Today I am baking 10 loaves + some buns of Amish white bread. I will be cooking all day, trying to save money! The freezer is full of fish and meat bought on sale, the pantry is low on can foods. I have plenty of rice but no beans. Not a sweet thing in the house but a box of vanilla pudding. So It looks like sugar cookies to satisfy my husband sweet tooth for the week. We just paid the house payment and my husband told me we have enough money for gas and a few items at the store.
I figure I will save on baking my own bread 46.88 minus 5.00 for supplies total saving 41.88, baking my on 4 dozen cookies at 15.96-2.00=13.96 savings. So I saved and did not spend $55.84. So I'm off to work have a great day as i dream about spending the extra money on Diesel gas for the truck at 4.89 gallon / 55.84 = 11.14 gallons @ 18 mile to the gallon average,gives me a driving range of 200 miles. So I can average this week traveling in the 40 miles a day which is one road trip to Denver. I really don't need to go Denver , just driving around evergreen so I should get 2 weeks of driving as long my husband doesn't use the truck for work. If he does use the truck well then I am toast and home bound. Because he will use up the gas in a day and a hafted for travel to Job sites and material runs.
So all I can say is call you reps of the house, senators, anyone who will listen. Drill now, use our resources, build N plants , windmills and build more electric plants that burn coal. Just do something.
Cost of living is going up!
Gas and Electricity is going up!
Winter is around the corner! Cost of food is going up, the expenses are being pass down to us!
Gas is going up and we will never see 2.59 a gallon again or 2.79 for diesel. We will see as a average 3.59 to 4.29 a gallon.
As Obama said gas should be around 4 .00 gallon, June 11th 2008 he is surprised it took this long. . Well it ended up for me at 4.89 and it still there!
Obama: I think that... we have been slow to move in a better direction when it comes to energy usage. And the president, frankly, hasn't had an energy policy.* And as a consequence we've been consuming energy as if it's infinite. We now know that our demand is badly outstripping supply with China and India growing as rapidly as they are. CNBC's John Harwood: So could the (high) oil prices help us? Barack Obama: I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment. The fact that this is such a shock to American pocketbooks is not a good thing. But if we take some steps right now to help people make the adjustment, first of all by putting more money in their pockets, but also by encouraging the market to adapt to these new circumstances more rapidly, particularly U.S. automakers...
The obvious inference is that Obama doesn't object to $4 a gallon gas per se, just how rapidly the price increased. Most Americans hate it and want gas prices to go down as rapidly as possible. Obama wants to "help people to make the adjustment" to "new circumstances
I listen to her whole speech last night, She is a strong women, intelligent, and very blunt. She is a pit bull. Looking forward to voting in Nov, this is a vote for a real change. I am very positive about McCain choice, I believe she truly does understand our energy problems, and has experience. I believe this ticket will be offering true change. No Longer afraid to vote for right team, or saying McCain is the lesser of two evils. She took on the MSM and called a spade a spade. I hope now we will start getting accurate reporting instead of bias reporting of Obama,Obama, Obama, he is the Messiah, he can do no wrong, maybe we will finally see in print or video what his polices are and what the true cost is.
I have no fear that she could be president and do a good job. Unlike my fear of Obama and his 2500 adviser. What is that old Indian saying "Too many chiefs and not enough Indians" How can he be a chief if has other chiefs telling him what is right and wrong. Sarah Palin, is independent, has experience, truly know's middle Class America and has lived the life. She is not elitist like Obama and his Socialists followers, and unrepentant terrorist like Ayers and his associates.
"Sarah Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Hillary Clinton. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger."
Cherrye opinon,
Sarah Palin is not a Phyllis Schlafly. Phyllis Schlafly is a crazy extremist conservative republican who damage women's rights who has been proven wrong, over the last 30 years on ever issue she fought against and her fight against ERA. Sarah Palin fought the system and corruption to Become governor of Alaska and now a VP nominate for the United States. No she is not a Hillary Clinton she did it on her own, not on the legacy of her husband. If Bill Clinton was never our president would Hillary be a NY Senator? Sarah Did it on her own. Yes she has her opinions about right to life, stem cell research, and sex education.
These our issue you cannot run from, the information and facts are available 24/ 7 not like the 60's 70's, or 80's you have the world wide web, TV and Hollywood. Is she wrong about Sex education, yes and no Children and Teenagers learn about Sex from the Internet, TV, and the Movies, Even my Son knew about Sex by the time he was 10 I never had the Chance to tell him about the Birds and the Bee's. So give Teenager a sex education alternative as choice to practicing absence and explain the differences , Teenagers still need guidance and sex education, Why not give them a choice.
Stem Cell research I agree with Sarah Palin and the people who are against embryonic stem cell research. In my eyes it is black and white,it is wrong.
Read about Phyllis Schlafly here. Even I forgot about Phyllis until Gloria reminded me.
"Gloria Steinem is stuck in the 60's and dose not represent the Generation of women born in the late 50's and 60's. She represents 68 year old liberals stilling living in the past, instead of looking forward to our future and present needs and wants. She has become the establishment she fought in the 60 and 70s. They always fall back on Roe vs Wade. I believe we will still fight if they try to over turn Roe VS Wade, Women will crawl out the woodwork and stand up to the establishment. When I has in High school I look up to Gloria Steinem, because she was fighting for our rights,"ERA" and the right to choose,
I am not a hard core conservative I disagree with my party on several issues Abortion, right to life, weak on immigrations and the opinion's can hurt you at County and state level caucus. But you still need to voice your opinions. I believe this is a women choice, She is the one who was to live with her decision and choice. Sarah Palin chose life for her child, she had a choice. Her daughter chose life, and marriage, Just like I chose life and Marriage at 19. It was my decision to make! Did I think about abortion and adoption yes. But I Chose life. It was the right decision for me.
Maybe Gloria should turn her focus and ask Sarah Palin to support and push for The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and ratification by the remaining states who have not ratified, Utah, Arizona, Mississippi Alabama Georgia Missouri and Virginia. Focus on the states who rescinded the ratification, like Idaho, Nebraska , South Dakota, Kentucky and Tennessee. Never do they talk about the amendment giving women rights We need to 38 states to re- ratified ERA Now!
Boy did I say a lot today. Lets make this election about issues not life style. Lets Demand Facts and Energy , Drilling at home, Protecting US, interest in the USA and off shore lets not give away our resources to foreign country's and interest. The VP is right about Energy!
Cherrye Kellogg
Full Speech of Sarah Palin acceptance speech for VP for the Republican party nomination.
Read this article below about the speech!
By William Kristol, The Weekly Standard September 4, 2008
Article Excerpt Click here to read the entire article.
NOW WE SEE why the liberal establishment has been trying for the last few days to destroy Sarah Palin. She is a threat to their hopes to take the White House this year, a threat to their broader claims to speak for youth, for women, and for the future, and a threat to their attempt to control the high ground in the culture war. After her stunning success last night, some in the liberal media may retire from the ring for a while. Others, with the threat now even more evident, may redouble their assaults and become even more desperate and vicious. Surely they'll fail.
A star was born last night--but I won't belabor that fact, especially since it was the title of my New York Times column Monday. Nor will I analyze the whole speech, which I'm sure will be ably done by others. I'll just make three points.
1. I've heard one or two Palin skeptics acknowledge that it was a good speech, but then say--well, another nominee could have given a similarly good speech. Actually, no. The speech was so effective because it was given by someone who is, at once: a relative unknown, an executive not a legislator, a real reformer, a middle American who made it on her own, an outsider who was greeted with hostility by the D.C. establishment--and, yes, a woman. Obviously, another nominee could have given a good if different speech. But what made last night's speech special--what may have made last night an inflection point in this campaign, and even in American politics beyond Nov. 4--depended on the peculiar combination of qualities Sarah Palin brought to the table. Her speech was as far as a speech could be from being a generic one. Only Sarah Palin could have given it. The fact that she had the help of an excellent speechwriter, Matthew Scully, doesn't change the fact that this was in a precise way, and I'd almost say a profound way, Sarah Palin's speech.
3. Don't underestimate the power of this statement: "To the families of special needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House." The McCain campaign should flesh this out in policy terms, should not get worried by the inevitable attacks on McCain for voting (as he must have) for some budget resolution or other that would have cut (or not increased as much as some wanted) some special-needs programs, and just keep on emphasizing that Palin will take the lead on these issues, and McCain will see to it she gets the support, budgetary and otherwise, she needs. This would be real compassionate conservatism, and would be good both for conservatism and for the country.
At last Two big protest, "the veterans group" and "anti war rage group, "Against The Machine " concert ticket holder protesters. Read the article below, at 1000 people one group and 3000 for the 2nd group.
(KG) DNC27PROTEST -- Thousands of anti-war protesters marched through downtown Denver after attending a concert at the Denver Coliseum. Their goal was the Pepsi Center the site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Karl Gehring/The Denver Post (THE DENVER POST | KARL GEHRING)
A standoff between Iraq war veterans and police ended after representatives of Barack Obama's campaign finally emerged from the Pepsi Center to hear the group's grievances.
The veterans were arrayed in formation and in uniform, marching slowly toward a line of police, who had warned them they could be pepper sprayed and arrested. They were being watched by a crowd estimated by police at more than 5,000, many of whom had marched with the veterans from the Denver Coliseum.
As the vets got within a few yards of the police, the cavalry arrived in the form of two white-shirted Obama staffers who asked a representative of the veterans to be escorted inside the security zone.
After a brief conversation, a veteran's representative
DNC EXTRAS
Read LIVE reports on the DNC from Denver Post reporters
said they had been promised a meeting with Obama's liason for veteran's affairs. A cheer went up, the veterans did an about face, and the Democrats appear to have avoided providing John McCain with some very unflattering video footage of veteran's being pepper-sprayed hogtied and handcuffed outside their convention.
The veterans first approached the southwest entrance of the Pepsi Center and tried to ask the Democrats to allow a representative to read an open letter to nominee Barack Obama from the podium. But no one from the party or the Obama campaign emerged from the arena to speak to the group.
Jeff Key, who served in Iraq as a Marine master sergeant, said he wants to go into the convention, play taps for the fallen on his bugle and read the letter from Iraq Veterans Against the War.
"I'm not leaving until I get to read that letter," he said, as protesters gathered behind him in a fenced zone outside the Pepsi Center. "I intend to read that letter from the podium. If they say no we're going to tell the world they turned away the veterans."
As Key spoke, delegates inside the arena were watching a performance by Melissa Etheridge. A spokeswoman for the DNC said she was unaware of the veterans demands or even that
Protesters stop to get sprayed by water to relieve them from the heat while they Iraq walked with a group of over 1,000 protesters south on Brighton Blvd near 38th Street in Denver Wednesday afternoon August 28, 2008. (Special to the Post | Evan Semon)
they were outside.
"The veterans have fought too hard to come back here and be ignored as we have for the past seven years by the administration," said Liam Madden, a Marine sergeant.
A representative of the Barack Obama campaign did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Moments later, and after police warned the veterans that they could be pepper sprayed and arrested, they turned and began walking back toward Speer, but stopped at the Pepsi Center entrance on that side, near Market. Dozens of police in riot gear were waiting, but did not immediately intervene.
"We want to thank you for your service," one of the veterans shouted to police over a bullhorn at 7:15 p.m. "We are non-violent. We don't want to hurt you. We don't want you to hurt us."
The veterans were aligned in formation, marching, two steps at a time toward police.
The march of as many as 3,500 people from the Denver Coliseum to the Pepsi Center by Iraq Veterans Against the War reached the fenced protest zone on the grounds of the Democratic convention hall about 5:30. But while they were next to the zone, they refused to enter.
The march, led by the members of the band Rage Against the Machine and the veterans, and followed by an array of protesters including anti-war groups, supporters of medical marijuana and some anarchists with gas masks, started at close to 4 p.m.
As the head of the march reached the 16th Street Mall about 5 p.m., they stopped, and one of the veterans
Video
Watch video from the Rage Against the Machine show
read the letter intended for Democratic nominee Barack Obama, who arrived this afternoon at the nearby Westin Hotel.
"Sen. Obama, millions of people are looking to you to restore our reputation around the world," the letter read. "...In this ominous time, you symbolize the hope for a better America ."
The group read out its three aims: Removing U.S. troops from Iraq immediately, providing full health care benefits to returning veterans, and paying reparations to Iraqis for the damage done during the war.
Marchers expressed disappointment that Obama had not responded to their letter by 3 p.m. today after they had delivered it to his campaign earlier.
"We are here to hold the Democrats accountable," said an IVAW spokesman
Live Images
See live camera images from the post-concert march to the Pepsi Center.
shouting into a bullhorn. "We as Americans voted them into office in 2006, and they have not done their job."
The protesters, who had divided themselves into groups based on who was willing to be arrested, were led on the march by a police SUV with a flashing sign saying, "Welcome to Denver, Follow Us."
Police estimated that 3,000 to 3,500 people were taking part, making it by far the largest march of the convention week.
Organizers have been talking with officers along the route, and, while there is a heavy police presence around the marchers, there have been no confrontations. Some of the protesters have a phone number written on their arms for legal assistance in case of arrest.
The march followed an energetic, and at times emotional Rage Against the Machine concert at the Coliseum.
The concert opened with a stirring speech from Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic.
"I have been in this wheelchair for 40 years because of war, and I have been arrested in this wheelchair 12 times protesting this war," said Kovic, whose story was told in the film "Born on the Fourth of July."
"This is our country. They are not going to shut us up or shut us down," he said. "We are going to end this war and bring the troops home."
—Staff writers Kieran Nicholson and Felisa Cardona contributed to this report.
It looks like the 60's is over, the year the code pink only had a handful to protest. Re create 68 was to recreate a magic show of raising the Denver Mint and bomb with 80 protesters. I was looking forward to a lot of coverage, of protesters, hippies from the 60's, rich liberal college kids traveling to Denver to Protest about everthing. They were a no show. What has happen? Denver Media has had no coverage on the protesters, because nothing has happen. the Great pen or the Cage to protect convention delegates, at the pepsi center only has a handful of youthful protesters, the leaders keep on saying they are on the way. Still a no show! Well maybe Obama great exceptance speech at Invernes stadium is where all of the protestes will show up. I doubt it with all of the road acess inculding main artery of Colorado and Denver travel I 25 east and west being closed for more than 6 hours, along with 6th ave, colfax ave, 23rd viduct, federal blvd and many other bridges and streets. in fact if you are a delgate or tickect holder You are reqired to be in your stadium seat 4 hours before festivites begin. This is all due to security reasons for protection of the Democratic Nomine's. As a native of colorado im staying home, the homeless have left denver, moving on to greener pastures in local suburban city's city parks. Oh well have a great day, I 'm still wacthing the convention news on the CNN all day long coverage. Cherrye
I could not resist posting this article, Denver is going to be a Zoo with all of the crazies coming out out from under their rocks, house, mansion, private schools and trust funds. I think I will post all of the wacky news and intrigues, our local journalist can get in print, from the Rocky Mountain News, Denver Post, and local news stations. I will be pleasantly surprised if the whole convention does not have a melt down. Will their be a "Hillary Show Down", "Will it Rain at the Mile High Stadium, Oops I should say Invesco Field you know corporate Money bought the Name. Oh let's not forget hiding the homeless in our Museums, Public Library,Maybe even Imax will provide free shows, who knows? At least Some hair stylist on 16th street mall gave away free haircuts to the homeless. So Here is my best foot forward preparing for the DNC Convention.
The protesters are coming! The protesters are coming!
How many? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Will our homes and businesses be safe? Or will the entire city be devoured by their voracious desire for free speech and loud, rhyming chants?
Denver officials have expended nearly as much energy on the anticipated protests — in the form of court battles, law enforcement plans and purchases, and feces-inspired laws — as they have on the logistics of the Democratic National Convention itself. Special parade routes have been devised, park permits issued, a north Denver warehouse converted into a jail and a spiffy, fence-lined demonstration area erected near the Pepsi Center, all in preparation for the protesters, whether they arrive in a flood or a trickle.
But despite the city's one-size-fits-all approach, careful study of the events and actions being organized during convention week reveals a diverse array of protester types, each with their own unique appearance, motivation and behavior. Since ignorance breeds fear, we've created this handy protester taxonomy to educate the masses inside about the masses outside.
If you're an out-of-town delegate or just a confused local, use this guide to distinguish an Anarchist from a Nostalgic Hippie. Protesters, you can use it to help discern if the person marching next to you is a fellow passionate advocate for change, a wannabe — or an undercover federal agent. (And feel free to share our slide show at westword.com with your colleagues in the Twin Cities.)
Happy protesting, everybody! Let's be careful out there!
Identifying features: Black clothing, tattered hooded sweatshirts, patches of bands you've never heard of, bandannas covering faces, backpacks or messenger bags, blurry tattoos. Hairstyles often consist of honkylocks or cuts that look as though done with a pair of car keys.
Required reading:The Collected Works of Bakunin, Veganism for Dummies, Hakim Bey, Chomsky, Pacifism as Pathology.
Soundtrack: Crass, This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb, Utah Phillips, Ghost Mice, Leftover Crack.
Plans: A slate of convention-disruption activities, including blockades, "space reclamation" and targeting delegate transportation and events. Also organizing free food and educational spaces in Civic Center Park.
Identifying features: Often handwoven and vaguely "ethnic" clothing, sandals, sensible eyeglasses, graying hair frequently in ponytail, ill-fitting American-flag shirts, tambourines, banners featuring peace symbols or photos of the Earth. Drove to protest from Boulder because of bad knees.
Required reading: Deepak Chopra, Paul Hawken, Allen Ginsberg, Eckhart Tolle, The Celestine Prophesy, Steal This Book.
Soundtrack: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan...fuck, man, nothing sounds as good as it did in '68.
Plans: Large anti-war march on August 24; festivals in both City of Cuernavaca Park and Civic Center Park August 25-28.
Affiliated organizations: Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, American Friends Service Committee, United for Peace and Justice, Come Up to Denver, Re-create '68.
Motto: "Women are more oppressed than blacks, which is why we're all white. That's why it's time to let a woman sell us out."
Identifying features: Fanny packs, mom pants, sun visors, "short and sensible" hairstyles, faces with a reddish hue from relentless shouting.
Required reading:Living History, by Hillary Rodham Clinton, picks by Oprah's Book Club, anything by Suze Orman.
Soundtrack: "You and I," by Celine Dion, Desperate Housewives soundtrack, "Mamma Mia," by ABBA.
Plans: "Welcome Activities" at Confluence Park on August 25; on August 26, a parade toward the Pepsi Center — with headquarters at the downtown Broker Restaurant.
Affiliated organizations: The Denver Group, 18 Million Voices.
Identifying features: Usually bearing a well-worn sandwich-board sign or other type of display featuring taped-on photos or documents detailing their obscure, single-issue cause.
Required reading: The Warren Commission Report, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," freebies from the used-book store.
Soundtrack: Songs playing in passing cars heard from the street median.
Plans: To latch onto any other demonstration or event and get press; make everyone uncomfortable.
Identifying features: Dockers, thick denim skirts, signage featuring dismembered fetuses and baby dolls hanging from nooses.
Required reading: The Bible, Abortion: the Silent Holocaust, The Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts, and the Disregard for Human Life.
Soundtrack: Big Tent Revival, Everyday Sunday, Rebecca St. James, John Ashcroft Sings.
Plans: Rally on August 22 with speech by Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family. On August 23, march from Skyline Park to lay roses on Pepsi Center sidewalks, then on to the new Planned Parenthood building in Stapleton for a prayer vigil. On August 24, a pro-life mass in Skyline Park
From anarchists to aging hippies, they're all part of protestation nation
Continued from page 1
Published on August 21, 2008
Affiliated organizations: Operation Rescue, Christian Defense Coalition, Generation Life National, Faith and Action, National Clergy Council, Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust.
Motto: "You can't handle the truth behind my irrational and speculative facts!"
Identifying features: Socially outcast from all other protest groups, passing out pamphlets and DVDs of evidence; constantly videotaping police, other protesters, passersby, each other.
Required reading: The 9/11 Commission Report, 9/11 Contradictions, Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11, The Terror Conspiracy.
Plans: From August 25-28, four days of "Ground Zero" protest events at Gates Crescent Park, which will boast fifteen-foot-high replicas of the Twin Towers.
Affiliated organizations: We Are Change Colorado, Colorado 911 Visibility, Loose Change.
Motto: "Fighting white privilege until I get my anthropology degree!"
Identifying features: Flip-flops, frayed cargo shorts, T-shirts with images of Che, Black Power fist and/or Haile Selassie.
Required reading:Bomb the Suburbs, A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn.
Soundtrack: Mos Def, Steve Earle, Michael Franti and Spearhead, the Roots, Democracy Now! podcasts.
Plans: A series of events and demonstrations throughout the week, staged in City of Cuernavaca Park. August 27 concert featuring the Coup, Wayne Kramer, the Flobots and Rage Against the Machine at the Denver Coliseum.
Affiliated organizations: Tent State University, Students for a Democratic Society, CodePink.
Identifying features: Football jerseys, beer company caps, jeans, work boots.
Required reading:In Mortal Danger, by Tom Tancredo.
Plans: Rally Against Immigration in Congress Park on August 25, featuring speakers Alan Keyes and Congressman Bob Barr. Protests, pickets and counter-protests throughout the week.
Identifying features: Puppets, oversized papier-mâché heads, face paint, costumes, sidewalk performances, stilts, hang out with normal protesters but have the voices of stage performers.
Required reading: The Bread & Puppet Theater, The Yes Men, Adbusters magazine.
Soundtrack: David Byrne, Art Brut, We Are Scientists, Thievery Corporation.
Plans: On August 26, a Procession for the Future Puppets. CodePink is also seeking dramatists for an "Impeachment Theater."
A 2001 anti-racial-profiling statute requires that police officers across Colorado provide a business card with their name and badge number to any citizen they detain but don't cite or arrest — any citizen who knows to ask for the card, that is.
Protester Tip #2
We've compiled a list of the best places for hungry, left-wing protesters to eat — as well as a complete guide to protest events and activities surrounding the DNC. Go to the Protestation Nation page at westword.com.
Protester Tip #3
To take a look at your potential living quarters at Gitmo on the Platte, and for daily DNC updates, stay tuned to the Demver blog at westword.com.
Oh My Goodness, I can just scream My own senator from Colorado, Salazar does not even feel my pain at the pump. He just keeps on saying no to Drilling for oil.
Iain mentioned this below, but here's the video of McConnell trying to get democrats to agree to domestic oil exploration on the outer-continental shelf if gas hits $4.50, $5, $7.50, $10 a gallon:
This is pretty stunning and I would expect to see this footage in quite a a few political ads in the fall. I wonder why McCain isn't trying to highlight the incompetence of the current Democratic Congressional leadership on issues like this. He could sell himself as a counterweight to the havoc Pelosi and Reid are wreaking, and they already have high negatives. It has the added bonus of making the race about something other than Obama, at same time it puts him on the defensive as he has to justify the actions of his own party. Finally, his would help out all the Republicans who are running Congress and lift the party as a whole.
Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. Today, the park protects over 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.
Visiting Cliff Palace, Balcony House, or Long House
Want to visit a Mesa Verde cliff dwelling? To go to Cliff Palace, Balcony House, or Long House, you will first need to purchase a tour ticket. Ranger-guided tours are offered seasonally, and provide you with the opportunity to hike into and experience these Ancestral Puebloan sites. Tour tickets can ONLY be purchased in person at the Far View Visitor Center. (From Oct. 10 to Nov. 8, tickets are available at the Chapin Museum.) more...
2008 Park Schedules
Mesa Verde National Park is open year-round, but some facilities, tours, and access to archeological sites are seasonal. To make the most out of your trip, take a look at the 2008 park schedules to see what will be available at the time of your visit. more...
The Mesa Verde Foundation
The Mesa Verde Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Mesa Verde National Park. Their web site contains information on the Foundation, the events they sponsor, and the Mesa Verde Visitor Information Center Project. more...
Mesa Verde Museum Association
The Mesa Verde Museum Association is a cooperating association and partner to Mesa Verde National Park that provides educational and interpretive material to visitors of the park. more...
Write to
Mesa Verde National Park P.O. Box 8 Mesa Verde, Colorado 81330
Mesa Verde National Park has mild to hot weather during summer months. During some winters, the weather is also mild. Snow storms can occur as late as May and as early as October, but usually both of these months are pleasant. June through September are warm to hot, with cool evenings. Afternoon thunderstorms are common during July and August. more...
Did You Know? A subterranean kiva remained 50 degrees Fahrenheit all year round. So for the Ancestral Puebloans, it stayed cool in the summer, and only a small fire was needed to keep it warm in the winter.
Summer Fields and Alpine Snow on the San Juan Skyway (CO) [1]
Craving recreation at high elevation? Travel to the top of the world and back in time on the San Juan Skyway. Discover history and high times in the streets, gold mines, and railway stations of towns like Durango, Silverton, and Telluride. Enjoy rafting and water sports on the Animas River, or fish and boat on McPhee Lake, the second largest lake in Colorado. Join the many visitors who converge on the byway each year for bluegrass, jazz, folk, and film festivals. The byway is your open invitation to five million acres of the San Juan and Uncompahgre National Forests. Experience the ancestral homes of the Puebloan Indians at Mesa Verde, once voted the number one historic monument in the world. Enjoy it all on this 236-mile sampler of the best the southwest has to offer.
The sheer cliffs and rugged terrain of the Skyway boast some of the most dramatic scenery on the planet. See crashing waterfalls in the spring as the snow melts in the higher mountains. Wildflowers garnish the alpine forests in the summer months, where the gilded amber, bronze, and gold of the aspens delight autumn visitors. Winter brings a glistening blanket of snow to the byway, perfect for quiet admiration or more active recreation.
The San Juan Skyway promises a fiesta for the senses any time of year. Skiing is one of its premier winter activities, filled with fresh powder and quality resorts. After the thaw, enjoy four-wheeling, bicycling, kayaking, dirt-biking, and motorcycle-touring with friends, or indulge in solitary backpacking, hunting, fishing, and photography in the lush landscape. There's rest and relaxation, too. You can browse town shops, soak in historic hot springs, stay in a Victorian lodge, or sleep under the stars in a forest campground. This playground in the sky promises something for everyone in every season.
The Narrow-Gauge Railroad from Silverton to Durango (CO) [3]
Dramatic scenery and tempting sports are perfectly matched by the riveting history of the region. Nestled in the mountains to the south, the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park exemplify the complexity of the Ancestral Pueblos. Spanish conquistadors made their way through this area, and their discovery of gold in the Rocky Mountains changed the nature of the country forever. Learn hair-raising stories of struggling settlers and rough prospectors in the ghost towns and historic mines along the byway. Historic shops and Edwardian inns await visitors to Durango, Silverton, and Telluride. Witness the power of progress at the railway depots and stations that turned these small outposts into roaring western whistle stops.
Simply driving the Gold Belt Tour in Colorado is an adventure in itself. While following historic railroad and stagecoach routes leading you to North America's greatest gold camps, you will find yourself traversing between narrow canyon walls and along excitingly steep drop-offs. Although the area is no longer bustling with the activities of the gold rush, you can still "strike it rich" with views of outstanding scenery and limitless recreational activities.
As you drive the byway, watch for the hundreds of historic gold mines that surround the communities along the way. Get a real feel for the gold rush days when you visit Victor's National Historic District and Cripple Creek, the historical hub of the mining district and a National Historic Landmark. Most of the buildings built in the early 1900s have been restored to their original likeness, and will give you an authentic look at what life must have been like on the road to riches. Once you've discovered gold mining of the past, visit Victor's new active gold mine. See for yourself the toil and backbreaking labor that went into gold mining in the 1890s and how technology has improved the miner's endeavors today.
Recent Excavation, Garden Park Fossil Area (CO) [3]
Mining isn't the only attraction from the past to be found on the byway. Get a glimpse of what life may have been like long before gold miners came to the area when you visit the three fossil finds located on the byway. See evidence of Earth's prehistoric life in the 80,000 fossilized specimens of tree stumps, insects, seeds and leaves at the internationally renowned Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. It's a great place to stop for a picnic lunch and to learn about the past.
Communities along the byway supplement the rich culture of this area. Cañon City is currently the byway's largest community. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad is one of the city's most distinctive historic sites. You can go to the Santa Fe Depot to purchase tickets for a ride on the Royal Gorge Railroad. Enjoy community events such as the Music and Blossom Festival. In the summertime, old-fashioned entertainment thrives in Cañon City's Park. Visit the Rudd Family cabin, and then spend the afternoon shopping and exploring the city's two museums. For more history and museums, make a stop in Florence. The Pioneer Museum contains pieces of Florence’s past. The area downtown is filled with more shops and restaurants.
You'll find plenty of recreational opportunities on the Gold Belt Tour. If you love the great outdoors, this is the place to be. Enjoy some great fishing, camping, and hiking areas. Or take advantage of the dirt roads for mountain biking and horseback riding. If the steep rock cliffs of the Shelf Road don't intimidate you, you may want to go over the edge and do some rock climbing. For a thrilling adventure, take a drive over the Royal Gorge Bridge. The drive can be a little nerve-wracking and you may find yourself holding your breath as you drive across the world's highest suspension bridge spanning the Royal Gorge 1,053 feet above the water of the Arkansas River. You can walk or drive over the bridge, or take the world's steepest incline railway to the bottom of the Royal Gorge. Whatever adventure you may be after, the rugged terrain of the Gold Belt Tour has something in store for you.
Photo by Tim Fish Moose SIGHTINGS have mesmerized mountain area folk from Pine to Evergreen over the last few weeks. The animal can stand more than 6 feet tall from shoulder to ground and can weigh between 800 and 1,600 pounds. The last sighting was in Brook Forest.
Canyon Courier Newspaper
By Pamela Lawson
Gianna Vinci’s fascination with moose began a month ago when her family traveled to Yellowstone National Park and she saw one of the lanky creatures there.
The Evergreen toddler’s interest was reinforced when her mother, Patty, bought a children’s book about Orville the Moose — whose antlers were loose — at a gift shop in the park. The book has been favorite reading at the Vinci home ever since.
But Gianna’s desire to see a moose in Evergreen seemed an unlikely wish until the family drove right by one July 20 on their way to Summerfest.
“My 2½-year-old has been saying, ‘Mama, I want to see a moose,’ and I have said, ‘They don’t live here,’ ” Patty recalls. “And then I was like, ‘There’s one!’ ”
The Vinci family (with dad Chris at the wheel) were traveling along Evergreen Parkway when they saw the moose in Elk Meadow about 10:45 a.m. Sunday. They drove past it, then turned around to capture the rare image with their camera.
“There were people pulled (off the road) all over the place,” Patty said. “It was surreal to see this moose in the valley.”
The moose, which appeared young and smaller in size than a typical adult, could very well be the same moose that has mesmerized mountain area folks from Pine to Evergreen the last few weeks as it moseyed along.
A moose of similar stature was reported in Pine in early July, and a man who spotted it in the Woodside subdivision also snapped a picture.
Moose are more typically seen in northern Colorado, where they were introduced in the state 40 years ago. They are the largest member of the deer family and are known for their lanky frame and the abundant antlers of the male.
As the state’s moose population continues to grow, the animals are expanding their territory. In 2007, Colorado’s moose population was 1,270, according to the state Division of Wildlife.
Kathi Green, assistant regional manager for the DOW’s northeast region, said her agency has received calls about the moose in Pine Junction.
“Moose are fairly common in South Park,” Green said. “They move through the Front Range on a pretty regular basis— usually it’s a little more common in fall, but it does happen. There are moose in the South Park, North Park and Middle Park areas.”
Green was new to her job with DOW when the animals were introduced in North Park near Walden in 1978 and 1979. Those animals came from Utah and Wyoming.
“It was big, hot news,” Green said. “The moose population has definitely expanded from when they were originally introduced.”
The animals stand more than 6 feet tall from shoulder to ground and can weight between 800 and 1,600 pounds.
Moose like to move around a lot, Green said. They like creek bottoms and willows. The animals can travel “huge” distances, and they are fairly solitary.
Travelers craving release from the momentum of mediocrity can truly transcend the world in the unusual beauty of the Grand Mesa. The 63-mile route rises through the narrow canyon of Plateau Creek to the cool evergreen forests of the mesa top, called Thunder Mountain by the Utes. Poised atop Land's End Overlook, you'll see the Grand Valley unfolding more than a mile below in splashes of golden rubble and vibrant foliage. Hike through dense alpine forests, ski spotless wintry slopes, or fish sparkling streams pouring into 300 lakes adjacent to the byway. Rise above the world and learn why the Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway is called "the alpine oasis in the sapphire sky."
If you're frustrated by so-called "breathtaking vistas" that failed to strike and stun you, let the byway awe and astonish you. Follow the Lands End Road along the rim of the world's largest flat top mountain and discover all 360-degrees of singular alpine skyline. High altitude and clear alpine air invite visitors to look westward to clarion views of the La Sal Mountains, 60 miles to the west in Utah. Sharp-eyed visitors frequently look southward to the peaks of the San Juan Mountains, 90 miles away. With grand views of the vibrant valley and the rustic mountain ranges gilding the horizon, the byway is waiting to leave you breathless and amazed.
Every season has its own glory along the Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway. Enjoy a roadside picnic with family or friends in cool spring fields alive with a full spectrum of wildflowers. Fall brings crimson splashes and splatters of saffron to the valleys and mountains, while the mild climate encourages a variety of wildlife to wander in the dense forests of the byway. Lose yourself in the nostalgia of summertime -- why not show your children the same kind of fishing, canoeing, hiking, and sport that you loved as a kid? Spend a week on the shores of the seven Grand Mesa Lakes, where flower-touched fields, waterside campgrounds, and shady trails await you. With over 400 trails designed for snowmobiles, cross-country skiers, and snowboarders, the Grand Mesa is the winter wonderland of your dreams. Discover the grandeur of the Grand Mesa anytime of year, and you won't be disappointed.
The Box Canon Falls, Ouray's own wonder of the world, is the culmination of Canyon Creek narrowing and spilling thousands of gallons a minute of water over the falls. It is truly a dramatic scene, and one that you can enjoy from both above and below the falls. The Box Cañon Park has been designated an important bird area by the National Audubon Society. At this most spectacular geological formation, the 285 foot waterfall plummets into a narrow, quartzite canyon with walls overhanging the falls by nearly 100 feet. Take Highway 550 south of Ouray, and take a right on County Road 361. Signs point across the Uncompahgre Gorge to the visitor's parking lot.
As Child I remember the falls , I Saw it after a flash flood and 1/2 of the falls was red and the other 1/2 white The fallls come right out of a hole on the wall it is beautiful. It is amazing what you can remember as a child of 8.
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Photo by Tim Fish
The Box Canon Falls, Ouray's own wonder of the world, is the culmination of Canyon Creek narrowing and spilling thousands of gallons a minute of water over the falls. It is truly a dramatic scene, and one that you can enjoy from both above and below the falls. The Box Cañon Park has been designated an important bird area by the National Audubon Society. At this most spectacular geological formation, the 285 foot waterfall plummets into a narrow, quartzite canyon with walls overhanging the falls by nearly 100 feet. Take Highway 550 south of Ouray, and take a right on County Road 361. Signs point across the Uncompahgre Gorge to the visitor's parking lot.