Cross Country Adventure - Day 8 - Raton to Evergreen, Colorado

Raton, New Mexico is so close to the southern border of Colorado that within ten minutes of leaving our motel, we had crossed into Colorado. The scenery ahead changed dramatically with rocky crags and mountain ranges looming large in the distance. 

A three hour drive north on I-25 brought us to the town of Pueblo at an elevation of 4,695 ft. We found a parking lot which must rate as one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen.  

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The main street has a charming well-preserved feel to it.

And I assume the name of the bar, Gold Dust Salon, hints at the town’s past. 

Our biggest surprise however, came when we decided to walk to the bridge at the end of Main Street and discovered there was an attractive Riverwalk complex between the town’s two main bridges. It is not very long and appears to be a work-in-progress as some of the units were still empty, but it is a delightful place for a stroll on a sunny day, with outdoor cafes and riverboat trips on offer.

The walkways do continue beyond the bridges in both directions so I’m sure it’s possible to make a long walk out of it if you have the time. 

On the far side of the river a series of statues depicting young people playing sport line the water’s edge:

 

though we couldn’t decide which sport this one represented: 

All this exploring made us hungry so we had to check out the local bakery/café, Spritz, for yummy cup -cakes and to stock up with chocolate chip cookies for the onward journey. I think we’ve abandoned any idea of eating healthy on this trip!  

Spritz bakery & Cafe

By the time we reached Denver it was lunchtime. The last time I had been in Denver was in the 70’s on a Sunday – the city was basically closed. This time it was a weekday and very much open plus a lot bigger and busier than I remembered. We paid a quick trip to the State Capitol Building with its impressive gold dome.

State Capitol Building

If you stand on the 13^th step on the west side of the building you are exactly one mile above sea level. That seemed worthy of a photo.

One mile high!

There didn’t seem much else to see around the Capitol Building so we drove across town looking for somewhere to have lunch. The traffic was horrendous and parking difficult but eventually we found My Brother’s Bar which had an outdoor area and a private parking lot. They also served a tasty grilled cheese sandwich.

After lunch we gave up on the idea of further exploring Denver and headed straight for Evergreen where we were going to stay with friends of one of my daughter’s friends for two nights. The drive on I-40 was breathtaking as we headed into the Rocky Mountains albeit the view was a little hazy.

Heading to the mountains

shame about the haze, but still an impressive view

By the time we reached our exit to Evergreen Parkway the skies had cleared and we were in a gentler landscape. 

A long winding road led up from the Parkway to our final destination. Thankfully, despite our GPS telling us to turn onto a dirt road we discovered that the road had been paved over (several years earlier!) 

Celia and John, our hosts for the two nights, have a beautiful home. To protect their privacy I’m not going to post any pictures of it, but here’s a view from one of the many outdoor patios: 

Imagine having this view every day!

They were kind enough to cook us dinner. What better way to end the day than with good company, home cooked food and marvelous views.

Mel writes contemporary fiction with a twist of mystery and suspense. For more information about her books visit her website, or sign up for her newsletter at http://bit.ly/melparishnews