The Great Adventure 2011 Colorado– 7/6/11

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Today we left Granby and headed to Fort Collins. I knew the day was going to be good when the first thing we saw was this beautiful hot air balloon.

Before we left Granby, I called the Lonesome Stone Fiber Mill to see if we could come for a visit. I learned about fiber fresh off the alpacas and llamas and saw where the fiber is processed into yarn. While we were there we saw superwash being put through the carder and being made into top. I also saw this huge spinning machine where the fiber is spun into singles. Then we saw the machine where the singles are plied together. I was amazed at this huge niddy noddy where the yarn is made into skeins. Outside the store was some yarn drying that had been hand painted. I also learned that I could buy my own alpaca and almost talked my hubby into buying one for me. But first I want to check with my friend Caron to see if this is a good deal or not. I could buy a male alpaca for $200 and then pay $1 per day to board it. The only extra cost would be vet bills if necessary. They would shear the alpaca and then process the fiber for me if I want. I think that would be pretty cool but we shall see. I did end up buying some fiber from her before I left.

Instead of going through the middle of the national park, we went north through Rand and Gould. We had beautiful views through the Poudre Canyon area. On the trip we saw some mule deer and some hawks.

Since we took our time enjoying the trip, we didn’t arrive in Fort Collins until 4pm. After a week away from a big city, the traffic was overwhelming again! After dinner at Five Guys Burger and Fries, we settled into our room at the Hampton Inn which is pretty nice.

What I Learned Today:

· It is good to stop at US Forestry offices to see what is available in the area.

· They use guardian dogs to protect sheep herds. According to the advisory sign, “try to outrun the dogs!” (And this is not a joke!)

· It is useful to ask locals where their favorite place to eat is rather than where they recommend for you to go.

· Usually waterfalls are beautiful sights no matter how much water is falling!

· Wifi on smartphones and Ipads are great until you can’t get a signal in the mountains. That is when it is good to have a GPS system in the car!

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original Photo: Hot Air Balloon by Pat Hensley