Day 199 – Peak-to-Peak Scenic Byway

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Day 199 of Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

I’m back on the road again. The first day back is always an adjustment as I leave the luxuries of a full size kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. In addition, I go from being stationary to being a nomad.  There is a lot to be said for being able to relax in one place, even it is for a short period of time.  Finally, I leave my friends and family and the social aspect of my life.  Knowing I will likely spend days at a time without having a meaningful conversation in person with anyone, makes it difficult to press on sometimes…and I’m not even that social.

After a few days, however, I get back into the groove and enjoy exploring the nature and beauty surrounding me.  Finding interesting, new places and revisiting ones I’ve come to love make the journey a special endeavor.

I said good-bye to my Texas friends on Tuesday afternoon, took VANilla in for a final tune-up, visited Verizon (hopefully for the last time) to work the kinks out of this pitiful mi-fi card, and finally arrived at Chas’ house around nine, where I spent the evening chatting with him and his girlfriend Ellen.

Chas is an old family friend who ran his own fishing guide business in Louisiana prior to moving to Denver where he earned his MBA.  He currently wishes to enter the consulting business full-time and is willing to relocate. He is a great guy that can talk to anyone.  If you need a consultant, he’s your man!

Central City

After a coffee and scone at the neighborhood coffee shop, Wash Perk, Chas sent me on my way to begin the next four month segment of my travels across the USA.  I took I-70 west to Central City, located just north of Idaho Springs.  Central City, once an old mining town, became known as “richest square mile on earth” when $2 million of gold was gouged from the nearby hills in 1859.

The Teller House

The resulting boom financed several Victorian style structures that still stand today, including the Teller House and the Opera House.  The Teller House was constructed in 1872 and was said to be the finest hotel west of the Mississippi River.  In 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant came to visit his good friend Henry Teller, who later became the first Senator from Colorado, and stayed in the hotel. 

To impress the president, gold mine owners laid 26 ingots of solid silver to make a path for the president to the entrance of the hotel so that he wouldn’t have to dirty his boots when he stepped from the carriage.  It is said, that this angered Grant, who instead used the boardwalk.  At the time, Congress was debating whether gold or silver should back the dollar, and the president did not wish to show any favoritism.

The Opera House

The Opera House opened in 1878 and was frequented by luminaries such as Buffalo Bill Cody and Oscar Wilde.  The glory years were short-lived as the Central City mines were played out and the opera house fell into disrepair.  A volunteer effort led to the restoration of the opera house in 1932 when it reopened featuring Lillian Gish in Camille, launching an annual tradition of summer festivals.  The Central City Opera Company is the fifth-oldest in the nation.

Nevadaville Ghost Town and Scenic Overlook

Just west of Central City is the ghost town of Nevadaville where a steep, dirt road led VANilla by slopes scarred by mining. After winding along the top of the mountain, we descended to town and took 119 north through the Roosevelt National Forest, where we stopped at a scenic overlook.  I’d call it an “underlook” if there were such a word.  Peering up through the pine trees, I caught a glimpse of a towering, grey peak with areas still cloaked in snow.

Longs Peak and Enos Mills Cabin

A few miles further up the road, Longs Peak, standing at 14,255, comes into view.  Its summit, visible to half of Colorado, long served as a landmark to westward-bound pioneers. Across the highway, a monument to Enos Mills was built to honor the founding father of Rocky Mountain National Park.  His one-room cabin, still filled with books, photographs, and climbing equipment is nestled in nearby pine trees beneath the Twin Sister Peaks on private property.

Estes Park and East Portal Campground

We reached Estes Park in the late afternoon, where we passed by the historic Stanley Hotel, featured in The Shining. We found a campground with showers not far from the Rocky Mountain National Park just before sheets of rain drove from the sky.  I turned in early, but not before enjoying the view from by bedroom window…a deer foraging in the tall grass. ETB

Map of My Road Trip Across the USA

Learn more about my road trip across the USA, or click the link below for the interactive map.

Interactive Map of Road Trip Across the USA

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