Getting the Itch to Travel More Often

After returning from our trip on the California Zephyr to Glenwood Springs last month, I decided that I really needed to kick-start my traveling ways again. Although Tim and I had just recently traveled to Iceland for a fabulous road trip, and although we had just returned from a spectacular train ride, I somehow felt that I needed to get my travel “fix” more often.  I didn't want to wait around until next year's cruise.

When I lived in Miami, I would often travel once a month. Sometimes it was for just a long weekend, while on other occasions I was able to go for a week or more at a time. After I retired, I embarked on a series of road trips. And, after marrying Tim, I convinced him to take our nine-month Road Trip Ramble, and later, our five-year See Where the Road Leads full-time RV adventure.

After re-reading journals that I had written during some of my pre-Tim days, I recalled how exhilarating travel made me feel, how adventurous I became, and how easily I met people. Travel is my passion, and I wanted more of those feelings again.

So, I began to look for a trip. The GIS class that Tim is taking would prevent him from traveling for more than a few days, and I wanted at least a one-week trip. Tim has no problem with my traveling solo, so that’s what I investigated. I researched taking the RV to southern Colorado to ride the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, which I’ve always wanted to do, but the logistics just didn’t work out. I also looked into attending the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, another bucket list item, but I had waited way too late to make those arrangements.

My next idea was to take a long-distance train trip, another bucket list item, and that seemed doable. I decided not to take the California Zephyr to California since we had just traveled on part of that route. The Coast Starlight, however, which runs from Seattle to Los Angeles, seemed to be the perfect trip. I could also tack on the Pacific Surfliner and ride all the way to San Diego.

Planning a last-minute trip was challenging, and probably way more expensive than planning ahead, but I wanted to leave in less than a week. I was able to make train, plane, and hotel reservations, and all that was left was to pack my bags.

Ticketed and Ready to Go

Back on the California Zephyr

Our return trip to Denver was not until the afternoon, so we had a lazy morning and listened to the rain, which was predicted to last all day. Although I had hoped for two beautiful days, I was grateful that yesterday’s weather had been spectacular. We were somewhat concerned when we read about the rockslides in Glenwood Canyon that had affected highway traffic. Luckily, the train tracks seemed to be ok, however.

We walked across the street to the depot and waited for the California Zephyr. The delays kept growing, but we finally boarded for the journey back to Denver. We learned that the slides had affected the train tracks, but we were able to slowly make our way through the canyon.

The ride today was equally stunning, if not more so, than yesterday’s. The rain had stopped by the time we boarded, and the afternoon light in the canyons and along the Colorado River was perfect. We even had the same bulkhead seats as before.

Because of the delay, the last two hours of the ride were in twilight and darkness. I guess that’s a good excuse to repeat the journey next year!

We arrived back in Denver around 8:00 pm and walked to the parking garage at the Hotel Indigo. The hotel had allowed us to keep the car there and just charged us for one night. What a deal! We drove back to Loveland, exhausted, but happy!

Glenwood Springs

We arrived in Glenwood Springs in the afternoon and checked into the Hotel Denver, a historic hotel across the street from the depot. We decided to explore a bit of the town and walked across the bridge that spans the interstate highway to see the Hotel Colorado, perhaps the most famous historic hotel in Glenwood Springs. It started raining while we were there, so we simply ordered café lattes and relaxed in the lobby.

Glenwood Springs Depot

Hotel Denver

Hotel Colorado

Although Glenwood Springs is most famous for its hot springs, neither Tim nor I is a fan, so we skipped that activity. After walking back across the bridge, where we had great views of the hot springs pool, the depot, and our hotel, we walked downtown and found an Asian restaurant. Great meal, great waiter, and great time.

Glenwood Hot Springs

On the California Zephyr

Early the next morning, Tim and I walked to Union Station to board the California Zephyr for Glenwood Springs. As we waited in line, we struck up a conversation with a group of three couples who had traveled by train from Virginia to Chicago to Denver. They were headed west to Salt Lake City and then to a dude ranch. They were a fun group and helped us pass the time.

The conductor came through the line to check our tickets and hand out seat assignments. I had thought we could pick our own seats, but that was not the case. It didn’t matter, however, since we lucked out with the bulkhead row and lots of windows. As we waited to leave, we watched the station staff wash the windows. Clean windows sure help the quality of the photographs.

That ride was one of the most gorgeous I’ve ever taken. Not only were the fall colors spectacular, but the remote canyons that the train passed through were simply amazing. Many of the canyons are accessible only by train or on foot. We followed the Fraser River and then the Colorado River for much of the journey, and my eyes were glued to the windows virtually the entire time.

We met a gentleman on the train who takes several long-distance train rides every year. I enjoyed hearing some of his stories and pumped him for tips that I might use on future travels.

The following photos will only provide a taste of the spectacular views we witnessed as the California Zephyr traveled from Denver to Glenwood Springs.

Playing Tourist in Denver

Back in April, Tim and I made a reservation on Amtrak’s California Zephyr for travel in late September from Denver to Glenwood Springs and back to see the fall colors. We had missed fall in Colorado in 2020 while we were working at New River Gorge National River, and I wanted to make sure to see the colors this year. Based on our day trip to the mountains last week, we were hopeful that the dates we had selected so long ago would fall within the peak season.

On September 27, it was time to drive to Denver. We had decided to spend the night there since the train left so early the next morning. Here, we played tourist for the day.

Our first stop was the state capitol, which I had never visited. The capitol is located exactly one mile above sea level, and there is a marker on one of the steps attesting to that distinction.

Colorado State Capitol

One Mile Above Sea Level

Designed by Elijah E. Meyers, the capitol was intended to emulate the United States Capitol, and its distinctive gold dome commemorates the Colorado Gold Rush. Although construction began in 1888, the building was not fully completed until 20 years later.

I love visiting state capitol buildings and always look forward to gazing upwards into the domes. My favorite features in Colorado’s capitol were the grand staircase and the wonderful murals by Allen True.

Inside the Dome

The Atrium

The Grand Staircase

Murals by Allen True

After a few enjoyable hours in the History Colorado museum, we checked into the Hotel Indigo, just a few blocks from Union Station, and walked around LODO, enjoying a rare dinner at a nice restaurant. 

It had been quite some time since we had been in Denver, or any other large city for that matter, and the hustle and bustle was a bit disconcerting.

The redevelopment of Union Station and its surrounding area was quite impressive. I had never visited the station before and loved exploring its offerings. Today there are bars, cafes, a bookstore, and small shops inside, with a luxury hotel on the upper levels. It was also fun to see the station lit up at night.

Union Station

I Love the Nighttime Lighting

How Many Trips Did We Book This Month?

Once we decided to travel again, we lost no time in booking trips, as you can tell from the previous posts. Here’s a quick recap of what we booked in April.

• Iceland – We made reservations for a week-long road trip in Iceland for August 3, 2021.

• Seattle – We booked a four-night trip to Seattle for August 19, 2021, so that Tim could visit his high school friends.

• British Isles – We booked a 15-day British Isles Explorer cruise, thereby creating a 29-day back-to-back itinerary with our previously-booked Viking Homelands cruise from Stockholm to London for May-June 2022.

• Fall Train Trip – We made a reservation for a two-night trip on Amtrak’s California Zephyr from Denver to Glenwood Springs and back for September 27, 2021, to see the fall colors.

April was an expensive month since many of the reservations had to be pre-paid. We put our travel fund to good use!

Let's Make Plans to See Fall Colors

Thinking about fall colors in April may seem a bit odd, but some trips require advance planning. I had always wanted to ride Amtrak’s California Zephyr during the fall, and this seemed like a good year for such a trip.

Although one never knows when colors might peak, we took a chance and booked a round-trip from Denver to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, for the last week in September. We decided to leave on Tuesday, September 28, to avoid the weekend crowds. We would spend Monday night in Denver since the train leaves so early, and one night in Glenwood Springs.

Now, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that the leaves cooperate.

This Is What I Hope We'll See (Photo Courtesy of Amtrak)