Road Trip

Denver to La Junta Colorado, to visit my father's old home town.

On the way, we passed Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs, a hazy morning due to forest fires in other parts of the west.

Rocky Ford, Colorado - my Dad stayed in a room in this building during the Great Depression while he worked washing dishes in his Uncle Bob's Green Lantern Restaurant the summer he was 15 years old.

Rocky Ford's high school sports team name was emblazoned on a local shop window.  They were the rival to my Dad's home town team, the La Junta Tigers.

The storefront on the left was the site of the Green Lantern.

Figurines in a thrift shop window on the main drag in Rocky Ford.

Near La Junta we explored Bent's Old Fort, a trading post originally built during the mid-1800's as a trading post for the westward expansion of the United States.  They want you to stay on the trail, right?

Prickly Pear cactus and rattle snakes (not pictured, whew) menace those who stray.

The Fort lies along the Arkansas River.  The landscape is flat, flat, flat.

Old equipment bakes in the sun outside the entrance to the reconstruction.

Our most surprising discovery was the presence of a Peacock.  The docent said there was indeed a Peacock at the Fort during the olden days, serving as a guard bird.

Also surprising was this very friendly little cat who claimed to be a direct descendent of the cats who lived here in 1839.

The adobe structure utilized fur as insulation around doors and windows.

Bee Hive ovens inside the Fort.

Inside the thick adobe walls, the rooms were relatively cool.

View of the prairie through gun port on the second level.

After the Fort we had lunch and then started back to Denver.

 Along the way we saw lots of fields of corn, peppers, alfalfa, and melons, but pictures from the moving car didn't make good blog photos.

We stopped at a fruit stand and bought one of the lovely watermelons pictured in this bright yellow case.  Bought a cantaloupe, too.

Took a pass on the squash, but they were sure interesting shapes.

I will be traveling toward home again in a couple of days.  In the mean time, best wishes from Colorado.