Aspen, Colorado

We took a picturesque drive from Canon City to Carbondale, Colorado, mostly through remote mountainous regions altitudes of 6,000 to 10,000 feet.

We stayed at the Gateway RV Park in Carbondale and backed into our tight, but adequate, RV spot on a cliff above the Rio Grande river.

We immediately noticed the signs that read, "Active Bear in this Area!"

After getting settled we took the 30 minute drive from Carbondale to Aspen to meet up with Mike and Karen.  We both knew Mike (Pikes) from Christ the King School.  I played soccer with him in High School and also in our early 20's playing for the Wimbledon Wankers!  Yes, that was really our team's name.

Mike told us that two hours before we arrived, they had a bear on their back patio.  Apparently, living with bears is just the way it is there.  They can appear at any time!  Mike says at night you can hear them descending from the trees to come down and forage for food.

They took us up to see the Maroon Bells at sunset.  The Marroon Bells are famous mountain peaks known for their maroon color.  They were breathtaking as was the entire experience up there.

Mike made us dinner and we continued our conversation past dark.  We hadn't seen each other in several years and had a lot of catching up to do.

We decided to meet up again the next night. Karen gave us a walking tour of Aspen until Mike got off work. The tour included John Denver's Memorial Park, the surrounding neighborhoods and the downtown area.  We even stopped by a bike shop where I saw a vintage Schwinn Apple Krate!  When I was 12 years old I owned the green version called a Pea Picker that I had purchased with my paper route money.

We capped the 2nd evening with a dinner at their local Bar-B-Q restaurant, the Hickory House, which had been featured on Guy Fieri's Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives.  We shared a platter which was plenty for all of us, and then some.

While in Carbondale, we took a bike ride along the Rio Grande trail.  It was spectacular!  And yes, there were warnings about bears everywhere!

We never saw a bear while we were there, but have a new appreciation for them.

We are so thankful to Mike and Karen for being such gracious hosts and tour guides.  We had never been to Aspen before and they made it a most memorable experience.