Cripple Creek, CO

Yesterday was a day to stay in. It never really warmed up, and we had rain, sleet, and some snow. Nothing stuck, but it was cold enough for us wimps to just stay in and get caught up on stuff indoors, like reading and naps. We did venture out late in the afternoon for groceries.

That pink and light blue is snow.

This morning dawned mostly sunny so we headed out to Woodland Park and Cripple Creek. First stop was Manitou Lake west of Woodland Park, CO. I used to drive up there for a little mountain respite when I was living in Colorado Springs in the early eighties. It is still a great spot. They just stocked the lake a few weeks ago and the few folks that were fishing this morning were catching trout like crazy. I found a plastic fish. Following the catch and release philosophy I threw the plastic fish away.

Cripple Creek has really changed since I was last there 28 years ago. To avoid the continued decay that was driving it towards “ghost town” status, the residents voted in gambling. Almost every storefront is now a casino.

Gone are the gift shops and antique stores, but the residents now have a working water system and a revitalized town with improved schools. The place looks great, but it is just not the same. We drove over to Victor, a nearby sister mining town and found it to be what Cripple Creek was. It was kind of run down, but with a sense of authenticity and funky old shops.

We had lunch at a Kathy’s Déjà vu Café and had a great old fashioned burger and fries. We topped it off with great fresh baked Blackberry pie ala mode. Kathy’s is a great throwback ice cream shop type place. If you are in Cripple Creek, drop in for pie at least.

The Mollie Kathleen mine and other Cripple Creek scenes.

Barbara found a new friend!

Key West has its chickens. Orlando has its ducks at the Peabody Hotel. Cripple Creek has its donkeys. They roam the town at will, and are thought to be the descendants of the donkeys the original gold rush prospector’s used. We caught up to them just outside of town, but just last week they had wandered into City Hall’s side door.

Tomorrow we want to see Manitou Springs, the Florissant Fossil Beds, and the Wolf Resource Center. There is so much to see around here, and the mountain vistas are magnificent.