My dear husband corrected me upon reading yesterday’s post, Wandering Windmill’s Mishap in Cripple Creek. You see, it wasn’t the chap that kept falling down in the creek, it was his cows! Hehe! That makes me laugh so hard! I did wonder why that poor guy continued to go to a place where misfortune kept finding him! Well, if I become a history buff, I’m going to have to learn to get my facts straight.  So, if I drop some facts below, go easy on me. They are the loosest translation of what I remember from the conductor on the train ride yesterday…although, my writing background begs me to please look up at least some and report them correctly, so I did.

But, first, let me just tell you how impressed I was with this adventure on the Cripple Creek/Victor Narrow Gauge Rail Road. I never would have thought about going perhaps, until I received a Living Social deal for it back in July. I bought four very discounted tickets for the ride with the intention of enjoying that area in the fall to enjoy the changing of the colors. (By the way, whenever I say, “changing of the colors,” I always think I’m about to say, “changing of the guard,” but that makes no sense! I haven’t had the recollection of that thought since last fall when I went to see the changing of the guard…oh, pardon me, colors!).

Anyway, we decided to take our trip yesterday and, in fact, witnessed some very beginnings of the colors changing! I am so excited. I just love this time of year!  The ride is a 45-minute-long, round trip ride that highlights everything you always wished you’d known about the history of Cripple Creek. I have lived in this state now for something like 22 years and I always remember seeing old mine shafts dotting the landscape along the side of the road throughout these small mountain towns. I always remember seeing old, often burnt, tiny cabins as well. They are always there, but I never knew anything about them. I never thought much about it! It always seems like nothing that should have been cool in my teenage years, was. Until now, when I’m all grown up and have an appreciation for it.

I come from New England, which boasts some 300 years of history and I actually loved learning about the early days of Connecticut while I was still there. I wasn’t a teenager yet! Colorado is such a new state in comparison, with a little more than 100 years under it’s belt! How could the Old West be that cool? I discovered yesterday that it is! And, our conductor said that in his humble opinion the term, “Wild, Wild West” first came into being with the town of Cripple Creek in mind! Below is a little smattering of photos that documented our trip.

Eli was so excited to be on the train. He kept saying, “This is so fun! I’m so excited!”

There is the conductor!

This is an old mine shaft.

This is one of those old, burnt houses I spoke about. It’s for sale! Wonder how much they want for it! Talk about a fixer-upper!

I love the weathered look of this. It screams, “I’ve been here a long time!”

That is Cripple Creek out there in the distance.

This was once a Blacksmith Shop with an outhouse behind it!

Up there is actually an active mine, called Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Company, and is one of the largest gold producing mines! That’s one of those enormous dump trucks with the 12-foot wheels at the top!

Three guys after my own heart (but don’t tell ’em there’s gold in them thar hills!).

Logan got to pull the whistle after the ride was over. Eli was offered the chance, but was too rattled by the loud sound of it to accept.

This was taken in the old Depot Museum.

Logan thought that these old phone operating tools were crazy. He couldn’t imagine that was how it worked.

 Even the sight of an old phone booth was more than his high-tech mind could handle!