Crested Butte Wildflower Festival - July 7, 2008

Snodgrass Hike & Picnic
Distance: 3 miles - Elevation Gain/Loss: 300 ft

The Wildflower Festival provides a week of viewing and learning about wildflowers. To see the Colorado wildflowers, go mountain biking, hiking, explore Jeep trails, or participate in casual informational walks. Today, 16 of us followed a trail up Snodgrass Mountain to walk through the many varieties of local wildflowers.

Crested Butte, CO - July 4th week 2008

Historic Old Town Crested Butte
This was a mining town, but now it's the place for skiing, snowshoing, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, hiking, and any other outdoor fun you can invision.

Here are some of the old town buildings.

Burnet, TX - May 2008

Falkenstein Castle

It's a fairly odd experience to drive down Park Road 4 toward Inks Lake and see this big ol' castle in the distance. I pulled off the road, set the lens to telephoto, and got this pic.

The footprint of the main grounds and buildings covers approximately four acres or 174,240 square feet. The main residence is nearly ninety feet tall. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of limestone, granite, sand, cement, rock and block, were used in the construction of Falkenstein Castle. Falkenstein Castle sits on 113 acres with a majestic 360-degree panoramic view of the Texas hill country. Construction began in 1996, but I'm not sure when it was completed. Although the owners live in the castle year-round, it is primarily a wedding castle. http://www.falkensteincastle.com/

Texas Longhorn

Further down Park Road 4, I came across this fellow standing in the shade of a scrub oak.

The Texas longhorns were the first cattle to set foot in North America and the only breed of cattle to evolve without human management. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_longhorn_(cattle)

San Antonio, TX - April 2008

The River Walk

Memories of hot summer walks around the River Walk. Mom would take us to the zoo, then we'd go to the River Walk. I brought my children here, and they'll bring their children. It's not so easy getting to San Antonio now that we all live in different states, but it's still part of what we remember as "home".

History

Downtown San Antonio had a severe problem with flooding. In the 1920s, the options were to either pave over the river or develop an idea that would keep the river from overflowing it boundaries. In 1939 under the WPA, the initial construction of a network of 17,000 linear feet of walkways, about 20 bridges, and extensive plantings was completed. Over the years, there have been periods of major additions, more and more businesses added, events, and overall opportunities for good times.

Lake Charles, LA - March 2008

Lake Charles Airport

The airport was blown away by a hurricane, so they have temporary buildings until the new airport is built.

Colorado Springs, CO - March 2008

Broadmoor Hotel
The only vacation my family ever took was to Colorado. Mom and Dad were attending a company convention at the Broadmoor and we kids came along to combine and extend that trip into a vacation. On the last evening of the convention, my parents let me join them for the dinner and dance. Roger Williams was at the piano; Dad and I danced in the ballroom. What an experience for a south Texas beach teen! So, forty-five years later, while working in Colorado Springs, I stopped for dinner and a stroll around the grounds. http://www.broadmoor.com/

Children Playing Sculpture

From http://www.answers.com/ - The Broadmoor Hotel is a luxury hotel resort located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The 700-room hotel surrounds a lake on 3,000 acres at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. It has a tennis club, three golf courses, restaurants and bars, three pools, a spa, meeting space, and retail stores. Its tennis and golf complexes are regularly ranked among the nation's best. James Pourtales, a Prussian count, opened a casino and hotel on the Broadmoor property in 1891. Several years later Spencer Penrose purchased the Broadmoor and by 1918 turned it into a resort with more guest rooms and a golf course. http://www.answers.com/topic/broadmoor-hotel?cat=biz-fin

Shopping at the BroadmoorShops and shops! All 'round the property.