On our separate ways ... Jim and Kathy wanted to visit Mesa Verde National Park. We have recently trekked all over Mesa Verde National Park and decided instead to visit our neighbors ... Laurie and Harry.
Yes, we traveled all the way to Ridgway, CO to visit our neighbors on our street. Laurie and Harry recently completed the build of their custom dream home on a lot that they owned in Ridgway overlooking a lovely meadow valley with the San Juan Mountains in the majestic background. The drive is about two hours from Durango and through the mountain towns of Silverton and Ouray, over three significant mountain passes (Coal Bank, Molas Pass, and Red Mountain). Fritz was very glad that he was not having to pull Bambi through those high mountain passes.
The view from their back porch was stunning! Harry has long promised me a chair in his breakfast nook to gaze on the mountains and the view was worth the wait. No picture can capture the grandeur of the setting ... mustangs (rescue) grazing in the valley below, storm clouds building over the mountains. Paul took a panoramic shot of the mountains, but even that did not capture the beauty of the peaks still littered with snow.
After the grand home tour (and the house is grand ... one might need a walkie-talkie to remain in contact with other people in the home) and catching up on what has been happening both in Colorado and here in our Tucson neighborhood, we headed into the town of Ridgway for lunch at the True Grit Saloon and Restaurant. Apparently the movie, True Grit, was filmed in the surrounding area and one wall of the restaurant was included in the original True Grit film. The restaurant is a shrine to all things pertaining to John Wayne ... and lots of stuffed animals (to add to the rugged, western atmosphere).
We enjoyed the town ... it had an old Colorado town, but a sense that real people lived in the town ... not just a re-created town for tourists. We hope to come back ...
Our trip was punctuated by a dramatic rain storm that swooped into town as we ran for our cars ...
We'll definitely be back ...
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