DENVER, COLORADO, SEPT 14, 2009

Monday, Sept. 14 found us on our way to Denver. We left early (6:30 am) to avoid some of the early morning traffic. Our first stop was the U.S. Mint on West Colfax Avenue. Construction on the facility began in 1897. In the first year of operation, the Denver Mint produced 167,371,035 gold and silver coins valued at $27 million dollars.

Coining of one-cent pieces (pennies) began at the new Denver facility in 1911. That year 12.6 million one-cent coins were minted. Today the Denver Mint has the capacity to produce more than 32 million coins PER DAY. One hundred years after first producing coins the Denver Mint can now produce over 8 MILLION coins per year!

Next we walked through the beautiful city park that separates the City Building to the west from the State capital building to the east. Here's Bill by a tribute to the American Cowboy in the city park.

Looking west from the center of the park is the City Building. The flowers were in full bloom.

Looking east from the same spot as above is the State Capitol Building. The sun was in the wrong position or you could see the gorgeous gold leaf dome at the top.

This is the main stairway to the second floor. It has marble steps and bronze railings.

Bill took this picture by sitting on the steps above and looking straight up at the dome overhead.

Here's Bill on the second floor, again lots of marble and bronze. Most of the marble is pink and unique to Colorado.

This is the Colorado Supreme Court Room on the second floor. After the first season of the Perry Mason show, all the courtroom scenes were shot in this room.

The third floor contains the "President's Room". All the portraits were painted by the same artist and surround this area.

Another view of the second floor from the ground floor. Note all the beautiful marble archways. It is a most impressive building. The original cost was 3 million dollars. I can't begin to imagine what the cost would be today.

We walked up the stairs to an area just below the dome which is covered in gold leaf. This is a view looking west. You can see the City Building and the majestic Rocky Mountains in the distance.

Denver, the "Mile High City". Here I am sitting on the step of the State Capital Building that is 5280' above sea level.

After our tour of the Capital it was almost time for lunch. So we headed to the 16th Street Mall. This is an area 1 mile long, with shops, cafes, outdoor eating areas, street vendors, and lots of huge flower containers and trees. The only vehicles allowed on 16th street are free buses that you can jump on and off at will. There is cross traffic at each block. We found a Hard Rock Cafe and had a relaxing lunch before going to the Colorado History Museum. It was a very educational day in a beautiful, modern city.

RELAXING, AUGUST, 2009

It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it! Testing the water in "our pool". Bill and I spend many afternoons in the swimming pool. What a view!

This has been home for the past 5 months. We had a rather secluded site with a gorgeous view and large "backyard" where we had many campfires with fellow campers.

One of our favorite times of the day was sitting outside after supper and watching the hummingbirds at our feeder. Sometimes there were as many as 11 here at one time, maybe more, they're hard to count! They put on a better show than the Blue Angels. One was particularly possessive about the feeder and tried, unsuccessfully, to chase everyone else away.

It was a rainy summer for Colorado standards, but the results were many beautiful rainbows. Here's a double rainbow looking south from our campsite. As you cam see the sun already was shinning on the butte to the left. The rains don't last long and in a few minutes you wouldn't know it had rained at all. It has been a wonderful summer.

OUR FELLOW WORKAMPERS 9-6-09

I thought I'd introduce you to all the workampers we "worked" with this summer. As you read about them, you will see what a diverse group of people make up the workamper community. This is a picture of the "valley" where we have our pot lucks and picnics.

Sally and Ian, owners of the Jellystone Park of Larkspur, formerly Castle Rock RV Park. On Labor Day they hosted a "Workamper Appreciation and Birthday Party" for all the workampers and families in the valley. Ian formerly owned several automobile dealerships in the area. Ian is from South Africa and Sally from our midwest .

Ian's nephew, Sam, made a delicious concoction in a dutch oven consisting of oxtail, carrots, potatoes, onions, squash, and cabbage. He cooked it for about 7 hours.

This is Janie and Bruce. They have been fulltimers for about 6 years, wintering in Mesa, AZ. They grew up in the Dakotas and raised their family in California before opting for the RV lifestyle. Bruce is a former HVAC technician. They will be joining us in Oregon next summer at Diamond Lake RV Park.

Kathy and Dave have a home in Dallas, TX and come north for about 3-4 months in the summer to escape the Texas heat. They left a few days after Labor Day. I never actually worked with Kathy as I worked mostly days and she and Dave had the evening shift. Kathy worked in the office and Dave escorted campers to their sites.

Danny likes to joke that he "came with the campground" when Sally and Ian bought it several years ago. He lives fulltime in an apartment on the campground property. He knows a lot about the campground and is fun to work with. He's quite the joker and doesn't mind getting dirty!

"Doctor Dan" and Nancy joined us mid season and were a great help. Dan is a chiropractor and Nancy's a nurse. They live fulltime in their RV and like to spend the summers in Colorado to be near their daughters. They have a son in Texas and sometimes spend the winters there. This year they are headed to Florida.

Andy is another one of our single fulltimers. This is his first workamping job and he really likes to run the equipment. He does a great job keeping the grass mowed and the roads graded. Here the guys were replacing a broken sewer line. He will be spending the winter here in the park in his RV.

This is Jan and Jan. Really! That was way too confusing so Jan changed his name to Kevin. Said he liked that name. So, here is Kevin and Jan. They are from New Zealand and have been in the US for about 14 years. They are applying for their citizenship. Love their accent! They are living in their RV and building a home just north of Colorado Springs. They, too, have children in the area.

This is Karen and Ed with Yogi. They have a home in Pueblo and spend the summer workamping. They are our "clean team". Ed is a former engineer and helped develop the DC-10.

John and Teresa also joined us mid-year. John works at the Centennial Airport as a Meteorologist and Teresa is a retired teacher. When they sell their condo in Denver, they will be fulltimers again. They are presently living in their Motor Home here at the campground.

That's Isa with them, a Great Pyrenees.





Anisa (our activities gal) Kira, Phil, and Alea.

Kira has helped in the office and Phil is our Marketing Manager. Phil and Kira cook up some great pancakes and sausage on the weekends for our guests.

Lee with Yogi. Lee helps around the campground and office as needed, sometimes even getting in the Yogi costume! She lives in the campground year round and has a day job at a laboratory.

Yogi playing with Andy.

Can't forget Sarah. She was our first Activity director and learned how to build a really great campfire! She left mid August to return to college in Denver.

So, you see, we have met a lot of interesting people this summer!

JOSEPH WINTERHAWK, SEPT. 5, 2009

Labor Day Weekend, Sept 5, 2009

This is the Tipi Village at Castle Rock Jellystone RV Park where we have spent the summer.

Bill and I with Joseph Winterhawk, a member of the Southern Ute Tribe of Colorado. Joseph does a lot of things in the campground, including setting up the tipis and building a horno (outdoor adobe oven) this summer.

Bill and Bruce, one of the other workampers, got elected to do the drumming while Joseph sang and played his flute. Here's a new "talent" for Bill's resume!

Joseph taught some of the campers to do the "Bear Dance" with Bill and Bruce keeping the beat on the drums. Joseph also spoke of "Mother Earth" and the need to keep her clean and pure and the need for love between the "brothers".

Joseph, you have become a wonderful friend that we will never forget. We are blessed to have known you.

CEILIDH'S BIRTHDAY, Sept 2, 2009

HAPPY 9H BIRTHDAY, CEILIDH !


Usually I forget Ceilidh's birthday as it falls during Labor Day Weekend, but this year I remembered. I invited some of the other workampers for a campfire and birthday cake. Left to right, John, Theresa, Dave, Nancy and Andy. It was getting dark so the pictures isn't the greatest!





"Gee, Mom, did you have to tape it shut so tight!??"

She finally got the paper pulled off of her new box of "Snaps", her favorite treat (besides sandwich cookies and ice cream!)

ASPEN-LEADVILLE, CO Aug 23-24, 2009

Early Sunday morning we drove over Wilkerson Pass on Rt 24 toward Buena Vista, Colorado. That's one of the mountains in the "Collegiate Range" (Mts. Princeton, 14,197 ft, Yale, 14,196 ft, Columbia, 14,073 ft, and Harvard at 14,420 ft. ) This area has the highest concentration of 14,000 ft peaks from Alaska to Panama. Colorado has 52 "14ers".

On our way to Independence Pass and Aspen we passed Twin Lakes and just had to get a picture of the mountains in the background.

Crossing the Continental Divide at Independence Pass, elevation 12,095 feet. There were several trails that led to stunning views of the mountains.

The "road" leading to Aspen was limited to vehicles 35 feet and under. There were areas that the road was only 1 1/2 lanes wide and of course, no guard rails. Colorado doesn't spend a lot of money on guard rails! Downtown Aspen was busy, even for a Sunday afternoon. The streets are lined with exclusive shops and cafes. They are having a real problem with up to 40-50 bears roaming the streets at night. They sure keep the police busy!

Returning on the same road, we stopped at Independence Ghost Town and had a picnic lunch. At an elevation of 10,290 ft, Independence is located in the upper Roaring Fork Valley. The surrounding mountains are in the 13,000-14,000 ft range. Legend has it that gold was discovered here on July 4, 1879. Eventually the town had over 40 businesses with 3 post offices and a population of 1500. As the gold production dropped so the the population and in February 1889 a series of severe snow storms drove the few remaining families away.


We arrived in Leadville, the highest incorporated city in the United States at 10,200 ft. elevation.

It is a colorful city with a colorful history! Leadville's mining history began in 1860 with the discovery of, what else, gold! By 1880, Leadville had over 30,000 residents and innumerable stores, hotels, and of course, more than 100 saloons, dance halls, gambling joints and brothels.




Along with the rough life of the town, an upper class developed. Horace Tabor made millions from silver discovered in the area and built and opened the famous Tabor Opera House in 1879. He also owned the Bank of Leadville and the Tabor Grand Hotel. Along the way he infamously left his wife, Augusta, and married the young "Baby Doe". He rose to state and national political status and built a mansion in Denver.

Monday morning found us having breakfast at "Doc Holliday's". Doc Holliday's stay in Leadville is one of the most infamous. It was marked by ill health, tuberculosis and drinking. Conflicting accounts of his story abound, but the records indicate that he shot and wounded Bill Allen in August, 1884 in this very building, once a saloon.

In March 1885, he was acquitted and released. Allen was the last man on record shot by Holliday.



After breakfast we took a drive to the far end of Turquoise Lake. This picturesque shot is shows Leadville at the far end of the lake. We talked with the workampers at the campground. They come to Colorado for the summer to escape the heat in Texas. This is basically a fishing lake sporting mostly cutthroat trout.
(Click on the picture for a larger view)

A pretty mountain stream flowing into Turquoise Lake.

Our next stop was the Leadville Fish Hatchery. After viewing the spawning tanks we took advantage of their 1 mile nature trail. Here I am beside DeMary Ditch, used as early as 1913 to divert water from Rock Creek to irrigate pasture lands to the east of the hatchery. It flows from June to October.

This is Evergreen Lake with Mt. Elbert in the background. Mt. Elbert is the highest peak in Colorado at 14,433 ft and the second highest peak in the lower 48 states.

Another view of Evergreen Lake with Mt. Massive in the background. Mt. Massive is the second highest mountain in Colorado at 14,421 ft and having 3 summits over 14,000 ft. Leadville is truly blessed to have these two mountains just west of town. What a view!

After grabbing lunch at a Subway, we went to the Leadville Colorado and Southern Railroad for a 9 mile scenic journey through untouched wilderness. This is the old steam engine #641 and is no longer in use.

The 1955 diesel engine takes the passenger train up to the timber line and the headwaters of the Arkansas River.
We stopped at the top of the mountain by this old water tank.

A thousand feet above the valley floor, the top of the line stops at an overview of the Climax Molybdenum Mine and Freemont Pass. After the gold, silver, zinc, lead, and copper mines closed a great resurgence came in 1918 with the opening of the massive Molybdenum Mine north of Leadville. It employed more than 3000 workers and supplied half of the world's molybdenum used in high strength steel alloys.