Skip to main content

Colorado 2023 - Day 1



Photo by: Tim Bindner

Day 1: 6.13.23

Marcie and I woke early and finished up packing the minor items for our trip. We turned up the AC to 80 degrees, locked the doors, turned off the lights, and packed phone chargers, snacks, and daily items like toothbrushes and deodorant.

I loaded up the car with two suitcases, one backpack with my camera gear, one sling bag for Marcie, and her purse. We had stopped the mail, and the neighbor was watering our garden for us and watching the house. We would have to make memories. Our day began in Lanesville, Indiana.

First stop was A Nice Restaurant (yes, that is what it is called). Marcie ordered biscuits and sausage gravy. I ordered eggs (scrambled), bacon (crisp) and biscuit and gravy. I finished mine and what Marcie had left of hers.

As we were waiting for the check, we had been watching a service dog and her master sit at the table close to us. The owner of the dog finished eating and gave the check and his debit/credit card to the dog, who walked it over to the server at the register (in her mouth). All eyes were on the server as they handed back the card and receipt. The dog then returned it to their owner before returning to their blanket. Oh, it’s not over.

He went to the restroom then came back and said watch this as everyone was looking. He stood up. Took his napkin and scrunched it into a ball and threw it on the floor. His dog got up, picked it up and took it over and placed it in the trash. She then went and got her blanket and took it to him, scooted the chair she was laying under back into place, handed her leash to him, and then took a bow for everyone. Laughter and applause filled the air.

We drove from there to the airport, arriving at 9:25am. We checked two bags, got our boarding passes (paper, yes, I’m old), then headed toward TSA. The line was not too bad, and we were at our gate by 9:45am. Our flight was to depart at 12:06pm, so we sat and waited.

Each minute that went by, I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve night. I was so looking forward to this trip. Marcie was too. Frankly, we both needed it.

Wheels up at 12:27pm, and a few hours later we arrived in Denver. We got our bags, caught a shuttle to the rental car agency and picked a Nissan Rogue Sport (orange). Loaded up, we drove towards our destination and home for the week. Nathrop, Colorado.

57.4 miles from where we left the airport in Denver, we stopped and ate. For dinner, Snowpack Taproom, in Conifer, Colorado, where we enjoyed a Detroit Style pepperoni pizza and two ice waters. The pizza was delicious, and the place was very accommodating.

We continued to drive 86.5 miles down Highway 285 toward our home, away from home. The GPS took us the quickest route. A two-lane highway that ran us through small hills, by large rocks, past creeks and fields with horses, sheep, and cows. The mountains grew large as we approached. We eventually arrived in the town of Nathrop. Population 288.

At our Airbnb, then made our way upstairs to unpack. The home was beautiful, but nothing beat the views. Outside the kitchen and from the front porch, I saw Collegiate Peaks. Turning my head slightly to the right, I was face to face with Mount Princeton. I was at the base of a 14,196 feet tall giant with a snow covered top. This will be my view for the next few days. Some days it was foggy, other sunshine, and others (and my favorite) misty and transparent. There were days when these mountains touched the sky and others where the tops disappeared above the clouds.

To stock up on provisions, we went to City Market in Buena Vista, CO. Apparently, the store is part of Kroger because I entered my phone number and got a discount. Typical stuff. Water, snacks, things for breakfast, then back to our temporary home.

We were 2 hours behind our current time, so we settled in and planned our next day’s adventure. Tomorrow might be my favorite day of the entire trip. More to come. Below is our route via Google from the airport to ‘home’.

Links to places I referenced below.

Until next time,

Tim

Nathrop, CO – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathrop,_Colorado

Mount Princeton – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Princeton

Nissan Rogue Sport – https://www.nissanusa.com/shopping-tools/build-price?models=rogue-sport&color=orange

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mentor

  When my photography journey rekindled back in 2015 with a trip to Maine, I never knew how far I would come and how important pushing a button on a camera would be. I have come a long way, but still have so much more to learn. A mentor is described as an experienced and trusted adviser (noun) . Also, as someone who will advise or train (someone, especially a younger  colleague ) (verb). Wikipedia also states mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person.  Since I have gotten more serious about my photography, I have been looking for a mentor that fits these categories listed above. Seeking guidance, I reached out to a handful of “professional” photographers to inquire about mentorship. I received no response from one person, another person casually mentioned that they rarely mentor, and a third person kindly explained that they ...

Nobody's Listening

  I recently had conversations with two people I know that had experienced a sudden rash of acute anxiety. One was medication related, the other was situational. Both stated that they now had a better understanding of what I have been dealing with. With the recent changes to my medication, Although I still feel anxiety, it no longer takes control of my emotions like it did in the past. However, I know acutely that it still lurks on the fringes, patiently awaiting its chance to pounce on me. During my recent visit to Dr. Erin, she assigned me an exercise where I had to jot down three things each day that I felt I excelled at. This is proving to be difficult for me. The parameters are straightforward and easy to understand. “Anything I do well that day,” she said. As I continued with this exercise, I began thinking of a song by Linkin Par called Nobody’s Listening. I got a heart full of pain, head full of stress Handful of anger held in my chest And everything left’s a wast...

Tested

  Life is a series of tests, pushing us to our limits and forcing us to grow. All blessings originate from a God, yet they manifest through different circumstances, encounters, and individuals. Throughout the past six weeks, I have encountered a myriad of these tests. This is part of the reason I have not written in a while - the constant distractions that have consumed my time and focus. Balancing my mental state and warding off anxiety has consumed my attention, leaving no room to articulate my thoughts through writing. My journey began recently when, with the advice of a medical professional, I began taking Trintellix at its lowest dose of 5mg per day. Gradually I increased to 10mg a day and now am at 20mg a day. During this time, my anxiety has lessened quite a bit, but recent events have put this medication to the test. Our initial challenge was to carefully research vans, searching for ones that would be ideal for safely transporting our furry companions. The cramped spac...