Onward and Upward...

Well, Armchair Travelers… we have made it to the Puget Sound, where we are resting up (and cleaning up) from our Rocky Mountain adventure. Did we find gold? 

None to speak of. Lots of dust and flakes, but it takes acres of time and skill to extract that small stuff. Learned some new panning techniques, though, and will try them in the next gold fields we visit. Nor did we find any of the lost treasures we were looking into, but I'm not going to be too hard on myself, as no one else has, either. 

The most commonly used phrase I heard for any of those legends we followed from New Mexico to Colorado, was, "… which no one has found to this day." Treasures that ranged from caches of gold dust, to gold bars that the Spaniards left behind, all the way up to the many lost mines themselves. One treasure I did find, however, was a fine collection of the most unusual characters out of history that will make wonderful fodder for future books. Such amazing things these people did! And I know already that I'm going to enjoy spending time with them, next winter.

Added to the wonderful refreshment that comes from simply being out in God's amazing wilderness places, I'm feeling like something of a new person, already. Which is a good thing. Because for the next leg of our tour we go to the ocean. In search of the GLORY B. We must especially depend on divine appointments at this point, because we know she is out there, somewhere. That the Lord has not only set her aside for us, but that others will be greatly blessed by our discovery, as well. So, enjoy your weekend, dear travelers, because on Monday, the real adventures begin! 

Meanwhile, here's what we did on our last day in the Rockies...

Idaho Springs, Yesterday, and Today...

Idaho Springs in 1889

Idaho Springs means "Gem of the mountains… and healing waters" in some Indian dialect. In that respect, I must say the beauty of the place is hard to surpass. However, the air at this elevation is very thin. So, for people like me, who are used to living on the plains, or in the desert, or at sea level… it's hard to breathe up there. 

Idaho Springs, today

As I have mentioned before, the legends in these areas have been difficult to track down. And while I have had numerous details and facts to substantiate local stories, they have been hard to recognize with the smokescreens of modern day living. However, if it is true that nothing is realy ever lost, but merely changes into some other form, I should be able to at least find signs. Such was the case at Idaho Springs. 

George Andrew Jackson first discovered gold while there on a hunting trip, in 1859. He made camp on a sandbar, where Chicago Creek flows into Clear Creek. It was early January. He decided to pan some of the thawed gravel around his campfire, and using his drinking cup, washed out some gold nuggets. Needless to say, he returned to the place the following April, with a team of men and supplies, and the rush was on. Um… cancel that. 

I just found another variation of that story that says this incident happened where Chicago Creek runs into Vasquez Creek. But maybe that's just another name for Clear Creek. Hmm… looking for the exact spot could easily get us written up in "The Goose Chase Gazette," again.

Drinking the healing waters

Having been on too many of these escapades over the last few days, I decided to try for more of a sure shot. How about I track down the famous gazebo where so many people came to drink the "healing waters" from the Indian hot springs that flowed out from the mountain. People like the Roosevelts, Sarah Bernhardt, Walt Whitman, the Vanderbilts, and even Frank and Jesse James while they were on their way through toward other infamous pastimes. Here's the picture I had to go by.

After much searching, I actually found it. Yes, it's still there. However, it has turned into a cabana-like drink and hot dog stand. I would show you a picture of me standing by it, except that no pictures are allowed in there. It's enclosed with several indoor pools created from the healing waters. Which is at the end of a labyrinth of others that flow from deep inside the mountain. One side for men, and one for women. That's because "bathing suits are optional and not required." Temperatures were stifling in there, but I was going to locate that cabana-gazebo thing, or bust. 

Commercial shot of one of the pools

Needless to say, my hat was drooping by the time I came out, and I must leave it to your own imagination as to some of the sights I saw. I have to admit it was a bona fide connection to the past, though, as the place has been in continuous operation since its inception. There were a lot of people that day, too. And while I didn't stay long enough for drinks and hot dogs, they all seemed to be having a good time. However, I did take a sip of the healing waters.

After an experience like that, one can never be too careful.

Hello, dear travelers… we are back in civilization long enough to touch bases with all of you, and post another short video log of our adventures. We've been traipsing up and down through beautiful country, and catching up on some gold panning along the way. 

We explored the two famous towns of Victor and Cripple Creek, and found them to be mostly tourist attractions, these days. And while there are a few relics of the past (if you look real hard), it is difficult to follow in the footsteps of forgotten legends. So, it is one of those instances where a person has to know exactly what they are looking for before they can find it, and often times, even where. Because most of the locals we have asked, rarely know what we are tailing about. But no matter, we are not giving up. 

Instead, we will move on to another famous location, tomorrow morning, and see what we can track down, there. Meanwhile, enjoy the video, have a great weekend, and we'll be back to give you an update on Monday!

Treasure Hunt Wednesdays...

It is Treasure Hunt Wednesday, ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS. Since we are still on our trial week before departure, however, we are not exactly looking for treasures, yet. Still, it's important to see if the system works, here on the portal, so I've decided we should have some sort of a test run. Hmmm… 

As you know, our first destination is the Rocky Mountains, in search of some legendary treasures around the town of Victor, Colorado. Mostly because it is rumored to have some of the largest gold mines in the country, and also because it is said there was almost as much lost as found, around there. Of course, the Captain and I have been doing some research on just where and what we will be looking for, so we will know where to begin, once we get there. The thing about these legends, though, is that there is always a lot of hearsay surrounding them. In some cases, out-and-out falsehoods about whether they even exist. Why, already, we have had one that we have had to scratch off our list. It is called the "Ten Cent Treasure," and here's the story…

Seated Liberty dime
Worth $500-$1000 today

Sometime during the 1880's several wagons carrying large barrels filled with freshly minted Seated Liberty dimes from the Denver Mint, headed for Phoenix, Arizona. The shipment included a small escort against the many outlaws and thieves that plagued the American West at the time. However the entire wagon train went missing somewhere between Montrose, Colorado and what was then known as the Crawford Ranch. 

Years later, sometime, near the turn of the century, a group of treasure hunters located the remains of the wagons near the North Rim of Black Canyon. They were able to recover several gallons of dimes along the Gunnison River, but not the bulk of the treasure. 

This kind of story always makes me want to go treasure hunting. Except it didn't take much research to reveal that the Denver Mint dimes weren't produced until 1906, and by then railroad shipment was much preferred over wagon travel. 

A lot of people would be discouraged at such findings. Except that facts like this:

"According to the Colorado School of Mines, (on average) the gold is replenished approximately within one year in any given location in the streams and rivers along the front range of Colorado."

Now, this kind of information makes me want to go gold panning (which I love). Mostly, I enjoy being out in beautiful places and sifting through streams and collecting rocks. On these occasions, I have probably passed over more gold than I've found, simply because I don't know enough about it. I know one thing, though. I always enjoy doing it.

And I guess that's the point. 

So, anyone of you wonderful ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS who can dig up a bona fide location for us to "go prospecting in"… I'll bring you back something of whatever we find. At the very least it will be a "curiosity" and great conversation piece. Not to mention some mysterious connection to the past. It might even lead to a collectable story…

Which is always like gold to me.

Let's make the deadline on this Treasure Hunt midnight on the 5th of June, winners to be announced on the 6th. Up until then, share whatever stories and/or locations you can find, right here in the comment section.

Meanwhile, happy hunting!