Carrie N Miller's Blog

District Museum Opening!

2008-05-09T20:03:27Z

May 9, 2008

***For immediate release

Contact: Jan MacKell 719-689-2634

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District Museum, Old Homestead Set to Open for Summer

Following a busy winter of making such needed improvements as interior painting and installing new sidewalks that now include a wheelchair ramp, the Cripple Creek District Museum is ready to celebrate its 55^th year during the summer of 2008.

Over the winter months, Museum staff worked with a number of local contractors to finish painting the interior of the 1895 Midland Terminal Railroad Depot, as well as laying all new sidewalks in front of all three Museum buildings. "We are especially proud of our resident painter, Roger Dunbar," said Director Jan MacKell. "It took him just over a year to single-handedly strip, clean and paint all of the windows and woodwork throughout the Depot."

MacKell is also extremely pleased with the sidewalks, which were excavated and installed by MMH Inc. and Windsor Concrete. Local artisan Steve Donner is currently making steel handrails which should be ready in the next week. "Mayor Dan Baader put together a wonderful team for us," said MacKell, adding that in addition to excavating, MMH Inc. also provided much needed landscaping and moved several pieces of heavy equipment to improve the look of the Museum grounds. The project in its entirety was paid for out of the City of Cripple Creek's budget for museum improvements. "We are truly indebted to City Administrator Bill McPherson for his assistance in making this happen," said MacKell.

With everything in place, the Museum is ready to open full time for the summer beginning Friday, May 16. Also, on Saturday May 17, the Museum is offering free admission to the public in honor of Armed Forces Day. "We want to show our appreciation not only to our military forces that day," said MacKell, "but also to all Americans who support the troops."

The District Museum is also pleased to be managing the Old Homestead Parlor House Museum for the second year in a row. The Wild Horse Casino, which owns the Homestead, graciously signed a lease with the District Museum earlier this year to assure the Homestead will be open once again. "We are, as always, indebted to the Wild Horse for extending this offer to us." said MacKell. The doors to Colorado's only brothel museum will once again swing open on Friday, May 16 at 11 a.m. with guided tours.

Both museums will be open seven days a week through September 1. The District Museum opens daily at 10 a.m., with the Homestead opening at 11 a.m. Both places close at 5 p.m. Visitors will also want to make sure and visit in June, when the District Museum celebrates its 55^th anniversary on June 14 and the Homestead celebrates its 50^th anniversary on June 21. For additional information, call 719-689-2634 or access the District Museum website at www.cripple-creek.org.

Cripple Creek District Museum
P.O. Box 1210, 5th & Bennett Avenue
Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813
719-689-2634 ~ 719-689-9540
www.cripple-creek.org The Cripple Creek District Museum is a private, non-profit foundation. Donations to the foundation are tax deductible. Friends of the Museum memberships are now available! Contact us for information.

Goodbye to an Awesome Actor!

2008-04-06T09:54:24Z

I got the news this morning. Charlton Heston died. What a way to wake up to the day! It made me sad as the news report briefly outlined his career and highlighted his most famous roles as Moses in "The 10 Commandments" and "Ben Hur". Fox News has a great obit on their news page http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,346965,00.html

"I have a face that belongs in another century," he often remarked. I concur. His craggy good looks and lean, muscular body fit well in some of my favorite roles, as the astronaut in "Planet of the Apes" and several westerns of forgettable fame. Who could ever mistake that rugged voice proclaiming "Get your paws off me you Damn Dirty Ape"? That is a scene that will go down in infamy! My all time FAVORITE movie is "The Mountain Men" with Brian Keith. Its a great fur trapper/trading/indian living loving and wild movie. If you love Jerimiah Johnson, you will love the Mountain Men!

I guess my most memorable moment in Heston history is when he became President of the NRA. It was the Spring of 1998. The Columbine massacre had just occurred. It was cold, blustery and miserable, everyone was on heightened nerves as they dropped their children off at the local school. Meetings with the Superintendent and Principles did little to allay the fear that this sort of thing COULD happen, and could happen in our school with a population of 300. Everyone was fearful, paranoid and frankly I think the paranoia got out of hand.

Still, the snows came. We battled power outages for 3 days on and off and kept the wood stove cooking until I could stand no more. I had an invitation to go to Denver, so I packed up my kids and headed north from Cripple Creek. It was relatively early in the morning, the wet spring snow coming down and rapidly covering any tracks on the county roads, quickly building to several inches as we trekked along. Heater blowing on high in the Toyota Landcruiser, cardboard covering the radiator helping to heat the engine so it could pass its warmth along to the cabin of the car, everyone bundled up in sleeping bags and blankets. We knew the weather was better at a lower altitude, could we get there in this blizzard?

Through Woodland Park we went, the road eriliy abandoned, there were few vehicles on the road and 8 inches or more of snow and the roads had not been plowed. Still, we headed into the Ute Pass, wipers working furiously to battle the freezing windshield, the defrost on high and still the snow coming down in huge beautiful but treacherous flakes. It was about 9am, where was everyone? This added to the heightened perception of escape from the mountain, blizzard conditions and Columbine paranoia....and suddendly we burst out into the bottom of the Canyon just beyond Manitou, the snow gradually turned to sleet, the 24th st bridge was closed so we detoured around and connected to I 25 and shifted into high gear and sped North through the drizzling rain. Denver, here we come! We were headed to the 1998 NRA Convention Downtown and a night at the Adams Mark Hotel.

We rolled up I25 past Monument, Larkspur, and Castle Rock, noting the overflowing ponds and rivers alongside the service roads. The waters were high. Flooding was inevitable. As we entered the Tech Center area, I made the decision to find this Columbine and to visit the school with my kids and see the memorials I had been hearing about. We turned West onto 470.

The school was packed, cars parked down beyond the park and traffic flowing respectively in and out of the area. People walking, standing, talking, debris littered here and there from older flower arrangements scattered here and there along the sidewalk. This school is so different than our little school, where 8th-12th graders go to class in the same building. Columbine is huge! I don't recall how many students attend, but its a city in itself!

We parked and wandered in...up by the park area where poles had been set up as markers in honor of the fallen students and into the main area where news reporters, police, security and hundreds of people were milling about. Hundreds of flower arrangements, tributes, gifts, teddy bears were left at various makeshift memorials to the students. Photos. Sadness. I walked to each and read the stories and tributes, searching for understanding to this terrible thing that had occurred. The drizzle had lifted and there was sun through the cloudy sky. Wetness.

I don't know if I found understanding but I did come to some sort of reconcilation in my heart. I could not escape the fact that I had been seriously affected by the Columbine Tragedy. My escape to the mountains could not insulate me or my family from the realities of this terrible thing. I guess if I walked it and felt it I could become more, I don't know, understanding of it. Now I don't really think I will ever understand it.

Denver was soaking wet, roads were messy, the car is covered in mud, road scum and filthy as we drove into downtown searching for the landmark that is the Adams Mark. Throngs of people were crowded around the capital. Placards were being carried. People are shouting "Moses, Go Home"! Protests against the NRA, protests in heightened sympathy for the lost at Columbine. Hatred. This I didn't expect.

We parked and drug our bedraggled selves into the Mark and located our rooms. The crystalline beauty of the interior of this Hotel shone in stark contrast to the journey we had just been through. The blizzard, the wet, the sorrow. We found our room, a sanctuary from all of this, and showered and rested and watched the news as the frenzy built against guns, the NRA and Charlton. People lining up to carry placards, a big march planned for the next day, its all about guns guns guns! Guns kill! Moses Go Home! Columbine would not have occurred if there were no guns on the planet!

Actually, we never did get to see Charlton. The next morning rose bright and sunny, the sky clear. I roused the kids and we attended the Morning Prayer. Oliver North was there, and a memorable tribute was made to the students and parents of Columbine, as well as a plea to God for guidance in these tumultuous times. Camoflauged bibles were passed out, we ate scrambled eggs and bear claws and drank coffee and juice. I got my 2 bibles autographed by Oliver North, and still have them. They belong to the kids. We didn't really have tickets to the actual convention, we were just invited to come to Denver with some friends. We took that opportunity to escape the mountains, and it happened to be right after Columbine and during a nasty spring blizzard, my friends attended the convention and raved about the speach Charlton made. They said his presence was stimulating and unforgettable. I regretted not attending, but the tickets were a bit pricey for me at that time.

We packed up and loaded the car and drove west out of town, heading to a place that always gives me strength in times of trouble. As we drove by the Capital people were gathering for the big event. Not the convention, but the protest against the NRA and Charlton. Signs were held high again, "Moses, Go Home". I sighed, and turned onto the westward artery that led me back to the security that is the mountains and home.

The protests against the NRA that year were monumental. Charlton, being the "Face" of the NRA took the brunt of the heat, as he represented something extremely unpopular during that time. He stood fast agains the rising tide, he took the NRA to a new level of awareness and brought it to the forefront, highlighting the battle against stronger gun control through government. It just happened to be the same year that those kids decided to take aim against innocent people at a place we always assume is a safe haven for our children. Emotions ran high, and I was not immune to the paranoia that flowed so freely. I sought understanding, and Charlton Heston was an icon in my mind, besides being a great actor, with that voice! These things will always stand out in my personal history. Goodbye, Charlton, I appreciated your talent and will be watching the reviews ad nauseum to grasp that Charlton flavor in the coming days. I am sure I will not be alone.

Ryans Journey

2008-03-26T08:05:14Z

Testimony to a Small Town! We all gather around when one of us falters, and join together to lift them up from trouble. Read further to find out why Small Town living is so rewarding.....

This is a brief post about a friend of mine. His name is Ryan Bowman. He is 17 and attends Cripple Creek-Victor High School. He is the third son of some very good friends of mine.

Valentines Day, 2008. Ryan is working out with the wrestling team at school. Ryan is a dedicated kid, not sideways like so many of our kids get at that age when the hormones start to take over.....he is feeling tired and sits down to rest. The next thing he knows he is waking up at a hospital in Colorado Springs. He has had a stroke. His life is in immenent danger, and Ryan is once again loaded onto a flight for life and flown to Denver where he is stabilized. He has a hole in his heart, something he has had all of his young life, but this was never detected. He has always been a active kid, participating in sports and coming into the age where the world should be his apple....now he is facing life changing events totally out of his control.....

Surgery to correct the heart defect has been successful, and Ryan is now home. He is going through extensive therapy to relearn how to do many things we all take for granted. Speaking, for one. He can walk, but tires easily, and uses a wheelchair. His determination to regain what was once normal for him is a testimony to the strength of this young man's character. He is learning how to deal with a devastating blow to his life.

The town of Cripple Creek and Victor, Colorado have joined together and are standing strong behind the trials of this family. The thought of loosing a treasured child at the age of 17 is unthinkable. That this boy survived and is still with us today is mainly due to the crack medical assistance he received and quick response of our local paramedics and fire department.

We will be having a benefit auction Saturday March 29 to raise money for the family's medical expenses and to show support for this family that has grown up with most of us. I am working on getting a list of the many items that have been donated to this auction, and will post that list here if I get it in time. There are many useful items, loads of gravel, new washer and dryer, meals for local dining establishments as well as hotel stays. But there are some very unique items also...a hand made quilt with old Donkey Derby Days t-shirts, I have seen this and it is very cool, good enough to hang! And more!

If anyone is interested in coming up and bidding on some very unique Cripple Creek and Victor originals, then meet us at the Cripple Creek Elks Lodge BPOE 316 on March 29 and join in the fun. The pre-lube party starts at 6pm I believe. If you have never been into the Elks lodge and love History, you will experience a wonderful walk back into time. This building was once the Mining Exchange back when Cripple Creek was rockin in the '90's. The 1890's, that is! Get a room, tho, as the fun lasts a good long time and we don't want you to get busted driving after participating in any adult beverages.....

Thanks for reading. I hope to see you all there!

Find a Better Deal!

2008-03-18T08:12:27Z

Yes, she's a bit of a plain jane! All this home needs is someone to come in, decorate and make it their own! Nestled High in the Rocky Mountains with water piped in from the base of Pikes Peak, this home sits on 1.08 acres thick with Aspen and an unlimited view of meadows, streams and wildlife! The view is protected by greenbelt, so that means no one will build in front of you and wreck this view! Wonderful!

Built in 1991, 960 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 2 car attached garage, radiant heat, seriously insulated top and bottom, 2 X 6 construction throughout the house, 2X4 in the garage which is also insulated. Efficient, easy to access, she's what I call an Easy Keeper in the horse world! If you want a great place to escape to in the mountains, this is it! This subdivision (cripplecreekmountainestates.com) offers year round pool, private fishing, workout room, sauna, clubhouse, tennis courts, sometimes golfing and miles of greenbelt! Just minutes from Cripple Creek, aprox 1 hr from Colorado Springs and Canon City, roughly 2 hours to Breckinridge or Monarch, surrounded by excellent hiking, horseback riding, fishing, jeep trails, wildlife watching, birdwatching and more, this is seriously an outdoor paradise! I know, I live around these parts! I do all of this!

Offered here for $119,900, go ahead, find a better deal. Then let me know because I want to know where there is cheeper, more scenic Mountain Property than Cripple Creek, Colorado. If you can even build this house for cheeper than let me know! I want to know! With material prices hitting the roof, tightening restrictions on building, water sources tough to find.....its almost impossible! So, if you find better out there then email me and let me know! The house will go FHA and VA! Its that good! Sure its small, but think about VALUE!

Its Happened Again!

2008-03-16T15:11:08Z

It's Happened Again!

Another Equine Rescue has had to be "rescued" from itself! What is going on in this world? These folks meant well, but became overloaded with "rescue" horses and consequently some died at their place and now these folks are facing 22 charges of animal abuse! So, my question is, what is your opinion? What causes this to happen again and again and again? I hear more about Rescue Operations going under, owners being charged with abuse, when, in reality, these poor folks are caught up in the 'save ol' dobbin' from the awful fate of what? Death? Instead of humanely putting them down, these horses died from exposure, starvation and complications of previous problems. Several were at a "low body weight scale" when rescued by the local veterinarian. The owners could not get to the horses to feed them due to the bad weather. One colt was kept in their house and attacked by their rottweiler, sustaining more damage. Huh? This is an indication to me of poor understanding of what it takes to husband equines, lack of funds and bleeding heartage. Oh, and its a Mustang rescue, but I think they also brought in other horses. Were they breeding? I don't think so and don't get me started on rescue operations breeding.

Now that the slaughter houses have been moved out of the country, there aren't any horses going to slaughter, right? My question here is, now that the slaughter houses are gone, there should be less rescues, right? Wrong!

Who is rescueing the rescue outfits? Who has that kind of money to pay for old and/or debilitated animals that need serious veterinary work or worse to be kept alive? At what cost? Is it really better?

Don't get me wrong, I love my horses, better than most folks would imagine. But I sure could not take on someone else's debilitated pasture ornament and feed, water, vet, trim, etc the danged critter. That gets expensive! So, why do so many folks think they can do this? And what happens to the animals when these folks die or get sick and cannot take care of them? Or when the funds dry up? Are Horse Rescues really rescuing horses? Or are they causing another problem? What do you think? Does this affect our property values?

Cripple Creek Ice Festival!

2008-02-15T01:16:20Z

Ok! Here we go! The Cripple Creek Ice Festival kicked off last weekend! This was a great Ice Carving Demonstration and Display by some of the nations top ice carvers. None of whose name I can remember! I spent way too much time at the Ice Bar, but I did actually get a chance to take some photos. They were still working on the carvings when I got there. People were wandering through the streets, visiting, kids playing and families walking dogs, kids, grandmas etc. The photo on the top right is the Centerpiece of the festival; a 15 ft hi mountain with a locomotive and elk, sheep and goats around. Its pretty cool.

Below is a picture of the Ice Bar. They served really yummy martinis here and I saved myself for a whole month so I could help support the Ice Bar! They pour your martini down a small Ice Luge and you have to catch it in your glass. But you get to watch! And they sold plastic martini, beer and wine glasses with the logo on them. Could not resist!

Mountain View Wineries came and displayed a couple of wines from some of Colorado's Wineries. You could buy by the bottle or glass. We thought this was a nice touch up here in the 'Creek and were happy to have them! Gave them plenty of support also!

Everyone was wandering, visiting, chatting and watching the carvers at work. These ice donkeys are in front of the INFAMOUS Brass Ass Casino which has just expanded with more machines and floor space.

This Elk with Trees is in front of the Midnight Rose Hotel & Casino, one of the sponsors of this event.

This Visitor had the coolest dog, a Newfy!

She is water rescue trained! You meet the nicest people just wandering the streets of Cripple Creek!

Here is the Colorado Rocky Mountain sheep with a happy Tourist getting her photo taken by friends.

Here is a picture of me with a martini standing in front of the Moose Ice Sculpture. I have 2 souvineer martini glasses in my pockets, which I eventually gave to tourists that oogled them. So now you all know what I look like!

The Festival continues through this weekend with more carving demonstrations, ice bar, wine bar and on Saturday the Downhill Derby starts around 10 am. This event consists of gravity fueled homemade box cars/trucks & whatever time testing and racing down a grade and then making a 45 degree turn onto 2nd st. Here is a link to the Schedule of Events Page: http://www.cripplecreekevents.com/images/ice_fest_schedule_events.pdf

I am not sure I can go to this, but if I do I will sure try to get pics! There are always some great photo opps in Cripple Creek, so come on up, because Yonder Lies Cripple Creek, Co and plenty of good family fun!

Cripple Creek Ice Schedule of Events

2008-02-04T17:35:20Z

Here is the schedule, I will definitley take pics and post when I get the first opportunity!

Wednesday, February 6:
3 PM: Struckman Ice &
The City of Cripple Creek
unloads and places ice on Bennett Ave.
Thursday, February 7:
Sculptors prepare ice for animal carvings
Main Mountain Sculpture carving begins
Friday, February 8:
10 AM: Live Ice Carving
5 PM-10 PM: Beer Garden & Chili Cart
6 PM-10 PM: Live Band
Saturday, February 9:
10 AM: Live Ice Carving
11 AM-10 PM: Beer Garden & Chili Cart
6 PM-10 PM: Live Band
Sunday, February 10:
10 AM: Live Ice Carving
12 PM-6 PM: Beer Garden & Chili Cart
1 PM-5 PM: Live Band
Friday, February 15:
10 AM: Live Ice Carving
5 PM-10 PM: Beer Garden & Chili Cart
6 PM-10 PM: Live Band
Saturday, February 16:
9 AM-11 AM: Downhill Gravity Race
Time Trials
10 AM: Live Ice Carving
1 PM: Downhill Gravity Race
11 AM-10 PM: Beer Garden & Chili Cart
6 PM-10 PM: Live Band
7 PM: "Rockin' for the Pink"

MDT an Elvis Tribute Artist

at the Butte Opera House

Sunday, February 17:
10 AM: Live Ice Carving
12 PM-10 PM: Beer Garden & Chili Cart
1 PM: "Rockin' for the PINK"

MDT an Elvis Tribute Artist

at the Butte Opera House

6 PM-10 PM: Live Band
Monday, February 18
(Presidents Day):
10 AM: Live Ice Carving
11 AM-6 PM: Beer Garden & Chili Cart
1 PM-5 PM: Live Band
Every day & night, February 8 through the 18, view the illuminated ice garden! (Or until
the ice melts, which could be spring thaw, since the main sculpture weighs 30,000 lbs!)

Heart of the Rockies!

2008-01-19T07:35:37Z

Absolutley amazing home with land and live water in the Heart of the Rockies! Introducing Gillette Flats.....a expnsive valley dotted with homes and surrouded by National Forest. Tremendous views with brilliant sunrises and sunsets occuring daily! This fabulous 4 bedroom/3 bath/2 car attached garage home awaits the luckiest people in the world! Modern appliances with a gas range/oven and easy to maintain linoleum in the kitchen, plenty of windows and natural light, spacious master with a 5 pc master bath suite and garden tub! The gas fireplace upstairs takes off the chill of an early morning, adds comforting ambiance for your evening gatherings! Downstairs you will find 2 generous bedrooms and a large gathering area with a wood stove and large wood storage bin, keeping that wood pile neat and clean. This stove heats the house if kept fired up in the winter and takes the chill off on those lovely fall days as you literally watch the aspen leaves on the surrounding mountainsides turn from green to yellow to gold to red. Walk out to your own small spring fed pond and watch the waterfowl land and feed and raise their young. Keep your horses in the barn, work them in the round pen and graze them on the 10 acres of mountain grass that grows naturally here. Ride out from your gate or take just a short haul to Mueller State Park or Dome Rock State Wildlife areas for exercise and exploration....or base from here to thousands of acres of riding in the National Forest which is so so close! This is a tremendous opportunity for the right family to come to Cripple Creek, buy an affordable property with so much to offer and realize their dream of living in the Rocky Mountains! Listed for $285,000, seller will entertain all offers. Ask me about the RADON mitigation system in place! Highlights of this property include:

4 bedrooms
3 bathrooms
dishwasher, gas range/oven, gas dryer, washing maching, small freezer & even the snowplow sells!
attached 2 car garage
gas fireplace upper level
wood stove lower walk out level
FAG lp
Shed run/barn w/3-4 stalls
seperate outbuilding for barn or feed storage
seperate outbuilding for storage/garden tools or?
sturdy round pen....this one was built right!
private gated entrance
easy access to Hwy
40 miles to Colorado Springs
20+- miles to Woodland Park
minutes to Cripple Creek, schools, groceries, work
100 miles +- to skiing
Minutes to Mueller State Park, hiking, riding & wildlife exploration
well, septic and lpg
low low utility bills, unbelievable!
High Speed Internet access available
RADON MITIGATION SYSTEM!

Eco Friendly Green Built Mountain Retreat

2008-01-13T16:03:10Z

Absolutley Awesome Eco Friendly Green Built Energy Efficient Ranch style home in the Rocky Mountains! Now if that isn't a mouthfull I don't know what is! This is a stunning example of prior planning prevents poor performance. Yes, the 4 "p"s.....very nicely laid out 4 bedrooms, extra large 3 bathrooms, efficient kitchen/dining and living arrangement, big almost floor to ceiling windows and 9 foot ceilings! Beautifully appointed with wood colums inside, knotty alder kitchen cabinets, slate, natural stone and granite floors and counters everywhere as well as wood and carpet. Super low low utilities from last winter in 2007, our roughest windiest snowiest coldest winter in many many many years. Even the old timers were going "Whew" THAT was a bad one! This eco friendly EARTH BERMED home is situated neatly on a hill with extensive views to the south west, protected by a beautiful stand of spruce, aspen and fir on 4+ acres. A mountain horse friendly property also, just a short ride or drive to national forest, large acreages around, good ranch/livestock or small 4H friendly place also.

Also appears good for possible handicap conversion; easy access through the 2 car garage, wide hallways, ranch floorplan.

Call me for more info or for your private showing!

Listed for $335,000, carrie@goldcountryco.com

Cripple Creek Ice!

2008-01-12T10:04:04Z

This winter the streets of Cripple Creek will come alive with, what else, but ICE! Tons of ice will take center stage as professional carvers ply their ice into magnificent sculpture with the tools of the trade! The Buzz of Chainsaws carving through the ancient medium will echo throughout the mountains as carvers race to beat the heat and create their masterpieces! Ice delivery begins Feb 5 or 6, carving starts immediately, creations will be on display through Valentines Weekend! Will the ice hold? Will the 25ft long Stagecoach carving stay in place or will we be riding it down Bennett Ave? Come up and see for yourself, plenty of refreshments, entertainment and wildlife ice sculptures to dazzle you in Febuary! Check my website goldcountryco.com for links on places to stay & a fantastic ice advertising, coming soon! Ice Ice Baby!

Eco Friendly Housing

2008-01-02T17:40:48Z

Hello to all, this will be my first entry into the Eco Friendly housing world. I found your group through a recomendation of a fellow Rain member, and I have an Eco Friendly house to sell so she recomended I post it here. I thought I would first introduce myself then jump in! I am really a newbie to this thing they call blogging! You'll see!

I own a brokerage in Cripple Creek, Colorado. We have a wide variety of listings, in town most of them are older Victorians, definitely NOT Eco Friendly, but built back before the turn of the century. It is certainly challenging to convert them, usually you have to start at the bottom and work your way up through the old newspapers stuffing the walls for insulation! :)

So, I have been a realtor for only about 7 years, my coming into the brokerage is a long story which I won't bore anyone with, and I am sure you all get a belly full of good real estate advice. I sure like to review that at my leisure! I have advice but won't bother ya with any of that here and now, save it for later.

Our town is small but mighty fine. I find living and working here just amazing! And we have several eco friendly houses around, some old, some new and some in varying degrees of eco-ness and completedness. You know how it goes, folks start a project then run outta money! Or their contractor runs off with it! Or that guy that collected all that junk was gonna buuild his earth berm or earth ship one of these days but just never got around to it..... I will get around to talking about those sometime also.

I am just popping in to say hi before I go and slap a listing in here. I will be watching, probly not posting a whole lot til I get the hang of it. Time is a consideration also. So hello to the Eco World, and don't hesitate to call me out on a professional gaffe or inconsideration of some kind, most likely I know not what I do!

Seeya in the Blog,!

Cripple Creek, Not your Standard Colorado Vacation Resort

2008-01-02T09:30:08Z

Welcome to Cripple Creek, Colorado! Like the Headline indicates, Cripple Creek is NOT your usual Vacation Resort town. Cripple Creek is unique in so many ways it will be interesting to see if I can summarize them all in a brief blog! First of all, Cripple Creek is a small town 'way up in the Rocky Mountains, altitude 9494. We don't have any ski runs culminating downtown. We don't have big, fancy restaurants or pricy retail shops. What we do have are fantastic museums, inexpensive residences and affordable vacant land and plenty of that small town homeyness that is missing in the bigger boys up the road! Oh, and gambling. Casinos rolled open their doors in 1992, a year after Colorado voted to allow gambling in Cripple Creek, Blackhawk and Central City.

Gold was discovered in the 'Creek back in 1892, creating the Worlds Last Greatest Gold Camp on a small stream known as Cripple Creek. It is rumoured that the stream got its name when the ranchers that were working the valley roped a calf and broke its leg, then when he got off to work the calf he slipped and fell and and remarked "This is sure some cripple creek". Well, fabled as it might be, the discovery of gold turned this valley into a bustling city. Miners flocked to the area looking to strike it rich. The areas first realtors and speculators laid out their particular townships, eventually to merge them into one big City with a population of 50,000. Gold from the mines in the District built many a mansion in Denver and Colorado Springs, one of the most famous buildings being the Broadmoor Hotel.

Visitors can take a tour at the Mollie Kathleen Mine, riding 1000 ft down on a mine elevator and experience what it was like to work underground. Tour the Homestead House, where Cripple Creeks finest ladies of the night plied their wares in relative luxury compared to the "cribs" stationed along Myers Avenue, next to attorneys and realtors! Walk the cemetary grounds with its expansive view of town, see the headstone of Pearl DeVere, Cripple Creeks most famous madam after you have listened to her history at the Homestead House Museum. Take in the Melodrama at the Butte where you can participate in the play with your "BOO" or "HISS" as the Villian takes the stage! Take a walk through the new Outlaws and Lawmens Museum located in the 1800's jail that operated into the 1980's! And best of all, the Cripple Creek District Museum, with photos and articles original to the town are displayed for you to see!

Summers bring tons of interesting activities. Donkey Derby Days is our Celebration of all things Donkey, beginning with a street dance on Friday nite, a parade of interesting entries at noon on Saturday along with Donkey Races, Mountain Mama contests and all sorts of unique small town foolishness that gives the visitor an idea of what this town is about! This summer, not only will we have Donkey Derby Days, but beginning June 20th we are kicking it off with a Chili Cookoff. We have invited World Class cooks to participate and will have a locals challenge as well as hairy legs and shoot and holler contests, bands and street vendors. The weekend of June 27 begins the official Donkey Derby Days, and the following weekend will be our most spectacular hometown 4th of July celebration ever.

I was right, I cannot begin to describe the fantastic fun we have in Cripple Creek in a brief blog. There will be more to come, for sure, as we are having an Ice Carving Festival in February and a Wine Tasting Extravaganza in October. Spring brings a riot of wildflowers, Summer offers great outdoor fun, Fall brings vivid color to the Aspen trees and the mountains electrify with brilliant colors! I promise to do my best at bringing you the flavors of Cripple Creek in later blogs, I have a ton of photos and maybe I will be able to figure out how to wrap them smoothly within the text in the future. I have tons of links and info on town, but my project is to get them all out here to you!

Earth Berm Home!

2008-01-02T08:29:28Z

This is a stunning 2 yr old Earth Berm Ranch style home. 4 bedrooms and a generous Master with luxourious 5 pc master bath, great southern exposure and large floor to ceiling windows bringing in the views! Great layout, easy to maintain and work around, this home is efficient and easy to keep up! Attached 2 car garage and wood stove, FAG heat, gas range/oven w/beautiful granite island and countertops complimenting custom pine cabinetry. Wood floors and stunning wood posts in the entry and hall. Bathrooms have slate tile floors and tile counters. Seperate spacious office. All of this situated on 4+ acres, yes, you can bring horses too! Close ride to National Forest! Great access off of county maintained roads. Super views.

Mountain Meadow Home!

2008-01-02T08:19:34Z

Mini Ranchette on 4.20 Acres of expansive Meadow! Great location for horses or llamas or your own minis! 1700+ Sq Ft ranch style layout. Spacious master bedroom, 5 piece master bathroom and garden tub! Brand new roof, paint, decks, foundation, septic and great new well and new carpet! Near Guffey, Co, Lake George, Eleven Mile Reservior, Pike National Forest, 39 Mile Mountain, Cripple Creek, Canon City! All of Colorados finest outdoor activities within a short drive, taxes are low low low and this home would make an awesome vacation mountain playground or permanent residence! Come retire here! Big views of Pikes Peak and Castle Mountain and MacIntyre Mountain, lots of wildlife, easy access! Check it out!

Victorian Charmer

2008-01-01T13:31:33Z

Cute and stylish Victorian Home. Close to downtown, easy walk to work, catch the shuttle to the store or sit on your front porch and watch the day go by! Spacious bedroom upstairs, generous main floor and fireplace, wood floors and stained glass complement this Historic Victorian beauty! Excellent retreat for the writer, artist or Historian. Come Explore the History! Come to Cripple Creek, Co, the Worlds Last Greatest Gold Camp!

Colorado Trail Rides!

2007-12-31T10:11:59Z

My addiction to Colorado began at an early age. Summers were spent in the mountains, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, hunting and daydreaming. Winters were spent in the California desert trudging through the monotnony of school, always waiting to get back to the mountains! In 1990 I relocated my little family to the mountains outside of Cripple Creek, Colorado. It is here that we have made our home.

Summer and spring is occupied by my addiction to horseback riding, and this is probably my most familiar subject. I ride and camp and love to explore new trails. I have my favorite list of trails in the Pike National Forest, close to where I live, easy to access and familar to me.

One well known location is Mueller State Park. Mueller is located between Cripple Creek and Divide off of South Hwy 67. It is a huge area and you can check it out here http://parks.state.co.us/Parks/Mueller/. I love this park, it costs 6 bucks per carload to enter, but the trail system is gigantic! Nice and open, the trails are either wide level and easy going or narrowed down to single track. There is a great diversity of meadows, forests, creeks and rocks to traverse, and the views are exciting and breathtaking! Every ride is a new ride in Mueller, and I have been riding and exploring Mueller for 18 years now.

One of my favorite things to do is to get up at the crack of dawn, fetch the horse and saddle him, load him in the trailer and hit Mueller by 8am. Early mornings offer fresh dew and fresh trails. Often the wildlife is still lurking about, I have seen plenty of fox, bobcat, bear, deer and elk riding early mornings. There is rarely any human activity, the Ranger at the entry is still yawning from lack of coffee. It is here that I find my zen, my psychological spot where all things come together, my natural church. I take time to reflect and review current events in my life, and a good 3-4 hrs ahorseback always brings me back to center. The challenge of keeping a horse focused takes my mind off my personal issues, once I get back to the "issue" it is generally with a fresh take on things and life is good and I am whole again. I guess that is why I am so hooked on horses, they take me to that happy place! I will load up and drive up to my office and yes, I am often seen with boots, spurs and hat hair in the early afternoons working at my computer or visiting with clients. Its a way of life out here and visitors adjust quickly to the casual atmosphere of life in the 'Creek.