The Flatirons

The small "village" of the Colorado Chautauqua sits at the base of the Flatirons, five mountains that resemble old-fashioned irons. The rocks are made of sandstone, approximately 290 million years old.

I wasn't going to hike at all today because my calves are sore from the hills of the last two days.  But, outside my door are miles of trails and these incredible mountains.  So, after a short run on the Boulder Creek Path, I ate breakfast, laced up old running shoes, and headed into the hills again.  I'm beginning to understand the lure of long days on the Appalachian Trail, or any other trail.  

I finished reading A Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes.  To coincide with my stay here in the mountains, tomorrow I plan to start Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatirons

              

Colorado Chautauqua

A Brief History- The Chautauqua Movement is named for the Chautauqua Institute on Lake Chautauqua in western NY state.  The movement started in 1874 as a summer school for Sunday school teachers, and quickly spread to include all kinds of adult education.  Many towns, especially in rural areas, began to establish "chautauquas"- gatherings for educational, cultural and recreational activities.   At its peak in about 1915, approximately 12, 000 towns had hosted a chautauqua.  

The Colorado Chautauqua began as a partnership with the Texas Board of Regents in the late 1890's.  The city of Boulder agreed to provide land, facilities and public utilities to create a summer school for teachers.  The location was selected for its "spectacular mountain setting and cool climate".

Today, the Colorado Chautauqua is the only continuously operating chautauqua west of the Mississippi, the only year round Chautauqua, and the only one whose grounds are free and open to the public.  There are numerous hiking trails, an auditorium featuring popular concerts and lectures, and a "dining hall" with a wrap-around porch for viewing the evergreens and mountains.  A visitor can rent an apartment, a cottage, or an entire lodge for a family reunion.

My note- After only one day at C.C., I will say it's incredible.  Last night, I sat on the porch of the dining hall and had Rocky Mountain trout with white grits and green beans, followed  by Berry Pie.  Today (Wednesday) I started the day with a cup of tea in my hand, soaking in the fresh air and mountain views.  Then, I took a hike, first on Bluebell Trail, then on Mesa Trail.  I walked to Boulder (all downhill), browsed, and shopped for groceries.  Laden with bags, I took a cab- too much to carry all uphill!  After dinner I went for a stroll through the grounds.  It was quieter tonight than last night since there was no concert, but still many people were dining, walking, hiking. 

Rest Stop in Sedgwick

The ride across Nebraska on Rt. 80 is flat, predictable, and awe-inspiring.  There are acres upon acres of farmland and open space.  On the highway, there are trucks and service areas.  All very predictable.

Once I crossed into Colorado, though, I had to leave Rt. 80 and take Rt. 76 to head southwest toward Denver and Boulder.  I think there should be a warning sign at the entrance on to Rt. 76.  Something like:  "Be sure you have a full tank of gas, and do not panic.  You will not see any signs of habitation for miles, but eventually you will."  A sign like that would be reassuring because Rt. 76 is empty. There were a few cars and trucks, which I was glad about, but that was all.  Even though I had a half tank of gas, I started to get tense. 

When I reached the town of Sedgwick and saw a sign for gas, I pulled off the highway.  There was a dusty parking lot, a small cafe, a gas station (with a spotlessly clean bathroom) and a boarded up building across from the station.  I was prepared to pump my own gas, but I was unprepared for a gas pump that had a lever on the left side that I had to pull toward me first in order for the gas to flow.  Honestly, I stood a couple of minutes, tried the pump, and with a stroke of luck got it to work.  When I went to pay, the woman inside the station chuckled and said, "I was about to come out and help you, but you figured it out."  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedgwick_County,_Colorado

Omaha, NE

Today I drove from Chicago to Omaha. The entrance to Rt.90 in Chicago was blocked due to a truck accident, so instead of hopping from 90W. to 80W. I ended up on Rt. 88 across Illinois.  The ride was fairly pleasant, but lots of roadwork often slowed my driving speed. Once I got on 80 I was able to relax and enjoy the scenery of beautiful cornfields and farms. The land did not look as dry as I expected based on information in the newspaper.

My hotel for tonight is in somewhat of a warehouse area, 1.5 miles outside of  downtown Omaha. Fortunately, the hotel provides a shuttle service, which I gladly took to the Old Market area- touristy spot with restaurants and shops. I chose the Upstream Brewing Company.  Wise decision!  For dinner:  house salad with a thick slab of beer bread; Omaha steak burger with Cheddar cheese and fries; Firehouse Red Lager as a side.  How could I go wrong? (The restaurant and brewery occupy an old firehouse,which actually burned partially due to a fire years ago.)

Until another time, that's it for me and Omaha.  Tomorrow, on to Boulder!

The Taste of Chicago

The Taste of Chicago is the world's largest food festival held each year in mid-July in Grant Park (which is also home to the huge concert, Lollapalooza). This year, 36 restaurants participated, along with specialty pop-ups and different celebrity chefs each day.  There's music, entertainment, activities for kids. I timed my drive to Colorado to coincide with this event, and today was our day to attend.

Admission to The Taste is free.  To sample the food, however, you buy groups of tickets and then use the tickets to pay for food and drinks.  (12 tix for $8) You can buy large plates of food (a meal) for 8 or 9 tickets, or a "taste" for 3-6 tickets.  Generally, the vendors offered different samplings for the large and "taste" portions.  We decided to go with the small plates, and in the three hours we walked around (interrupted by a 30 minute downpour), we sampled a fair amount of delicious food.  

Sabor Latino- Steak Mini Jibarito (steak between fried plantain cakes)

Star of Siam- Potstickers (We did not have the pad thai, even though it looked great.)

Austrian Bakery- Mini Schnitzel Sandwich; Altwiener Appelstrudel (both amazing)

Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill- Tequila-lime Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast Taco (like being in Mexico)

Dominick's Finer Foods- Watermelon slice to refresh our palates

Iyanze- Hibiscus Sorbet

Pazzo's- Chopped Salad on Romaine Hearts

The Smoke Daddy- Pulled Chicken Mini

Music Tent- soul/swing music.  I needed a West Coast Swing partner!

Then, we had to decide how to spend our remaining tickets.  Jen wanted another taco and a sweet.  I wanted a sample of Eli's cheesecake.  We were able to sample all three.

Carbon- see above

Eli's Cheesecake Company- a small sample of plain

Churro Factory- 4 mini churros

Though some natives of Chi-town groaned when we said we were going to The Taste, it was a great day.  Definitely on the "Let's do this again" list.

http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/supporting_narrative/events___special_events/special_events/mose/taste_of_chicago.html/