We find the Cherry Creek Bike trail to follow to downtown. Denver has a maze of bike trails that very seldom cross roads.
The Cherry Creek Trail accomplishes this by crossing under the roads where the creek does. The only roads we have to cross
were neighborhood low volume ones. The trail takes us past golf courses and parks right to within a few blocks of where we are
taking the bike to be shipped. We have a little trouble figuring out where to emerge but for the most part the trail is well signed.
After getting the Blueberry nestled all snug in her box for shipping we take the lightrail downtown to rent a car so we can see
things we could not see by bike. The Royal Gorge is spectacular. It has the highest suspension bridge in the world. It is 1053 feet
above the Arkansas River. It was constructed in the 1920’s and still has wooden planks for the base of it. The rest is metal cable.
It moves up and down in the wind and shudders and shakes when a car drives over it. Louie loves it but Bec’s fear of heights makes
it hard for her to appreciate the beauty of the Gorge.
We take the cog railway to the top of Pike’s Peak, which is over 11,000 feet up. It has only ½ the usual oxygen so Bec has her
issues with altitude while there but managed to enjoy the ride up and the view from the top anyway. On the way up we see
yellow-bellied marmots. 
Then a bear decides to sit on the tracks for a bit. He was such a cute little guy. At the top we could see all
the way to Kansas.
Back at the base of the mountain, we have a buffalo burger, hot off the hoof, then head out to find the cliff dwellings.
These ruins are more commercial and better preserved than the Bandolier dwellings so it helps us understand even more.
We climb around in the compartments still wondering how they could live in such small quarters. Each dwelling that housed a
family was only about 4’ by 6’.
From there we went to the Garden of the Gods. This is an area that has huge red and white rock formations with a few of them
balancing. I do not understand why they don’t fall down. These are some very big rocks.
We visit a working farm from the 19th century. It freaks Louie out because it seems as if we are in a time warp with everyone
walking around in period clothes using period tools to do stuff they used to do. One woman is making chicken and dumplings
over an open fire. The blacksmith is making stuff with hammer and fire. A couple of men are plowing the field. A few women are
spinning wool. A man rides past on a boneshaker bike. The local Indian shows us his teepee, how it is made, and how they keep
the elk hide supple.
It has been another great vacation. The only trouble is that it has to end. Bec learned not to fret so much about lightening.
It certainly had many chances to hit us but did not. Louie learned all about the Anasazi Indians. We both learned that if we can
climb over La Vita pass pulling a trailer, we can probably climb just about anything.