West of Pueblo off of Highway 50 is the little town of Florence. And outside Florence is this beautiful setting.

.This red fox was trying to cross the Highway 103 just as I happened upon it. He jaunted down the shoulder for about a minute, then dashed off into the trees.

It was Buffalo Bill's wish to be buried on Lookout Mountain overlooking Denver and the western plains, He died in 1917. His wife Louisa passed four years later and was laid to rest next to him.

There is a series of highways just west of Denver called the Lariat Loop. It's unusual in that it's a scenic byway within a metro area, the only of its kind. It's a 40-mile route that connects the small towns of Evergreen, Morrison and Golden with several interesting stops along the way. One of them is Lookout Mountain from where this picture and the one on the left were taken. The pic below is the town of Golden also from Lookout Mtn.

Boating, fishing and camping are all offered at the Lake Pueblo State Park in West Pueblo.

Sunset from Lake Pueblo State Park

Highway 160 travels through a narrow valley between Pagosa Springs and Wolf Creek Pass, south central Colorado as seen in the next few photos.

Above and Below: Wolf Creek Pass near the summit.

There's a song called Wolf Creek Pass sung by C. W. McCall about two truckers taking a load of chickens over Wolf Creek Pass in an old 1948 Peterbilt and losing control, careening down the 5000-elevation drop and into Pagosa Springs. It's a cute story. But I have my own story:

I had to travel the pass in my 26-foot RV with my car in-tow. Some of these mountain roads in Colorado are more than I care to handle, and the Wolf Creek Pass was one of them. My SOP is to 'test drive' any questionable route in the car (which is usually not a problem) before taking the RV over it. But Wolf Creek Pass is at almost 11,000 feet elevation and is significanly steep on both ends.

So, as I got over the pass going east (in the car), I stopped at the first RV park I came to ....for what reason I don't really know. I perhaps was hoping someone could give me an answer as to how I was going to get myself over. I walked into the office of the park, and the owner was there, a friendly lady with kind eyes. I told her my dilemma, and she said, "You know, let me call my son Joe. He drives that pass a lot and maybe he'll be able to drive you over. " I had told her when I had planned on making the drive. Joe said he'd be able to do it, and so, on the spot we arranged to meet at the east end of Pagosa Springs on the upcoming Thursday morning. She had to do some grocery shopping that day in P.S. for an upcoming family reunion, and so she'd be able to drop Joe off and he'd drive the RV over.

Joe was excellent, slow and steady. Didn't talk much, so I didn't either, but I was interested in his background. Still, he didn't say much other than giving me tips on how to handle the road, down-shifting instead of braking and such. We

got over the pass in close to an hour's time, then pulled into their RV park where I'd stay the night. I thanked Joe and handed him some cash. Still, Joe didn't say much. We both went about our business.

The next morning, Joe left early, but I went in to the office to thank the mom again for helping me out. I will never forget her words to me. First she said that she was glad I had come in, because she had wanted to talk to me. Then she thanked me for my generosity.

Joe, she said, had been in a motorcycle accident three years previous. He suffered head injuries and couldn't hold a job, causing depression and other such problems. She said that afternoon of the drive, Joe was talking up a storm, more than he had in a long time, and was happy and pleased with himself that he was able to teach someone something. She said that drive did more for him than it ever would for me.

Nothing will ever convince me that the whole incident was coincidental. They didn't have the best RV park in the area. No trees, kinda run-down. In fact, I never would have stayed there had I not felt an obligation. Not a mile down the road were some beautiful parks with nice pine trees and cozy settings. I never even knew they were there until I drove off that morning to continue on my journey.

Now, every time I go over a pass, whether it's in the car or the RV, I thank God...and Joe for getting me over.

On Red Canyon Road which travels for several miles out of Cañon City are some hiking trails. Sand Gulch and Red Canyon Park are two. Near the Sand Gulch Campground is a short little trail leading to what is called The Gallery. From there, one gets incredible views of the surrounding mountains. The surrounding pictures were taken there.

At Red Canyon Park, you can follow the dry river bed through red rock formations.

The Highway 103 between El Rancho and the cutoff to Highway 5 to Mt. Evans is a scenic byway. From parts of it, a clear view of the Front Range of the Rockies can be viewed, as seen in the next couple of pictures.

Georgetown Lake is just off of Interstate 70 west of Idaho Springs. It's for fishing and non-motorized boats only. There's also a Big Horn Sheep viewing area nearby, but I never found it. I kinda got caught up in the view of the lake and forgot about the sheep before I headed on toward my destination for the day.

Central City's history began in 1859 when gold was discovered. Wthin two months' time, the population rose to 10,000 people looking for a fortune. The town prospered, but then, as always seemed to happen in these quickly-built wooden cities, a fire erupted, destroying many of the buildings. Most of the brick buildings seen today are the originals that were built as a result of that 1874 fire. The gold played out, but the town remains. Today's it has at least 5 casinos and not much else other than the ghostly remains of days gone by.

One of the finest buildings in town is the Opera House, built in 1878 by Welsh and Cornish miners. After the gold played out, the building fell into disrepair, and it wasn't until 1932 that citizens of the community started efforts to refurbish it. Today it's a National Historic Landmark.

The Coeur d'Alene Mine, which can be easily seen from Central City's streets, produced until as late as the 1940s. Today it offers tours in the summer months.

Central City is located 11 1/2 miles northeast of Idaho Springs, off the Interstate 70. The road leading to the town is almost all uphill, but nicely paved and four lanes.

The Eagle River, for which the town of Eagle was named, rushes through the countryside, here and in the photo to the lower right, near the Eagle Visitors Center on the I-70.