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Colorado Family Memories

November 2019 - February 2020
A 108-day adventure by Two to Travel Read more
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  • Two to TravelColorado Family Memories
    21

    CoSprings: Sewing Projects

    January 16, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 32 °F

    Our living room is not just for guest entertainment. It’s where we live ... everyday. From experience, we know that the chair and sofa arms show wear the fastest. So, we decided to make some covers for them. While we were at it, we also decided that covers for where we rest our heads when watching TV are probably a smart idea too.

    Mui, being the practical one in our family, worked with mom on this sewing project. If I had become involved, we’d still be sewing ... I assure you 😉. They done good!    Read more

  • Two to TravelColorado Family Memories

    CoSprings: B'Day Happy Hour

    January 17, 2020 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 32 °F

    Mui’s birthday was on the 15th. But we decided to hold off having a celebratory meal until today. Not that he did not have a special meal on his day … he did … a few mezes at home ... he and mom toasted the occasion with rakı, a traditional Turkish drink that most people in the US equate with ouzo.

    Tonight’s meal was mom’s treat. She suggested we do happy hour at PF Chang’s and we readily agreed. We like the smaller-size dishes on the happy hour menu and make our own "Asian tapas" meal to share.

    As we always do, we ordered the chicken lettuce wraps. We then added Mongolian potstickers, crispy green beans, and a new addition to the menu — Asian Mac & Cheese. Should have skipped the last one … just not good. The sauce is OK, but the “mac” is a doughy rice pasta … very rubbery. We won’t be ordering it again … even suggested to the waitress that the dish should be removed from the menu entirely.

    We wrapped up with tiramisu. Yeah … nothing Asian or Chinese about this dessert. But that’s what the birthday boy wanted. So that’s what he got. Turns out the portion could easily have been shared by eight people! It was huge. We ended up taking a couple of bites each and brought the rest home to eat after dinner tomorrow.

    Happy Birthday, Mui!    Read more

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  • Two to TravelColorado Family Memories

    CoSprings: Antelope Come By to Visit

    January 19, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 41 °F

    I've mentioned before that we have antelope in the neighborhood where we live in Colorado Springs.

    Usually, they just graze and gambol on the plains, but they do occasionally venture into the arroyo that fronts our house. Today, a few of them actually crossed the arroyo to graze just off the footpath on our side.

    Such a delight for us all ... especially for mom as this just doesn't happen in the city where she lives in Turkey. I was tempted to go down to the footpath, but I did not want to spook the antelope. So, I satisfied myself with a couple of shots from our deck.    Read more

  • Two to TravelColorado Family Memories

    CoSprings: Pioneers Museum

    January 22, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F

    An overcast day that turned sunny and warm-ish as the day progressed begged to be enjoyed. After taking care of a few errands, we headed into downtown Colorado Springs to check out the Pioneers Museum, which is housed in the former El Paso County Courthouse. This small museum, which charges no admission, is “… committed to building a lasting connection to the Pikes Peak region by preserving and sharing our cultural history. …” In addition to the permanent displays that highlight regional history, there are special exhibits on various topics … including the ones that attracted our attention today: “Evidence: Finding the Facts about General William Jackson Palmer” (founder of Colorado Springs ... whose estate [Glen Eyrie] we visited not long ago) and “[Dis]Information: American Indians Through the Lens of Roland Reed.”

    Another ‘attraction’ at the museum is the restored courtroom on the third floor. What made this room interesting to us is that mom enjoys watching re-runs of the Perry Mason TV show. Apparently a few of those episodes were filmed in that courtroom.

    After wandering through the museum, we went to the Phantom Canyon Brewing Company for lunch. We were introduced to this brew/restaurant by our friend, Ray, when we had lunch with him here last spring. We weren’t disappointed then … nor were we today. Mom had fish and chips … a first for her; Mui ordered the squash and prosciutto salad with salmon; I got the shepherd’s pie. All tasty. We wrapped up with a cheesecake to share ... served with a maple whiskey, brown butter, and caramel sauce. Yummy!

    It was during lunch that I got a text from Aylin … it was about midnight in İzmir, Turkey. They had been awakened by a 5.6 earthquake. No serious damage ... just a big scare. Needless to say, they were quite shaken [no pun intended] by the experience. I would be too. I’ve been through a number of earthquakes and know that they are downright scary ... more so when they happen in the dead of night. 🤞🏻there are no aftershocks to further fray everyone’s nerves.

    (If you’d like to see more photos from today, go to my online gallery at this URL: https://eenusa.smugmug.com/North-America-US-Can…)    Read more

  • Two to TravelColorado Family Memories

    CoSprings: Yummy Molasses Cookies

    January 22, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F

    We have two chefs in the house these days — mom and Mui. On some days one or the other cooks. On other days, they share the cooking duties. Today was a collaboration day!

  • Two to TravelColorado Family Memories

    CoSprings: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

    January 24, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

    Everyone who knows us also knows that we love animals of all kinds. Well, except for the creepy crawly and slithery kind. We especially love seeing animals in the wild ... where they belong. But it’s not always possible to see critters in their native habitats. So, sometimes we go to a ‘reputable’ zoo to see animals, too. That’s what we did today. Taking advantage of a glorious blue-sky day that was plenty comfortable temperature-wise, we headed to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo with mom.

    The zoo has an interesting conservation program. When admission is purchased, each visitor is given tokens equaling 75 cents. Just inside the entrance are “Quarters for Conservation” kiosks where visitors “vote with their tokens” on the program(s) they want to support. Since this program started in 2008, it has raised more than $2.5 million for field conservation. Today we added to that amount by choosing to support conservation efforts for orangutans, giraffes, and elephants and rhinos.

    Our good deed done, we then wandered the various exhibits, watching the antics of the animals. The zoo lives up to its nickname — America’s Mountain Zoo. The terrain is very hilly, with steady climbs to reach the exhibits on the slopes. There is a gondola to help people get around, but it wasn’t operational today. I suppose we could have used the shuttle — $2pp for rides all day long — but we opted to get around under our own steam instead. A bit of exercise as we enjoyed ourselves.

    After our visit to the zoo, we got a bite of lunch at Shangri-La, a Chinese restaurant recommended by our neighbors. They did not steer us wrong. While the ambiance of the place is nothing to write home about, the food is tasty. Mom ordered the sweet and sour chicken; Mui went for his favorite ... General Tso chicken ... avoiding the red hot peppers; and I got the beef lo-mein. We wrapped up by sharing a bananas supreme ... deep fried bananas served with vanilla ice cream ... yummy!

    Looks like there is snow in the forecast for Monday. In the meantime, we have a delightful weekend forecast, so we’re going to try and make the most of it with a couple more outings. Our home projects can wait 🤪.

    For more photos from our day at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, click this link for my online gallery: https://eenusa.smugmug.com/North-America-US-Can…    Read more

  • Two to TravelColorado Family Memories
    11

    Palmer Lake: Picnic in the PhxCruiser

    January 25, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F

    We did something different today. Wanting to give mom a ride in our new motor home — a 2017 Phoenix Cruiser that Mui picked up in Florida in December — we got it out of storage and went for a drive. The outing had a dual purpose ... to grant mom’s wish for a picnic lunch.

    Our destination was Palmer Lake, off of Hwy 105 ... about 30 minutes or so north of Colorado Springs. We knew we could find a place to park the rig there this time of the year ... and there were picnic tables for an al fresco meal, too. What we didn’t count on was the ice fishermen ... they had the parking lot filled. No matter, we found a nice spot on the opposite side of the lake.

    The sky was blue ... the sun was shining. Perfect for an al fresco meal. Except for the on-and-off breeze from the north, which made it just a tad too uncomfortable to sit outside for any length of time. No matter ... we opened the slide and had our picnic lunch inside the Cruiser. The egg salad sandwiches didn’t care that they were being eaten indoors instead of outdoors.

    Despite the wind, we did manage to take a walk most of the way around the lake. A bit of fresh air exercise to wrap up our outing in the Phoenix Cruiser.    Read more

  • Two to TravelColorado Family Memories
    2
    321

    Cañon City & Peek @ Royal Gorge

    January 26, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F

    Another gorgeous winter day … blue skies and sunshine and warm temps ... about 10 degrees warmer than it should be this time of the year. Got to take advantage of it. So we headed up to Cañon City … a home rule municipality in Fremont County that has its roots back during the Pike’s Peak gold rush of 1858. The area has a lot to offer — especially for the adventurous. We’ll go back another time to take advantage of some of those opportunities. Today, we took it easy and just looked around.

    We left the house a little after 10:00a for the 1½-hour drive. Our first stop was the Holy Cross Abbey, right off US50 on the outskirts of Cañon City. Unfortunately, it was closed. So, we moved on. Following the signs into the historic part of the city, we were disappointed to find it all but dead! On a Sunday? On such a beautiful day? So, we moved on.

    One of the popular sights in the area is the Royal Gorge Park. Heading in that direction, we made a detour to check out a campground — East Ridge. Peaceful and quiet — at least during this time of the year. We liked what we saw … free boondocking sites for 72-hours. We plan to return for a short stay.

    From the campground, we continued up the dirt road to where it dead ends at the Royal Gorge Park. Admission is $25pp — which gives access to the pedestrian bridge that spans the gorge, a ride on the gondola that criss-crosses the gap high above the Arkansas River, and a theater. There are some adrenaline-junky rides here as well … additional cost … but I doubt we would ever take advantage of them. We’ll return to check out the park ... and the nearby trails. Today we were satisfied with a view of the gorge from an overlook. Alas the light was bad, so I limited my photos to a few memory shots.

    Retracing our drive, we headed back to historic Cañon City ... hoping to get some lunch somewhere. Turns out the town had come alive. It was plenty warm in the sun … perfect for an al fresco meal on a winter day. Spying the outdoor seating at World’s End Brewing Company, we decided to go there. A good choice. A couple who was about the leave told us we could have their table as soon as they paid their bill. We had a short wait, but it was worth it.

    I thoroughly enjoyed my glass of “Fairy Dust” … a beer described as being based on a blond ale recipe … with a surprising peach influence. Mom and Mui ordered the Double BLT. The waitress was right … they don’t stint on the bacon. I ordered the Adult Grilled Cheese … made with a blend of Colby, Mozzarella, and Provolone … plus sliced avocado and hardwood smoked bacon. They normally add red pepper flakes, but I abstained. We were stuffed by the time we finished our meal … no room for dessert.

    We’ve got snow in the forecast, so this will be our last outing for at least a few days. We need some rest anyway after being out and about for three days in a row … and we have some projects to complete at home, too.    Read more

  • Two to TravelColorado Family Memories

    Manitou Springs: Light Victorian Tea

    January 29, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 32 °F

    “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves — slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this moment is life. ~~ Thich Nat Hahn ~~

    In July 2015, Mui and I came to Colorado Springs for a couple of weeks in our motorhome. One of the things we did then was to visit Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs. After touring the mansion, we had lunch at the on-site tearoom ... Queen’s Parlour. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience ... fancy hats and all. (Photos here ... https://eenusa.smugmug.com/WeGoA-Rollin/Fulltim…).

    Today we took mom to the Queen’s Parlour for the Light Victorian Tea. After we were seated, we were given the “tea menu” and asked to make our selections. Since the pots are shareable, we each chose a different flavor — chocolate cherry bomb, mango tango, and lady lavender. Then we settled down to enjoy the tasty goodies ... which change daily.

    First up was the scone — today’s flavor was plum craisin and white chocolate ... served with honey and herb infused butter, almond flavored Devonshire cream, and organic strawberry preserves.

    The second course consisted of a selection of sandwiches made with bread baked on the premises — spicy turkey, spinach and artichoke on puff pastry, lasagna, and pickled cucumbers & white cheddar.

    We wrapped up with the dessert course — peach cream tartalette, Amaretto bonbon, pomegranate blackberry mint mousse, and swan puff pastry with a vanilla cream filling.

    Oh, yummy, yummy! Totally sated. We all enjoyed the experience ... fancy hats and all. I’m just sorry I wasn’t able to get reservations to the Queen’s Parlour while Aylin and Murat were here ... just not possible to get in over the holidays. Maybe next time.    Read more

  • Two to TravelColorado Family Memories
    4

    CoSprings: Picnic @ Home

    February 2, 2020 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Two days ago we had snow ... an unexpected storm that dropped about an inch overnight.

    Today, we’re sitting on our deck, enjoying a day that is more reminiscent of spring than winter. Not that it’s going to last long. A snowstorm is expected to come through tomorrow ... with forecasted accumulations ranging from three to eight inches ... more in the mountains. In fact, the winds bringing the storm have already picked up. But the temperature is warm enough that we can continue to sit outside ... even in the shade.

    Best to make hay while the sun shines! Mui picked up some sandwiches from Firehouse Subs and we enjoyed an al fresco meal at home ... the first of many 🤞🏻    Read more

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