Day 16 - Leadville Day 1

OK, we only thought we saw mountains around Colorado Springs.  The whole drive to Leadville was just unbelievable.  Brad kept taking pictures with his iPhone (while driving).  He has never been here before and is sort of in awe.  I grew up visiting my grandparents who lived in a couple of other places (not Leadville) in CO, but it’s been a long time.

We picked the forest service campground, Molly Brown, which is closest to Leadville (4.9 mi) and is also on Turquoise Lake.  We scored a lake loop camp- site because we got here early enough.  There were only a couple left that weren’t reserved.  We are surrounded by pine trees, but have a view of the lake and the mountains beyond.  Amazing pictures!

This is our first time to dry camp. We are just booked for a couple of days.  No showers here and limited water and electric (limited to what we have in our tank and battery).  We’ll see how this goes.

After we got set up, we went into town to see Leadville.  It is such a sweet little town with a great “main street” lined with shops.  Our favorites . . . City on a Hill (coffee shop) and Community Threads (a rockin’ thrift/consignment store).

The first thing we came across was the Ranger Station.  The reason my mom lived here was because my Papaw was a Forest Ranger.  They lived all over CO, but 6 years (60-66) in Leadville.  He had tons of Smokey the Bear stuff all over their house.  So we went in to see the ranger station (this one is new since they lived here.)  Mom came to Leadville a year and a half ago and had told me about a plaque with all the rangers’ names written and their dates.  We searched the lobby, but couldn’t find it.  When we finally asked about it, the lady looked at me so strangely and said yes, it was in the back in the ranger’s office.  She took us back and we got to see it!  She loved our story and thought it was great that we had come.

We ate in town at a very special restaurant: The Golden Burro Cafe.  My mom and her twin sister worked there the summer after her junior year of HS.  (1965).  It was fun just to be in there and know her history with it.

To get back to our campground we go down 6^th street.  Very convenient since that is where my mom’s second house in Leadville was!  We are passing it every time we come in and out of town.

Happy travels!


Leadville Day 1