golfkat Travel Blog

Bolder in Boulder

Posted by golfkat on September 6, 2017

Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Shopping, Sports, Travel. Leave a comment

From a similar trip in 2011:

Perhaps one of the most unique and enjoyable small college towns is Boulder, home to the University of Colorado, and numerous athletes in training. I have had the good fortune to visit and stay many times in the past, primarily for business, but also for après ski and to play tennis. It ranks up there with many of the cutest little college towns, and perhaps the most charming in the western United States. A bonus is the famous Pearl Street Mall, a magnet for students, shoppers, runners, cyclists, people watchers, and street performers.

Outside Magazine rated Boulder the number one sports town in America. I would rank it almost as high as Queenstown, New Zealand. With the Rocky Mountains as a backyard, Boulder offers hiking, cycling, and climbing, along with skiing and boarding during the winter. Add the Boulder nightlife, and the reasons for never leaving Boulder after graduation come to light.

Boulder has over 300 miles of hiking and cycling trails and 45,000 acres of open space. Add in hot air balloons, rafting or kayaking through the center of town, fly fishing, and golf. Sounds like paradise to me!

Founded in 1858 by gold seekers, the Chautauqua came along in 1898. True to the nature of their founders and the spirit of the region, Boulder is often called, “The People’s Republic of Boulder.” The University of Colorado was founded in 1877, and likewise continued the spirit of free thinking with the nickname, “Athens of the West.” Recently, the Naropa Institute, founded by Tibetan Buddhists, opened in 1974, adding an even more progressive educational element to the Boulder scene.

Boulder is also known for its cultural creativity as well. It was voted one of the Top 25 Small Cities for Art, but American Style magazine. Several national laboratories and high tech companies have also moved into the area to tap the atmosphere of entrenuership, free-thinking, and innovation. Boulder is rather proud of their collective IQ!

But for me, Boulder’s initial attraction was the college town party atmosphere, and plethora of energetic coeds ready to dance the night away. Places like the West End Tavern, Walnut Brewery, Bitter Bar, and Salt seem to come alive around 10 or 11pm. The place I remember from the 70s was Bananas, back then a rather hip and exotically decorated body bar or meat market.

A must stay for Boulder is the famous and iconic Hotel Boulderado, founded in 1909. With a magnificent lobby, and 160 guest rooms, the Boulderado is in the heart of the downtown action. During business meetings there, it was so tempting to sneak out and just people watch on the Mall on a sunny afternoon. Of course, cocktail time on the Boulderado veranda was unmatched for viewing the activity below. Among its many famous guests were Robert Frost (my favorite poet), Helen Keller, Billy Sunday, Enos Mills, Franklin Roosevelt, and Ethel Barrymore.

With a population around 100,00 people, Boulder and the University were prime attractions for the hippies of the 1960s. The Southern Arapahoe tribe wintered at the base of the Rocky Mountains near Boulder. Gold, silver, and coal mining brought the first wave of immigrants and settlers.

Today, Boulder’s population is younger than the national average with a median of 29 years, versus 35 years for the country. Per capita income is around $32,000 (household income is $50,000) making Boulder is one of the most affluent cities in Colorado. Some more reasons to like Boulder:

The 10 Happiest Cities – # 1 – Moneywatch.bnet.com
Top Brainiest Cities – #1 – Portfolio.com
Ten Best Cities for the Next Decade – 4th – Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine
Top 25 Destinations in the US – #19 – TripAdvisor.com
Top 100 Places to Live – #9 -RelocateAmerica.com
Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index – #1 – USA Today
Healthiest Town in the US – #2 -Men’s Health
Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid – #1 – Backpacker Magazine
Top 25 Arts Destinations for a small city – #8 – American Style magazine
America’s Top 25 Towns to Live Well – #1 – Forbes.com
Top Ten Best Midsize Metropolitan Areas – #2 – Bizjounrals.com
Most Bicycle Friendly Cities in the World – #4 – Virgin Vacations website
Most Educated City in America – #1 – Forbes magazine
Top 10 Healthiest Cities to Live and Retire – #6 – AARP magazine
Best Green Places to Live in America – #5 – Country Home magazine
Top 10 Farmer’s Market – #6 – Eating Well magazine
Top Triathlon Town – #1 – Inside Triathlon magazine
Top 10 Cities for Artists – #8 – Business Week
Lesser-Known LGBT Family-Friendly Cities – #1 – Wearegoodkin.com
America’s Foodiest Town – #1 – Bon Appetit magazine

I rest my case. You must visit next time you come out here to ski, hike, bike, or chill.

My plane ride from Oak-town to Denver was short and sweet, as I was upgraded, and sat next to an Anthony Bourdain look alike. I drove to Boulder before checking into my hotel and browsing the 16th Street Mall. My hotel is way too hip for me. The Jet Hotel’s entire lobby is a bar with blaring DJ music, and a line of wanna-babes, and dudes standing in line to get in. Yours truly just walks up to Marty, the head honcho. He shakes my hand and lets me in. Eat your hearts out, you little hot hard bodies!!!

Fast forward to 2017, here I am. And it still has the charm that it always has. Boulder is a great place to visit!

The NEW Downtown Denver

Posted by golfkat on September 6, 2017

Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Travel. Leave a comment

I have been to Denver probably close to twenty times. It is always a great place to visit, dine, drink, carouse, and watch my Giants beat the Rockies. Perhaps these are some more interesting things to do.

1. Win a dildo at erotic bingo. Mooney’s in LoDo has Bingo every Monday at 7pm. It is also called “Forbidden Bingo” as a sexy play on the popular senior citizen game. You can also win blow up dolls, and vibrating rings. Most importantly, drinks are 50% off until 11pm.

2. Head over to Barcade for a modern take on “bar meets arcade” that only Denver can do. They have both classic and modern arcade games, 45 games, and 16 pinballs machines, Skee-Ball and Giant Jenga. Not to mention a great local beer selection. Two other places are Monkey Barrel Bar, and Star Bar.

3. Nibble on psychedelic candy at your local “butt-tender” (cannabis house). You can also get edibles like chocolate bars, mints and gummies that are just as delicious as Sour Patch Kids, but with a more psychedelic effect instead of just a sugar rush. Warning: While they taste just like candy, I wouldn’t recommend having more than one at a time and seeing how you respond to it. They’re strong! (quoting their web site).

4. Share a house with strangers with AirBnB. Just make sure to get one close to light rail, or the train to downtown.

5. Visit Denver’s great bookstore, the Tattered Cover Book Store. Grab a Vail Mountain Roasters Coffee inside, along with single origin chocolate, and a decadent pastry before diving into bargain books, classic, and indie titles.

6. Grab some exotic meats at Biker Jim’s, a hot dog place with a unique menu. They have sustainably raised elk, wild boar, rattlesnake, reindeer, buffalo, pheasant, and duck. Hot dogs are $6, and smothered with organic vegetables, celery powder and sea salt. They even have a bat dog, sweet and smokey.

7. Try some improv at Comedy Works, or Voodoo Comedy Playhouse. They have old fashioned comedy, along with twenty improv comedy events, karaoke, and even an improv school. See that, Barry the V!

8. Try some really unexpected dishes at TAG Continental Social Food for atypical dishes that push the boundary of creative cuisine. The chef’s Hawaiian upbringing and travels throughout the world result in tacos filled with sushi, crispy duck leg in chicken sausage, and seared yellow tail crusted in pop rocks.

9. Dive into the “Brothel Burger” at Ophelia’s. The Brothel is an ostrich burger topped with miso candied bacon, ponzu onions, and pickled veggies on a pretzel bun. Why brothel? The building was once a seductive peep show parlor, brothel, and literotica shop.

10. My kind of place is the Black Eye Coffee Shop. They have fresh coffee in a variety of drips, cortaditos, and artistic lattes. Among breakfast items are the corn dog Bloody Mary, oxtail chilaquiles, and confit friend chicken and biscuits.

11. After all of this eating and drinking, there is still time to catch a cabaret show at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret. They feature burlesque with raunchy comedy, sexy 90’s swing, offbeat magic shows

Save all to OneDrive – Personal

1. Win a dildo at erotic bingo. Mooney’s in LoDo has Bingo every Monday at 7pm. It is also called “Forbidden Bingo” as a sexy play on the popular senior citizen game. You can also win blow up dolls, and vibrating rings. Most importantly, drinks are 50% off until 11pm.

2. Head over to Barcade for a modern take on “bar meets arcade” that only Denver can do. They have both classic and modern arcade games, 45 games, and 16 pinballs machines, Skee-Ball and Giant Jenga. Not to mention a great local beer selection. Two other places are Monkey Barrel Bar, and Star Bar.

4. Share a house with strangers with Air BnB. Just make sure to get one close to light rail, or the train to downtown.

5. Visit Denver’s great bookstore, the Tattered Cover Book Store. Grab a Vail Mountain Roasters Coffee inside, along with single origin chocolate, and a decadent pastry before diving into bargain books, classic, and indie titles.

6. Grab some exotic meats at Biker Jim’s, a hot dog place with a unique menu. They have sustainably raised elk, wild boar, rattlesnake, reindeer, buffalo, pheasant, and duck. Hot dogs are $6, and smothered with organic vegetables, celery powder and sea salt. They even have a bat dog, sweet and smokey.

7. Try some improv at Comedy Works, or Voodoo Comedy Playhouse. They have old fashioned comedy, along with twenty improv comedy events, karaoke, and even an improv school. See that, Barry the V!

8. Try some really unexpected dishes at TAG Continental Social Food for atypical dishes that push the boundary of creative cuisine. The chef’s Hawaiian upbringing and travels throughout the world result in tacos filled with sushi, crispy duck leg in chicken sausage, and seared yellow tail crusted in pop rocks.

9. Dive into the “Brothel Burger” at Ophelia’s. The Brothel is an ostrich burger topped with miso candied bacon, ponzu onions, and pickled veggies on a pretzel bun. Why brothel? The building was once a seductive peep show parlor, brothel, and literotica shop.

11. After all of this eating and drinking, there is still time to catch a cabaret show at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret. They feature burlesque with raunchy comedy, sexy 90’s swing, offbeat magic shows, celebrity impersonators, and an educational class called Spanking and Martinis Booty School.

For as many times as I have been here, I have never been to any of these places. They must be relatively new.

Also new:

A. The new A Line train of course, from Union Station, out to the “new” Denver airport about a half hour east of the city. Just 37 minutes from downtown to the airport, so I can get rid of my rental car a day earlier. The airport fare is $9. It should work out well for me!

B. The new B-Cycle, bicycle sharing program in downtown Denver. Just $9 for 24 hours of riding in 30 minute segments, with 87 stations. They even have a B-cycle app. Best of all, they have a “Pub of the Month Club, with 2 for 1 beers, at eight selected breweries. Wait! You cannot drink and ride with my understanding of the vehicle code. Anyway, in September, it will be Diebolt Brewery at 39th and Fox.

Here is a little secret. Back in the 70s, I actually considered moving to the Denver area, more likely Boulder or Evergreen. I am so glad I did not do that, but it was tempting, with the skiing, the Rockies, and many crazy friends.

, celebrity impersonators, and an educational class called Spanking and Martinis Booty School.

For as many times as I have been here, I have never been to any of these places. They must be relatively new.

Also new:

Garden of the Gods

Posted by golfkat on September 5, 2017

Posted in: Cultures, National Parks, Sports, Travel. Leave a comment

Long considered the most magical stop in Colorado, the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs is a National Natural Landmark since 1971. Though I have been to the Springs numerous times, I have only seen the Garden at dusk, and in a heavy Colorado rain storm. I am hoping today will be a little better. It is one of Colorado’s most popular and FREE attractions.

From the Visit Colorado website: Imagine dramatic views, 300′ towering sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snow-capped Pikes Peak and brilliant blue skies. This world class Visitor & Nature Center is the most visited attraction in the region with an exciting, NEW, HD show: “How Did Those Red Rocks Get There?” shown in the Geo-Trekker Theater. Delight in one of Colorado’s most photographed views while eating in our glassed in café gg15 ggbiking1 gog gog1 or from our terrace overlooking Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods. Where else can you eat inside a postcard? Pick up your FREE park map, guided walks, nature talks, bird watching, hiking. Dynamic New Interactive Museum Exhibits Now Open! FREE NATURE CENTER.

From the Garden of the Gods website: By the 1870’s, the railroads had forged their way west. In 1871, General William Jackson Palmer founded Colorado Springs while extending the lines of his Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. In 1879, General Palmer repeatedly urged his friend, Charles Elliott Perkins, the head of the Burlington Railroad, to establish a home in the Garden of the Gods and to build his railroad from Chicago to Colorado Springs. Although the Burlington never reached Colorado Springs directly, Perkins did purchase two-hundred and forty acres in the Garden of the Gods for a summer home in 1879. He later added to the property but never built on it, preferring to leave his wonderland in its natural state for the enjoyment of the public. Perkins died in 1907 before he made arrangements for the land to become a public park, although it had been open to the public for years. In 1909, Perkins’ children, knowing their father’s feeling for the Garden of the Gods, conveyed his four-hundred eighty acres to the City of Colorado Springs. It would be known forever as the Garden of the Gods “where it shall remain free to the public, where no intoxicating liquors shall be manufactured, sold, or dispensed, where no building or structure shall be erected except those necessary to properly care for, protect, and maintain the area as a public park.”

And this is how the name began: “It was August of 1859 when two surveyors started out from Denver City to begin a townsite, soon to be called Colorado City. While exploring nearby locations, they came upon a beautiful area of sandstone formations. M. S. Beach, who related this incident, suggested that it would be a “capital place for a beer garden” when the country grew up. His companion, Rufus Cable, a “young and poetic man”, exclaimed, “Beer Garden! Why it is a fit place for the Gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods.” It has been so called ever since.”

The best news of all, all one way roads in the park have paved bike lanes. And mountain biking is allowed on designated mountain trails. In addition, there are 15 miles of hiking trails in the park. In addition, rock climbing, photography, jeep and Segway tours, picnic grounds, guided walks, and nature talks are available. GOG is a National Natural Landmark, a public park attracting all types of visitors.

My old high school friend, Gary, spent many of his childhood summers here with is family. They stayed in a castle, and hiked many of the trails here. Lucky kid!!!!

Perhaps it is best to just show you a few photos, and hope that you will stop by the next time you head south out of Denver. There does seem to be some other worldly spirituality about this place. And now that I can see it clearly, it is simply a magnificent place on our earth!

Spring Down to Colorado Springs

Posted by golfkat on September 5, 2017

Posted in: Action, Cultures, Travel. Leave a comment

Once upon a time, in a previous life, I had a client in Colorado Springs for a few years. I must have visited at least 3 or 4 times, never got a chance to see much, other than a drive through the Garden of the Gods, and an even quicker drive through the Air Force Academy. But the city has always been touted as one of the best places to live in America. Maybe we should investigate further?

First, we are a mile above sea level at 6,035 feet, and bordering famed Pikes Peak, at over 14,000 feet. Most significantly to young, promising athletes with Olympic aspirations, Colorado Springs is home to the U.S. Olympic Committee, and the U.S. Olympic Training Center (1977). The city is often called Olympic City, USA. San Joaquin Valley (Tulare) legend Bob Mathias headed up the training center at one time.

Second, the city is about half a million, making it Colorado’s second largest city after Denver. And it is almost always on the list of “Best Places to Live in the USA.” Just take a look at any “experts” list, and the Springs are in the Top Ten.

Natives first inhabited the area, which was later included in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In 1859, the Pike’s Peak gold rush helped to establish the first local settlement. In 1891, the Broadmoor Company built the Broadmoor Suburb and Casino. And during WW2, the U.S. Army Air Force leased land adjacent to the municipal airfield. NORAD was headquartered here later in the 50s and 60s. Interestingly, the Libertarian Party was founded here also in the 1970’s.

As expected, the economy is fueled by the military followed by high tech and tourism. Besides the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak, the area attracts outdoor enthusiasts of all shapes and sizes.

As a youngster, I first became aware of this area because of the famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The invitational race is always held on the last Sunday of June. The route is 12.42 miles, with 156 turns, and 4720 feet of elevation. The race is self-sanctioned and is the most diverse one day motorsports event in the world with everything from Sidecars, Motorcycles, Semi-Trucks, and 1,400+hp EV & Unlimited Racers being able to compete in the same event. This is where the racing Unser family became famous. The highway wasn’t completely paved until 2011.

The Mountain West Conference for collegiate sports is also based in Colorado Springs. Our hometown Fresno State Bulldogs are a member of this conference. The famed Air Force Academy is here, along with the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

I-25 runs north and south from Denver, and serves as the main route here. Part of it is called the Ronald Reagan Highway, perhaps because the drivers fall asleep while driving it? The area does boast some famous people who started or still live here: Charles Schulz, Lon Cheney, Scott Walker (Gov. of Wisconsin), Nikola Tesla, Dave Dravecky, Goose Gossage, Rick Barry, Steve Sabol, Cullen Bryant, and astronaut Jim Irwin.

The Air Force Academy is the youngest of our military academies, with their first graduating class in 1959. I knew a few guys when I went to Cal, who dropped out of these academies. They all had the same reason for dropping, the curriculum was boring, and the discipline quite rigorous. Incoming classes are 1200, and about 1000 will graduate each year. The program at the Academy is guided by the Air Force’s core values of “Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do” and based on the four pillars of excellence, military training, academics, athletics, and character development. But it is free to all who attend!

Nevertheless, it is always a tossup as to driving here or Boulder. Maybe both this trip? I love Boulder, the college atmosphere, and the outdoor activities. But the Springs has its own charm and history.

Last year, the ACLU of Colorado discovered nearly 800 cases where people had gone to jail in Colorado Springs, Colo., when they couldn’t pay their tickets for minor violations. Pictured above is Alamo Square Park, site of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum

Daring Denver

Posted by golfkat on September 5, 2017

Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Food, National Parks, Travel. Leave a comment

From a trip in 2011:

The Mile High City of Denver was once my second home. I stopped there after almost every trip from the Midwest or East during my business travel days. I even had a set of skis and boots in Evergreen, the toney western metro area of Denver. I would stop there and have my friends Bill, Vern, Ed, Kurt, Art, or John pick me up at the airport. Even the erstwhile mafioso wannabee, Arturo N. from Jersey was part of the plan. After a short evening of rest, we headed out to nearby Winter Park, Keystone, Arapahoe, or Copper Mountain for a day of skiing. We often hit the hot springs in Georgetown on the way home. They often threw me onto the last flight out in the evening back to the Bay Area. Those were the days.

I think the last time I was in Denver, I went to a Bruce Springsteen concert at old Mile High Stadium. Now, I am headed to Denver to see the World Champion SF Giants play the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in downtown Denver. I plan to see Saturday and Sunday games, before heading out to the Rockies (mountains) on Monday. I enjoy watching the Rockies’ star shortstop, Troy Tulowitski.

Denver sits on the eastern side of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Its official elevation is exactly one mile or 5,280 feet above sea level. The 105th meridian west of Greenwich passes through Union Station. Denver has a population of just over 600,000 as of the 2010 census. Denver was founded back in 1858 during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. General William Larimer staked a claim and named the area for Kansas Territorial Governor, James W. Denver. Colorado Territory was established in 1861, followed by statehood on August 1, 1876.

A typical Denver sunrise

For me, Denver always represented cattle, cowboys, skiing, Coors beer, and party time. I spent many days and nights here in various stages of sobriety and inebriation. Often times, we got snowed in up in the Evergreen area. It was not uncommon to be forced to eat unusual combinations of food and drink, like beer with M & M’s. Bill’s log cabin home in Evergreen was party central, and a good jumping off point for skiing in the nearby Rocky Mountain ski resorts. I also learned to play chess when once snowed in. I got lucky and beat the champ!

Colorado is also the home of my very first ski race win, in fact, over at Aspen, so many years ago. I was the last one down in our section. The good skiers all went ahead. I felt I had no chance, but for the generosity of Rapid Robert, who taught me the finer points of racing. He told me that the best skier does not win, but the best RACER. I wonder if that old trophy is up in the rafters of our garage? I just remember my big smile at the awards ceremony.

Reminds me of Oktoberfest in Munich

I was often in Denver for business as well. Swedish Hospital in nearby Englewood was a client of mine. And I recall a great meatball sandwich joint called Fratelli’s. I also enjoyed a French place down on Colfax called “Tante Louise.” Other clients were in Colorado Springs, greater Denver, and Boulder. Needless to say, I was quite fond of Denver, and enjoyed my visits there. I once entertained the thought of moving there, when I was recruited by a large hospital mega-chain. I decided my liver would not survive the cold winters.

Actually, my California Zephyr excursion from Chicago in April, stopped here in Denver to attach a private coach car to the rear of the train.
And of course, I have changed planes here too many times to count or remember. The new airport is nice, but it is practically in Nebraska or Kansas! Kudos to Avis and Hertz for that move.

Sad epitaph: I looked online and found that Bill has been deceased for some time. He had a good soul, but with smoking, and too much alcohol, his days must have been numbered. On the flip side, I will look up his identical twin brother John, an Evergreen attorney. Interestingly, Bill was gay, John not. So much for the genetics argument!

Sidebar: I will not go this time, but it is a national park worth your visit.One of the highest national parks, Rocky Mountain National Park is located in northern Colorado. The park’s 48-mile Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuously paved road in the United States, crosses the Continental Divide, traveling through the center of the park from lowland alpine meadows to its high point at 12,183 feet. The road, open in summer, offers many vista overlook points for admiring the scenery, observing wildlife, or taking photos.

With over 350 miles of trails, visitors can opt for a flat lakeside stroll or a challenging mountain climb. In addition, off-trail routes are available for back country hikes. d bar d bar1 d dog d lib

Denver’s Union Station

Posted by golfkat on September 4, 2017

Posted in: Cultures, Food, Travel. Leave a comment

Like many cities throughout our great country, train stations similar to Denver, Washington, DC, Seattle, have renovated to make the Amtrak experience better. In many cases, the stations have revitalized the older downtown areas where they are located. Here is Denver:

After undergoing a massive renovation, once again Union Station serves as the hub of downtown. Built in 1914, the historic landmark sat vacant until developers revitalized it into a fully operational train station complete with bars, restaurants, shops, a Saturday farmers’ market, Tattered Cover Book Store, and the 112-room Crawford Hotel. Dining options range from low to high end, and include Snooze, known for its extensive pancake offerings (with flavors like pineapple upside-down cake and Oreo); Mercantile Dining & Provisions, which focuses on dishes inspired by local produce; and the soon-to-open Ultreia, a tapas restaurant by James Beard Award–winning chef Jennifer Jasinski. Also new to the station is the Plaza Beer Garden, which joins the Terminal Bar and The Cooper Lounge (order the Rosette Punch, served in a copper pineapple) as places to imbibe before hopping on the train back to the airport.

Other dining options are: Acme Delicatessen, Milkbox Ice Creamery, Next Door (pub), Pigtrain Coffee, Snooze (a breakfast place), and Stoic and Genuine (seafood).

When I was last here (on my first cross country Amtrak trip), it was being renovated, with hardly a soda vending machine and limited Wi-Fi. It sits in the heart of a vibrant downtown area, with the MLB ballpark, Coors Field(home of the Rockies) within easy walking distance and view. And, sadly, homeless camps abound by the nearby river.

I can walk from my hotel to both Union Station and Coors Field, where the Colorado Rockies will play my San Francisco Giants. I will arrive around dinner time on Monday, Labor Day, attend two games (Tuesday and Wednesday), and fly home on Thursday. I will make sure to check out the new station and its food options, as well as the general scene. After all two full days on Amtrak, it will be a welcome sight, as I wobble down the concourse. Welcome to the Mile High City.

Amtrak to Denver on the Zephyr

Posted by golfkat on September 3, 2017

Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Travel. Leave a comment

Several jaunts cross country, three that I can recall, have resulted in enough miles for a “free” trip on Amtrak’s California Zephyr, from Fresno to Denver in a sleeper car. This is an overnight trip, whereby I leave early Sunday morning, and arrive in Denver around dinner time on Monday. I plan to attend two Giants-Rockies games at Coors Field, take a drive up to Boulder, and perhaps Colorado Springs, for Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, and the Air Force Academy.

I embarked a similar trip to Denver in 2011, though I flew both ways. I went to see some old ski buddies, but found that most of them either moved away or passed on to that great ski resort in the sky. See my previous emails about Denver for details.

This is my fifth “long” Amtrak trip in our great country. My first, the Coast Starlight, starting in Seattle to the Bay Area, a sort of test run. Then the longer California Zephyr trip from Chicago to the Bay Area. The third was from Los Angeles to New Orleans via a southerly route for the last Niners Super Bowl. And the fourth was the Empire Builder, from Seattle to Chicago via a northerly route. I can state unequivocally, that I am hooked on train travel.

So, I will board Amtrak in Fresno early Sunday morning, stop in Stockton, and transfer to the bus “bridge” to Sacramento. From there, I board the California Zephyr, which normally traverses from the Bay Area to Chicago. I took the reverse trip many years ago on the Zephyr, starting in Chicago, and ending up in Martinez. I considered it as “practice” for my trip on the Trans Siberian Railway in 2014. That first Amtrak trip was the best, so far.

Which begs the question, what makes a good trip on Amtrak? Assuming the train is relatively on time, and there are no problems, the key is meeting interesting people during meal time. Their method of seating diners on a first come, first serve basis, fills up the booths of four with singles, odd couples, and loners. I have met many interesting people this way.

Once on the Zephyr in Sacramento, we head into the Sierras, across Nevada, and Utah, then into the Rockies, ending up in Denver. The Zephyr was once known as the Silver Lady. The first service began in 1949, and the current service started in 1983.

According to Amtrak, these are the highlights of the Zephyr:

Scenic highlights include:

Rocky Mountains (the continental divide is a real thrill, in my opinion)
Sierra Nevadas
Moffat Tunnel (6.2 miles long)
Colorado’s Gore, Byers and Glenwood Canyons
Winter Park (I have skied there many times)
Truckee River
Donner Lake (any vegetarians there?)
San Pablo Bay and the Carquinez Strait (I will miss this section)

These are the stops (in reverse order):

Denver, CO – Union Station (DEN) Arrive at 6:38pm, one day later.

Fraser, CO – Winter Park (WIP)

Granby, CO (GRA)

Glenwood Springs, CO (GSC) the gateway to Aspen and Snowmass

Grand Junction, CO (GJT) the gateway to Aspen

Green River, UT (GRI)

Helper, UT (HER)

Provo, UT (PRO)

Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) a very under rated city

Elko, NV (ELK)

Winnemucca, NV (WNN) gateway to Bonneville Salt Flats

Reno, NV (RNO) home to many nice golf courses

Truckee, CA (TRU) enjoyable little town near Tahoe

Colfax, CA (COX)

Roseville, CA (RSV)

Sacramento, CA (SAC) our state capitol

I will start in Fresno (6:18am), transfer to a bus in Stockton, then begin the Zephyr portion of the trip in Sacramento (11:09am). Total time is 30.5 hours on the Zephyr, not including nearly 5 hours to get from Fresno to Sacramento. We leave Reno at 4:06pm, stop in Salt Lake City at about 3:30am (I will be asleep), the Wasatch Mountains, and hit Green River, Utah around the time for breakfast. So, I will be asleep through eastern Nevada and about half of Utah, which is not very interesting anyway, except for the Bonneville Salt Flats.

If desired, there are bus connections to places like Colorado Springs, Vail, Gunnison, Las Vegas, and Boise. Some of the best parts of landing at Denver’s remodeled Union Station, the downtown area is just walking distance, and Coors Field, where I will see the Giants and Rockies, is just next door. The old new downtown area is walking distance, and filled with lots of bars and restaurants.

Small dogs are allowed, but my little Lexi is just too immature right now for a long train ride. You might be asking yourself what to do along this long ride, especially without internet service in the great and vast plains. First, my smartphone works in most places. Second, I read and nap, nap and read. Third, I take photos, lots of photos. And in between, I meet other people in my sleeper car, in the dining car, and at various stops along the way. It is rarely boring, and perhaps one of the best ways to see our country, or any country if you like train travel as much as I do. Oh, and a shower while the train car is rocking to and fro, of course!

I have ridden trains in many countries: South Africa, Europe, Russia, Japan, Peru, Australia, as well as throughout the U.S. I encourage you to try it, and tell me what you think. Most of us are in a big hurry, but once you retire, time seems to have a life of its own.