Sunday was, for the most part, just a travel day. Following our freezing-cold night, the hotel was abuzz with stories about the road conditions. We woke up a little later than usual, but we still had to make the airport by 11am or so. Especially since we still had to return the rental car and get a bus over to our terminal.
Now a quick note to everyone about our (Ashley's and my) mothers - they're both worriers. Ashley typically receives weather updates from his mom; for example, he'll hear when it's raining in Aledo even though we're 40 or so miles away. So when she heard about all of the cold weather, Ashley had to continuously assure her that everything was okay.
My mom's no different. Right before we were going to leave, I called her and she told me to bundle up because it was colder than usual in Dallas. It was 50 in Dallas and 20 in Colorado Springs so I was pretty sure I'd be okay.
So, with our mothers being worriers, we simply decided not to tell them that we were going to make a 70-mile drive in the ice. More specifically, that is, I would be making the drive. I'd say I'm slightly better at driving in inclement weather, but I'm still not super-confident in my ability to drive on ice. But I can confidently say that the Camry was up to the task.
So we started out to the airport, driving a little less than the speed limit. The entire countryside was covered in snow, but the highways actually weren't that bad. For the most part, we followed directly behind this one car. When we finally separated in Denver, I checked to see if he was my dream girl, but he was an old Asian dude. Sucks for me.
As we drove, the weather steadily improved. The car's thermometer kept rising, the average speed on the highway increased, and the snow began to fade. About halfway through the trip, the snow and fog were completely gone. And for the first time, since the summit of Pike's Peak, we were actually able to see Colorado clearly. I spent a lot of the driving trying to soak up the scenery as much as I could.
When we arrived at the airport, we handed over the car. I was a little worried because a couple of warning lights had turned on, but they didn't say anything. We hopped on our bus, and we made our way to the terminal.
After enjoying some Panda Express, we headed to our gate. When we arrived, I decided to check on my fantasy football team, and I had a terrible revelation. From the moment we'd planned the trip, I thought the Cowboy game was going to start at 3pm Dallas time. We were scheduled to land at 3:55 so I figured we could start taping the game, and we could watch it when we got home...maybe even catching up before it ended.
But there on my fantasy football update was 13-3 Chiefs in the 3rd quarter. Not only was the game already started, but I saw the freakin' score and we were losing to the winless Chiefs.
And I was pissed. I made a couple of comments about Tony Romo's suckiness, and Ashley got a bit angry about that. Because I was mad (and to not hear anyone talk about the game), I put in my headphones until we boarded the plane. I assumed we were going to lose, and I started hoping Jerry Jones had the balls to fire our coach after such a humiliating loss.
The flight back was uneventful, and I put my headphones back on when we arrived just in case someone mentioned the score (with the game already over) at baggage claim. We'd arranged for Tucker to pick us up, to avoid all the public transportation, and he'd also set the game to tape at his place.
So when we got there, we started to watch the game from the beginning even though I knew what the score would be in the 3rd quarter. I know a lot of people can watch a game that they already know the score to, but I have a lot of trouble with it. When I saw the Cowboys drive into the red zone, I wasn't excited because I knew they wouldn't score a touchdown. And any early excitement didn't really matter...because I knew we'd be down 13-3 in the third quarter.
But if we were going to lose to the Chiefs, I wanted to know who was rightly to blame. I'm pretty critical of these Cowboys, and I want to be able to do so intelligently.
So when the 13-3 moment arrived, I was finally able to watch the game with a sense of suspense. And that's basically when the Cowboys finally decided to play. It's also the moment when Miles Austin decided that he wanted people across the world (or, at least, those people that play fantasy football) to know his name. I was pissed when I found out the game went into overtime, but I was relieved when we got the win.
With that, Tucker took us home. We played some Halo, and then it was time to go to bed. I did some unpacking, got ready to do some laundry, and just kinda unwounded. It was one of those strange trips where it felt like it rushed by...but it also felt like it'd gone on forever.
And even though my computer wasn't working when I got home (Ashley says the starter died) and I realized I'd left my phone charger in Colorado, I was happy to be home. I still had two more days off (and the U2 concert still ahead of me) so there wasn't any need to get back into work mode.
In conclusion, it was a great trip. It was kinda expensive (especially adding in the cold-weather clothes I had to buy), but it was absolutely worth it. I'd like to be able to do at least one road trip for each TCU season because it's pretty fun to go to the opposing stadium and cheer on your team. I realized I've actually been to a road game every season (which is made easier by the fact that the Frogs play in Dallas every other year), and I'd like to continue the tradition.
And I'd also like to make it back to Colorado Springs someday soon. It's a beautiful city with nice people, and it was a lot of fun to be there. Hopefully I'll get to go back, and hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Colorado Trip - Part Three - Saturday
Saturday came, and it was time for the big game. Zombieland was fun, the mountains were great, but we were here for TCU football. Little did we know that, in addition to the game itself, a huge competition would exist between ourselves and Mother Nature's fury.
We woke up, had breakfast, and started planning for the game. We'd seen all we wanted to see, nature-wise, and we just thought we'd check out the Academy and then go to the game. Simple enough, right?
Well we knew it would be cold, and I'd brought several layers in order to fight the cold. But as the day approached, even the locals started talking about how cold it was going to be. So I put on my layers (undershirt, long-sleeved T-shirt, sweatshirt, and fleece) and gave it a shot. And I could barely walk around in the parking lot.
Problems included the following:
- My hands. I don't own a pair of gloves, and simply sticking my hands inside of my shirt sleeves wasn't going to work.
- My head. I was wearing a skullcap and a baseball cap, but that wasn't good enough. My face was still exposed, and it was feeling the cold.
- My feet. Cotton socks in running shoes. Enough said.
- My legs - Jeans and boxers. Being from Texas, that's all I've ever needed.
Ashley had mentioned going to a sporting goods store, and I agreed with him. I knew I'd need some underarmor "long johns", gloves, and wool socks, but I was ready to buy just about anything.
So we headed there, and we quickly found that a few people were doing the same thing. And, the funny thing was, they weren't all TCU fans. This weather was unseasonably cold, and everyone seemed to be gearing up for it.
And I decided to go fully crazy. I'd be in this unspeakable cold (every few minutes, the forecasted temperature seemed to drop), and I wanted to make sure I was ready. I bought long underwear (top and bottom), wool socks, gloves, and one of those ski masks that covers everything but your eyes.
$130 later, I was ready to go. I put all my gear on, and it passed the test. I couldn't really feel anything, and almost every inch of my body was covered up. So we got in the car, and we headed to the Academy. Our hotel was just a couple miles away from the entrance, so it was a pretty easy drive.
At the front gate, I came to an interesting realization. The guard had a very powerful-looking rifle in his hands, and I realized that it was probably the closest I'd ever been to that kind of firepower. And, because of this, I made sure to drive the speed limit the entire time. Because these people weren't really messing around.
We reached the visitor's center, and we checked it out. We learned that, due to it being Saturday and the weather being cold and rainy, a lot of things at the Academy would be closed. Even the cadet's chapel, a big highlight of tours of the place, was closed because of a wedding.
So we checked out everything at the visitor's center, including a 10-minute film about life there. It was all pretty interesting because I don't really know about life inside of a military academy. I thought it was cool that everyone is basically required to participate in athletics - either in an NCAA sport or intramurals. I also learned that the Air Force has a junior varsity football team - something I didn't think existed after high school.
It was also pretty cool to read about the history of the academy, how it ended up in Colorado Springs, and all the achievements of the people there. Some of the traditions were cool, including the fact that cadets can't have a TV until their fourth year, and they can't have any personal effects until after Christmas of their first year.
Basically, as soon as you step foot on the Academy grounds as a cadet, you're focused on one thing, and they don't let your focus waver.
I also had a bit of fun with the Academy's honor code - "we will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate among us anyone who does." And while it was very true (all of the cadets were very polite to us the entire time), it made me think of something. Wouldn't causing a turnover in football be considered "stealing?" And since they run the triple option, isn't their whole offense based on lying?
Yeah, I know.
So we checked out as much of the Academy as we could (which wasn't much), and we tolerated the cold about as long as we could. We drove all the way around, and I was surprised at how vast it all was. I guess it makes sense (since planes have to fly around there), but without any planes in the air, it just felt really big. And there was fog the entire day, so we couldn't really take in the scenery either.
After we wasted as much time as we could, we headed to the stadium. As soon as we parked, a female cadet saw us in our purple and yelled "T - C - Boo!" And I couldn't help but laugh because I don't think I've ever heard that before. It wasn't creative by any means, but it was, at least, unique.
A lot of the "fans" of Air Force were a bit more hostile, but everyone seemed more focused on the cold than anything else. We got inside, found our seats, and watched warmups. It was cool to see the cadets all come in on the field before going to their seats, but I was a little sad that we didn't get a flyover (stupid weather).
A funny thing happened before the game started, though. I went into the bathroom, and I noticed that there were a lot of cadets in there. It was then that I realized that the bathroom had a heater in the ceiling, and the cadets were sitting under the heater to stay warm. During the game, I kept hearing that the bathroom was full of cadets, and at halftime, I saw it for myself.
And it was true - there were probably a hundred cadets stuffed into this bathroom, and I'm sure the women's restroom was the same. You see, cadets are required to attend the game, but I guess it doesn't matter if they actually watch it. So, given the choice between watching the game in the cold and staying in the bathroom, a lot of the cadets were choosing the bathroom.
As for the game itself, TCU jumped out to a big lead, but Air Force's defense was able to keep things close. Just like the SMU game, we fumbled inside the Red Zone a couple of times, and it kept us from blowing the game up too early. We jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the Air Force kept chipping away slowly but surely.
At halftime, I think most of the people had given up. We were on the same side of the field as the cadets, but the other side of the stadium started to disappear relatively early. By the start of the second half, it was mostly TCU fans and cadets in attendance. Everyone else seemed to prefer warmth to staying.
And it sucked...because less people meant that the wind was stronger. It could've been that the wind was stronger, but either way, it was colder. My running shoes were terrible at keeping in warmth, and my feet were pretty cold the whole time. The rest of my layers were keeping me warm, but it was still a pretty miserable experience that we had to fight through.
In the end, TCU was able to pull off a close win (having to recover an onside kick to clinch it), and we were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Because, honestly, the trip would've been a disaster if we hadn't won the game. After all the cold, it would've put a damper on the rest of the trip.
But we won, and it was fun to be able to celebrate with the team. With no band, we were forced to sing the alma mater with no musical accompaniment, but it was really cool that the fans all sang it together. By that point, we were the only ones left, and it was fun to see the unity there.
As we walked back to our car, I wanted to make sure that I talked to one of the cadets. Because while we were just rivals, these are kids who have committed themselves to protecting the country. It doesn't matter why they did it - they're doing something that I'm probably not capable of doing it. And they're making a commitment in a time when we're fighting a war that probably won't end. And I wanted to at least thank one of them.
And I got my chance when we were waiting for our car to defrost. There were a couple cadets doing the same next to us, and I talked to them for a bit, asking the questions that I'd had about life in the academy. And I thanked them for their service, and they thanked me for my support. It was a pretty cool moment for me, and I'm glad I was able to do it.
After that, we made the long journey through the academy back to the hotel. And as cold as it was and as unpleasant as it was at times, I was really glad that we'd gone. It was a great experience to be there, in the cold, supporting my team, and it was really cool to be in the academy, surrounded by snowfall. Like being in the mountains, it's just not the kind of stuff that I got to see on a daily basis, and I was trying hard to keep it all in.
And, with that, the trip was pretty much over. We still had our final travel day, but for the most part, everything we'd planned was complete. All that was left was the trip home. But day four is probably worth it's own post. And that's how I'll complete my four-part series next time.
Next on Colorado Trip - Part Four - The Trip Home, featuring Tucker and Miles Austin
We woke up, had breakfast, and started planning for the game. We'd seen all we wanted to see, nature-wise, and we just thought we'd check out the Academy and then go to the game. Simple enough, right?
Well we knew it would be cold, and I'd brought several layers in order to fight the cold. But as the day approached, even the locals started talking about how cold it was going to be. So I put on my layers (undershirt, long-sleeved T-shirt, sweatshirt, and fleece) and gave it a shot. And I could barely walk around in the parking lot.
Problems included the following:
- My hands. I don't own a pair of gloves, and simply sticking my hands inside of my shirt sleeves wasn't going to work.
- My head. I was wearing a skullcap and a baseball cap, but that wasn't good enough. My face was still exposed, and it was feeling the cold.
- My feet. Cotton socks in running shoes. Enough said.
- My legs - Jeans and boxers. Being from Texas, that's all I've ever needed.
Ashley had mentioned going to a sporting goods store, and I agreed with him. I knew I'd need some underarmor "long johns", gloves, and wool socks, but I was ready to buy just about anything.
So we headed there, and we quickly found that a few people were doing the same thing. And, the funny thing was, they weren't all TCU fans. This weather was unseasonably cold, and everyone seemed to be gearing up for it.
And I decided to go fully crazy. I'd be in this unspeakable cold (every few minutes, the forecasted temperature seemed to drop), and I wanted to make sure I was ready. I bought long underwear (top and bottom), wool socks, gloves, and one of those ski masks that covers everything but your eyes.
$130 later, I was ready to go. I put all my gear on, and it passed the test. I couldn't really feel anything, and almost every inch of my body was covered up. So we got in the car, and we headed to the Academy. Our hotel was just a couple miles away from the entrance, so it was a pretty easy drive.
At the front gate, I came to an interesting realization. The guard had a very powerful-looking rifle in his hands, and I realized that it was probably the closest I'd ever been to that kind of firepower. And, because of this, I made sure to drive the speed limit the entire time. Because these people weren't really messing around.
We reached the visitor's center, and we checked it out. We learned that, due to it being Saturday and the weather being cold and rainy, a lot of things at the Academy would be closed. Even the cadet's chapel, a big highlight of tours of the place, was closed because of a wedding.
So we checked out everything at the visitor's center, including a 10-minute film about life there. It was all pretty interesting because I don't really know about life inside of a military academy. I thought it was cool that everyone is basically required to participate in athletics - either in an NCAA sport or intramurals. I also learned that the Air Force has a junior varsity football team - something I didn't think existed after high school.
It was also pretty cool to read about the history of the academy, how it ended up in Colorado Springs, and all the achievements of the people there. Some of the traditions were cool, including the fact that cadets can't have a TV until their fourth year, and they can't have any personal effects until after Christmas of their first year.
Basically, as soon as you step foot on the Academy grounds as a cadet, you're focused on one thing, and they don't let your focus waver.
I also had a bit of fun with the Academy's honor code - "we will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate among us anyone who does." And while it was very true (all of the cadets were very polite to us the entire time), it made me think of something. Wouldn't causing a turnover in football be considered "stealing?" And since they run the triple option, isn't their whole offense based on lying?
Yeah, I know.
So we checked out as much of the Academy as we could (which wasn't much), and we tolerated the cold about as long as we could. We drove all the way around, and I was surprised at how vast it all was. I guess it makes sense (since planes have to fly around there), but without any planes in the air, it just felt really big. And there was fog the entire day, so we couldn't really take in the scenery either.
After we wasted as much time as we could, we headed to the stadium. As soon as we parked, a female cadet saw us in our purple and yelled "T - C - Boo!" And I couldn't help but laugh because I don't think I've ever heard that before. It wasn't creative by any means, but it was, at least, unique.
A lot of the "fans" of Air Force were a bit more hostile, but everyone seemed more focused on the cold than anything else. We got inside, found our seats, and watched warmups. It was cool to see the cadets all come in on the field before going to their seats, but I was a little sad that we didn't get a flyover (stupid weather).
A funny thing happened before the game started, though. I went into the bathroom, and I noticed that there were a lot of cadets in there. It was then that I realized that the bathroom had a heater in the ceiling, and the cadets were sitting under the heater to stay warm. During the game, I kept hearing that the bathroom was full of cadets, and at halftime, I saw it for myself.
And it was true - there were probably a hundred cadets stuffed into this bathroom, and I'm sure the women's restroom was the same. You see, cadets are required to attend the game, but I guess it doesn't matter if they actually watch it. So, given the choice between watching the game in the cold and staying in the bathroom, a lot of the cadets were choosing the bathroom.
As for the game itself, TCU jumped out to a big lead, but Air Force's defense was able to keep things close. Just like the SMU game, we fumbled inside the Red Zone a couple of times, and it kept us from blowing the game up too early. We jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the Air Force kept chipping away slowly but surely.
At halftime, I think most of the people had given up. We were on the same side of the field as the cadets, but the other side of the stadium started to disappear relatively early. By the start of the second half, it was mostly TCU fans and cadets in attendance. Everyone else seemed to prefer warmth to staying.
And it sucked...because less people meant that the wind was stronger. It could've been that the wind was stronger, but either way, it was colder. My running shoes were terrible at keeping in warmth, and my feet were pretty cold the whole time. The rest of my layers were keeping me warm, but it was still a pretty miserable experience that we had to fight through.
In the end, TCU was able to pull off a close win (having to recover an onside kick to clinch it), and we were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Because, honestly, the trip would've been a disaster if we hadn't won the game. After all the cold, it would've put a damper on the rest of the trip.
But we won, and it was fun to be able to celebrate with the team. With no band, we were forced to sing the alma mater with no musical accompaniment, but it was really cool that the fans all sang it together. By that point, we were the only ones left, and it was fun to see the unity there.
As we walked back to our car, I wanted to make sure that I talked to one of the cadets. Because while we were just rivals, these are kids who have committed themselves to protecting the country. It doesn't matter why they did it - they're doing something that I'm probably not capable of doing it. And they're making a commitment in a time when we're fighting a war that probably won't end. And I wanted to at least thank one of them.
And I got my chance when we were waiting for our car to defrost. There were a couple cadets doing the same next to us, and I talked to them for a bit, asking the questions that I'd had about life in the academy. And I thanked them for their service, and they thanked me for my support. It was a pretty cool moment for me, and I'm glad I was able to do it.
After that, we made the long journey through the academy back to the hotel. And as cold as it was and as unpleasant as it was at times, I was really glad that we'd gone. It was a great experience to be there, in the cold, supporting my team, and it was really cool to be in the academy, surrounded by snowfall. Like being in the mountains, it's just not the kind of stuff that I got to see on a daily basis, and I was trying hard to keep it all in.
And, with that, the trip was pretty much over. We still had our final travel day, but for the most part, everything we'd planned was complete. All that was left was the trip home. But day four is probably worth it's own post. And that's how I'll complete my four-part series next time.
Next on Colorado Trip - Part Four - The Trip Home, featuring Tucker and Miles Austin
Friday, October 23, 2009
Colorado Trip - Part Two - Friday
So we woke up on day two of our trip at 6am because we wanted to get out to Pike's Peak (our primary destination...for some nice hiking) before it was too late. I'd heard about "afternoon storms" and problems with getting caught on the mountain. And since I wasn't sure what the hiking would be like, I wanted to be more safe than sorry.
The hotel had a nice, free breakfast, and we took advantage. I assumed that we'd be hiking until a couple hours passed lunchtime so I tried to eat as much as possible. We also had some beef jerky, some trail mix, and I bought some almonds at a convenience store the night before. I figured that would be enough food. As I'd find out, Ashley's stomach was going to disagree.
So we drove up to Pike's Peak in our little Camry, and I was surprised at my ability to drive on a mountain. I have a pretty decent fear of heights, and I'm also not a huge fan of being crushed by rocks in a landslide. But, throughout the drive, I didn't really disrupt the native Coloradans with my slow, non-mountainous driving. Which is a win for me.
So we drove through the clouds to Pike's Peak, but it was closed until 9am because of ice on the highway. So we drove back through the clouds to stop by Garden of the Gods for a little bit.
And, yes, I mean through the clouds. As we passed a point on the mountain, we drove above where the clouds were. At Garden of the Gods, it was cloudy and cold. Above the mountains, it was warm and clear. And it was really cool to be driving below clouds one minute, in fog the next, and see nothing but blue sky a second later. Its a bit trippy, to be honest.
Garden of the Gods was cool - there's not a whole lot to it, but there's just a whole lot of cool views (all of these enormous red rocks make you feel pretty small). And there was a nice snow that made all of the evergreen trees look great. We only spent about 30 minutes there, but it was definitely worth the trip.
About 9am, we went back over to Pike's Peak, and our first stop was this reservoir about five miles in. And it was freakin' awesome. Here is this water, as blue as I've ever seen, with this huge mountain in the background. My mom said it looked like Heaven. Ashley said it looked like a Coors can. I just thought it was amazing.
We hiked around there for a bit, going through the woods and finding our way back to the highway. It was very nice and peaceful to be out in nature, miles away from facebook statuses, fantasy football, and most of all, work. We also found a little stack of big sticks that resembled a teepee that was pretty awesome.
After that, we did a bit of driving on the mountain. We found another reservoir with just as many picturesque views before starting our climb up the mountain. We figured it would be a pretty big haul up the mountain on foot, and we decided to try and find a nice place to get out and do some more hiking. But as we continued up the mountain, passed the tree line, there wasn't really any place for that.
And by the time we got somewhere to get out, we realized something: on top of the mountain, it was very windy. And very cold.
After that, we didn't really consider much hiking. We did, however, take a few pictures on top of the mountain before we actually reached the summit. And when we did, the wind and cold picked up significantly. I could tell that Ashley wasn't thrilled by the cold, but I was trying to enjoy the moment...particularly since I had no idea when I'd ever be back to this place, where I could see the whole world below me. It was one of those times when you just stand there and realize...this world is just really cool.
On our way back down, I kept looking for places to stop and get out because I wanted to, you know, climb a bit. And everywhere that it seemed cool to climb had no place to stop, and the places to stop didn't have anywhere to climb. I ended up settling for a small place off the road where I was able to climb a bit - I'm sure it was frowned upon, but we were only out of the car for a minute.
After that, Ashley started talking about lunch. Now, if you don't know, Ashley is the kind of person who likes to have 5 small meals a day...as opposed to someone like me, who usually just has two...maybe three meals a day. And since he'd already eaten all of the trail mix and most of the beef jerky (and doesn't like almonds?!?!), I thought that was going to buy me enough time to take one final hike around the reservoir.
I could tell that Ashley wasn't thrilled with this idea, but he went along with me. Like I said, it was mesmerized by this place, and I had to spent another hour or so there. As we walked, we took some water breaks, but I could tell that he just wasn't feeling it. We got passed the place that I considered "the point of no return", however, and I knew that we'd have to finish the hike instead of just turning around. Eventually, however, it seemed like there wasn't really a way to go all the way around, and we had to go back anyway.
And Ashley might disagree, but this was my favorite part of the trip. I wish that I'd brought a notepad and could do some writing out there because it was just so peaceful. It was the place where "America the Beautiful" was written, and you can see why. Everything mentioned in that song is present, and it just screams at you the entire time.
My only regret was that we didn't see any wildlife. At all. At Garden of the Gods, we saw a couple of rabbits, but we saw nothing at Pike's Peak. And Ashley will tell you...I looked.
And it made me a little sad because the park ranger said that someone had seen a bear in the area about a week before. And while I don't really want to get mauled by a bear, I think it'd be cool to see one. Hoping, of course, that they're actually more scared of us than we are of them.
So we made it back, both of us pretty tired, and we drove into town to get Ashley some lunch. We ended up making it to Hooters for some chicken, and a couple hours later, we got Ashley a steak at Outback.
It was a long day with a lot of walking, but it was extremely rewarding. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, and I'm definitely making sure that I make a return trip at some point. It was just so very awesome.
Tired, we went to bed relatively early to get ready for game day. It was the excuse for the trip, and we thought we were ready. But after a beautiful day on Friday, Mother Nature was ready to show us her teeth.
(Fun Fact - On my bag of almonds, there was a warning label. It said (totally honest, here) "Warning: Contains Almonds." It was a bag of almonds, and they had to put on the bag that it contained almonds. Seriously).
Next on Colorado Trip - Part Three - Game Day
The hotel had a nice, free breakfast, and we took advantage. I assumed that we'd be hiking until a couple hours passed lunchtime so I tried to eat as much as possible. We also had some beef jerky, some trail mix, and I bought some almonds at a convenience store the night before. I figured that would be enough food. As I'd find out, Ashley's stomach was going to disagree.
So we drove up to Pike's Peak in our little Camry, and I was surprised at my ability to drive on a mountain. I have a pretty decent fear of heights, and I'm also not a huge fan of being crushed by rocks in a landslide. But, throughout the drive, I didn't really disrupt the native Coloradans with my slow, non-mountainous driving. Which is a win for me.
So we drove through the clouds to Pike's Peak, but it was closed until 9am because of ice on the highway. So we drove back through the clouds to stop by Garden of the Gods for a little bit.
And, yes, I mean through the clouds. As we passed a point on the mountain, we drove above where the clouds were. At Garden of the Gods, it was cloudy and cold. Above the mountains, it was warm and clear. And it was really cool to be driving below clouds one minute, in fog the next, and see nothing but blue sky a second later. Its a bit trippy, to be honest.
Garden of the Gods was cool - there's not a whole lot to it, but there's just a whole lot of cool views (all of these enormous red rocks make you feel pretty small). And there was a nice snow that made all of the evergreen trees look great. We only spent about 30 minutes there, but it was definitely worth the trip.
About 9am, we went back over to Pike's Peak, and our first stop was this reservoir about five miles in. And it was freakin' awesome. Here is this water, as blue as I've ever seen, with this huge mountain in the background. My mom said it looked like Heaven. Ashley said it looked like a Coors can. I just thought it was amazing.
We hiked around there for a bit, going through the woods and finding our way back to the highway. It was very nice and peaceful to be out in nature, miles away from facebook statuses, fantasy football, and most of all, work. We also found a little stack of big sticks that resembled a teepee that was pretty awesome.
After that, we did a bit of driving on the mountain. We found another reservoir with just as many picturesque views before starting our climb up the mountain. We figured it would be a pretty big haul up the mountain on foot, and we decided to try and find a nice place to get out and do some more hiking. But as we continued up the mountain, passed the tree line, there wasn't really any place for that.
And by the time we got somewhere to get out, we realized something: on top of the mountain, it was very windy. And very cold.
After that, we didn't really consider much hiking. We did, however, take a few pictures on top of the mountain before we actually reached the summit. And when we did, the wind and cold picked up significantly. I could tell that Ashley wasn't thrilled by the cold, but I was trying to enjoy the moment...particularly since I had no idea when I'd ever be back to this place, where I could see the whole world below me. It was one of those times when you just stand there and realize...this world is just really cool.
On our way back down, I kept looking for places to stop and get out because I wanted to, you know, climb a bit. And everywhere that it seemed cool to climb had no place to stop, and the places to stop didn't have anywhere to climb. I ended up settling for a small place off the road where I was able to climb a bit - I'm sure it was frowned upon, but we were only out of the car for a minute.
After that, Ashley started talking about lunch. Now, if you don't know, Ashley is the kind of person who likes to have 5 small meals a day...as opposed to someone like me, who usually just has two...maybe three meals a day. And since he'd already eaten all of the trail mix and most of the beef jerky (and doesn't like almonds?!?!), I thought that was going to buy me enough time to take one final hike around the reservoir.
I could tell that Ashley wasn't thrilled with this idea, but he went along with me. Like I said, it was mesmerized by this place, and I had to spent another hour or so there. As we walked, we took some water breaks, but I could tell that he just wasn't feeling it. We got passed the place that I considered "the point of no return", however, and I knew that we'd have to finish the hike instead of just turning around. Eventually, however, it seemed like there wasn't really a way to go all the way around, and we had to go back anyway.
And Ashley might disagree, but this was my favorite part of the trip. I wish that I'd brought a notepad and could do some writing out there because it was just so peaceful. It was the place where "America the Beautiful" was written, and you can see why. Everything mentioned in that song is present, and it just screams at you the entire time.
My only regret was that we didn't see any wildlife. At all. At Garden of the Gods, we saw a couple of rabbits, but we saw nothing at Pike's Peak. And Ashley will tell you...I looked.
And it made me a little sad because the park ranger said that someone had seen a bear in the area about a week before. And while I don't really want to get mauled by a bear, I think it'd be cool to see one. Hoping, of course, that they're actually more scared of us than we are of them.
So we made it back, both of us pretty tired, and we drove into town to get Ashley some lunch. We ended up making it to Hooters for some chicken, and a couple hours later, we got Ashley a steak at Outback.
It was a long day with a lot of walking, but it was extremely rewarding. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, and I'm definitely making sure that I make a return trip at some point. It was just so very awesome.
Tired, we went to bed relatively early to get ready for game day. It was the excuse for the trip, and we thought we were ready. But after a beautiful day on Friday, Mother Nature was ready to show us her teeth.
(Fun Fact - On my bag of almonds, there was a warning label. It said (totally honest, here) "Warning: Contains Almonds." It was a bag of almonds, and they had to put on the bag that it contained almonds. Seriously).
Next on Colorado Trip - Part Three - Game Day
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Colorado Trip - Part One - Thursday
In my U2 post, I mentioned the Colorado trip that Ashley and I took. It was designed, primarily, around the TCU/Air Force game on October 10. TCU is playing four big road games this season (Virginia, Clemson, Air Force, and BYU), and we decided on Air Force. I don't remember our exact reasoning, but I'm sure it revolved around the fact that Air Force is a military school (cool in itself) and in conference. Any of those games would've been cool, and we probably should've picked a non conference game (just because we go to Colorado every two years...we may never go to Virginia again) - but that's what we went with.
One thing about Ashley and me...we're both pretty lazy. We had the trip planned for months but didn't buy tickets until about a month before. In fact, Ashley wasn't even sure when the trip was until the week before (he took off days a week later). So me being the force behind the trip, I made arrangements online, and we were ready to go.
I took off eleven days in a row, with the trip being the centerpiece of my SEC-mandated week-long vacation. So when Thursday came around, I'd already had a few days to get ready, pack, and rest up for the trip. I knew it was going to be cold so I packed a few sweatshirts and a couple of fleeces. My unpreparedness is going to play a big part in my game-day blog (part three) so we'll deal with that then.
I did, however, forget to bring my fan. My closest friends will realize how big a deal this is because I always bring my fan when I'm sleeping outside my apartment. I absolutely have to sleep with my fan on, but on this trip, I left it at home. Which meant that the fan in the AC/Heater had to do for the entire trip. It sucked, but I made it through.
Since we were leaving on a Thursday, there wasn't a whole lot of people available to take us to the airport. Since that was the case, we decided to take public transportation (instead of paying for long-term parking). So look at this fantastic voyage to Colorado Springs.
1. Walk from our apartment to the Forest DART station. It's only about a mile walk, but it was hot and muggy and early.
2. DART Train from Forest Station to Union Station. It was rush hour at this point so we stood most of the time. By the time we got to downtown, the train was pretty empty.
3. TRE Train from Union Station to Centreport.
4. Two shuttle buses to the airport. There's some kind of depot in between, and you have to switch buses there to get to your terminal.
5. Airport. A nice respite.
6. Plane flight to Denver.
7. In the Denver airport, there's a little subway to get to the baggage claim area. Ashley loved it because of this little guitar that plays every time the train makes a stop.
8. Shuttle bus from the airport to the rental car place
9. Rental car from Denver to Colorado Springs
We rented a little Toyota Camry, and it was a miracle vehicle. It got us everywhere we needed to go, on a single tank of gas, and it was amazing. We did activate two warning lights during the trip, including check engine, but she was a pretty great little car.
Anyway, by the time we arrived in Colorado Springs, I was pretty tired. I hadn't felt very good the day before, and I had to take a little nap. By the time I woke up, it was dark and snowing, and we weren't really sure what to do. So we drove around town for a little bit, and we ended up stopping at a movie theater.
We saw Zombieland, and I'm hesitant to talk about that movie until I get the chance to see it again. Short story - I loved it. Long story will probably come when Tucker watches it with us - it will be our third time to see it.
The funny thing about that was the theater itself. It was off the highway, but there was almost no way to get to it. We circled around the damn thing several times before finally finding this tiny little street that eventually led to the theater.
We got home after the movie, watched a bit of TV, and then went to bed. We were planning on waking up very early for our big Friday, and so we made sure to get plenty of sleep.
Next on Colorado Trip - Part Two - Our Day in the Mountains.
One thing about Ashley and me...we're both pretty lazy. We had the trip planned for months but didn't buy tickets until about a month before. In fact, Ashley wasn't even sure when the trip was until the week before (he took off days a week later). So me being the force behind the trip, I made arrangements online, and we were ready to go.
I took off eleven days in a row, with the trip being the centerpiece of my SEC-mandated week-long vacation. So when Thursday came around, I'd already had a few days to get ready, pack, and rest up for the trip. I knew it was going to be cold so I packed a few sweatshirts and a couple of fleeces. My unpreparedness is going to play a big part in my game-day blog (part three) so we'll deal with that then.
I did, however, forget to bring my fan. My closest friends will realize how big a deal this is because I always bring my fan when I'm sleeping outside my apartment. I absolutely have to sleep with my fan on, but on this trip, I left it at home. Which meant that the fan in the AC/Heater had to do for the entire trip. It sucked, but I made it through.
Since we were leaving on a Thursday, there wasn't a whole lot of people available to take us to the airport. Since that was the case, we decided to take public transportation (instead of paying for long-term parking). So look at this fantastic voyage to Colorado Springs.
1. Walk from our apartment to the Forest DART station. It's only about a mile walk, but it was hot and muggy and early.
2. DART Train from Forest Station to Union Station. It was rush hour at this point so we stood most of the time. By the time we got to downtown, the train was pretty empty.
3. TRE Train from Union Station to Centreport.
4. Two shuttle buses to the airport. There's some kind of depot in between, and you have to switch buses there to get to your terminal.
5. Airport. A nice respite.
6. Plane flight to Denver.
7. In the Denver airport, there's a little subway to get to the baggage claim area. Ashley loved it because of this little guitar that plays every time the train makes a stop.
8. Shuttle bus from the airport to the rental car place
9. Rental car from Denver to Colorado Springs
We rented a little Toyota Camry, and it was a miracle vehicle. It got us everywhere we needed to go, on a single tank of gas, and it was amazing. We did activate two warning lights during the trip, including check engine, but she was a pretty great little car.
Anyway, by the time we arrived in Colorado Springs, I was pretty tired. I hadn't felt very good the day before, and I had to take a little nap. By the time I woke up, it was dark and snowing, and we weren't really sure what to do. So we drove around town for a little bit, and we ended up stopping at a movie theater.
We saw Zombieland, and I'm hesitant to talk about that movie until I get the chance to see it again. Short story - I loved it. Long story will probably come when Tucker watches it with us - it will be our third time to see it.
The funny thing about that was the theater itself. It was off the highway, but there was almost no way to get to it. We circled around the damn thing several times before finally finding this tiny little street that eventually led to the theater.
We got home after the movie, watched a bit of TV, and then went to bed. We were planning on waking up very early for our big Friday, and so we made sure to get plenty of sleep.
Next on Colorado Trip - Part Two - Our Day in the Mountains.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
U2
I think, even for a person my age, I came across U2 late. I'm sure I heard a couple of their songs on the radio, and I'm sure that is what prompted me to buy my first U2 album, their "Best of the 80s" double CD.
And one of my clearest memories is riding on a bus in the Dominican Republic on my first-ever mission trip, listening to that CD. There's something about listening to beautiful music (with a meaning) while you're doing something meaningful, and it was pretty cool. Ever since then, I've really liked the band. I don't really have a favorite band, but I've answered U2 as my favorite band on a couple occasions. Because, honestly, they're as good as any other answer I could give.
Of my favorite songs of theirs, a lot of them are from the early years. "Pride (In the Name of Love", "Where the Streets Have No Name", "With Or Without You", and "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" are a few of my favorites. And "One" is one of my favorite songs of all time. I've liked some of their newer songs, but I haven't followed them as closely as I've followed other bands. That probably has something to do with the fact that I haven't bought an entire album in years (of any band), and the fact that I don't listen to much (music) radio.
But when I heard that U2 was going to play The Death Star (aka the new Cowboys stadium), I bought tickets because I knew that I had to go. Seeing U2 in concert was something that I knew I wanted to do before I die, and while I realize that they'll probably be in concert for another 20 years, I wanted to make sure it happened as soon as possible.
And so when I returned from Colorado (much more on that in my next post) on Sunday, I had to put together a group to go. The final roster included Ashley, Tucker, and Beau. It was extremely exciting because it would be my first-ever U2 concert, and it'd be my first trip to the Death Star. I couldn't think of a better experience.
We left around 6:45, and we arrived at the stadium during the opening act (Muse). The stadium is enormous, and it took quite a while to go up all of the ramps to the 400 level. The seats weren't great, but we were pretty close to the stage (albeit behind it).
About 9pm, it started. And the concert was a perfect example of the pros and cons of Jerry's behemoth. First of all, the stadium was huge enough to contain U2's massive stage. The stage was awesome in every sense of the word. It released smoke, lit up, and turned into dozens of different colors. Then there was the 360 degree screen that was always filled with something cool, not to mention the couple of songs where the screen stretched into a cool light show. I'd describe it, but I wouldn't be able to do it justice.
But the sound in that place is terrible. You could hear the music fine, but the lyrics just barely reached me. I've heard that the PA is almost impossible to hear at Cowboys' games, and now I understand what people have been talking about. I knew most of the songs so it didn't really matter, but it was really hard to understand Bono whenever he said anything. He didn't stop down much, but when he did, I had to focus to figure out what he was saying. And, no, not just because of his accent.
That being said, the show was great. All of the visuals, the great music, and the live versions of some of my favorite songs. Yeah, Bono is full of himself, but there's at least something behind the jacket and glasses. There aren't a lot of people who do as much as him, and I think that's commendable.
I was a little surprised that they didn't play "Pride (In the Name of Love)", but they played a lot of other great ones, including a cool live version of "One" that was pretty sweet.
In conclusion: if you like U2, you need to find your way to a concert. You'll love it, and it will be a great memory for you. If you just like concerts, I still recommend it because the band puts on a Hell of a show. And I know there are people out there that don't like U2, but I don't understand it. Not all of their songs are "preachy" and most of them have a great beat/melody. Even the songs I didn't recognize were pretty cool and well done.
And next time, I'm gonna shell out a bit more cash and get better seats. I've had the experience now, but I'm going to want a bit more on the encore.
And one of my clearest memories is riding on a bus in the Dominican Republic on my first-ever mission trip, listening to that CD. There's something about listening to beautiful music (with a meaning) while you're doing something meaningful, and it was pretty cool. Ever since then, I've really liked the band. I don't really have a favorite band, but I've answered U2 as my favorite band on a couple occasions. Because, honestly, they're as good as any other answer I could give.
Of my favorite songs of theirs, a lot of them are from the early years. "Pride (In the Name of Love", "Where the Streets Have No Name", "With Or Without You", and "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" are a few of my favorites. And "One" is one of my favorite songs of all time. I've liked some of their newer songs, but I haven't followed them as closely as I've followed other bands. That probably has something to do with the fact that I haven't bought an entire album in years (of any band), and the fact that I don't listen to much (music) radio.
But when I heard that U2 was going to play The Death Star (aka the new Cowboys stadium), I bought tickets because I knew that I had to go. Seeing U2 in concert was something that I knew I wanted to do before I die, and while I realize that they'll probably be in concert for another 20 years, I wanted to make sure it happened as soon as possible.
And so when I returned from Colorado (much more on that in my next post) on Sunday, I had to put together a group to go. The final roster included Ashley, Tucker, and Beau. It was extremely exciting because it would be my first-ever U2 concert, and it'd be my first trip to the Death Star. I couldn't think of a better experience.
We left around 6:45, and we arrived at the stadium during the opening act (Muse). The stadium is enormous, and it took quite a while to go up all of the ramps to the 400 level. The seats weren't great, but we were pretty close to the stage (albeit behind it).
About 9pm, it started. And the concert was a perfect example of the pros and cons of Jerry's behemoth. First of all, the stadium was huge enough to contain U2's massive stage. The stage was awesome in every sense of the word. It released smoke, lit up, and turned into dozens of different colors. Then there was the 360 degree screen that was always filled with something cool, not to mention the couple of songs where the screen stretched into a cool light show. I'd describe it, but I wouldn't be able to do it justice.
But the sound in that place is terrible. You could hear the music fine, but the lyrics just barely reached me. I've heard that the PA is almost impossible to hear at Cowboys' games, and now I understand what people have been talking about. I knew most of the songs so it didn't really matter, but it was really hard to understand Bono whenever he said anything. He didn't stop down much, but when he did, I had to focus to figure out what he was saying. And, no, not just because of his accent.
That being said, the show was great. All of the visuals, the great music, and the live versions of some of my favorite songs. Yeah, Bono is full of himself, but there's at least something behind the jacket and glasses. There aren't a lot of people who do as much as him, and I think that's commendable.
I was a little surprised that they didn't play "Pride (In the Name of Love)", but they played a lot of other great ones, including a cool live version of "One" that was pretty sweet.
In conclusion: if you like U2, you need to find your way to a concert. You'll love it, and it will be a great memory for you. If you just like concerts, I still recommend it because the band puts on a Hell of a show. And I know there are people out there that don't like U2, but I don't understand it. Not all of their songs are "preachy" and most of them have a great beat/melody. Even the songs I didn't recognize were pretty cool and well done.
And next time, I'm gonna shell out a bit more cash and get better seats. I've had the experience now, but I'm going to want a bit more on the encore.
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