Estes Park, CO... the Shining set

My aunt picked to go see the house they used to in the mini-series of "The Shining". Located in Estes Park, Colorado... what a beautiful setting!!!

Centennial & ride to it

Smalltown Centennial... images of cowboys and indians & hardy folk... bullwhips, horses, tall stories & great grub... yup, that's what ya find at these kinds of celebrations. I especially enjoyed listening to Calamity Jane's great niece (the lady above with the horse) tell the story of her aunt & her aunt's beau, Wild Bill Hickok livin in Deadwood. Wow, those whips are L O U D!!!!

Had the most interesting lesson from a lady who is really into the American Plains Indians.. that's her bona fide tee pee... she runs a demonstration on how the Plains women carried out their domestic duties... from food prep to clothing. Spent nearly the entire afternoon just listening and asking questions.

On the ride over we spotted a herd of buffalo... they were just hangin out... then like a spring goin off, they started prancing and running into each other... funny! We stopped for gas.. funky, old timey still functioning gas pumps!!!

cheyenne frontier days& air show

Went to Cheyenne Frontier Days & the Air Show... with family & met one of my oldest friends from high school! He's very active in the Kiwanis Club and manages to come up from Colorado to do the Cowboy Breakfast every year. Was great to see him again!!! : )

bIkE rIdE! :D & hike

My babiest cousin... just out of the US Navy... has a truck, a corvette & a yamaha v star 650... the vette needed parts, but the truck & bike were awesome!

wYoMiNg

*smalltown, wyoming*

Headed to smalltown, Wyoming...
pop <200, elev <7300 ft
1st stop: dad's baby brother and family.

Poplars

(This belongs with the Lake Tahoe & Truckee post... but thought it worth adding nonetheless.)

After the early yummy breakfast at the B&B, "before I went back to sleep, I walked the dogs in the specified area, which is where I first noticed the Poplar Trees. We had them at our place in upstate New York... not unpleasant to see, but it's sort of a plain jane tree. A grey-ish looking trunk, with smaller type of round shaped leaves with jagged edges. The thing that is remarkable about this tree is that the leaves are placed just at the correct distances from each other, allowing the wind to blow the leaves into making a gentle clapping sound. I stood listening for the longest time that morning... soaking it in."