Craig's big road trip

Day 18 - Idaho Springs to Golden
Home
The starting point
Day 1 - Seattle to Yakima
Day 2 - Yakima to Bend
Day 3 - Bend to Mt. Shasta
Day 4 - Mt. Shasta to Oakdale
Day 5 - Oakdale to Tehachapi
Yosemite National Park
Day 6 - Tehachapi to Las Vegas
Day 7-10 in Las Vegas
Day 11 - Las Vegas to Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon N.P.
Day 12 - Grand Canyon to Kayenta
Day 13 - Monument Valley
Day 14 - Kayenta to Telluride
Day 15 - Telluride
Day 16 - Telluride to Glenwood Springs
Day 17 - Glenwood Springs to Idaho Springs
Day 18 - Idaho Springs to Golden
Day 19 - Golden to Amarillo
Day 20 - Amarillo to Tyler
Day 21 - Tyler to Lake Charles
Day 22 - Lake Charles to Waveland
Day 24 - Waveland to Pensacola
Day 25 - Pensacola to Gainesville
Day 26 - Gainesville to Titusville
Day 27 - Kennedy Space Center
Day 28 - Titusville to Clearwater
The finishing point

Friday April 18, 2003.
 
Golden is only a few miles down the hill from Idaho Springs.  It is famous in the U.S. as the home of the Coors brewery, but it is more famous to me as the home of my friends Michael and Michelle Ledwich.  I had pre-arranged to meet Michael at his home high on the mountain overlooking Denver for dinner this night.  So I planned a driving route that would take me down to Denver city, and then north to Boulder, a trendy university town nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.   I enjoyed a nice lunch and walk around the Pearl Street Pedestrian Mall in Boulder, before finally driving to Golden via the high roads rather than the freeways.
 
My timing was perfect.  I was driving up the scenic Lookout Mountain Road towards Michael's house above Golden just as Denver city was about to go under the shadow of the mountains.    I still had enough light remaining to enjoy a short walk with the four alpacas lovingly owned by Michael and Michelle.
 
Alpacas are genetically linked to camels and lamas, and are prized for their beautiful wool which is not unlike mohair.  Alpacas are also very domesticated and lovable.

All images on this page copyright Craig Norris.  All rights reserved.