Last year, I rekindled my love of travel and adventure when Katie Q and I trekked across the country.  Visiting the national parks, seeing sights unseen, and getting a glimpse of some great fishing waters reminded me that I needed to get back out there.  I have been getting out to visit friends and enjoying the eastern part of the country.  Hubby and I decided that this year, we would make a trip out west.

On Day One, we left Pennsylvania before sunrise.  Given Hubby still works, we wanted to make the most of our time, so air travel was the mainstay of getting us to our destination.  We flew to Denver and rented a car.  Our flights were uneventful and the rental process for the car was painless.  When we started our drive from Denver, it was evident the forest fires were still blazing.  Smoke turned the horizon into a foggy haze and we could not see the Denver sky line only 10 miles away, nor the Rockies beyond.  It was a bit of a disappointment, as I wanted Hubby to experience the “wow” factor of seeing that skyline.  It would have to wait.

We drove to Boulder, and through Boulder Canyon to the small town of Nederland.  The town was originally a mining town before 1900 when silver was discovered.  After the turn of that century, mining declined and the townsfolk disappeared.  A short time later, tungsten was discovered.  After the “boom”, a mining company from Holland purchased the mine, and the town was renamed to its current Nederland, after “The Netherlands”.  It is a quaint community of about 1800 people.

The town has local businesses, a school, volunteer fire department, and nearby outdoor recreation given it sits in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.  As with what I have learned about Colorado in general, people were friendly and welcoming.  We had time before being able to check in to our AirB&B rental, and took the opportunity to tour the town. 

Nederland houses a point of interest called “The Carousel of Happiness”.  The carousel has a fantastic story behind it.  A Marine, and resident of Nederland, Scott Harrison, carved each animal by hand over a span of 26 years.  The carousel is open for kids of all ages and costs only one dollar to ride.  I was thrilled to climb on the back of a great moose for my ride!  As I eagerly waited for the music to start, the conductor had to work hard to convince Hubby that I should not ride alone, and that he would regret missing the ride if he held back.  Finally, Hubby conceded, climbed aboard the animal next to the moose (a giant pink pig), and we were on our way.  I had flashbacks of my childhood, visiting small amusement parks and fireman’s fairs in the summer months, as a huge smile was planted on my face.  I am not sure if Hubby was smiling or grimacing.

Sadly, given our visit was during the summer season, we missed an annual winter highlight of the town:  Frozen Dead Guy Days. Folks, I cannot make this stuff up!  There is indeed a man who has been cryogenically preserved on dry ice for the past 27 years.   A man is hired to deliver 1200 pounds of dry ice every two weeks to keep Bredo Mortoel frozen until science may one day reanimate him.  These are the things to see when you travel the country!

Early afternoon, we found our rental, and our host waiting for us with a smile and a handshake.  Although not “locals” per se, Jay and Tammy have lived in Nederland for over 30 years.  Tammy is a school teacher at the elementary school and Jay restores antiques and is a musician.  Their love of the area is evident and they were gracious hosts.  Our small apartment was decorated with fresh cut flowers from their gardens and homemade chocolate chip cookies were on the kitchen counter.  We were happy to have selected this as our home base, as it is a great way to provide support to a local family, and feel part of the community.  It did not hurt that there was an antique pick-up truck parked in the front.   They call her Rita!

We settled in and headed two miles back into town for groceries and a hot meal.  We found both a general grocery store and a coop market, and got provisions for the next few days.  Our meal was found at James Peak Brewery and Smokehouse.  Both the meal and the beer were top notch.  After a long day and full bellies, a good night’s sleep was in order, with visions of fishes dancing in our heads as we anticipated the next day!