7:00 AM MT—Breakfast is done, and we are getting ready to head off to Colorado Springs. Along the way, we will stop in Salida for lunch. I hope it’s a long-ish lunch break because we have no sightseeing stops today, except for whatever rest breaks we have. We are expecting to get into Colorado Springs around 5:30 tonight.
In the meantime, I have written a note in the room guestbook:
October 3, 2019 Had an amazing two night stay. Thank you for everything. Came in on the train from Silverton—a must do! Had a great time. Bill Georato, Salem, NH billgeorato.com
9:00 AM MT—Our first stop is in Pagosa Springs at the Choke Cherry Tree candy shop.
10:15 AM MT—We head back across the Continental Divide. On the east side now.
12:34 PM MT—Lunch was supposed to be in Salida, but wildfires are happening in the area and the air quality is not that great. We head straight through town and continue on to Cañon City. (They use the original Spanish spelling of Canyon.)
2:30 PM MT—Finally stopping for lunch at the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park—which happens to be owned and run by Richard’s cousin Donna. There’s a lot to do here, with a gondola ride over the gorge, zip line, cafeteria and gift shop. They also have the highest pedestrian suspension bridge in the US. Myself and others take the gondola across the gorge and walk the bridge back. With my fear of heights, the bridge was a little scary, but I just looked straight ahead and kept going.
6:00 PM MT—Arrival in Colorado Springs—the only city in Colorado with the word “springs” in the name which doesn’t have any springs. We are in the Embassy Suites Downtown.
6:45 PM MT—A near international incident. I go to the lobby sitting area for happy hour. The Australians and another couple from the group are at a table and they invite me to join them. They move to make room and I take a chair from a nearby empty table. Putting my food down, I head to the bar for my free drink.
Upon my return, I find Alan (the Australian) telling some guy (another guest, who was already plastered) to “P—— off!” They almost got into a fight over my chair because the guy was going to take the chair back to the table because they needed it.
One of the guy’s friends told him to leave it alone, there are plenty of other chairs.
Alan won the argument, and I kept the chair.
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