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We travelled on the Californian Zephyr to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Glenwood Springs is a winter and summer vacation resort with natural spas.
We left the train for 24 hours to have a break on the journey to Omaha, NE. After 30+ hours on the train, I was developing sea legs. When we left the train, I could feel the ground moving!
We had a swim in the HUGE pool. Sadly pDennis the monkey split his sides. We'd inflated him in San Jose at sea level and 60°F. In Glenwood Springs were more than 5000 feet above sea level and the temperature was around 90°F. Dennis went pop! Split his sides laughing. Well, he's full of hot air, you know. Luckily he came in a bargain pack of 3, and one of his brothers was inflated and survived most of the rest of the vacation.
We were joined in Glenwood Springs by Faith's cousin and her family. And a couple of Jim's old PostScript buddies from long forgotton companies also joined us for dinner.
We had a run down the canyon on Monday morning. Starting about 7000 feet above sea level and coming down the river trail below I-70. Beautiful Trail. Hard work running at this elevation. Richard (Faith's cousin's husband) found it easy as he lives in Boulder, CO. So he's acclimated to altitude. I never knew it could be hard to run 9 minute miles downhill!
Andrew and Ali and I watched Australia playing in the Soccer World Cup from Germany on Monday after breakfast. Australia were beaten with the last kick of the game by Italy who went on to win the Tournament. The Italians were given a penalty for nothing to win the game with the final kick of the ball. I've heard allegations of bribery related to this. For sure, the referee made an outrageous decision. Australia played with honor. Andrew was thrilled by the performance of his country men.
Ali and I had a little walk up to the Pioneer Cemetery in Glenwood Springs. Doc Holliday, one of the legendary gun-fighters of the west is buried there. Do you remember, Gun Fight at the OK Corral? The OK Corral is at Tombstone, AZ - quite a long way from Glenwood Springs (perhaps 1000 miles). However Doc had TB and passed his final days in a sanatorium in Glenwood Springs where he hoped the Spa waters might extend his life. His famous last words "This is funny" are thought to be self-reflection that he never expected to die in bed. A bloody mess in the street at the hands of another gunfighter would have seemed more likely. I believe Doc shot 30 men dead in about 10 years of violent behaviour in the old west.
And then it was time for lunch and ice cream and wait for the Amtrak to take us over the mountains and on the Omaha, NE.
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