Wild Colorado

We drove the wrong route into Nevada, and after going 30 miles in the wrong direction we reversed another half hour and finally headed East, pulling an all-nighter straight through Utah; stopping for only a nap and some breakfast in Provo.

Jared found free camping in Hot Sulphur Springs, CO and we camped out there the 24 and 25; the first night, the campground was full, so we made our own tent spot by a river and frolf course within the campground.

The second night we snagged a site. Late both nights, the train ran on the tracks through the camp ground....but it was free, so hey whatever.

Tyler bought us two-day passes to the Hot Sulpher Springs that the little town was made for; they were conveniently a short stumble from the campground and we sat in the pools both nights--all 18 of them. Made of differing shapes, depths, materials, and temperatures, they smelled terrible but were cleansing, relaxing, and provided a great view.

This photo from Wikimedia shows the pools, lodge, and railroad in 1910, and it looks surprisingly similar today.

While we gave ourselves the spa treatment, Kaylie and Jared went tubing along the hairpin river that ran through the campground.

On the 26, we bailed for Morrison where a Nahko and String Cheese Incident concert awaited us.

We made it just in time for the show. For the encore, they covered the Grateful Dead and the Talking Heads. Kaylie and Jared bailed before the encore, and they missed out big time.

The next day, we all managed to wake up in time to return to Red Rocks for an Alt-J show.

They sounded like a dream, and their light show was unexpectedly incredible.

Kaylie and Jared gave us a ride to Tyler's friend's house so we could get our car from the amphitheater in the morning. They then proceeded back home, with our keys in the car.

Which we didn't realize until the morning.

So they overnighted the keys to us, and Tyler, Boe, and I roamed around the area.

We had salmon cakes and lobster mac n cheese, with some very expensive drinks at a restaurant in a near-by business park.

We retired back to the house for another night, and the key was at the door the next morning.

In no hurry to get home, we only made it to Ft Collins before detouring to Road 34 Bike Shop and Bar.

A New Belgium Brewery tour followed. It was free, and also the most extravagant brewery tour I've taken.

We crashed at a hotel for the night and drove home the next day.

Back to the real world.