Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Oprah follows in MY footsteps....
Ok, so it was very indirectly. She aired segment two of her cross country road trip today. She and her friend Gayle (and a 16 member crew) drove from Santa Barbara to New York. Most of it has been quite hilarious, watching Oprah try to function in the real world (reading a map, pumping gas, finding a grocery store, pumping gas, checking herself into a motel).
Today's segment had her traveling through southern Colorado. Dan and I took a weeklong road trip through southern and western Colorado in September 2001 (we got home two days before 9/11). This was the last trip where I was still physically capable of hiking. Not walking around window shopping, actually hiking at high altitude and up inclines. I was sick then, and I paid dearly for these ventures, but I think I knew they would be my last of that nature, and I did them anyway. We hiked Wolf Creek Pass, hiked near Great Sand Dunes National Park to find a hidden waterfall, hiked to some Native American ruins, and hiked the mountains outside of Telluride. And I did solo hikes, at Mesa Verde, Hovenweep (more ancient Native American dwellings), and the Black Canyon. Fibromyalgia or no fibromyalgia, I was in good shape then. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Anyway, while Dan and I went east to west before heading north and then back home, Oprah was coming from Arizona, so she went west to east. Still, she visited some of the same places Dan and I did on our vacation. Her first stop was Durango. Good choice! Quaint town of about 6000 people; it has an Old West feel while still providing tourists all the comforts of home. We stayed overnight there as part of a package deal that included a day trip from Durango to Silverton and back via locomotive. We had the luxury car with complimentary champagne and unobstructed views. Gorgeous scenery with the aspens just starting to change color. Silverton is an old mining town that mainly exists for tourists, but it is fun to visit. Oprah did check out the train but didn't do the Silverton loop because they were on a schedule. She also went to the rec center to work out, which was a little weird, but then she toured the shops, hotels and restaurants a bit, which was cool because downtown Durango is awesome.
Oprah's next stop was Pagosa Springs, another place Dan and I stayed overnight. They have world famous hot springs there, located right over an old volcano next to a river. The waters contain healthful minerals that relieve tight muscles and promote healing. I went there in the evening after hiking Wolf Creek Pass. There are I think nine pools, each with a different temperature water ranging from 90-some degrees to the Lobster Pot, which is 109 degrees. The idea is to relax in the cooler pools and spend short periods detoxifying in the hotter water. And if you are really brave, after about five minutes in the Lobster Pot, you jump into the river, which is a scant 50 degrees! Invigorating! I spent about three hours total at the spa, and all my muscle cramps went away as well as a great deal of my pain. Probably the best healing experience I've ever had at a hot springs, and I've been to several. When Oprah visited, she just toured the hot springs and dipped her feet in. Either she or Gayle commented on the sulphur smell, which is common to most Colorado hot springs. Ah, well.
At one point, the crew stopped driving to get out and enjoy the scenery, I think at South Fork, which is funny because I have photos of me stopping at the same place. Of course, that's the sort of thing I used to do routinely, because I live in the second most photogenic state in the U.S. after Hawaii. That probably going to be the thing I miss most after I move, snapping pix of the mountains and their seasons and moods.
But when Oprah decided she just had to go to Dairy Queen, I started laughing and couldn't stop. I did the very same thing on this trip, although I can't remember what city it was in, so it probably wasn't the same exact one. At least I didn't get in trouble with my personal trainer for having a small single dip cone, heh heh. On the rare occasions I venture into a DQ, I get a small soft serve in a cup. Did you know their soft serve is gluten free? It's probably the only thing in there I can eat.
It looks like Oprah enjoyed most of her trek through Colorado, which is way cool. But it's even cooler that I was there first.
Today's segment had her traveling through southern Colorado. Dan and I took a weeklong road trip through southern and western Colorado in September 2001 (we got home two days before 9/11). This was the last trip where I was still physically capable of hiking. Not walking around window shopping, actually hiking at high altitude and up inclines. I was sick then, and I paid dearly for these ventures, but I think I knew they would be my last of that nature, and I did them anyway. We hiked Wolf Creek Pass, hiked near Great Sand Dunes National Park to find a hidden waterfall, hiked to some Native American ruins, and hiked the mountains outside of Telluride. And I did solo hikes, at Mesa Verde, Hovenweep (more ancient Native American dwellings), and the Black Canyon. Fibromyalgia or no fibromyalgia, I was in good shape then. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Anyway, while Dan and I went east to west before heading north and then back home, Oprah was coming from Arizona, so she went west to east. Still, she visited some of the same places Dan and I did on our vacation. Her first stop was Durango. Good choice! Quaint town of about 6000 people; it has an Old West feel while still providing tourists all the comforts of home. We stayed overnight there as part of a package deal that included a day trip from Durango to Silverton and back via locomotive. We had the luxury car with complimentary champagne and unobstructed views. Gorgeous scenery with the aspens just starting to change color. Silverton is an old mining town that mainly exists for tourists, but it is fun to visit. Oprah did check out the train but didn't do the Silverton loop because they were on a schedule. She also went to the rec center to work out, which was a little weird, but then she toured the shops, hotels and restaurants a bit, which was cool because downtown Durango is awesome.
Oprah's next stop was Pagosa Springs, another place Dan and I stayed overnight. They have world famous hot springs there, located right over an old volcano next to a river. The waters contain healthful minerals that relieve tight muscles and promote healing. I went there in the evening after hiking Wolf Creek Pass. There are I think nine pools, each with a different temperature water ranging from 90-some degrees to the Lobster Pot, which is 109 degrees. The idea is to relax in the cooler pools and spend short periods detoxifying in the hotter water. And if you are really brave, after about five minutes in the Lobster Pot, you jump into the river, which is a scant 50 degrees! Invigorating! I spent about three hours total at the spa, and all my muscle cramps went away as well as a great deal of my pain. Probably the best healing experience I've ever had at a hot springs, and I've been to several. When Oprah visited, she just toured the hot springs and dipped her feet in. Either she or Gayle commented on the sulphur smell, which is common to most Colorado hot springs. Ah, well.
At one point, the crew stopped driving to get out and enjoy the scenery, I think at South Fork, which is funny because I have photos of me stopping at the same place. Of course, that's the sort of thing I used to do routinely, because I live in the second most photogenic state in the U.S. after Hawaii. That probably going to be the thing I miss most after I move, snapping pix of the mountains and their seasons and moods.
But when Oprah decided she just had to go to Dairy Queen, I started laughing and couldn't stop. I did the very same thing on this trip, although I can't remember what city it was in, so it probably wasn't the same exact one. At least I didn't get in trouble with my personal trainer for having a small single dip cone, heh heh. On the rare occasions I venture into a DQ, I get a small soft serve in a cup. Did you know their soft serve is gluten free? It's probably the only thing in there I can eat.
It looks like Oprah enjoyed most of her trek through Colorado, which is way cool. But it's even cooler that I was there first.
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