Thurs. May 16, 2013
Nate and I always enjoy doing a short anniversary trip whenever possible, and seeing as this may be our last opportunity to take an “easy” one, we figured we should go for it while we had the chance. I’d been wanting to feed giraffes up at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for a while now, so we thought we could build our trip around that. Luckily, I was able to get Friday off, so we decided to leave on Thursday night and spend three full days enjoying the open road.
I was able to get out of work a bit early on Thursday, thanks to coming in about an hour early. This gave me the chance to get home, finish packing, and shower. We hit the road shortly after 4pm en route to Trinidad, CO, home to one of my favorite restaurants in the Rockies: Rino’s Italian Restaurant and Steakhouse. Its rather limited hours of 5pm to 9pm, Wed. through Sun. make it a bit difficult to visit at times, but we planned it just right. We arrived in Trinidad around 8pm, after an uneventful car ride. I couldn’t get over how empty I-25 is, for such a major expressway. We entertained ourselves by singing to the likes of Coolio and whatever else popped up on the radio. Once in Trinidad, we made a bee line straight for the restaurant.
What can I say about Rino’s? I absolutely love the place! It is unique and charming and the food is excellent…and the singing! Did I mention the singing? Everyone employed there sings. In the four times I’ve visited, I’ve even seen the busboys and cooks sing. And they really sing well, too! The amount of singing has varied each time I’ve visited, but the quality never wavers. This evening, we only had two songs, but considering our waiter belted out Peggy Lee’s “Fever,” one of the songs from “my era,” as I like to say, that more than made up for it. Couple this with the setting in an historic church dating from 1887 and a lovely dinner of lobster ravioli and chicken parmigiana, it was a perfect night. I beam from the moment I walk in the door until I leave. This is a must-visit restaurant for anyone traveling through the area. It’s just so special, and I know that it will not be around forever.
That night we had a reservation at the Trinidad Super 8. I knew we could have continued up the road even further, but it was kind of nice to just call it a night when we did. We had a big day ahead of us in the morning, after all!
Fri. May 17, 2013
I really didn’t sleep all that well this night, and I wound up getting up early, probably around 5:30. When I went to the washroom, I discovered that my hands were super puffy (I couldn’t get my ring off!), and I was experiencing a few sparks of light in my vision. I felt pregnant and miserable, and I wondered if these things could be attributed to the elevation gain. I showered and got ready for the day, and as the day wore on, I started to feel more normal again.
Once Nate was done, we stopped in the lobby for a quick breakfast before heading north on I-25. Having been raring to go in the morning, I started driving so Nate could sleep in a bit more. It didn’t take long before my fitful night’s sleep crept up on me, and I started to get really tired. I pulled over at a gas station and we thankfully switched. On the way up, the radio indicated there was a major rollover accident somewhere in Colorado Springs, so we agreed to get off the expressway a bit early to avoid it. In doing so, we encountered another accident and determined Colorado drivers are crazy. After a few detours, we made it to the gates of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo about a half hour after opening. Hooray!!
Despite its name, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is not located in Cheyenne, but rather at the base of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs. It claims to be the United States’ only “mountain zoo,” as it is situated on a somewhat steep slope, requiring guests to climb up and down the mountainside to view its many exhibits. We parked in the overflow parking, which flanks the road to the park, before ever even bothering to see if any space was available in the lot. It really wasn’t that far of a walk, either way. Once at the gate, we were met with crowds and crowds of school groups, which was a bit daunting, but luckily the line for tickets was quite short. Once bought, the salesperson gave us two tokens with which to vote for our favorite conservation project at the zoo. There were a lot of worthy ones including the Mexican wolf and orangutans, but we both voted for tropical frog conservation. Then we unleashed ourselves upon the zoo.
I had been warned by people to start at the top and work down because of the zoo’s steepness and large elevation changes. It’s not a bad idea, but I was really surprised at the end of the day how easy the climb was despite carrying this extra weight around. If anything, the altitude worried me, but I seemed unaffected and just as energetic as usual. That’s always a plus!
Our first stop was near the bottom: giraffes!! I really wanted to experience feeding giraffes, and this place offers the opportunity all day long! For an extra $2, you can get a handful of romaine lettuce (or other goodies, depending on time of day), and the giraffes will come right up to you on the deck for a treat. You can also just pet them, if so inclined. I was surprised at how informal it all was. I bought my romaine and went over to the eager giraffe nearby. She extended her tongue as though my hands were a branch on a tree, and happily munched on the lettuce while I scratched her nose. These enormous creatures are so gentle, with the sweetest eyes, and the experience was quite amazing. We hung out with the giraffes a bit longer, watching them lick the heck out of the deck posts (they must have been salty) before moving on. Feeding the giraffes absolutely made my day!
We spent the rest of our time visiting lots of other exhibits including elephants, red river hogs, hippos, a walk through Australia area, grizzlies, moose, and many other areas that you’d find in zoos across the country. They would often adorn enclosures with statues of animals you may see in association with them in the wild. The most unusual was a statue of a half-eaten zebra carcass right outside the giraffe area. Very bizarre. One of my favorite areas was The Loft, which featured a wide variety of creepy crawly critters including invertebrates and herpetiles. I could have stayed in there all day, were it not for the hordes of screaming school kids.
My only issue with the park was that it seemed like the enclosures were rather small, which, I’m sure, was a direct result of having limited space on a mountainside. Still, they did a good job with what they had, and the entire zoo maintained a feel of being much closer to the animals, with no boundaries, than was actually the case. It was definitely unique and well worth the visit.
Once we had seen all the exhibits, we went for a spin on the ski lift. This was an extra charge, but we figured we were here, we may as well see it all. It turns out there isn’t much to see at the top of the lift, save for a snack bar and some yurts with information inside, but it was still fun. After that, we exited the park to get the car and drove in through the gate to reach the very top of the property where Will Rogers’ Shrine of the Sun is located. Both attractions are included in admission to the zoo, so we definitely had to see it. We turned our hazard lights on and made our way up the mountainside at 5 miles per hour, navigating switchbacks and avoiding the occasional visitor who would amble out into the road obliviously. After a good deal of climbing, we made it to the top where we ascended the shrine. There was a chapel and about three rooms of pictures featuring the life and times of Will Rogers. The view of the surrounding country from up there was incredible, though much of it was really just urban sprawl while looking east. Being so high up, though, it felt like we were worlds away.
Noticing the time, we made our way down. We still had things to do today, and we weren’t going to miss them! We snaked our way back down the mountain and exited the park en route to Golden for a tour of the Coors Brewery.
Years ago, we’d tried to visit the Brewery, but we’d either arrived after hours or on a day that they were closed altogether. Today, they were scheduled to close at 4pm, and we’d arrived a little after 3:30. We noticed there was a line for the bus outside the parking lot, so it was apparent people were still waiting to go in. We were ushered into the lot by an employee, so that, too, was a good sign. We wandered over to the bus line and waited, chatting a bit with a retired couple who were RVing from California to Pennsylvania. We also did our best to avoid the copious amounts of smoke from fellow queuers. That’s another thing I noticed about Colorado on this trip – there was a nearly constant odor of cigarette smoke in the air. I couldn’t get over all the people who still do that! Being allergic to smoke and pregnant, that’s the last thing I needed. And I would notice, once out of the smoke, that the odor would still be in my clothes and hair, it was just that bad. What gives, Colorado?
After about 20 minutes, we finally boarded the bus that took us to the gate of the brewery. We showed our IDs and made our way inside. Unlike other brewery tours, this one was self-guided. They gave us handheld speakers, and we wandered around at our own pace, learning about the brewery and processes. We got to see the largest collection of mash tuns out of any brewery, and learned the history of the location and how it was chosen for the pure mountain waters that run through the area. At the end of it all, we went to the tasting room where Nate got to partake in the brews. He thought they all tasted kind of weird, as is typical (in his opinion) of Coors. I had a non-alcoholic beer which tasted like carbonated water, but oh well. I also had a Sierra Mist. It was a good time, and I’m glad we were finally able to take the tour.
From here, I realized I’d downloaded a geocache really close, so we crossed the street and found that really quickly. Then we headed into touristy downtown Golden where we treated ourselves to some tasty ice cream. Our server seemed awfully perplexed about what change to give us, but eventually he figured it out. Ah, Golden education! Hopefully it’s better than it seems. Once we’d had our fill of Golden, we hit the road again for places north. We decided to drive through Boulder to see the University of Colorado campus, which would also allow us to avoid the insanity of downtown Denver. Well, we were still met with a lot of traffic because it seemed to be graduation weekend. Needless to say, we didn’t see much of campus, but it was still a nice diversion.
We eventually reconnected with I-25 and headed north to Fort Collins. We checked into another Super 8, which seemed incredibly overpriced, but we suspected it was due to graduation season. From there, we headed into downtown Fort Collins to seek out Coopersmith’s Brew Pub. We parked in the garage and made our way over, admiring the amazing campustown. Champaign could take a hint from this place! It was hip and clean and really inviting with lots to do. When we finally arrived at our destination, it turned out that it was so huge that it was split in two! You could go to the games-themed area, or the restaurant area (both of which seemed to serve food). The restaurant area had a shorter line, so that’s where we went. We were seated before too long in a remote corner. I was able to face out and observe the college crowd, which was immensely fascinating. I was particularly fascinated by the table immediately behind Nate. It seemed to consist of a large group of college friends. The ones on the right side of the table were laughing and having a great conversation, but the two people on the left side, a guy and a girl, looked so awkward and quiet. I would occasionally see the guy try to painfully make conversation with the girl, and to me it seemed like they had been asked along as a set-up. The girl would give a short answer and go back to looking uncomfortable. I couldn’t look away. Well, right before we left, I realized they had a baby between them, and it actually looked like it was both of theirs. In fact, I’m sure it was. How sad that this couple was so distant from one another despite that. It goes to show you never know with people.
As for the food, Nate and I shared a Mediterranean pizza and a wild game sausage plate (elk and wild boar). It was pretty good, and Nate said the beer was, too. Maybe someday I’ll get to try it…and we’ll come back with the baby and not be that awkward couple.
Nate had developed a migraine, so we had to seek out a grocery store or pharmacy next. Our Garmin took us about 8 miles away! I couldn’t believe there wasn’t anything closer! We got some Tylenol and headed back to our room. We’d considered playing mini golf at the place near our motel, but neither of us was really up for that. It had been a long day, and we were just glad to call it a night.
Sat. May 18, 2013
Once again, I got up early, as we had lots to do today! (Mostly driving.) I no longer had puffy hands or weird eye flashes, so that was a plus. We quickly got up, ran down to breakfast, and hit the road. Again, I started driving, but I’d slept really well and had no problem staying awake. North we continued, crossing the border into Wyoming, and then heading east on I-80 toward Nebraska. Our mission: conquer the highest point in Nebraska! After exiting the expressway and heading south out of Pine Bluffs, WY, we eventually made it to a series of dirt roads leading to the site. Situated on someone’s property, they ask for $3 a person to access the high point. They also warn of bison in the area (which I believe are raised by the property owners). We paid our fee and were able to see the bison on our bouncy ride out to the site. Of course, the high point of Nebraska isn’t exactly exceptional (despite being called Panorama Point), it was still exciting to get to see the monument and add our names to the list of intrepid high point explorers. On top of it, this was Baby Crane’s first high point. Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska were also her 14th, 15th, and 16th states, respectively. This girl gets around, and she hasn’t even been born yet!
On our way out, we attempted to do the three corners geocache, but it would have involved a mile-long hike one-way or a drive on a questionable road, so we skipped it. We got a virtual cache out of the high point anyway, so that was good enough. We did stop in the town of Pine Bluffs to get two Wyoming geocaches, and we stopped at the local rest area to do some hiking as well. Then we high tailed it back south toward Colorado.
Lunchtime found us back in Fort Collins, so we decided to try another brew pub for the heck of it. This time we went to the Fort Collins Brewery. We were seated outside at the adjacent and associated Gravity 1020 restaurant. We had an enjoyable lunch – Nate enjoyed his beers and had some weird beer-based soup that was served with popcorn floating in it to go along with his grilled cheese and avocado sandwich. I had a lamb burger. From there, we headed south yet again, our mission was to reach Monte Vista, Colorado by at least 7pm. Our route took us through some incredibly scenic areas, including right through the region known as South Park, home to Fairplay, CO, the town on which the show "South Park" was based. We didn’t stop to look around, but I’m sure it’s much smaller than what is depicted on TV. We did stop briefly along our drive for some ice cream, which really hit the spot, as usual. We also were treated to some shows of lightning and a few rain showers. Finally, around 6pm, we arrived in Monte Vista, home of the Best Western Movie Manor, where we would be spending the night.
Our first experience at this unique hotel happened on our anniversary trip 4 years ago. Nate decided to surprise me on our destination, and we hopped in the car, heading north, as I made guesses about our trip. I did get it before too long, but that didn’t hinder the excitement in the least. Now, drive-in theaters are getting to be a rarity, but not only does this place have a drive-in theater, it one-ups it by having a motel associated with said theater. In fact, you have the option of watching movies from the picture window in your room or sitting in your car! How cool is that?! I am pretty sure this is a one of a kind establishment, and really worth the trip to southern Colorado. On our first trip, we watched “Star Trek” and drank way too much wine (which would prove a problem when we took the bumpy Cumbres Toltec train ride the next day), but it was so much fun! I made sure to get us reservations on the drive down, and we were assured a room with a good view to watch “Oz the Great and Powerful” (or we had the option of watching “Scary Movie 5” from our car if we so desired).
Since we were early and hadn’t yet eaten dinner, once we’d checked into the Movie Manor, we headed to the associated restaurant next door to get some eats. Included in the price of our stay (which was actually less than the Super 8s we stayed at the previous nights) was a discounted meal at this restaurant, and, of course, the movies. We settled into our seats at the restaurant and ordered unexceptional meals of a sandwich and soup. I did get to talking with the waitress while Nate was in the bathroom, and it turns out that the motel (I think – it may be the drive-in itself which is a separate entity) was bought by a new family, so hopefully they’ll keep things running like they have been. It would be such a shame to lose such a neat place.
After dinner, we moved into our room: 205, the Jerry Lewis room, and got settled. It was starting to get dusky out, so we headed down to the concession stand to get some snacks before the movie started. One of the ladies running the stand asked me if I bought a horse. I had no idea what she was talking about, so I said, “I wish!” I’m pretty sure she got me confused with someone else she saw at some livestock auction. That would be a dangerous event for me to attend. Anyway, Nate got some popcorn, and I got a giant pickle and the 3rd caffeinated drink I’ve had since being pregnant: a Pepsi. I really needed something to drink, and there weren’t many options. We settled back into our room and enjoyed a great view and movie. What a neat place, and I can’t wait to bring our little one here someday (when she can really experience it).
Sun. May 19, 2013
I had a wonderful night’s sleep, which is getting to be more and more rare. We actually slept in quite a bit, which was a treat, too. We took our time getting ready and hit the road a little before 11. On a whim, I suggested we try to eat dinner at the fabulous Rancho de Chimayo, a nice New Mexican restaurant that we hadn’t visited in over 10 years! The only time I’d been was on our first drive down to New Mexico together, on our ten day road trip when Nate was moving out. This restaurant was one at which his family would dine for special occasions, and he wanted me to experience it, too. Sadly, much of it burned in recent years, and they only just reopened not too long ago. Even still, its distance and location made it a place we rarely thought of visiting. This time, however, it was almost on our way back, so I thought, why not? So we called Nate’s mom Karla and invited her to join us, which we were glad she was able to do.
The drive down was thankfully uneventful. Just lots of beautiful scenery for many, many miles. We hit some traffic but still got there with a few minutes to spare. Once we all had arrived, it wasn’t long before they found us a table outside on the back patio. It may have even been the same place we’d sat on our first visit together all those years ago. I honestly couldn’t tell what had changed after the fire, because it all looked so historic. It was a bit chilly out there, as the clouds kept rolling in, and we even had a few sprinkles that were luckily caught by the large umbrellas overhead. The food was even more incredible than I remembered, and we all really enjoyed ourselves. After eating, we wandered the grounds a bit, admiring the décor and rustic setting. We will definitely have to come back, hopefully sooner than 10 years.
After lunch, we said goodbye to Karla and headed back down to Albuquerque. On the way, we made sure to stop for some Dairy Queen (I got seconds, I’m terrible!). We finally arrived at home around 5 or so. It was an incredibly enjoyable, though a bit whirlwind, trip, and I cherished every moment. I know our next one probably won’t be as simple, so I made sure to mentally capture each moment as best I could. The next one will definitely be a brand new adventure!
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