Colorado, Day 3.

7/17/19:

(Above: Me, clad in a helmet and zipline harness, wondering what in the heck I’m doing.)

Preface: Did quite a lot today, and it is getting late! Apologies for spelling/grammatical errors and note-like quality of the summary, but I believe the content will make up for it (at least it did for me).

Summary: Today began with making cinnamon rolls* and doing some write time. After that, drove to where my brother is staying so he could drive to work (and so I could keep car afterward for my own shenanigans).

Commenced to go on a drive. Attempted to find Garden of the Gods trail, but overshot it, so I just kept on going, looking for anything interesting. Found a place to get a big ole Diet Coke (refreshing), and then I just kept driving. Ended up in Manitou Springs – a tiny valley town at the base of the infamous Incline. Did not go up Incline because it was far too toasty outside. Instead, I drove farther into the mountains until I came to a dead end. There, I got out and started along the Barr Trail in hopes of relieving my then-strained bladder**, but it was too narrow of a trail with too many people. Left that place in a hurry and resumed my hunt for interesting things / bathrooms.

Departed Manitou springs via my own random route until I came to a large highway. First instinct was to go left or right so I could get to a place with proper ‘facilities’. Instead went straight ahead to a place with a sign: ‘Wind Caverns’. Was a long, switchback drive up, and along the way I was enthused by the ruggedness and gradient of the terrain (sheer cliffs to the right side where I could see the red / grey / yellow / brown strata). Eventually came to the visitor center where they had a small restaurant.

Commenced to relieve myself before wandering around. I was really impressed by the view from the porch of that visitor center. It displayed the entire and most spectacular portion of the canyon whose name I never actually learned. All I know is that the small section I saw was far more ‘grand’ than the Grand Canyon I visited many years ago, and it was much more peaceful. Ended up finding out that they had zipline tours, and thinking that it’d be interesting to try a zipline for once, I signed up.

Had myself a relaxing wait (more in commentary), went on the zipline tour***, and then departed for home to go clean up / write before picking up Camoen. Picked him up, and he drove to his house where he changed into something more comfortable for our journey to Old Colorado City. Was a lengthy ride there on account of traffic, but I didn’t care. It was cool in that car, and I was in no rush whatsoever.

At Old Colorado City, we walked around for a little while before deciding to eat at “Dat’s Italian” – a little Italian place (of course) with a max occupancy of 49 people (more in commentary). This was followed by our getting some Ice Cream at the Colorado City Creamery****. After that, was the ride back ‘home’. We stopped by the store for some ingredients for tomorrow’s dinner (got some coarse ground corn meal for polenta and a few pieces of chocolate for Camoen and I). Now, the night ends with me putting together this container log and doing a tad bit of write time. Oh, and here’s more flowers:

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Commentary: Earlier, when I signed up for the zipline tour, I did not know it was going to be a one and a half hour wait. So, I wandered back to the porch of the visitor’s center – gravitated by the view of that tremendous gorge. I stood there peering down into the depths for a few minutes before getting a bit hot in the sun*****. Before going back inside in, I saw a shady section of porch with a few rocking chairs outside, and I was about to make my way to them when I also noticed that there was a snack bar nearby. The original intent was to acquire a morsel to eat, but I was not particularly hungry. No, I was more thirsty than hungry. So, I got a water, and on a spur of the moment decision, a cup of the snack-bar tender’s favorite draft beer. I commenced to go sit out on that shaded porch and do nothing except look out over the vista that lay before me – time and scenery and enjoyment melding into one and sprawling far into the hazy distance. Until they didn’t. Alas, the hour and a half passed in what may as well have been the blink of an eye, and it was time to go.

The second bit of commentary has to do with the restaurant where my brother and I ate this evening. It was named “Dat’s Italian!” and that indeed is what it was. The first thing the manager/owner (I think) did was offer me a bottle of Sparkling Water – an offer I speedily accepted. Then, at Camoen’s recommendation, I ordered the Pancetta Boats as our appetizer along with a Caesar salad for me and a glass of Laluca Prosecco. The Pancetta Boats were tremendous – they were made by curving pieces of Pancetta (by Camoen’s description: a bacon of the highest quality without the typical ‘clumsily cured’ flavor) into ‘boats’ and melting some fresh mozzarella cheese into them before salt and peppering them and serving with a balsamic glaze. The Caesar salad was tasty, as well, with the dressing being quite creamy and filled with Parmesan Reggiano, and as for the sparkling wine, it was bubbly and sour – just how I like my beverages.

The main course that followed was one that was recommended to me by our server (again, I think he was either an owner or head manager) who, at that point, had warmed up to us considerably and who did so even further when I asked him what wine he would recommend to go with my Pangasius Trenette Parmesan (a terrific combination of tender white fish served atop a bed of noodles doused in an in-house Alfredo sauce and almost entirely covered with melted parmesan cheese). His recommendation for wine was the Opici Basket Chianti – a red. I usually don’t care for red wines very much, but this one had a bite to it with hints of oak and smoke, and like I was told it would, the beverage paired excellently with the Pangasius. I think I’ll end up getting a bottle of Chianti at home, for I’m pretty certain that someone I know would appreciate its dry and unique flavor.  

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Final Note: I have a couple things planned for tomorrow, and they are only in regard to food. For breakfast/brunch, my brother and I will be going to the Lake Terrace Dining Room at Broadmoor Resort, and for a late-ish dinner, I will be cooking Picanha and Parmesan Polenta (and salad for me).

*Turned out salty on account of people replacing / adulterating bulk sugar at the Harvest Market (mentioned yesterday) with salt. Made new ones later on in the day, though, and Mmm… I had one of those from the second batch and it was delicious.

**Had drank a hefty amount of water and Diet Coke, after all.

***I enjoyed the walk due to the great views, but not so much the zipline portion. The heights did not bother me in the slightest; no, the main thing that irked me was the fact that I had to wander around for half a mile with my shorts being wedged up into my bollocks by the harness they strapped onto me. To add to this, they had braking systems on their ziplines that really joggled my back and neck at the end. Rides are not for Jacob. Mountain scenery is.

**** I got Cappuccino flavor. Was refreshing and reinvigorating at the same time.

*****Everyone I spoke to and many places that my brother and I walked by later on in the day were either remarking upon or had made advertising (chalk) signs based on the heat. [I.e. many places advertised “Cool Inside” or “AC in here” or in the case of a certain Chocolate Factory “Fudge doesn’t melt!”]