Friday, October 31, 2014



My 12 days in Colorado are coming  To an end...  I am on board Southwest Flt 551, Albuquerque to Denver... Then on to San Francisco...

The flight was scheduled to board 2:45... People started to line up at 2:30... It's now 2:55 and the "A" folks are pretty much all in line... We have just had the first boarding announcement... " If you have not yet, find your place in the boarding line " (nothing about if group "A"... Just find your place..)

Now aboard, the flight is far from full, and I have a window seat, and a row to myself.   We climb, the Rio Grande shining below... Heading north east...  Now away from Albuquerque, following  the route I just drove from Alamosa...  It looks dryer and browner from above.

It has been a working trip, inspecting and documenting four 19th century railroad cars...  Preparing drawings and planning their restoration...

Our work site was in the village of Antonito Colorado... A small town of just over 700 people, in the San Luis Valley, just north of the New Mexico State line...  It's at about 7,800'...

We stayed in Alamosa, a bit over 30 miles north... By local standards a city...  We have stayed here before... But since the motel, then independent has associated with a chain, and the motel restaurant has gone corporate... And where before the menu had lots of item smothered in chili ("green or red?" I am of the green camp) now it looks like a Denny's... It is not an improvement.

Each morning we would drive south to Antonito... Set up computers and climb into, under, and over the four cars...  This is our third trip to Colorado for this project...  We are not sure if it is the last, yet... Lunch was generally at the "Dinning Car", a local diner... (stranglely, the recept says it is the "Train Wreck") Where much of the food is properly smothered in chili, and the great defining question "green or red?" is well understood.   Our fellow diners were truck drivers, farmers, hunters, and the local sheriff, currently running for re-election... One day at lunch, our waitress at lunch was a young girl from Wisconsin, who recently moved to the San Luis Valley with her father, leaving the Amish, so he could hunt elk without having to pay non resident fees... She wanted to be a rodeo barrel racer...

Driving back and forth between Antonito and Alamosa we traverse a piece of America which is different than San Francisco...  This is farm country... Hay, barley, potatoes, sheep and cattle... There are a couple of tractor dealers in Alamosa, and the auto parts houses all carry parts for "Cars, Trucks, and Ag".  The Colorado Potato Administration Commission " is a bit to the west in Monte Vista.  Sunday we saw hose drawn carriages, presumably Amish or Mennonite on there way to church.

You drive slow through the towns around here...  65 seems find on the two lane roads... But the speed limit is 25mph in town, and they mean it...

We took one day to drive over to Durango... A chance to see similar railroad cars used by the Durango and Silverton Railroad... But it was also a drive across Wolf Creek Pass... In fall in full color the aspen golden...

I noted (but did not eat in) a restaurant on the South edge of town... the Serious Texas barbecue and mini golf... It may be a fine dining establishment, but I find it hard to take any institution which includes put-put golf in its business model as serious.

Still aboard SWA Flt 551... The pilot has announced we are on final approach... Seats and tray tables need to be raised and locked in their full upright position...

This morning I got up about 6:30... Breakfast at the Resterant that no longer understands smothering food in chili (green or red?) then out the car with our luggage... Heading for Albuquerque...  Heading out of town we pass the Alamosa Hunan Restarant... "Happy HOUR all day" and Big Al's Furniture. With its  Duck Commander banner...

South through La Jara, through Antonito... This time not stopping... South into New Mexico...  We pause in Tres Piedras to take pictures of the long abandoned  railroad water tank.   The last train came by in early 1941... its starting to lean, and will eventually fall... its right near the old Pink school house...

Now on the ground in Denver.... But back to the journey... We pick up the interstate near Santa Fe...  We are driving next to a truck withw "lazy boy" mud flaps.... I want to drive a truck that says "Lazyboy"...   Now  traveling south on I25 just south of Santa Fe... we spot a rest area on the north bound side... soon after we see a sign for a rest area... Off the freeway to find a second sign... Rest area 8 1/2 mile round trip... They expect you to get  Off I25, head the other direction, off at the rest area, back on ( still the other direction, off at the next off ramp to turn around head back south... Mike didn't have to pee that bad...

Into Albuquerque... We need to gas the rental before we turn it in...  The gas station we used last visit was closed and we went in search of gas, somewhat lost, diverted by an accident and road closures... Eventually we find gas ( and Mike's bathroom) and the rental car center and the airport shuttle... Check bags and check in... I win the lottery and get TSA Pre...  H

Beyond security, we gather for a last beer, and lunch... Then they head for gate 5 and their flight to Sacramento... I head to Gate 8... But we have been there before...

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