Day One - On the Road with Dominique

Will it be a struggle for me - this traveling with someone else? Not always doing just what I am ready to do at just the time I feel like doing it. Fortunately, Dominique is easy going. Often, she mis-translates what I have just commanded or at least pretends like she has! Sometimes, I misunderstand what she has just said. Both of us are quite loquacious! We will figure it out.

Gassed Up and Ready To Go

We are off to a pleasant start and have seen more varied terrain, weather, and people in one day than one could see in a week in most other parts of the world.

Took off from Denver around 9 AM - good we were an hour later than I had planned because there was no traffic.
On the way, we passed through the town of Lyons - named after Lyon France, I believe. Only here in the USA we added an "S" and call it Lions.

Lyons Sign on the Hill

Estes Park, Colorado is known for the wildlife that roams through the town streets. In the past, I have seen bears on front porches. The elk have lived within the city limits for so many generations they cross the street with the pedestrian Walk sign.
Didn't even see a house cat.

RMNP

On into Rocky Mountain National Park. In the distance we did manage to see a small herd of grazing elk in the distance.
I think they were females or maybe young males. They might even have been deer!
This was the only other sign of wildlife we saw:

Sign of Wildlife

Wildlife

In case you don't know, RMNP has some very high mountains. We drove up towards and then away from them

Would Have Been a Nice Picnic Spot

We thought we would have a picnic at a scenic spot. Then the rains came and we ran to the car to eat in the van.

But Then the Rain Came

None of this was the RMNP experience I had hoped for or experienced often in the past.

Can't She Read English

Dominique's French guidebook suggested Ft Collins, Colorado to view the charming pedestrian walk that "had inspired Walt Disney in his planning for Main Street at Disneyland."
I went to graduate school in Ft Collins at Colorado State University. 1974 was certainly after Walt had platted and built Disneyland. At that time, this charming "Main Street" in Ft Collins was mainly boarded up and pretty sad looking. I could certainly be wrong (moi?!), but I think Disneyland might have inspired Ft Collins to revitalize its Main Street.

Which Came First FC or WD

Whichever - it is a vital, lovely, and restored shopping area that extends along College Ave and the diagonal street. Dominique was surprised the pedestrian walkway was only one block long. Not like the city central in European towns.

Are These Rocky Mountain Goats

We stopped for coffee at the local (only) coffee shop on the pedestrian strip. Don't miss it. The people are very nice.

Coffee and Email Time

Couldn't find our way back to the car and flagged down a couple of young college guys on a scavenger hunt. (I asked and they replied "No," they didn't have old, fat lady on their list to find. Using our phones to search for the street we wanted, we realized we were standing at the intersection. Dominique looked down the street a block and saw Ol' '95 patiently waiting on us.

Ft Collins is on fertile plains - not Indiana-fertile - but definitely a change from the mountains.

Welcome to Wyoming

The truly open and wild prairie starts just North of Ft Collins. How did the French trappers, Native Americans, and settlers find their way without I25 and I80?

We stopped in Cheyenne. They have made some major, positive changes to the downtown and historic district.
The capitol is currently closed for renovation, but we managed to view the area sculptures - most through chain link fence.

Cowboy Artist

We were too late to tour the museum in the old Union Pacific depot, but certainly enjoyed the Depot Plaza.

Cheyenne Depot Plaza

If I had it to plan over again, I would have skipped RMNP and spent more time in Fort Collins and Cheyenne. Unless you are into hiking and big scenery, I recommend this alternative - especially if you are on your way to Yellowstone!

If you have never been to Eastern Wyoming, get ready for some wide open spaces. Then get ready for a downpour. Then get prepared for a hailstorm. Then get prepared for your GPS getting just a little confused when you are on the open prairie 90 miles north of Cheyenne and 20 miles south of Wheatland.

Between the Rain and the Hail

But it is all in the adventure.
If you are lucky, you will be a member of the Affordable Travel Club and have Edith expecting you.
She will not mind at all when you take over her kitchen and prepare a spaghetti dinner for the three of you.
She might even play a wee bit of guitar to get you ready for bed.

Edith Abby and Dominique

Dominique slept in the guest room and I was lulled by the rain and slept in Ol' '95. Fortunately, the hail stopped because that sounded like being inside of Bazil's drum kit.

Paula Is in the Van