 Occasionally there are places you can pull off to revel in the pristine beauty of Independence Pass. This spot is one of my favorites. I find watching the creek rush toward the distant mountain a Divine work of art. Note to the adventurist with either terrific driving skills or a great life insurance policy, see my route through Independence Pass as shown on my Google Map from Grand Junction. CO to Colorado Springs, CO here.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Twin Lakes, CO is the visual reward awaiting anyone brave enough to drive Independence Pass. One website describes it, "The naturally formed glacial lakes are Colorado’s largest, surrounded by mountains over 13,000 feet high." I simply describe it as "stunning".
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  In researching unique things to see on this trip I discovered this marker in Memorial Park, Colorado Springs, CO. commemorating Nikola Tesla’s Experimental Lab. Although the lab was near there for a short time and has since been torn down, the eccentric genius’s effort to create the wireless transmission of energy was way ahead of its time. It is only now, some 120 years later, that New Zealand has launched a large scale attempt to wirelessly transmit electricity.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  The Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Colorado Springs, CO. is a reverent tribute to the many brave men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to save others. In addition to the extraordinary statues, there are semi-circular Walls Of Honor listing all those lost in the line of duty. It was a sobering reminder to give thanks to all those who are courageous enough to run into a fire when everyone else is running away.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  In researching All American roads to travel, one stood out as a must see because of its eerie nickname, The Loneliest Road In America. US 50 runs more than 3,000 miles from coast to coast passing through a dozen different states, and there are stretches so remote that it gets truly unnerving. Fortunately, this spectacular sunrise kept me company briefly on the way from Colorado to Kansas, before a dense, spooky fog right out of a Stephen King novel enveloped the road for several hours.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  I grew up watching Gunsmoke on TV. The story was typically the same. The bad guy in Dodge City crossed Marshal Dillion (played by James Harness, real life brother to TV’s Mission Impossible, Peter Graves). And then the bad guy got (gun)smoked. The end. Fortunately, the historic western town was a lot more hospitable to me. And after a short visit to enjoy it all, it was time to get out of Dodge.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Like a lot of people, I used to joke about driving across Kansas. “It is the longest 10 days of my life.” “I’ve had relationships that haven’t lasted this long.” “No wonder Dorothy left in a whirlwind.” But after spending time in Kansas with some amazing people, I now look forward to visiting the Sunflower State. Especially when my hosts take me to their own private fishing hole so I can catch a whale! Okay, so it was miniscule, but hey, in my mind it fought me like it was Moby Dick.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  You know you are in Kansas when even the recreational facilities are named in fear of tornadoes. And having the sky suddenly turn dark and ominous certainly didn’t help my confidence any. True story: I drove across Kansas a few years ago with my nephew. He said, “Uncle Les, are those tornado clouds?” I told him “No”, and then stomped on the accelerator. Next day we checked the news, and yep, you guessed it, we were within hours of being hurtled somewhere over the rainbow,
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Okay, so I’ll admit that this isn’t the first image that comes to mind when I hear the word Manhattan. But while the "little apple", Manhattan, Kansas doesn’t have the skyscrapers of the big apple, Manhattan, New York, it certainly makes up for it in small college town charm. And while on that topic, if you ever get a chance to check out the cool college towns of Kansas, make sure you include Lawrence, KS on your list. It has a terrific vibe and great restaurants.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  One of the great things about taking back roads is stumbling upon unique, local attractions. That was what happened when I spotted a small sign in Wamego, Kansas that said, “Oz Museum”. Since my Mom’s favorite singer was Judy Garland and our family has watched The Wizard Of Oz countless times, I just knew I had to go. And I'm so glad I did. Because it proved once again that Dorothy was right…There’s no place like home.”
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