Pic #1: Masayuki breathing some of the fresh Colorado air on Phantom Canyon Road
Pic #2: Masayuki at the "Brass Ass" casino. She didn't win any money...she just couldn't get a good hand.
Pic #3: Masayuki at the top of Independence Pass near Aspen
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I can't remember a time where I slept about 14 hours before...notwithstanding those times after surgery when I was taking pain pills. I don't like them cause they make me feel like I'm on another planet somewhere. I know what you are thinking so don't bother saying it. Anyway after the previous day's marathon 20 hour drive with no sleep and a greasy dinner (big surprise there) I took a shower and the plan was for us to check out the local scene in Pueblo. But once I stopped and put my head on the pillow I was done. We headed out the door about 6:30 a.m. or so and went straight west into the mountains. We hit Phantom Canyon Road...one of those awesome unpaved backroads with tunnels and bridges and rivers and mountains all around. This one was quite tame compared to some I have been on before, and some we hit on this trip (more on that in follow up posts). We encounterd but 2 cars the whole trip. One of them we happen to meet head on at one of the one-lane tunnels. So being courteous I backed up and let them through. The second car came up behind us and again, being courteous I stopped to let them pass me by as I could see the Colorado plate on the front of the car. I figured it was another local that likes to drive these roads at 70 mph but in this case it was a couple from Florida who was heading to the casinos in Cripple Creek. They pulled up along side and asked us if we were lost. I should have said "yes, I was going to the store for some hot dogs and I think I missed a left turn in Albuquerque". But, being courteous, I was polite in saying "no" and told them we were going to Victor and Cripple Creek. They explained they live in Florida and come up to the casinos. Danny tried to inquire as to whereabouts in Florida they live, but they sped off. I guess the "double jackpot points" on the Wheel of Fortune slots were about to end or something. So we pressed on slow and stopped a few places for pics. Danny also inquired about drinking water from a mountain stream so we figured what-the-hell why not? So he did...we were waiting for the cramps or glowing skin and it didn't happen so it must have been OK. We arrived in the small town of Victor and checked out some old mines which are all around town. Then we drove the additional 6 miles to Cripple Creek. This is one of the few towns in Colorado which allows low stakes gambling. And just about every building there is a casino. We decided to grab a bite to eat before pressing on (I got pizza for a change). After manuvering passed the busses which obviously had brought in crowds from the local retirement homes we found our way to Independence Pass which we needed to cross before getting to Aspen. It had just opened from being closed all winter. This is one of the most beautiful drives around and it crests out at over 12,000 feet...and it's not for the weary (I'll have pics posted in my "Colorado" gallery on my photography website soon). There are spots where waterfalls empty onto the roadway...we kept seeing wet cars coming from the other way and wondered what was going on. I had not been on this road in about 28 years or so and it was just as spectacular as I remember it. And just after taking the pic by the sign...well...you see...I put Masayuki in my back pocket because walking over the snowbanks...well...it was a lil slippery and well...I slipped...and fell on top of her and...well...thankfully I had kept that piece of tape holding her head on after I glued it because her head may have gone rolling down the side, gaining speed and snow until she was a 10' snowball barrelling down the side and...oh I don't even want to think about the damage she could have done. Had that happened, I would have thrown her body into the little Subaru next to me that the foreigners were in and said "they did it". So anyway her head is still attached...somewhat...and I'll re-glue it later. We also stopped at the ghost town of Indepedence. Part of the reason for me take this trip was to visit a half dozen or so of these relics before they return to nature. I have a place in my heart for the old towns as they pique my curiosity about how life was back then. It certainly was not easy. No internet...wow...what would we do with the kids? Anyway we arrived in Aspen and damn has that place changed. Way too much big money around there for our tastes. People who saw us driving in my lowly Avalanche probably thought we worked for the sanitation department or something. Lots of Beemers, Mercedes, etc. riding around that town. We walked around a bit and really didn't like it...we felt out of place...so we went to to a town that just sounded more like blue collar..."Carbondale". We checked in the hotel and walked across the street to a little 50's style diner and had a few beers and dinner...and that's about it for the day. See ya!
P.S. Since I was on the east side of the continental divide, (as seen in the picture from Indepence Pass) had her head rolled down the side of the mountain and ended up in the river, it would have eventually wound up in the Mississippi River and ultimately in the Gulf Of Mexico as opposed to the Pacific Ocean had I been on the other side of that sign. Wow...talk about adding insult to injury had her head been tangled up in that oil spill...
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