Coors and the Mountains - Sept 17, 2009

No bears came into the park last night, so we got up late. Randy didn’t sleep well because he still has sinus problems and was coughing most of the night. But he made great oatmeal for breakfast. We decided to see some of Golden today so we drove around. There is a buffalo ranch very near the RV Park. We only saw a half dozen buffalo, but there is supposed to be a whole herd. We went to Wal-Mart to get some cash, then to Camping world where we got some wheel covers. We looked at some 5th wheel RVs in the lot next to Camping world – the Cardinal RVs are great, but they are a bit pricy. There was a new RV that is a combination of a 5th wheel and a popup – it has a popup on the back half of the RV roof. Next we found a fresh fruit market and got a few things, including some fresh, perfect peaches that we ate right there, outside the store. Next stop – the Coors tour. The Coors building is very plain from the outside. Inside it’s nice, but not as fancy as Budwieser. 
The tour was self-guided and there were helpful folks at every stop. Coors provided a sample cup at one stop, and 3 beers at the end. I still don’t care for beer. When we went back to the parking lot, a Coors employee was offering city maps and recommendations for lunch. We took her suggestion and Randy got a pastrami sandwich and I got a meatball sandwich, both with chips, drink and dessert. We walked around downtown Golden – it’s a pretty town, and there is a section of older homes that are still (mostly) being taken care of. There is also a park with old log cabin buildings that were moved there from a nearby farm. The weather was perfect – maybe 70 degrees and sunny.

We drove to Lookout Mountain, where Buffalo Bill is buried, along with his wife. The view from Lookout Mountain is amazing – on one side you can easily see Denver and on the other side the ranges of blue mountains go on and on. 
Afterwards we drove to Boetttcher “mansion” on the mountain – it’s big and it’s probably elegant inside, but outside is stucco and wood beams, which doesn’t fit my definition of a mansion. It was closed for a private party so we didn’t get inside. On the ride back we passed a huge elk with a big antler rack, with a doe and 2 young elks (not babies, but not as big as the doe). They crossed the road behind us and trotted off into the fields. Just a few moments later as we drove on, we saw another doe with two young ones. They stayed by the side of the road, even when Randy drove back so we could get a better look. They are really large and beautiful. 
When we got home, we didn’t feel like a big dinner so we had leftovers and fruit. I made our reservations for the Denver Mint tour on Monday. I don’t care much for going to the RV park bathroom after dark... I kept shining the flashlight around, looking for the eye-shine of a bear. After seeing the elk so close, I can easily believe a bear would be near, too.

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