Silver and Gold

Denver Colorado

We pulled into Denver to visit old friends and be near an airport so I could return to Ohio for a visit. It had been far too long since I had seen my parents and Ohio friends. That isn’t a Tortalog story, but it was absolutely wonderful to hug them all again.

We were excited to be at a campground right in the city after so long in very remote locations. Kendra knew it might be hot and planned ahead to get us a plug-in so we could run the air. It should surprise no one that Kendra has epic planning skills. It was very hot and the air came on before noon every day even though we had a decent amount of shade.

All the visiting was great, and we had a couple of very nice meals, but overall Denver is not a city I would recommend. The traffic is horrible, the roads are bad, public transportation is practically non-existent, and the air quality is so poor the mountains looked like an abstract painting. Not sure what they did with all the pot money, but they did not use it to fill potholes. We spent an entire week in Denver and apparently, nothing inspired either of us to take a photo as we have none. Pictured below is the amazing whiskey tasting my most excellent Ohio friends had for my visit. I miss you guys already.

Golden Colorado

A short drive from Denver is the adorable college town of Golden. The town is centered around a small river that is used recreationally by tubers and kayakers. The only time I walked without seeing someone enjoying the water was the before sunrise dog walks. I tried out the tubing scene with some friends and it was an experience. Not sure how many rapids I went through, but I know I lost it on three of them getting thoroughly dunked in icy mountain water. It was fun, and I plan to do it again when we return.

I loved that the entire city was walkable. Great paths, great sidewalks, and really great beer. On a lark, I ordered a peanut butter stout. Belching Beaver is my new favorite beer. It was available on tap at multiple locations and if you see it I highly recommend trying it. My picture says it is from Canada, but I think that someone at the bar was confused by the CA of California. I will be watching for this everywhere I go now.

Silverthorne

We headed back into the mountains to beat the heat. This was a weak of record temps over a large part of the nation. Northern cities, like Portland and Seattle, are getting temps of well over 100 F. At over 9.1k feet, we are enjoying comfortable 60-degree weather with nights cool enough to run the furnace. Having a house with wheels has many benefits.

We’ve had a lot of amazing views in our travels, but our current camp site is possibly the best. At least top three. As I sit typing I can see out our window to a lovely lake backset by snow capped mountains. I managed to catch a cold now that I am not as diligent about my mask, and am so sad as I desperately want to get out and hike. This is another must return to location. I may hit urgent care tomorrow as there is no way I am leaving here without a little hiking.