like this you better keep your eyes on the road!
Once we made it to I-70 the scenery wasn’t over, not by a long shot. Now the 4 lane freeway follows the Colorado River, giving more spectacular views. The drive by Glenwood Springs is unique in all the country. We got off at Rifle, and headed north on CO 325 to our campsite at Rifle Gap State Park. That was one narrow little road! But we were rewarded with a beautiful campsite by the lake.
We had some time so drove the short way to Rifle Falls, where we took a short hike. Nice pace!
Downtown Leadville, CO
Heading up the pass
At the top of the pass
What goes up must go down
What goes down must go up again
Even the driver can’t stop looking
Its a long ways down
Makes you wonder how they got a highway here
Even the Interstate has to follow the terrain
Parked — in a great spot!
A view of the triple falls
The base of the falls
Raton, NM to Buena Vista, CO
Our drive to Ft. Vancouver is well under way. Today we drove from Raton, NM to Buena Vista, CO. Not overly far, but all secondary mountain roads. With narrow roads, no shoulders, and strong wind currents we had to stay on the ball. But we made it, and are now parked and can rest up before tomorrows short (but high altitude!) drive.
Colorado is having a heat wave, close to 100 degrees, so we’ll just have to stay in and read etc. It’s too hot to go hiking.
The first part of CO69 wasn’t too bad, but windy
The road winds into the mountains
The mountain terrain becomes more rugged
And more rugged…..
Finally on Highway 50, a little wider
And parked for the day.
Cruise, Europe, blog and Facebook
We completed a terrific 2 week cruise to Europe, then spent a week with my sister and a week in Ireland. We had a great time. However, conditions made keeping a blog difficult, but I did post updates on Facebook. My question is if there is anyone who reads this blog that does NOT see our Facebook pages? If so, please leave a comment and I will continue my blogs. If everyone sees my pages on FB I may just discontinue the blog in favor of the Facebook pages.
Just a quick picture taken on our cruise…
Dinner time during one of the formal nights….
Our “vacation” itinerary
Even those of us who live and travel full time in a motor home need a vacation now and then, sort of a vacation from a vacation. For those that asked, below is our itinerary.
- May 4: DFW to Miami
- May 5: Check on board the “Constellation” on Celebrity Cruise Lines
- May 13: Ponta Delgada, Azores
- May 15: Lisbon, Portugal
- May 18: Paris (Le Havre), France
- May 19: London (Dover), England
- May 20: Arrive in Amsterdam. Stay with my sister.
- May 29: Amsterdam to Dublin. Rental House downtown
- June 4: Fly Dublin to DFW
Vacation is over, and the grind begins all over again….
Yes, you can have too much of a good thing….
Last night, Tanya treated us (Romola, Stacy, Dallas and myself) to a Food Tasting at Stephan Pyle’s famous restaurant. This was better (and more!) than I ever would have expected! There were 10 courses, each accompanied by a different wine selection. The food — and company — was fantastic.
Our first course was four different ceviches. Each was superb, the ahi tune was truly special. The second course was a delicious tomatillo soup with wonderful accompaniments. By now, I realized how special this was. After all, Steven Pyle is one of the world’s most respective chefs. So I took out my cell phone and tried to take some pictures.
Poor light, and I didn’t want to use a flash, but I think this may serve to illustrate the extent of the menu. So here are pictures of the last eight courses, along with what they were, at least those I can still remember. So excuse the poor picture quality, and I just can’t remember all the names of the dishes! And congratulations on your promotion, Tanya!
Creamy lobster dish with crushed nuts and spices
Tamale Tart with Roast Garlic Custard, Peekytoe Crab and grilled red snapper on corn chowder
Pan roasted cod with lobster branded with deep fried quail egg, asparagus, and sweet pea emulsion
Deconstructed Sea Scallop Chowder
Roasted pork belly with potatoe foam
Grass-Fed Texas Beef Tenderloin with popcorn rock shrimp, Smoked Potatoes, Crispy Trumpet Mushrooms
and Red Wine Demi Glace
Grilled Rack of Lamb with Preserved Lemon, Artichoke-Marguez Sausage Sauté and Crispy Pickled Fennel
Panna Cotta with coconut lime cannel and chocolate with seranno pepper sorbet
Middle of Nowhere, Texas
In the Middle of Nowhere (Oldenburg, TX pop. 150) you’ll find a typical Texas saloon so you can “wet your whistle”.
A Texas saloon
We’re parked in the Middle of Nowhere (Columbus, TX pop. 3800). It’s right on the Colorado River, has lots of open spaces and very large native pecan trees.
Parked in Nowhere, Texas.
In Round Top, TX (pop. 90!) you’ll find a beautiful concert hall, built by James Dick, a internationally famous concert pianist. He was born in Texas, and lives on the property. It’s a beautiful facility; not just the concert hall but the other building, gardens, and surrounding areas. Today he gave a concert, and even though Round top is in the middle of Nowhere, some 1,000 people came for a fabulous concert.
Outside view of Festival Hall
A view inside the concert hall
A view to the rear balconies
Waiting for the patrons...
In the middle of Nowhere (Ellinger, TX pop. 471) you’ll find Peters BBQ. All you can eat beef brisket, sausage, ribs, fried catfish, frog legs, shrimp, salmon patties, and all the trimmings for $9 a person. Can’t touch that price anywhere!
A trip to Padre Island
We had our first day of sun in a week, so this seemed like a good time to visit Padre Island. It’s kind of quiet, before Spring Break, and that suits us just fine.
A view down the beach
A beached jellyfish, still colorful
Shorebirds, looking for a meal
Need a beach towel? Bathing suit? No problem!
Shrimp Haus: all you can eat shrimp and $3 margaritas!
A tourist boat, no real pirates here
The lighthouse at Port Isabel
A pelican and a cormorant, resting
The veggie man comes
Once a week, the veggie man comes with fresh produce from Mexico. Prices are reasonable and the produce is very fresh. It is very popular with the locals; people line up waiting for him to show up. The trailer may be old, but it is loaded with fresh goodies!
Tossing some cauliflower during set up
The selection is actually pretty good
Fresh pineapple, one of the most popular items, being cored
The lines to pay (and for getting a pineapple) are fairly long
Romola scores a huge cauliflower
Laninga's Travel Blog 