Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Denver Fire Dept. Museum & Wild Bill Cody

On our last day in Denver we visited the Denver Fire Department Museum.  It is in the first fire house, built in 1909 in the City of Denver.  After today we are on the way to Colorado Springs for 11 days.

Opening Day of the Museum
The Museum today
1924 White
Another old engine
Once call boxes were installed, this was the main switchboard
A typical fireman's bed
The Kitchen
The Locker Room
The 1909 hook & ladder
Photos of the 16 Fire Chiefs
The new  chief?
Denver's fallen Firefighters
After lunch we drove to the top of Lookout Mountain to see the Wild Bill Cody Museum and grave site.   He took his traveling Wild West show all over the USA and Europe.  In fact, they visited Debbie's hometown of Elyria, Ohio once in 1912 and visited my hometown of Kingston, New York six times in 1899, 1900, 1907, 1908, 1909, and 1911.   Prior to his death, Bill Cody asked that he be buried atop Lookout Mountain, so that he could overlook Denver.  He is there with his wife Louise.
FACT: Wild Bill Cody was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his work as a scout for the US government.                                                                 
Wild Bill & Louise's graves
A view from the graves, Denver is in the far distance.
Wild Bill Cody
Wild Vince Pugliese
Not Annie Oakley, it is Debbie Pugliese
                                                                                  
 
                                                                             



                                                                            

Monday, August 27, 2012

Denver, Colorado

We are in Golden, just west of Denver at Jefferson County Fairgrounds.  While here we had our truck in for the 67,500 mile service and went into Denver.  We visited and toured the Colorado State Capitol Building, the residence of "Unsinkable" Molly Brown, and the Hammond Candy Company.

The Colorado Capitol Building is under renovation
Inside the dome
The Colorado Supreme Court Chambers
The Legislative Chamber
The Senate Chamber from the upstairs gallery
The Mile High marker on the 13th step of the Capitol Building
We visited the "Molly" Brown home and learned that her real name as Margaret and was never called Molly.  The name Molly was used by the writer of the play, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown."
At 19 she married her 32 year old husband who was a silver mine supervisor in Leadville. They were not rich, but when her husband J.J. figured out a way to mine copper and other metals, as well as the silver, his company promoted him and gave him stock.  The price of silver went way up, as did the stock, and they became millionaires.  They bought the house in Denver, she hired tutors to teacher her 5 other languages, and about every subject she could think of.  She had a veracious yearning for knowledge. She also was what we would call today a "fashionista". Some of her gowns, costing $3,000. were only worn for one party.  She was touring Europe when she heard that her baby grandson, who she had not met yet, was ill and got a ticket on the Titanic to get to her daughters in New York.  When it sunk, she was instrumental in saving lives and once in New York, helped hundreds of survivors with their affairs.  She was the first woman in Colorado to get a drivers license and to vote.  No photos were allowed of the inside of her home.

The Brown home
Debbie at the entrance
The guard (above) looks like a girl I dated in high school
We took the tour at Hammond Candies.  They are the largest maker of ribbon candy, one of the largest suppliers of candy canes, caramels, and high quality chocolates.  We saw the 100 employees toiling to keep up with the upcoming Christmas demand.

                                                                       
Boiling the syrup to make candy canes and ribbon candy.
Putting the large roll into the candy cane roller
Rolling out the candy canes

Hard at work
Making chocolate covered pecan clusters


Packaging the pecan clusters

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Loveland, Colorado and Cornfest!

We went into Loveland, Colorado for the annual Corn Festival Parade and Festival.  Loveland is a very nice medium sized town with everything we needed.  We had a great time today.  The parade had 100 entries and took an hour and a half.
Every campground we go to, we hang up our chimes, either from a tree or on our Shepard's hook.  These chimes were given to Debbie and me by my mom (Hilda) for our first Christmas after we were married.  Whenever we hear the chimes, we always answer or talk to Mom.  Since Mom is home in Kingston, New York, having and hearing the chimes, we feel that she is with us, looking over us every time we hear the chimes.  The last photo below is of Debbie hanging up "Mom" at our campsite on Flatiron Reservoir, Colorado.
On our way into Loveland, we stopped at Devil's Backbone.
Loveland High School
                                                                               Click to see and hear the Loveland band
                   
Corn is the parade theme
Belly Dancers
"America and Corn"
Get on the Paintball Bus and shoot at passing targets(2 guns per window)
More about Corn
Looking down the street during the parade
Longmount Lions
Debbie working on her second ear of roasted corn
Back at the campsite, Debbie hangs up "Mom" on a tree so she can talk to us


                                                                                                                                                                                         

Friday, August 24, 2012

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

We are at Flatiron Reservoir, part of Larimer County Parks, near Loveland, Colorado for 6 days.  We have only electric here, no water or sewer.  Our tanks will be full when we leave and we'll have to dump them when we get to Denver.  We filled our water tank before arriving here, so we can conserve and make it 6 days.   We visited Rocky Mountain National Park for two days, Estes Park for a day of shopping, and relaxed at our campground one day.  We will head into Loveland tomorrow.
 
Our campsite on Flatiron Reservoir
Debbie cooking steak for dinner
Enjoying the camp fire
The night sky from our campsight
9 p.m., a cool 75 degrees and a beautiful night sky
Rocky Mountain National Park is beautiful
Long's Peak at 14,259 feet
Just an amazing park
A big Elk
Hotel Stanley in Estes Park, a grand hotel
Mother Nature abounds here
Sunset, the night before we left Loveland