Tried to go up Pike's Peak, but they charged $10 per person to drive up their road. Also Jim, a guy I spoke with at the bar last night, related how each drive up Pike's Peak removes about 3 years of lifespan from your car. So I decided to Bust instead of Pike's Peak. Just outside of Pike's Peak I stopped at Santa's Workshop, at the North Pole, which incidentally was nowhere near the north pole.
Drove to Denver, and walked around. I wound up near the capital,
so I took this picture.
An aggressive shoe-shiner, miffed that I didn't have boots, called me a Roman Cowboy, alluding to my cowboy hat and sandals. Here's a shot I took somewhere this day, but I really can't figure out what Colorado city it's from.
I still had much to see, but I left Denver anyway. I drove up Rt. 36 to Boulder, and parked in a cool area, near Pearl St. Saw an entertaining unicycler who insulted damn near everyone that wouldn't watch his show. Here he is.
Wandered around, and found this public library, which is probably the coolest damn library around. The library is really to the left, and this is a small wing that hangs out over the stream. Check out the people bathing in the stream below.
Wandered around, looking for some good music at night. A Widespread Panic show (from a tape, that is) was being played at some bar, and another band called Galaxy and the Galactix as at another. I read a book in the reclining daylight for a few hours. Some young dude came buy asking for a dollar, and I told him I didn't have it. He then started telling me about all the fresh pizza I could get from the trash, and then went on relating his incurring lactose intolerance. He did tell me where the Catacombs were, where I could see the Galactix.
Found the Boulderado Hotel, where the Catacombs were in the basement. Pretty damn cool hotel it was. Galactix was a 3-piece rockabilly band, cover was $1. The guitarist had 2 guitars, both of which were EXACTLY the some. Here's an accidentally-artsy shot of the band.
Drove to Rocky Mountain National Park, but the campsites were all full. A girl in a parked car took a break from getting it on with some guy, and told me how to get to Rt. 34 to find some campgrounds. Got lost trying to find them, and finally did and they were full. So, after making it to Peaceful Valley, I slept on the side of theroad, on the thermarest on the tent footprint.
At that point I noticed yet again that it was difficult for me to catch my breath. I then realized it wasn't a sudden onset of asthma, but the altitude.
| Location | near Peaceful Valley, CO |
| Odometer | 134,571.3 Miles Total 5,817.6 Miles On Trip 259.4 Miles Today |
| Coordinates | 40° 08.292' N
105° 29.371' W 8320' Altitude |