Rocky Mountain High

September 13 – 23, 2021

Fort Collins

From our previous stop in Gering, Nebraska, we had a three hour drive to our next stop – Fort Collins, Colorado. Situated along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, about 60 miles north of Denver, Fort Collins is a mid-sized college town – home to Colorado State University.

Home base while in Fort Collins was the Fort Collins/Lakeside KOA, a big-rig friendly campground located in the northwest corner of Fort Collins. Our site was a concrete pull-thru with patio which provided ample space for us to enjoy sitting outside around our fire-pit.

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Rocky Mountain National Park

Following a couple of days of relaxation, we headed to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). Like a few of the other National Parks, RMNP required a timed entry pass. We had secured one as soon as the advance passes were available for our dates but it was for a late afternoon entry. By timing the nightly release of next day passes, Bill was able to secure a morning pass (with the Bear Lake corridor).

Following a gorgeous drive through the canyon from Fort Collins into Estes Park, we entered RMNP at Beaver Meadows around 9:30 a.m. We were warned upon entry that the parking areas near Bear Lake were already full. The ranger suggested that we drive to the Park-and-Ride and take the bus from there. We exited the bus at the Glacier Gorge stop and took the trail to Alberta Falls. This was an easy 1.6 mile round-trip trail shaded by aspens beginning to show their autumn colors.

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After leaving the Falls, instead of following the trail back to the Glacier Gorge parking area, we decided to “bear” off onto the trail to Bear Lake. Unfortunately (for me) the majority of this section was uphill but the view across Bear Lake was well worth the effort.

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We caught the bus at the Bear Lake parking lot and returned to the Park-and-Ride lot. Next, we drove one of our favorite routes in RMNP – the Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center. At an elevation of 11,796 feet, the Alpine Visitor Center is the highest elevation visitor center in the National Park System. With astounding views, a wonderful gift shop, and a good snack bar, this visitor center is definitely a “high” point of any visit to RMNP.

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From the visitor center, we retraced our route back through Estes Park and the canyon to Fort Collins. As we exited the canyon, we passed lots of emergency vehicles headed into the canyon. We’re not sure what happened but it must have been serious.

Poudre Canyon

The next day we drove through the nearby Poudre Canyon. Carved by the Cache la Poudre River (the place where French-Canadian trappers hid their gunpowder during a raging blizzard in the early 1800s), the canyon features soaring cliffs and interesting rock features covered by ponderosa and lodgepole pines, sage brush, mountain mahogany and aspen. The river is Colorado’s only nationally designated “Wild and Scenic” river. The highway that follows much of the river is a designated Scenic and Historic Byway. We drove the highway as far as Rustic where we branched off to Red Feather Lakes.

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Sonny Lubick’s Steakhouse

The next night we celebrated Bill’s birthday at one of his favorite restaurants in Fort Collins. As a graduate of Colorado State University (CSU), Bill not only appreciates the legacy of Sonny Lubick, he also remembers the restaurant that was once in this location.

Ushering in the most successful era in the history of Colorado State University football, Sonny Lubick created a standard for excellence the CSU community had never before seen in the 115-year history of the program. 

Sonny Lubick led the Rams to victory and national recognition by winning six conference titles with a winning record of 108-74 between 1993 and 2007, more than any other Mountain West Conference team during that period. An impressive leap from the previous 47 wins with just one bowl appearance in 11 seasons the Rams saw prior to Lubick’s 1993 arrival. But Lubick and the Rams didn’t stop there – going on to play in nine bowl games during his tenure at Colorado State, ranking among the top 20 teams in the nation in total victories, and placing among the Mountain West leaders in victories. Lubick was named National Coach of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 1994.

Sonny Lubick Steakhouse started with a vision. Longtime Lubick friend Rick Callan had the idea for a Sonny Lubick Steakhouse here in Fort Collins for years, envisioning a place where people could enjoy great food, good company and a warm atmosphere. Callan pitched the thought to Lubick, but it wasn’t until years later that the idea really began to take flight, when the iconic Nico’s Catacombs closed its doors in March 2008 after serving downtown Fort Collins for 35 years.

Sonny Lubick Steakhouse

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Cheyenne, Wyoming

A couple of days later we drove to Cheyenne, Wyoming to visit F.E. Warren Air Force Base (the oldest continuously active military installation within the Air Force). Bill was stationed here while in the Air Force.

The history of the base dates back to the Railroad Act of 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln and Congress set plans for the transcontinental railroad. The plans included a military installation on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains in the Wyoming Territory, to protect Union Pacific Railroad workers from “hostile Indians”. From these pioneer origins, the base evolved from a frontier infantry and cavalry post into the largest, most modern strategic missile facility in the U.S. Air Force. F.E. Warren AFB is named in honor of Wyoming’s first United States Senator, Francis Emroy Warren (1844–1929), who was awarded the Medal of Honor at age 19 during the American Civil War.

wikipedia

Having made prior arrangements, we stopped at security to pick up our base visitor passes. From there we headed to the ICBM Missile and Heritage Museum for our 11 a.m. tour.

The F.E. Warren AFB Intercontinental Ballistic Missile and Heritage Museum is located in historic Building 31, which was built as the second hospital in 1887.  The two-fold mission of the museum is reflected in our exhibits.  The exhibits tell the story of the complex development of the Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic  Missiles and the very rich heritage of the base from 1867 to present day.  

warren museum

Following our exploration of the museum, Bill drove through the base, pointing out the historic buildings and the barracks where he was housed when on base.

The base is presently listed on the National Register as a Historic site with three historic districts, and over 200 structures individually listed on the register dating between 1885 and 1930.  The oldest structures are the “Doll Houses,” built in 1885, and are called this due to having only 2,500 square feet, whereas the Duplex housing has about 5, 600 square feet and the single officer’s houses are over 6,000 square feet.

warren museum

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Leaving the AFB, we drove into downtown Cheyenne past the Capitol Building. We easily found a place to park along the street and walked through the Plaza to the Cheyenne Depot Museum.

The Cheyenne Depot Museum is the steward of the Historic UPRR Depot, a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1886 by the Union Pacific Railroad, it is the last remaining grand railroad station on the transcontinental route, designed by famed architect Henry Van Brunt. Visit the museum to learn about the history of Cheyenne, the Transcontinental Railroad, and see the beloved narrow gauge UC&N Model Railroad built by Harry W. Brunk.  

Cheyenne Depot Museum

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In front of the Depot Museum were two of the “Big Boots.”

The Big Boots are eight-foot tall fiberglass boots, each painted with whimsical, historical or even scientific themes, which are scattered throughout the city and have been sought out by tourists since late 2004.

Wyoming in Motion

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After touring the Depot Museum we stopped at 2 Doors Down for a late lunch – great burgers – before heading back to the truck.

Social

For our last “hurrah” in Fort Collins, we decided to try out Social, an underground speakeasy-style cocktail bar in Old Town. It was a fun place to enjoy a unique cocktail along with a cheese and charcuterie board.

Off We Go

Much to Bill’s dismay it was time for us to move on. But, we aren’t leaving Colorado yet.