A Giant Step Back in Time

What better way to welcome fall to the mountains than by taking a giant step back in time? 

Say to an 1880s mining town.

On the way to South Park City, the weather was absolutely perfect in the high 70s, 

with a brilliant blue sky and not a drop of rain in sight. 

It made the trip across the Continental Divide even more breathtaking 

as entire hillsides magically turned to gold.

We spent the day near our mountain cabin visiting a reconstructed "ghost town" 

that recalled the romance of a by-gone era.

The town has a fascinating history.
In 1957 more than 40 original historic buildings were moved to a common site 

where an authentic mining town now called South Park City was born.

More than 40,000 artifacts and furnishings were donated to the project by local residents 

and today these original buildings stand in tribute to that time.

After gold was discovered in this area, mining camps sprang up in every gulch and gully.
Soon the hills were dotted with towns with such colorful names as
Buckskin Joe, Eureka, and Horseshoe.

While there were various reconstructions such as saloons
(there were probably a LOT more than just this one) . . . 

 train stations . . . 

and mines, 

my favorites were the recreations of pioneer homes. 

I couldn't help but think about our own little cabin that had been moved from this area 

and how it might have been used back in the day.

Plus I discovered lots of ideas on how to decorate our cabin.
I love this idea of using old newspapers as wallpaper.
The miners used layers of newspaper as insulation in their cabins. 

Fairplay loves its burros, the patient and sure-footed animals that were
largely responsible for the success of the mining operations.

Besides its famous Brown Burro Cafe, Fairplay hosts an annual burro race,
running approximately 30 miles through the mountains. 

Even the high school mascot is called the Burros!
I just love that!

Besides loving burros, the town of Fairplay in the real South Park
was the inspiration for the South Park animated TV series.

And, of course, like anyone else who has enjoyed "South Park" on TV,

we just had to get our photos taken as those characters! 

Such a fun and educational day.
With wooden sidewalks and a wide dirt road down the middle of town, it felt so realistic.
I have to say this was the best historic recreation I've ever visited.

If you're in the area, I highly recommend a visit. 

Take Hwy. 285 south out of Denver to Fairplay. It's just under two hours' drive. 

Exit at Fairplay. Turn left off of Main Street to Front Street and go to the end of the paved street. 

Then take a giant step back in time.

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Look What I Won !!!

Hi Friends, I can't wait to tell you what I won!

Something that sure brought back a lot of memories. 

Remember when we typed on manual typewriters, forcefully striking the keys, untangling them 

when two keys got stuck together, returning the carriage when the little bell dinged, 

and starting over when we made a mistake?

Computers have certainly made typing a lot easier but you just can't beat 

the old vintage typewriters for charm.

Yep, I ended up with a real beauty and here's the whole story of how I won it.

At a recent vintage market in Colorado Springs, 

I entered my name in a give-away and pretty much forgot about it. 

Then, one day a week or so later, I received a phone call saying I'd won a gift certificate 

at my favorite antique mall in the Springs. Yay!

Colorado Springs is only about an hour from Denver so Ron and I
hit the road in search of bargains. 

After a couple of days of snow, we had a perfect Rocky Mountain day 

with sunshine, blue skies and 55 degree weather.

Something at this mall had caught my eye the last time I was there -- a vintage typewriter.  

I wasn't sure where it would fit and it was a little more than I wanted to pay but, with my gift card burning a whole in my wallet, I decided to go back to the mall and see if they still had it.

The Sweet William Antique Mall lies on the edge of a historic district
called Old Colorado City on Route 24. I love this mall.
The salesperson really gets into the spirit of days gone by with an amazing period outfit
and a wavy bob. Isn't she adorable?

Plus all of the booths are fantastic with a varied selection.

I was looking for an old typewriter for my office. 

I'd seen a couple previously but, sadly, they were both gone this time around. 

So we kept looking.

Guess it was meant to be.

I found a 1920s Underwood typewriter that was perfect. Not too big, case included and those wonderful shiny keys trimmed in silver metal. The carriage bell even dinged!

I happened to meet the owner of that booth and asked her if it was her best price. 

It had already been marked down $10 and I didn't expect a discount. Still, never hurts to ask. 

She was such a sweetheart and reduced the price another $15.

That and my gift card and I said, "I'll take it!"

Before we began our return trip to Denver, we drove a few blocks to Old Colorado City
and walked around the 1800s streets, oohing and ahhing at the gorgeous architecture.

Pikes Peak, a massive 14er, dominates the sky and seems to rear up right from the sidewalk.

We found an amazing restaurant called Paravicini's Italian Bistro and enjoyed our lunch

in an old renovated building. If you go, I recommend the eggplant rollatini. Yum! 

We're already planning a return trip this summer
when we can sit on their patio and admire Pikes Peak.

We learned that Old Colorado City was founded in 1859 as a supply hub for the new gold mines.

The town boomed in 1891 when two more gold strikes in Cripple Creek and Victor
created additional demand for supplies.

Back home, I knew my vintage typewriter would fit on a shelf in my office 

but I thought it would be more visible on a retro metal stand I had.

I decided to style the stand with a few office accessories.

I love the feel of this early typewriter and the images it evokes.
I wonder about the women who used it almost one hundred years ago.

And today, it still works.
As the words on the top of the typewriter say, it's a real Champion.

So, a beautiful Colorado day, a fantastic lunch with my sweetie, antiquing and a gift certificate.
My kind of perfect day!

***

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~~ A Post on a Post ~~

A post on a post? Why not? 

You won't want to miss this post . . . I didn't!

Find out why I went dumpster diving for a little piece of history. 

It all started when contractors started to demo an old house on our block.

The housing market in Denver has exploded recently and many of these lovely small bungalows 

are being scraped down to the ground or are popping their tops to add more square footage. 

The next few photos are about five minutes walk from our house in an old neighborhood. 

Such a dramatic change. 

Usually,  a modern structure that doesn't fit with the character of our old neighborhoods 

is hastily constructed where a lovely little bungalow once stood. 

Or a block of cracker-box "slot" condos that house too many people, increasing traffic 

and taking up limited parking spots, changes the vibe of these turn-of-the-century streets. 

It makes me sad to see the character of our historic city being overly-modernized,

especially when it happens on my street. 

These boxy condos are everywhere you look. 

How'd you like to live right next to the new lite-rail/noisy freeway?

So, back to my story.

This pretty Victorian on our street that was being demoed had lovely stained-glass windows 

and white columns on the front porch supporting a balcony. 

We kept an eye on the pillars the workers had leaned up against the house. 

I have been known to "rescue" alley finds 

but I restrain myself from actually taking anything from someone's property.

Then came the day when an enormous truck arrived to remove the full construction dumpster. 

I watched out my front window as the truck backed up to hook onto the dumpster.  

That's when I saw a white column sticking out of the top of the dumpster. 

I called Ron and we rushed outside and approached the workers in front of the house.

"Could we have that white post in the dumpster please?" we asked politely.

"Sure, but make it quick before he drives off."

We ran to the truck driver and asked if we could have a minute to rescue the column. 

He nodded and said the boss had told him to wait while we got it. Such a nice bossman!

So, we tugged and pulled until we were able to remove the pillar from the dumpster, 

thanked the driver, and scurried home with our treasure.

I didn't know what I was going to do with it but not only was it part of our neighborhood history, 

it was chippy and white and I loved it. I knew I'd find a home for it somewhere. 

Ron set about removing rusty nails from the top.

Inside, I tried it here and there and finally found the perfect spot for it in my "attic" office.

The top piece of the post was missing so I put an old plate on top 

and nestled a spider plant on it in front of the window.

That plant has a fun story as well. We were leaving an estate sale and saw a man loading a big spider plant into the back of his truck. That's when I saw a baby spider get torn from the mother plant. 

After he left, I ran over and retrieved the little baby from the sidewalk. 

I plopped her into a glass of water when we got home and she immediately grew some healthy roots. Now she's potted atop my rescued post and sending out more babies.

So, this story ends well for everyone.

The orphaned spider plant has a home, the rescued post adds a dilapidated grandeur to my office,

and the history of our old neighborhood has been preserved.

The End (or is it?)

***

Linking with:
Shabby Art Boutique, Blue Willow House, Little Farmstead, Dwellings, The Dedicated House,
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Savvy Southern Style, Designthusiasm, A Delightsome Life, Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson,
21 Rosemary Lane, Petite Haus, French Country Cottage

Tag Along on a Historic Home Tour

Fall is the perfect time for home tours. 

One of our favorite activities, home tours offer an opportunity to peek inside beautiful houses
while strolling through some lovely neighborhoods. 

A home tour in the Historic Baker District in Denver gave us a chance to visit six eclectic homes 

including Queen Annes, Victorians, Classic Cottages, Bungalows, Denver Squares
and even a Hobo Craftsman. 

Baker was first developed in the 1870s and currently has about 5,000 residents. 

We enjoyed walking from home to home on old sandstone sidewalks
in this quirky neighborhood of red brick and frame houses.

It was easy to imagine the carriage houses behind the main house stabling horses while 

streetcars clanged up and down nearby Broadway, a main avenue leading to downtown Denver. 

The houses are all a little different and are well maintained and creatively painted.

Buildings here are tightly packed,
some having only a few inches between them.

Most of the houses were built in the 1890s and early 1900s.

While many of these houses have been renovated, we enjoyed seeing original features 

such as this transom window with metal hardware,

this beautiful blue tile fireplace with a distinctive sculpted frieze,

and even an original doorbell knob that turned manually.
And it still works!

Our tour ended with a Hobo Craftsman built in 1928 for $100.

Constructed with recycled materials, the eclectic home is filled with art and unusual collections.

There are several cobblestone out buildings on the large lot, 

some used by transients during the Depression.

This home tour on a crisp fall day gave us a new appreciation
for this unique Denver neighborhood
and a better feel for the history of its people. 

My kind of perfect day. 

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My Happy Place

My favorite thing about living in Denver is being so close to the mountains. 

From my front door in the city to a peaceful mountain meadow is only about 40 minutes. 

So, on the day before my birthday, I was happy to trek up to Mt. Falcon Park for a weekday hike.

Although this open space can be crowded on the weekends, weekdays are much quieter 

with mostly older hikers, a few shiny black ravens and an occasional hummingbird.

My happy place!

Signs are posted to be aware and alert to other denizens like bears and mountain lions. 

Although I've seen a few deer and a black Abert's squirrel, I've yet to have a "surprise encounter."

These bear-proof garbage cans do remind you to stay on your toes!

A loop trail encircles this lovely green meadow and the great thing about it is ... it's fairly flat!

The meadows are dotted with amazing rock outcroppings.

You might see an occasional mountain biker on the trail. Although they are generally polite to hikers, we noticed a new sign saying bikers with "bad behavior" would be fined. 

One of the most amazing things about Mt. Falcon is its castle,

not something you'd expect to find in the mountains. 

Now in ruins, this historical site is bittersweet to explore. 

Built in 1909 by John Brisben Walker, a self-made millionaire who owned Cosmopolitan 

magazine among other investments, this was once a grand home with ten bedrooms, 

five fireplaces, a music room, an observation deck and servants quarters.

Tragically, Mrs. Walker died just seven years after the mansion was built. 

Two years later, the house was struck by lightning and burned down. 

Although Mr. Walker left his dream house behind, the four thousand acres 

he'd purchased became what is now Mt. Falcon Park.

By preserving this beautiful land, Walker left a wonderful legacy that many people enjoy today. 

***

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