In retrospect we should not had been surprised by the many vistas en route. Heck, the very name "Buena Vista" should had been a big ole clue since it's Spanish for "good view." To say there is a "good view" in Buena Vista is like saying Lance Armstrong can ride a bike. Holy moley! (Incidentally there is also a Buena Vista in Virginia. I've never actually been there, but I'm willing to bet there are beautiful views abounding there as well! It's now on my list of places in VA to see.)
Then over the course of the next hour as we approached Buena Vista, we had one of the most beautiful drives of our lives. It is now one of my all-time favorite drives, right up there with one my friend Jamie and took in Maui back in the day. I can't remember the name of the road anymore, but it's the one you're not supposed to drive on with a rental car, but everybody does. (Sorry, Avis!) As a matter of fact, it seemed like 100% of the cars out there were rentals. I guess the locals are smart enough not to ruin their own cars out there -- or maybe they already have already learned their lesson!
Anyway we arrived in Buena Vista, ready to raft, baby! We got all suited up like sausages stuffed in casings, got on the Partridge Family bus, and headed down to the river some good old-fashioned fun! What a hilarious get-up!
OK, I may as well embarrass all three of us. Let's have some equal opportunity embarrassment here. (Se below.)
On the way to the section of the Arkansas River known as Brown's Canyon, we discovered it is the most popular place for rafting in the entire US. Well, at least we had good taste.
We also learned lots of random and interesting factoids about this spectacular area. It's an alpine desert between two mountain ranges, which is a rare find. We also found out the local lingo known as "14ers." This refers to those towering Rockies that are at an elevation of 14,000 feet or more. Mount Elbert is the tallest mountain in Colorado and part of the Collegiate Peaks. The Collegiate Peaks got their name because several of them are named after Ivy League universities. (Take that, Jeopardy!)
We also learned that antlers have branches, and animals shed them EVERY year. However, horns stay on forever. No wonder why people have racks displayed over their mantles! Never seen any horns! Also we found out that the local pinion tree grows pine nuts, but it only produces the actual nuts once every seven years. No wonder they are so expensive!
Anyway the rafting was a blast with lots of white water intrigue. Sam even jumped overboard at one point when it was safe, and the guide pulled him back in like he was reeling in a big fish. We survived, too, which is also a big bonus.
LibbY
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