Despite the headline, this is not a parody in a blog to E.L. James’ erotic best-seller 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. I’ll leave that number to EL Fowler, the pen name for the author behind,
50 Shades of Chicken, a cookbook set to hit the stands in early November. Apparently this “established food industry professional” has some tantalizing recipes to whet your appetite when it comes to chicken: Mustard Spanked Chicken, Dripping Thighs and Holy Hell Wings.
Mother nature doesn’t require accessories to taunt and tantalize although feel free to writhe with pleasure as I share intimate details of the drive Jim and I made to the top of America’s highest continuous paved road. It’s safe to say Jim took me to new heights of pleasure as we explored the alpine tundra and crossed the Continental Divide at Milner’s Pass.
50 Shades of Chicken, a cookbook set to hit the stands in early November. Apparently this “established food industry professional” has some tantalizing recipes to whet your appetite when it comes to chicken: Mustard Spanked Chicken, Dripping Thighs and Holy Hell Wings.
Mother nature doesn’t require accessories to taunt and tantalize although feel free to writhe with pleasure as I share intimate details of the drive Jim and I made to the top of America’s highest continuous paved road. It’s safe to say Jim took me to new heights of pleasure as we explored the alpine tundra and crossed the Continental Divide at Milner’s Pass.
Look at those curves!
We picked up the east end of Trail Ridge Road (Route 34) just outside Estes Park, Colorado, appropriately dubbed ‘The Gateway to the Rocky Mountains’, where a $20 fee bought us a ‘ticket to ride’ through Rocky Mountain National Park for 7 consecutive days.
I'll have a #3 Rocky Mountain Special, hold the traffic and I'll have a little extra wildlife please.
We didn’t think our 50 mile trek through the park and across the Continental Divide to the town of Grand Lake, Colorado would take days but of course does anyone ever plan on falling in line behind a family of sightseers intent on viewing it all from the comfort of their Winnebago moving at a snail’s pace. Don’t mind my rhetorical question. That’s just me (and my fingers) reminiscing out loud.
Jim and I got out of line and out of our car the first chance we got, before risking going out of our minds following said Winnebago. Ah, there’s nothing like a breath of fresh air and breathtaking scenery to improve one’s outlook on life. There was plenty of both for cleansing the mind, body and soul.
Jim and I got out of line and out of our car the first chance we got, before risking going out of our minds following said Winnebago. Ah, there’s nothing like a breath of fresh air and breathtaking scenery to improve one’s outlook on life. There was plenty of both for cleansing the mind, body and soul.
50 shades of green rather than grey still manages to take my breath away.
By the time we’d climbed to an elevation of 10,000 feet, the bent and gnarled branches of the pine trees had become a reminder of the forces of nature (and nuisance) all life must endure.
I guess the conversation with Mother Nature was a little one-sided.
As we made our way up the mountain, literally cutting through the rocky terrain of the higher
elevations, the trees and people diminished considerably. This ‘land above the trees’, the highest of any national park at a little over 12,000 feet above sea level near Fall River Pass, is a hostile environment year round, often buried in upwards of 20 feet of snowpack during the winter months; the Trail Ridge Road is typically closed from the first snowfall to mid-May each year.
elevations, the trees and people diminished considerably. This ‘land above the trees’, the highest of any national park at a little over 12,000 feet above sea level near Fall River Pass, is a hostile environment year round, often buried in upwards of 20 feet of snowpack during the winter months; the Trail Ridge Road is typically closed from the first snowfall to mid-May each year.
More curves! I wasn't kidding when I said this trip was very tantalizing.
Vegetation had been reduced to shrubs and low lying grasses and plants. Signs were posted at designated stops requesting park visitors remain on the walkways provided to avoid harming the fragile tundra of the alpine ecosystem. Obviously, there was no hiking at this
elevation.
elevation.
Who says the world isn't flat!
Once again, I was in awe of the stark beauty and grandeur of this majestic place; the passage of time (just a mere 2 billion years) these mountains represent; the forces in play here (volcanic and glacial) that render the park such a thing of beauty; in awe of my tiny, infinitesimal part of the life and history of this corner of the cosmos.
Tell me you don't see 50 shades of grey in that magnificent landscape!!!
I think after years of working in a small, cinderblock classroom filled to the brim with people and purpose I tend to gravitate to the peace and quiet of the great outdoors, to places that cleanse my soul as well as my mind.
That’s the thing about travel. There’s something out there for everyone, for every need, interest and budget. I’d neglected this part of my humanity as a wife, mother and teacher. There were only so many hours in the day, so many ways to stretch a dollar. The concept of a global village had yet to move my horizon beyond the American dream.
I marvel and envy the tenacity of today’s generation to explore and expand their world, to discard the 9-to-5 for a different interpretation of a life fulfilled. They have so many more options than I did. They also seem to know much sooner that there are only so many days in a
lifetime; and no amount of money will buy more of those days.
Of course, the world is a different place too. But some things are timeless. It’s those timeless
things – the fjords of Iceland;
That’s the thing about travel. There’s something out there for everyone, for every need, interest and budget. I’d neglected this part of my humanity as a wife, mother and teacher. There were only so many hours in the day, so many ways to stretch a dollar. The concept of a global village had yet to move my horizon beyond the American dream.
I marvel and envy the tenacity of today’s generation to explore and expand their world, to discard the 9-to-5 for a different interpretation of a life fulfilled. They have so many more options than I did. They also seem to know much sooner that there are only so many days in a
lifetime; and no amount of money will buy more of those days.
Of course, the world is a different place too. But some things are timeless. It’s those timeless
things – the fjords of Iceland;
I can only hope for this much magnificance with the passage of more and more time.
the road to Hana (and beyond);
Mountains don't have to be rocky to be magnificant.
the plains of South Dakota;
Hey, this stuff goes on and on for miles and miles.
the Rocky Mountains of Colorado that ground me as the world threatens to spin out of control
Time and a lot of pushing and shoving is all mother nature needed for these beautiful peaks.
with every broadcast of the nightly news; I rarely have the time or opportunity to catch the nightly news when I travel. It’s heavenly.
It was heavenly driving Route 34's ‘highway to the sky,’ seeing the world from a distance with a perspective we can rarely afford in the fray of the moment.
It was heavenly driving Route 34's ‘highway to the sky,’ seeing the world from a distance with a perspective we can rarely afford in the fray of the moment.
More 50 shades of grey. The ride to the top took my breath away!
Jim took a moment to snag a piece of the action (courtesy of a park ranger and one bull elk) while I snagged a picture of my proud buck.
Jims definitely lost if he thinks we're still in Iceland.
We stopped at Milner’s pass three quarters of the way through our drive to commemorate crossing the Continental Divide, one of six drainage systems spanning the North American continent.
Wow, the septum in my nose pretty much does the same thing! Cool!
We wandered out to Poudre Lake, headwaters of the Cache La Poudre River before resuming
Wow, doesn't it just make you want to reflect on all the beauty around us?
the last leg of our journey through the forests of pine and grassy plains that dominate the Montane ecosystem at the lower levels of the park.
Nothing like a quiet meadow after all the excitement.
We reached Grand Lake at the western end of Trail Ridge Road approximately five hours after beginning our journey.
Looks like Colorado's version of Lake Tahoe.
It was indeed grand; while our passage was not marked by the rigor of hiking or biking, Jim was exhausted from driving the winding, two-lane highway. We were both feeling the effects of the altitude – fatigue, headache, irritability. Okay, irritability isn’t one of the symptoms, just a byproduct of the first two.
We needed food and water and a chance to stretch our legs after all the mind-bending, 50 shades of magnificent beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park. It was pure ecstasy; okay, maybe the next best thing.
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We needed food and water and a chance to stretch our legs after all the mind-bending, 50 shades of magnificent beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park. It was pure ecstasy; okay, maybe the next best thing.
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The bottom line on the Rocky Mountain National Park:
Verdict: A must see if you're in the Denver area, especially when the hustle and bustle of the big city gets old.
How to Get There: From the Denver area take Highway 36 northwest through the towns of Boulder and Lyons to Estes Park. Pick up Route 34 in the heart of Estes Park. Approximate driving time is 90 minutes to cover the 65 miles of two lane highway between Denver and this gateway to the Rocky Mountains National Park.
Ideal for: Anyone who enjoys biking, hiking, camping, fishing, skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding or the great outdoors. I think that covers just about everybody who's not living under a rock.
Inside Tips: Dress in layers. Temperatures at the higher elevations often drop ten to twenty degrees. If you're not accustomed to the altitude, allow extra time for acclimating. Be sure to check weather conditions before visiting via this link. If you want to stay in the park rather than nearby Estes Park, the YMCA has two year-round accomodations, including cabins. Plan ahead; it's a popular choice. Be sure to check park website for days the entrance fee are waived. There are five alone this year.
Nearby Food: There are a handful of visitor centers; some serve food, some do not. And of course there is a plethora of food options in nearby Estes Park.
Verdict: A must see if you're in the Denver area, especially when the hustle and bustle of the big city gets old.
How to Get There: From the Denver area take Highway 36 northwest through the towns of Boulder and Lyons to Estes Park. Pick up Route 34 in the heart of Estes Park. Approximate driving time is 90 minutes to cover the 65 miles of two lane highway between Denver and this gateway to the Rocky Mountains National Park.
Ideal for: Anyone who enjoys biking, hiking, camping, fishing, skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding or the great outdoors. I think that covers just about everybody who's not living under a rock.
Inside Tips: Dress in layers. Temperatures at the higher elevations often drop ten to twenty degrees. If you're not accustomed to the altitude, allow extra time for acclimating. Be sure to check weather conditions before visiting via this link. If you want to stay in the park rather than nearby Estes Park, the YMCA has two year-round accomodations, including cabins. Plan ahead; it's a popular choice. Be sure to check park website for days the entrance fee are waived. There are five alone this year.
Nearby Food: There are a handful of visitor centers; some serve food, some do not. And of course there is a plethora of food options in nearby Estes Park.
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