Colorado, Part 3

2 Chicas Three Times the Fun at the Triple Falls

Chica 1 is always looking for something a little different and so 2 Chicas were taking a brief break from National Parks to visit a state park. Rifle Falls State Park was touted as having a triple waterfall. Right outside of the city of Rifle, CO, turns out Rifle Falls has caves and hiking trails.

The drive to Rifle Falls was interesting as 2 Chicas drove through the town and wound around and around a mountain (especially to two flat state inhabitants).  It was a weird trip in that the road seemed to lead to a number of personal homes, but we kept right on going until we drove into the park. 2 Chicas were relieved to see our destination right before our ears. We could hear the water rushing which really excited Chica 1.

2 Chicas parked and prepared for the hike to the falls. There was no hike; we rounded the corner and there were the falls. All powerful and spraying, 70 ft. worth of water falls! Standing at the base of the falls, Chica 1 was so moved by the splendor of the moment. Naturally, Chica 2 was ready to go cave exploring!

So up the Coyote Trail we go to investigate the caves. Chica 2 kept repetitively saying she was going to see Batman! Chica 2 was warning Chica 1 that when she found Batman, she would have no problem using her whip on him. Lawd!

Upon arrival to the first cave, Chica 1 was surprised at the tight quarters. It was more of a cup than a cave. A hike around the area and to multiple caves 2 Chicas ended up behind the falls. It was a pleasant hike, but to Chica 2’s disappointment, no Batman.

Reading the information on the stations, Chica 1 was devastated to discover that one of the falls is manmade. There are pipes redirecting the water over the limestone cliffs. Chica 2 wondered aloud why the ubiquitous they didn’t go ahead and make the falls have six cascades.

Come on Chica 2, let’s keep hiking. The trail had some large drop off areas that gave Chica 1 and her short little legs trouble. Chica 2 was extremely patient and surprisingly, never tried to trip Chica 1.

Outside of the large step downs, the trail was pretty easy. Rifle Falls is a nice park, just a little advice for the caretakers – please do something with those bathrooms.  They were pretty disgusting; Chica 2 said they were way beyond disgusting.

Rifle Falls State Park offers a number of outdoor exploration opportunities! Get to the falls and take a hike to the caves. Maybe you’ll have better luck than Chica 2 at finding your dream man in an isolated grotto. Doesn’t sound quite the same does it?

2 Chicas Behind the Vail

Well two worn travelers decided to stop roughing it and spend a little pamper time in Vail prior to ascending into the Great Rocky Mountains. Our trip so far had taken us from Denver, south to Alamosa, west across the state to the Four Corners, back north through Ouray, up to Rifle Falls and now east to Vail. Before the trip is over, 2 Chicas would go a little further north to the Rockies and back to Denver.

Vail seemed just the place to relax, get in some shopping and pampering, have a fabulous meal and get back to roughing it. The Arrabelle at Vail was spectacular with a roof pool, multiple roof top hot tubs, fireplaces in every room, luxurious robes, a wonderful soaker tub with a flat screen television, and a bathroom as large as the average hotel room.

The greater amenities are in the spa and surrounding dining, shopping and ambiance.  There were great sales going on in the nearby shops. A cup of coffee and some people watching was great fun. The hotel staff will drop off and pick up guests anywhere in Vail Village. 2 Chicas had a lovely dinner at Sweet Basil a restaurant recommended by the concierge. The multi-course meal was exquisite and both Chicas were happy girls!

After dinner, 2 Chicas braved the freezing night time temperatures, and sat in the hot tub. The view from the roof was amazing! The hot steamy water along with a nice glass of wine was the perfect nightcap to a wonderful day. The new challenge was getting out of the water and back into the building without becoming an ice sculpture.

We did it! Now Chica 2 was sitting in front of the fireplace having a chat with the country. She was in her presidential mode, and for once, she actually made sense. Tee hee hee

If we had known the place was going to be this much fun, we might have missed the adventures throughout the state. Well, maybe not, but it was well worth the stop. 2 Chicas would greatly recommend going behind the veil and spend some quality time in Vail. There is something to do even if you don’t want to ski so dote on yourself why don’t you?

 2 Chicas Rock On the Rockies

2 Chicas had two choices heading up to the Rockies. We could travel from west of the divide, up Hwy 40 to Hwy 34 or come in from the east through Estes Park. 

We chose the western route. We drove around the edge of the Arapaho National Forest as well as the Arapaho National Recreation Area. Chica 2 wanted to jump in Lake Granby, but admitted it was a little too cold to take a chance.

It seemed like we were winding and twisting forever up and around until we arrived at the most picturesque area in Grand Lake. 

We stopped to admire the beautiful lake with the snow covered peaks in the background. Within a matter of minutes we had arrived at our destination, Rocky Mountain National Park. 

Chica 2 pulled into the Kawuneeche Visitor Center and had to be stopped from sprinting inside to see what type of wildlife had been spotted in the park.

2 Chicas were quickly disappointed that the weather was going to be a huge factor for our trip.  The ranger shared that the main road still had 20 feet of snow blocking the path to Estes Park. Good thing we didn’t come from that direction, we would have made very little progress into the park.  She did say there had been moose and bear seen in the park. 

Chica 2 was ready to go find herself a bear! Chica 1 asked if there was any type of insurance available for purchase for knucklehead visitors. The ranger smiled and reminded us to be careful. On the road again, 2 Chicas were stunned at the number of fallen trees. Quite a few times on the road, we had to stop for prolonged periods of time while crews cleared trees. All those downed trees made hiking seem a little risky.

Passing Harbison Meadows Chica 2 rolled down the window and took in a deep breath of air. Then, she immediately complained that her nostril hairs were frozen. Chica 1 peered up her nose and agreed that there were frozen tinsels hanging from each hair.  With all the ongoing whining, she must have been in a good amount of pain. Tee hee hee

Chica 1 was in awe of the pine forests. She too leaned out the window and inhaled, but her experience was much better. The crispness of the air and the scent of the ponderosa pine filled her lungs with a little breath of heaven.  Chica 2 drove all the way up to the closed area. It was a little shocking to see the huge mound of snow on the road. It didn’t look real, but those mountains, with the mist floating over the highest peaks were incredible. At every vantage point, Chica 1 was enthralled with the idea that God had created such splendor for his children to enjoy.

 Chica 2 on the other hand, was busy peering in the woods looking for her bear friends. Chica 1 cannot understand her thinking. She would turn into the RoadRunner if she actually saw a bear, but she was so hopeful!  

2 Chicas pull into Holzwarth Historic Site and it a light snow falls. 2 Chicas were going to hike out to see the Great Ditch, but we had to ditch that idea due to the amount of the snow on the ground. With no snow shoes, our feet were sinking eight inches in the ground.

2 Chicas turned into little kids making snowballs and having a good old fashioned snow fight. After a few snowballs to the face, Chica 2 was ready to go look for that bear again. On the way back to the car, Chica 1 stepped on a large stick which broke. Chica 2 took off sprinting to the car, thinking a bear was close behind. Another Chica 1 theory proved true; our little RoadRunner was off and running!  

We stopped at each trailhead trying to explore as much of the limited area available to us and making the best of the time we had at the park. As we prepared to leave, Chica 2 had the saddest look on her face. She was so sad that she had not seen any animals. No bighorn sheep, wolves, bears, elk, etc. I told her that God fills the desires of our hearts and that we would see wildlife before we left.

Sure enough, as we rounded the bend just past the Coyote Valley Trailhead, there were about three cars pulled off on the side of the road. Their occupants were in the middle of the road taking pictures of moose!  Chica 1 pulled over and joined the others standing dangerously in the middle of the street.

Returning to the car, Chica 2 had mist in her eyes saying: “Chica 1 you said God would let us see something and He did!” Yes, Chica 2 He even hears the small requests that are in our hearts. God is good all the time! This quiet worship stayed with us back down the mountain.

Just as we got outside the park, barely outside of Grand Lake, another set of moose were grazing just off the road. Chica 2 was at peace.  It wasn’t a bear or bighorn sheep, but it was enough. Chica 2’s revelation was that sometimes in this wonderful life, enough is really a whole lot. 2 Chicas hope you can visit the Rocky Mountains and have your enough moment! If not here, have your experience of fullness and peace somewhere….

2 Chicas Searching for a Rocky Mountain High

2 Chicas arrived in Denver road weary and very hungry. Chica 2 wanted to go to Cherry Cricket and get her version of comfort food, a hamburger. The restaurant was jumping and there was a wait. A cupcake truck owner smartly parked outside the joint to get waiting customers to buy his sweet treats. 

After being seated, Chica 2 had her wish and savored every bite of her burger. Cherry Cricket wins best burger in Denver pretty consistently and 2 Chicas agree with the assessment.

The following day, 2 Chicas headed over to the REI Flagship store to see what all the brouhaha was about. This is a mega store with everything you could ever imagine for outdoor excursions. We spent hours looking at all the items in the store. 

With time to spare, we headed downtown, which was vibrant. We shopped, people watched, and had lunch.. 2 Chicas love the frozen tea drinks served with boba, taro balls added to the beverage. The Mango Boba Tea we had in Denver was the best one we've every had! We stumbled upon the Downtown Denver Arts Festival and walked around for quite some time. It was fun but we had to leave prior to the performances.

As we headed to the airport, we quizzed each other over our favorite Colorado experience. It was just too hard to narrow it down to one thing. Our Rocky Mountain high vacation was now over, but we both agreed that Colorado, and especially Denver required return trips!

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Falling Waters and Florida Caverns

2 Chicas Didn’t Miss Our Water Until the Waterfall Ran Dry

The trip to Falling Waters State Park was a nice little drive up I-10. 

The up and down drive reminds one of a kiddie roller coaster  not too dramatic, but just enough to remind you that you’re no longer in west central Florida. 

Entering the park, the 2 Chicas were tingling with excitement; we were about to see Florida’s tallest waterfall.  The air was crisp and the sky was clear; it was the perfect day for exploration.

The park is primarily home to a gigantic sinkhole or should we say a series of sinkholes.  There is a cement sidewalk that takes hikers down to a boardwalk which surrounds the different sinkholes. 


Chica 1 asked in a deep serious voice: “Are you down down down for this adventure?”  Keep walking Chica 1; keep walking.

The ferns and coolness in the park contained a serenity that was only broken by the occasional cry of its resident birds. A scrub jay was seen flitting about announcing the royal arrival of the 2 Chicas.

Once the 2 Chicas ascended the stairs to the overlook area it became very apparent something was missing – like H2O. 

The waterfall was gone! Yes, gone…. A lack of rain had made the waterfall nonexistent. How is this possible? 

Chica 2 proposed that someone had robbed the park of its water and we should go in pursuit of the thieves. 

Calm down Chica 2. She insisted that there should be pretty clear clues in the huge trail of water. Ahem, maybe it’s time for this little explorer to get in a cat nap.

The 2 Chicas looked at each other quizzically, shrugged, and began singing in unison – “You can’t always get what you want.”

Since we believe we always get what we need, we admired the different sinkhole areas, took pictures of the wild flowers, enjoyed the birds, and went racing off to the Florida Caverns.

2 Chicas Cavort In the Caverns

The drive to the caverns takes you through Marianna which has a strip that is a part of the Old Florida Heritage Highway.  It is a little congested though so be careful not to get distracted while driving.

Florida has caves- can you believe it. Chica 1 spent most of her life believing that Florida was one step away from being totally underwater.

As an adult, she learned of the true diversity found in the state. 

The ground is made up of sandy areas, a rich loam, clay, limestone, shell deposits, and other minerals depending on where you are in the state.

These north Florida caves have an interesting history that is prehistoric, but we’ll get to that latter.

The cave tour is well worth the current $8.00 fee.  In 45 minutes you will go up and down, sideways, bent in half, and ducking through a gallery of stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, soda straws, wedding cakes, pools, continents, catacombs, and Christmas trees. 

The ranger provides full facts and shows off things like a prehistoric shark tooth embedded in the rock.  Chica 1 could have sworn the shape of that tooth looked closely familiar. Ms. Ranger are you sure you didn't turn your back on Chica 2?

There is also a lot of information shared on how the formations grow, the composition of the rocks, and the men who worked tirelessly to excavate the area.

Chica 1 was not too fond of some of the really tight areas in the cave.  There seemed to be some hyperventilating or at the very least some huffing and head bumping on the ceiling. 

Chica 2 chuckled and assured Chica 1 she was far too short to worry about bumping her head on anything but the floor! Tee hee he

There are a couple of fossils visible in the ceiling of the cave, and the ranger reported that a few full sized fossils were excavated in the park, including a mastodon.

The ranger towards the end of the tour turns off all of the lights and allows visitors to experience the cavern exactly as it is. 

It is difficult to describe total darkness.  It’s not the type of darkness in your home or outside. It's eerily nondescript. Chica 2 said maybe this is what death looks like. You can always count on Chica 2 for a good dose of profound insanity!

The hike back to the visitor center is far more strenuous than the cave tour so be prepared! After sharing some much needed oxygen, both Chicas vowed to get in caveman shape. One day we may have to out run a dinosaur! 

Spend some time walking around the caves on the trails and go upstairs in the visitor center to the learning room for more factoids. If you feel adventurous, rent a canoe and explore the Chipola River. 

2 Chicas give this “real Florida” experience four thumbs up and a finger snap. Only 2 Chicas could be so dramatic!


Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park – 2 Chicas and another Black Lagoon

The long winding road to the Wakulla Springs Lodge does not give any indication of the fabulous experience to come.

Chica 2 was so excited to see the spear throwing fish that she ran out of the car and left it running. 

So remember to park the car, TURN IT OFF, and walk over to the old sign, through the boathouse type building to the springs. You have to keep it kind of simple for good old Chica 2.

If you do this exactly as described, you will immediately see the swimming hole, beach-like area and the old tour boats. Tee hee he...

Find out the time for the next tour and hop on board for a 45 minute ride in paradise.

Chica 2 scared just about everyone on the boat letting out a loud, crackly Tarzan call.  Luckily, the animals did not desert their sanctuary!

The springs are a part of the Florida aquifer and from the dock area, you can look straight down to the bottom.  Clear as can be!

Chica 1 was amazed at how the fish and flora intermingled to produce a whimsical musical dance. 

Chica 2 said it looked like they were doing the electric slide, no better than that, the wobble.  Sorry, Chica 2, I don't really see that at all.

The ebb and flow of the springs is beautiful. The boat tour is very informative and the birds, alligators, and manatee seem to perform on demand. The peace on the river is incredible. Thank God it has been preserved for all to share in the wonder and majesty of nature!

The anhinga and ibis pose throughout the park for photo opportunities.  Chica 2 also struck a pose very much like this bird, just not a stea
dy on the feet.

The lazy alligators are sunning up and down the river, and the egrets soar on demand. 

When the noisy motor of the boat is stopped, the sounds of the spring really come alive. 

After your tour, go to the observation tower and remind yourself of the great ecosystem you just explored.  Afterward, go to the lodge and try their famous Ginger yip. 

Tour around the lodge, review the history of Edward Ball, marvel at Old Joe – the murdered alligator, and then bid farewell to a perfectly preserved peace. 

Of course you could very well make a reservation and stay in the beautiful lodge. Just remember, no internet!

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