As I noted in my earlier post, I arrived Wednesday night and spent Thursday and Friday in Dillon, CO with my little brother. It was great to spend time together and catch up; given that he's out here and I've spent most of my time working on the east coast, we don't often get to see each other. Thursday was a pretty low key day. I needed to rest and get caught up on some housekeeping items (bills, etc.), and the weather wasn't exactly cooperative.
This did, however, give us a great opportunity to hang out with Josh's buddy, a 100 lb Rottweiler named Bella. A gentle giant for sure, playing with the dog was definitely one of the many highlights during my time in Dillon.
Friday was a much better day, however, and we ventured up to the Hanging Lakes about an hour and a half west of Dillon. The hike was about an hour long, during which time we ascended more than 1,000 feet to a beautiful scene atop the hills. Pictures below.
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| Hanging with little brother, Josh. No resemblance, whatsoever... |
One more quick thought on the Aurora shootings, particularly as it regards the discussion we need to have in this country about gun control. This was clearly the act of a deranged and disturbed individual; James Holmes, if guilty, deserves the very worst punishment that can be handed down in this case. His senseless actions not only killed a dozen people; he forever altered the lives of the surviving victims, their victims, and the residents of Aurora, CO.
I am a strong defender of gun rights under the Constitution--to a point. Owning handguns, rifles, and shotguns for hunting, sport, and self defense is completely justifiable and this right should be protected. However, we need to ban assault rifles and institute much tighter regulation around the sale of all guns. Just because the Constitution says you can own a gun doesn't mean that you should be able to buy any gun anywhere, anytime. Logic and reason have to play a role in the distribution of these products which can pose serious threats to our freedom and safety. As for assault weapons, I see no purpose for them that outweighs the very real costs to public safety that they pose.
Above all, we need a much more objective and civil discussion about this issue in the political arena. This whole gun issue has gone beyond ridiculous. Members of Congress, many of whom are in the pocket of the NRA, just cannot seem to find common sense on this issue.
Okay, officially stepping down from the soapbox...
After a couple of days in Dillon, CO, Josh and I headed into Denver to meet up with two buddies from DC and other new friends who were in town for a variety of reasons. We spent much of Saturday in Washington Park, then Saturday night in the LoDo (Lower Downtown) District of Denver. It was great to see these guys, and we had an awesome time.
I also wanted to take a quick moment to thank the Osborne family for opening their home to me on Sunday evening. After a "fun-filled" Saturday, I was not interested in making the long drive to Mt. Rushmore, and ended up spending time with my DC friend Mike (who is originally from outside of Denver) and his family. I had an awesome time hanging out with them.
One quick reflection on Denver. I obviously didn't spend a ton of time there, but what I saw I liked. The city is very clean with lots of outdoor areas. Washington Park, in particular, was an awesome attraction within the city, and was crowded all weekend with impromptu volleyball games, runners, bikers, dogs and loads of other folks participating in a variety of summertime activities. It definitely seemed like the kind of place that doesn't take itself too seriously and puts significant value on experiencing the great outdoors. I do think I'll be figuring out a way to go back soon.
From Denver, I ventured northeast towards Mt. Rushmore. A few quick thoughts here, then I'll share some broader thoughts on the next seven days, which are to be my last on the road (for this summer, anyway).
--Mt. Rushmore might be one of the more patriotic places I've been; and I say that having just spent the last three years in the nation's capital. The ceremony held at night, during which they show a video, sing "America the Beautiful" and the "National Anthem," honor veterans in the crowd, and turn on the spotlight featuring the monument itself was truly moving and appropriately got one thinking about the fundamental tenets of our democratic republic.
--The engineering feat of putting those four great faces up on the mountain was (is?) very impressive. It took 14 years and nearly $1 million (in the 1930s, no less) to complete the project, and required the service of countless engineers, blast-men, and drillers.
--The mountain was appropriately chosen, as it stands out from many others in the area.
--There is another monument nearby, that of Crazy Horse, which remains very much in progress (photo below). This privately funded monument was begun in 1948 and, when completed, will serve as a monument and educational center for all Native American tribes. The site itself today is very cool, with lots of educational information and Native American crafts and artwork. The monument is massive--according to the informational video, you could fit 8 Mt. Rushmores in Crazy Horse's face alone. I'm not sure we'll see the completion in my lifetime, but it was very cool to see the work in progress.
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| This photo was taken from a mile away...that's how big this monument is. |
I have exactly one week left on the road. When I started this trek, I had several goals in mind--everything from seeing new parts of the U.S. and learning about new cities to identifying places I'd be interested in either living or returning to at future points in my life. I also wanted to take a long time to reflect upon the last few years of my life and prepare myself for the years to come. The trip has afforded me the opportunity to do all of these things and more, and there are very few things, if any, that I would change. There are several more long drives ahead, particularly as I work my way through the Great Lakes region to the northeast, and rest assured the period of reflection and contemplation will continue.
From where I sit right now, I plan to drive eastward through the Badlads to Minnesota, then through the Great Lakes region (still not sure if I'll take the northern or southern route around Lake Michigan), briefly into Canada, then Niagara Falls and upstate New York on my way to my final stop, Boston, MA.
More to come in subsequent days...
DRB
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