October 2006

October 2006

Olga and I decided to take a short vacation and visit some of the fantastic landscapes around us. We spent eight (8) days on the road and here is the synopsis (some of the better digital photos are here, the film ones have been are processed and placed on individual pages):
Of course, we started in Bryant, AR (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=bryant+ar)

We made it to Amarillo, Texas (http://www.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=amarillo+tx) for a hotel stop over.
Albuquerque, NM (http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=albuquerque,+nm), but the annual balloon fiesta (http://www.balloonfiesta.com) were grounded the day we were there, but we visited Kirtland AFB (http://www.kirtland.af.mil) and then met with an old friend of mine from my USAF Tour of the Panama Canal Zone, for dinner...and a hotel stop over.

Then onto Arizona, where we went: To the Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert (http://www.nps.gov/pefo), including the Painted Desert Inn (http://www.nps.gov/pefo/historyculture/pdi.htm) and a hotel stop over at Flagstaff, AZ (http://www.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=flagstaff+az).


The rest of our pictures of the Petrified Forest National Park, the Painted Desert, and the Painted Desert Inn are here.
The Grand Canyon (http://www.nps.gov/grca) and a hotel stop over in Williams, AZ (http://www.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=williams+az).





The rest of our pictures of the Grand Canyon are here.
In Utah: The Carl Hayden Dam.
Then onto Salina UT (http://www.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=salina+ut) for a hotel stop over.


Next was Colorado, where we went to: Red Rocks Amphitheater (http://www.coloradovacation.com/attractions/dm_rrocks.html). And more of our pictures here. A quick trip through Denver, CO (http://www.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=denver+co). Where we saw the old Mile High Stadium, since renamed as Invesco Field at Mile High (http://www.invescofieldatmilehigh.com). Then onto Aurora, CO (and what remains of what once was Lowry Air Force Base, which is now an "Urban Community, http://www.lowry.org). Then down to Colorado Springs (http://www.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=coloradosprings+co) and the USAF Academy (http://www.usafa.af.mil). And the remainder of our pictures are here.


Then UP to Estes Park (http://www.estes-park.com) and the Rocky Mountain National Park (http://www.nps.gov/romo).

And finally a hotel in Limon, CO (http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=limon+co)
Finally, we had enough and this was to be the last stop enroute to home: Hotel stopover in Abilene, KS (http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=abilene,+ks).
We covered about four (4) thousand miles (actually 3,932) during our trip. We ate a lot on the road, as usual, but ran into no major delays on this trip.