Garden of the Oh-My-LORD!

Yesterday we took a meandering, aimless tour of the NW through SW of Colorado Springs and, MAN, am I glad I didn't plan it! I was delightfully surprised at every turn. First, as I was simply trying to find a local park -and park (but the lot was full)- we happened upon the Garden of the Gods.









Here we indulged in a shameless tourist stop -the Garden of the God's Trading Post. Filled with items directly from China.

Continuing our (nearly mapless) drive we came to The Mason Jar, a locally owned and operated restaurant that boasted the best chicken fried steak in the world. I don't know that I'd go that far, but we had a good time!


Wilder flirted up a storm and chatted with all the customers. He's just a riot!


We strolled the main street of Old Colorado City (again, by accident) and, I have got to say, I have never met so many friendly, happy shop owners. Even though we barely bought anything, every owner or shop clerk, with great sincerity, wished us a wonderful day and thanked us for coming into their store.







We followed a road that was to lead us to a few more state parks and here's the view of Colorado Springs. Granted, there's more on the left and right, but it this was the best shot.

Doesn't it take your breathe away?! So many scenes floored me as we drove on and on, up and up (then down and down,) winding our way around the mountains and finding more trails and parking areas than I ever could have imagined.



When I become famous, I want a waterfall named after me, too, gosh darn it! :)

We would have walked the trail, but Wilder was in a rare moment of nap-itude and I definitely didn't want to disrupt that.
Some sculptures at a private residence.

Doesn't it remind you of "It's a Small World"?
Headed back in the direction of our hotel, Wilder woke up just as I spied this pottery shop.

I had wanted to find some local pottery that wasn't at gallery prices and this was definitely the ticket. Joan has her studio and shop in their converted garage and sells exclusively here. Thankfully (for Brian) I had limited cash and no checks, but I was able to take home two beautiful, functional pieces and am so delighted for the kismet experience.

Oh, you've got to love the CO hippies. I had to snap a picture of this van I was stopped behind. Too fun!

Well, today our plans were to head up Pikes Peak and also check out Manitou Springs, but, sadly Wilder has a stomach flu. So I've been doing laundry and helping him feel as comfortable as possible, hoping he will soon be on the mend. It's snowing on the mountains so tomorrow, if Wiley's better, we'll get to adventure in the snow! Hooray!

CO Springs was voted the "Best Place to Chill," as well as the "Fittest City" and I can see why. For me, this is heaven. The beauty of the area and the laid back spirit make you feel right at ease. Also, I have NEVER seen so many trails, bike paths, sidewalks and parks EVER, ANYWHERE --and they are EVERYWHERE! It's also one of the most dog friendly cities and a large part of me is kicking myself for not bringing Savannah. But I think I have my hands full enough... Next time. Definitely next time.

The Road Warriors

Last Monday, standing in the womens section at REI I began to tear up. Sweaters, warm jackets, adorable hats -and none of them belonged in Texas. At that point I knew I needed to head north and get cold. Since Brian mentioned about a month ago that his name is on the list to move to Ft. Carson, CO* (just below Colorado Springs) I have been fantasying about mountains and cold weather. That trip to REI pushed me over the edge and I was dead set on going -especially after I saw the high there was 55 and it got below freezing at night.

On Thursday, after a quick IM conversation with Brian, I had permission to explore the Colorado Springs area -do a little recon for Brian- and by Friday morning we were off! (above) Wilder enjoyed feeding himself yogurt and becoming the youngest Santa Claus look-a-like ever.

Day one consisted of getting to Amarillo, TX. Brian and I had done the same drive the last leg of our roadtrip from Alaska, so the sights weren't new. That said, it's a whole different ball game traveling with a wee one. I kept a steady stream of goldfish crackers, graham crackers, water and milk going to the back seat and Wilder was an excellent traveler.

Our first great adventure came as a result of a terrible mistake I made. Wilder loves munching on apples. I've always had him on my lap or right next to me when he does so, being careful that he doesn't eat the peel. In a desperate move to appease him, I took two big bites out of a golden delicious, handed it back and -for awhile- it did the trick. Fast forward 15 minutes. We're driving through a tiny little town and all of a sudden I hear Wilder start hacking. I pull into an abandoned parking lot and, not being able to get to Wilder in time, his gag reflex kicks in and he has a days worth of food all over him and his new carseat.

I quickly get him out, strip him down and attempt to soak up the mess in the carseat while holding a nearly naked baby right off the highway for all the world to see. Wilder couldn't be happier -really! He was just glad to get out of the carseat! He was talking up a storm and laughing, playfully wacking me while I rushed to clean up my first "Wilder Car Vomit." It was really funny, after knowing he was safe, and I quickly confiscated the apple. No more apples.

We ate dinner at the "Nuttin Fancy Cafe" about 40 min. outside Amarillo. Wilder made new friends with two older couples at the table next to us, and yelled at folks across the room to, "HEY! I'm over here!!! Aren't I FUNNY!", uh, get their attention. We lodged at a Motel 6, got clean and fresh, and enjoyed a relatively good night's sleep.

The next morning we headed out for the remaining 6 1/2 hours to Colorado Springs. We took a slightly different path than originally planned and ended up driving through the Texas Plains Trail. Golden fields surrounded us as they made way for rugged little hills dotted with stocky bushes. It was such a peaceful drive -the whole day!

We stopped for lunch in Texline, a small town on the border of New Mexico and Texas. We shared cheese enchiladas, rice and beans, and Wilder flirted shamelessly with the waitress and cook.
The restaurant was a converted gas station. It's amazing what you can create out of old service stations!
We saw a lot of these: small, old towns.
Hey! We're in New Mexico!
And the transportation dept. stinks! For miles we drove 30 mph, then 35, then finally making our way slowly up to 55, where we stayed for ages on a perfectly good road plastered with signs saying, "Road Work." There was no road work, sillies. But we weren't in a rush and I reminded myself that I was just annoyed I couldn't go 70 like Texas highways.

Finally! Some elevation!
This scene took my breathe away and I just about cried. Mountains!!!!! THIS is what I'd been dreaming about!

Thank you, Colorado! I feel SO very welcomed!!
Wilder (with a face covered in chocolate -I only let him have a small piece, really!) a little tired of driving. The view did nothing for him -but turn on some Salsa music and that boy rocks out!


At a rest stop just north of Trinidad -a beautiful town! I'd love to explore it on our way back home.


The signs said "no pets on grass" -I think he's allowed :)


Around 4:30pm we arrived in beautiful Colorado Springs. The surroundings are beautiful! Gorgeous mountains, lovely green hills, treed areas -I can't wait to explore!! Wilder loved playing on the hotel luggage dolly. Well, Wilder is raring to go and we should get our day started, but I wanted to share our trip -so far- with all of you! More adventures to come! Stay tuned....

*re: Ft. Carson and moving -it is not certain we will have to move. At this point there's a 50/50 chance, so we're just exploring options but not making set plans.

A Day With Temple Grandin

Extra, Extra! Actually, that was me -the extra. Joining the long line of Central Texans to work on the film "Temple Grandin" I spent Wednesday in Lockhart with some fascinating people and a huge crew of bustling folks. Oh, yeah. And Claire Danes. I know, I'm hot stuff.
The wind was ridiculous, but it helped my "Farrah Fawcett" styled hair look normal instead of kinked and miserably falling out of curl.
Dave the car salesman (his role) and a wonderful couple I had the privilege to work with. Don't they look snazzy?
My faux husband. Our role was to shop for cars at the dealership the lead character, Temple Grandin (Claire Danes,) was going to in order to trade in her VW Bug for a manly truck.

Lockhart is absolutely charming, while maintaining a rustic, country feel. A beautiful courthouse in the background, several blocks of an historic town square, and the church we changed and got ready at was built in the 1850s.
Not wanting to walk right up to camera and snap pictures, here's a shot of some equipment and a few more folks I worked with.
Wardrobe, please! We were used in 4 scenes -which, sadly for us, will each be only a few seconds long. Everyone was delightful to work with and it was a fun experience! I did get to walk right in front of camera a few times, so it is a real possibility that I'll actually be able to pick out more than just my sleeve from one or two of the scenes! I'm definitely netflixing this when it comes out.

For more on Temple Grandin, please visit her website. She has a fascinating life story on which the film is based.

I Got Free Toofs!

"Hey, want to see something cool?!"

"Cheese!! I got 3 toofs! Two on the bottom and one big one on top!"
"They make me happy."
"And they're fun to show off."

"Oh, I also like to sniff. Sniff, sniff, sniff. Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff! Man, something stinks...Wasn't me!"