We were promised a 'gourmet' breakfast at Sunnymeade. That promise was realized as we sat down promptly at 8:30, to dine. The fare included smoked ham, something the Inn Keeper called clabbered eggs, grilled Arkansas vine ripened tomatoes and curliqued cantaloupe, all served on fine China place settings. It was out of this world. While we ate we visited with the Inn Keeper and her companion. They were a friendly pair that made the meal conversation pleasant.
The only complaint I had about Sunnymeade was that there was no air conditioning. They promised us the cool mountain air would come in once the sun set and we would be wanting blankets rather than A/C. But it was so hot during the day that it was well after mid-night before things cooled. I wouldn't let the lack of A/C keep me from staying there but I would certainly go when the daytime temperatures were cooler.
After breakfast we loaded up and headed out. Our first stop was at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. There I received a phone call from some outfit trying to scam tornado victims. I planned to turn them in later, but turns out the JPD and Joplin Globe are already investigating.
The Cliff Dwellings were an interesting look into the past at the way the Anasazi Cliff Dwellers of Southwestern Colorado and Northern New Mexico lived. For good measure the site also had a plains indian teepee. I'm not sure what it had to do with anything since it wasn't even authentic. There was a wood decking floor. Had it been more true to the lodges I've seen of actual plains indians it would have had an animal skin floor. But kids seemed to like crawling around in there so maybe that was the point.
After leaving Manitou we headed for Canon City and the Royal Gorge Railway. We were just in time to catch the lunch departure and iWof sprang for first class seats. This put us in the dining car with seats on an upper deck with windows that curved over our head. iWof bought a nice bottle of wine and we settled back as the train began to roll. The trip is about 12 miles at no more than 12 miles per hour. First we were served a Raspberry Vinaigrette salad that was out of this world. It had walnuts, raisins, crumbled feta, mixed greens, walnuts, raspberries and a raspberry dressing. I could eat it for every meal for a very long time. For the main course, iWof had the chicken dish. I had the pork which was so tender it flaked off the bone with a fork. It was heavenly. So was some of the pretty male white water rafters that were paddling down the Arkansas river. Oh the cannons on the arms of those excursion guides. And that's all I'm going to say about that. The train ride that passed under the Royal Gorge bridge was fun. We left with a full stomach.
It was a bit early but iWof decided we should check out the B&B where we would be staying. The hostess let us check in early and we had a nice nap before setting out again. This time we drove out to the park owned by Canon City which includes the bridge and other attractions. We took the skyway ride across the gorge and rode back across the bridge in a trolley car. I was determined to set foot on the bridge despite my terror at anything above head high. At about 30 feet out I happened to look down through a particularly wide gap between two of the planks. Of course I immediately froze. It didn't help that the wind gave a really strong gust at about that time. iWof came over and I told him to take a picture to prove that I was actually out on the bridge. He took the camera but I was unable to let go of his hand. Finally, I closed my eyes and told him to hurry. He stepped away to take the shot. Then he took my hand to lead me off the bridge. At least I challenged my irrational fear. I'm not chalking that up as a concur, just a challenge.
We drove back into town. It was way too early to return to the B&B so we explored the town looking at houses. I found it interesting that most of the yards were rock gardens. Only the rare yard had grass. There were some cleaver uses of rock as ground cover.
Finally, I convinced iWof that we should eat dinner before we returned because I didn't want to go out again later. He wasn't that hungry, but he humored me. We ate at an Italian restaurant call DiRito's. We had an $8 ten inch pizza that was fantastic. I wish we would have been more hungry because it was so good. We brought the left over pizza back with us to our room thinking we would be hungry later, but that hasn't been the case.
After we returned we lounged for a while in the parlor and then retired to our cool comfy room.
Now I'm going to retire to the shower, cause I have a sweaty funk that needs addressed.
Fare the well for now.
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