Trips to Scottsbluff, NE, and Colorado...

During the last summer I was at home with my kids, we took a trip to Scottsbluff, Nebraska to visit Sandy and Marc Anthony and their family, and then to Colorado to visit Harry and Sharon Venik and their daughter. This is a shot of Doug, Diane and Dave standing in the grooves that are still very visible where pioneers rode the Oregon Trail on their way to the western parts of the country. Standing there gives you an eerie feeling of linkage with those families who left everything they knew to go into a wilderness where their lives were often in danger and there was no guarantee of success. We Americans come from strong stock...

Here are the kids getting ready to take a ride in a covered wagon. I am guessing this outfit was from the 'Old Smokey Ranch.'

In this photo, I am standing on top of a bluff (where Scottsbluff got its name...) with Sandy Anthony. You can see the entire town of Scottsbluff from this height. Apparently, a trapper by the name of Hiram Scott was injured out in this part of what once was wilderness. His fellow trappers deserted him, and he managed to crawl to a prominent bluff nearby before he died. There is a memorial to him located near that bluff. Lots of people died in order to settle this land...and it would probably shock us if there were memorials in place for each one...what a price to pay for settling a country!

Here are Sandy and Marc Anthony and their little girl (to the far left), with Dave, Diane and me in front. We are standing in the ruts of the old Oregon Trail.

Ooops. Another split slide. But, I think this was Marc Anthony and some of his friends who took Vern golfing one of the days we were at their house. I'm guessing that Vern took this photo, and I don't know the fellows in the red shirt or the yellow shirt. That's Marc in the blue.

The Anthonys also took us boating on a lake near Scottsbluff. I'm thinking this was most likely a reservoir, since there are few natural water bodies in that part of the country. You can see Diane on the far left, Marc in the boat, Dave behind the boat (orange life jacket), Doug going toward the boat on the right, perhaps Sandy Anthony (or perhaps their oldest boy...hard to be sure in this shot) carrying what appears to be a cooler to the right of Doug, and me helping their little girl fasten her life jacket on the far right.

This is Dave and Doug outside of the Venik's house in Colorado Springs. Harry and Sharon Venik were neighbors kitty-corner across from our house on West 7th Street in Cedar Falls. Sharon had been a teacher and Harry was the former recreational director for the City of Cedar Falls. Harry applied for and got a job as recreational director for Colorado Springs, and they had moved out there. At that time in our marriage, many of our close friends were moving because of job advancements.

I think this one was taken at the Colorado Springs Zoo....(or did I already post this as being at the St. Louis Zoo? I'm just not sure, but it was a good photo...)

The Veniks took us to the Colorado Springs Zoo (a fabulous zoo, if you ever get the chance to go there...it is located on the side of the mountains...beautiful scenery, and wonderful animals...) Here are Dave and Doug looking at some elk in their pen.

I just love giraffes! Here I actually was able to pet one! This is at the Colorado Springs Zoo. You can see me reaching to pet the giraffe, Dave just in front of me, and Doug to my right. I don't know who the other boy is, but probably just another tourist, enjoying the closeness of those magnificent animals!

The Veniks took us to Rocky Mountain National Park for a couple of days. This was the cabin we rented for that stay. You can see Dave, Diane and Doug in front of our cabin. Beautiful park...a must see if you get to Colorado...

The caption I wrote with this slide is: 'We do our part to hold things up!' That is Dave, Doug (or is that Diane?) and me under the 'balanced rock,' and maybe Doug is back on the left behind the rock. Harry and Sharon are standing at the lower left.

 Rocky Mountain High!

Dave in the Rockies...

Doug in the Rockies...

Sharon Venik and me, standing on the road through the pass in the Rockies...cold and snowy! I think we were on our way up to Pike's Peak.

 Sharon Venik and I overlooking the Rockies... (I look like I had a wad of 'chew' in my mouth!)

Harry actually got a bird to sit on his hand. I guess they have been fed so much by tourists that they are quite tame. That's Diane trying to get one to land on her hand too, and to the right of Harry are Kim (Sharon and Harry's daughter), Dave and Doug.

In this photo, left to right, are Kim and Harry Venik, Diane, Dave, Sharon, me and Doug.

Brrrr...cold little creek! Here I am with Dave, and we are watching this bubbling creek meander down the mountain slope through the mounds of snow. Crisp air...natural surroundings...all of the things I grew up to love about being away from city crowds....

We are on top of the world! Yep, that's me and Dave standing on top of Pike's Peak. What a view! (Unfortunately, Diane did not do well in high altitude, as we found out on this mountain. She had a bit of altitude sickness, got a nosebleed, and felt ill. But, it was a neat day, in spite of that. I hope she remembers some of these photos with a little bit of wonder anyway.

Here, the Veniks are sharing a picnic lunch with us. That's Harry on the left, and Sharon on the right. At the table are Dave, me, and Doug. Vern is probably taking the photo, and Diane may be resting in the car, if this took place after our ascent up to Pike's Peak!

More vacation shots on the next blog. One last summer vacation together at Potato Lake...