July 23rd-July 24, 2014-Breckenridge-preparing to leave Buena Vista

Wednesday July 23, 2014 I already like the way today is starting. after the norm, we are heading out but....we're not packing a picnic lunch, even tho Otis is going with us!?! Today we're driving into Breckenridge, a definite TOURIST town, well we're tourist!!! 

Breckenridge was only about 60 miles away, & it was a scenic drive over there.

Soon enough we see the town!

Course Lennie had done his homework, & already knew where there was a pet friendly restaurant, & he timed our drive over there just in time for lunch!?!

I had my favorite, a Swiss mushroom burger, "Mr. Healthy" had a chicken sandwich. Otis got a little bit of both! This restaurant was so pet friendly (patio seating only!) that the waiter brought Otis his own water bowl! Otis behaved VERY WELL at the restaurant!

We left the restaurant to look around in some of the MANY shops, first one I went in.....thunder started booming! Thunder makes Otis real nervous! I left the shop to see what Lennie wanted to do, so far it seemed Otis was okay, I went into a few more shops, but......it had started to rain!

Instead of dodging rain we decided to head back, the temperatures had dropped to the point of needing our jackets! Walking back to the car we made one more stop, Lennie's idea too!?!

Yes.....a cookie shop! He got us one cookie apiece & Otis, who never eats sweets, decided this was a good time to discover he does like "some" cookies!!!

Rainy & now cold....let's go home!

As I said, it wasn't that far back to Buena Vista & not too far into the drive I think....I think I see blue skies???

Yay, blues skies in the clearing!

Then ahead a drive approaches us from the opposite direction & flashes his lights at us? We're NOT speeding, I wonder what's up? All too soon we see the flashing police lights, we can tell the road is closed, we fear an accident & I don't want to drive by an accident.....

Thank goodness, it's NOT an accident, it's a cattle drive! The police shut the road down so the COWBOYS could take the cattle across the highway from one field to another!

This was cool! We've never encountered a cattle drive in all our traveling!?!

"round them up,head 'em out...rawhide!"

Otis checking it out!

"Move along little doggies"!

When it was over, the head cowboy shook the officer's hand, a gesture of appreciation....

after all, look at the traffic jam it caused!?!

After the excitement of the cattle drive, the rest of the evening seemed pretty blah!?! It was way too cloudy tonight to see a sunset, but still the skies looked pretty cool!

Tomorrow is a work day as we prepare to leave Buena Vista,Colorado!

Good-Night!

July 21st-July 22, 2014-Chalk Creek Canyon-Ghost Town-Continental Divide-Clear Creek Canyon & Ghost Town

Monday July 21, 2014 Our plans today after our "normal routine" was to go downtown Buena Vista & check out what the town has to offer.

We tried to check out the town before but we had "Mr. Otis" with us!!!

I've been wanting to poke around in this JUNK SHOP ever since we got to town, it's always been closed, Due to Illness....

Buena Vista had a lot of businesses in town, but only a few "fun shops" It didn't take to long to check everything out! That'll make Otis happy!

Our picnic today is at the RV, afterwards we're going sightseeing....so is Otis!

I know there's a dog close by, begging for a bite of hot dog!!!

After lunch we're off to an exciting adventure....We're taking the Chalk Creek Canyon driving tour which offers several ghost town sites!They are the remains of mining & railroad towns. who knows...maybe we'll see a ghost!?! Let's Go!!!

It's quite the scenic drive!

This is when you need a video camera to get the full effects of the waterfalls!

St. Elmo

The town of St Elmo is an authentic Colorado mining town.St Elmo was originally known as Forest City. It seems unbelievable that the now remote, deserted ghost town boasted a population of over 2,000 a hundred years ago!

We didn't see a ghost while walking around  St Elmo, or did we.........???

Who's that peeking out the window!?!

Although St Elmo is now a National Historic site, I couldn't help but wonder if it's really known for all the history behind it's name or.......the little ground squirrels that are just begging for a handout!?! I mean, why else would they sell sunflower seeds for feedings!?!

Otis wants a handout!?!

It was a fun day, but time to head back

before the late afternoon showers catch us!!

Looks like a busy day of sight seeing was just tooooooo much for Otis, or maybe a Ghost spooked him!?!

July 19th-July 20, 2014- What a day!!!! More sightseeing -We moved!

Saturday July 19, 2014 Today we had big plans! After breakfast, we'll walk Otis & then we're going to leave him home for awhile while we slip off to the Buena Vista Flea Market!!! The Flea Market is a new feature in town for Buena Vista, it's only been open for 3 weeks! We don't really know where it's at, only that it's out on Rodeo Road, but they'll probably be signs to follow. Rodeo Road....that tells me the outskirts of town, somewhere with enough space to hold a rodeo!

Okay....here we go, & we do see a sign, easy enough, & we arrive at the FLEA MARKET!!!!Sorry but no pictures of the flea market, there were ONLY 2 vendors present! We didn't even get out of our car! There was definitely plenty of parking space available!!! With no flea market....we decided to go back to the RV park, pack a picnic lunch, grab Otis & head to Salida for a picnic!

 We arrive in Salida & much to our dismay the city park says: NO PETS!!! Whaatt? This is not a good day! Okay....let's backtrack. Before we reached Salida we saw a park. We'll just go back there & eat!

                     The park is nice, a great place for boaters, & rafters to take off from

& the view of the parking lot is perfect!

we're enjoying our lunch until RAIN forces us to finish our picnic in the car!!!

  After we finished our picnic in the car.....we drove back to Salida!

Another historic town that was fun to walk around in.

Lennie, checking in on home while I check out the shops!

When we arrived in Salida, we noticed some of the streets were closed off. We soon discovered why!

A bike race!

Lennie said those RACERS are lucky he didn't have his bike there!!!

We were walking to the River Walk area, don't know what this was all about, but....it was a Kodak moment, that's for sure!!! (There was no pig roast going on???)

The River Walk area is a good source of dining & fun! The people here sure take full advantage of their natural resource!

Even the pooch gets into the act!

We head back to our car now & luck would have it....the afternoon shower!

We stand in the doorway of a shop, till the rain lets up, & as we walk to our car....there is no evidence of rain from the doorway of the shop we took shelter in, to our car!!! Figure that one!?!

                       Driving back to the RV Park we could still see evidence of rain!

But surprise, surprise by the time we got to Buena Vista, the rain had stopped, & we stopped too! For ICE CREAM!!!!

I DID NOT need that ice cream!But it was good! Once on the lips....forever on the hips. I've had waaaay too much ice cream....

This guy's not worried about his hips!

It was a real nice park behind the ice cream                                                                                                                                   shop!

Back at the RV, our evening was pretty much the usual, dinner, dishes, Otis' walk but then....our surge protector kept shutting our electricity off indicating an electrical problem somewhere??? Looks like I can't blog tonight! Lennie went up to the office while I got the lantern out & wrote postcards!

For the rest of the night, we plugged in into the electrical box at the empty camping site besides us. We'll see what happens in the morning!