Song: Twin Peaks Theme
Original Composer: Angelo Badalamenti
As yesterday was another nice day...
I decided to take a short drive to visit Mueller State Park.
While it is just a half hour drive to the entrance of the park from home...
I decided to stop in at the town of Divide to eat a cheese burger...
and then just four miles South of there is the entrance to the park.
I decided I would start mostly taking another route into Woodland Park from now on.
I used to take a cutoff from the main road.
As I live about 4 miles North of the town of Cripple Creek in a mountain community...
I used to bypass the town of Florissant (about 20 minutes NW of home)...
by taking a country road cutoff which led to about the halfway point between
the town of Florissant and Divide.
Although this cutoff is somewhat shorter...
it is less scenic...
and less safe...
as there are a lot of winding roads.
I had just left the town of Florissant and headed toward the town of Divide (8 miles away).
Just outside of the town of Divide.
I stopped in at one of my favorite burger places...
Russ' Place.
I had a cheese burger with battered mushrooms.
Mueller State Park is just a short 4 miles away up hwy 67...
which lies perpendicular to the highway which leads to Woodland Park.
I have an annual season pass to all of Colorado's State Parks.
At this park...
of which is but half an hour from my home...
they not only have hiking...
but Nordic Skiing on groomed and un-groomed trails.
I went on this day to scout out the general lay of the land.
I am thinking of Nordic Skiing in the Winters here as the trails are so close to home.
It would be great Winter exercise.
However...
although on the website said there were many trails for Nordic Skiing...
I couldn't see any roads leading to the groomed trails from the main one.
I will have to do more research on this matter.
The park was almost completely deserted...
and some of the areas weren't plowed...
which had blocked access to other parts of the park.
A view of the Eastern slopes of Pikes peak.
The visitor center (which was closed for the day).
Some of the views from a viewing area in the park.
The pyramidal mountain in the center of this photo is Mt. Pisgah...
of which lies a few miles to the Southwest of my home.
Sentinal Peak is the pointy mountain top on the right side of the photo.
I live to the Southwest of this mountain.
In this photo on the right is Mt. Pisgah...
and to the left side is Rhyolite Mountain.
I live to the North of Rhyolite Mountain (towards me in this photo).
So...
I live just on this side of the mountain in the center of this photo.
I can see this mountain up close from my recliner and from all of my decks.
As many of the trail heads and some of the roads were closed...
I soon departed the park as I headed back into the town of Divide
to eat a pizza at McGinty's.
(Although I normally only eat once a day...
I am still gaining back some of the 15 lbs I had lost during my illness).
A view of the mountains from McGinty's.
This was my pizza cooking in their oven.
It was a nice treat to have just before heading back home.
I headed out of the parking lot towards home.
This is Mt. Pisgah.
Once I get East of it...
my turn off the main road towards home is near.
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I had a nice relaxing day.
Too bad this particular State park doesn't allow dogs.
Bandi would have loved the drive.
But...
there are plenty of other places I can take her.
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Next week I will head into the town of Cripple Creek to see their small ice festival.
To be honest...
I am mostly looking forwards to all of the food vendors there.
I had missed out on the ice festivals at all of the major ski resorts this year...
as I had been ill.
But...
next year I will be seeing them all.
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As I am still recovering...
I will just be taking relatively short car trips for a while.
Today is another beautiful day...
but I will just be taking it easy.
I am steadily getting better...
and so...
I don't want to relapse.
Tomorrow, I will be driving back to Woodland Park
to shop first thing in the morning at Walmart (6 AM)...
as they will receive a large shipment of 24 bags of my favorite Sauerkraut.
I could only get 9 bags on my last trip...
so I had one of the workers order more.
They are supposed to arrive late today...
and their night stock people will have them out by opening tomorrow morning.
I want to get them all before they get bought.
This is my Kimchi and Sauerkraut section of the fridge.
I will be storing another 24 bags of Sauerkraut in other parts of the fridge
as I have plenty of room for them.
I love eating Sauerkraut so much.
I go through about one large bag a week (2 lbs).
It is such a great food for gut health.
I feel so much better overall whenever I eat a steady diet of this with my meals.
It is my most consumed vegetable.
Naturally fermented foods of all types are so valuable for health.
I love Natto...
Kimchi...
and of course...
Sauerkraut.
