Highest, longest, scariest: The Royal Gorge

I took a quick road trip to the Royal Gorge recently in Canon City, about 2.5 hours south of Denver. The gorge has the world's highest suspension bridge, in a park with the steepest incline railway (it takes you from the top of the gorge to the bottom at a 45-degree angle) and the longest single-span aerial tram that takes you over the gorge. Admission to the park is somewhat pricey at $21 per adult, so make sure you take the tram and incline railway (get your money's worth). For extra, you can also ride a big swing that swings you out OVER the gorge. Yikes. There's also a small wildlife zoo.

Once you're in, you can walk across the bridge, which is 1,503 feet over the Arkansas River. It's quite breezy across the gorge. My buddy said that if I wanted to walk across the bridge, he would go with me. "I'll make sure we get across." That made me wonder. "It's got wood planks, and you can see in between 'em," he said. Hmm, freaky. It's quite a view looking down though.

But the best deal that we found: Book the private lodge looking out over the gorge. A while ago my buddy shot pictures for a wedding for folks who rented out the lodge. He says it sleeps eight. When we asked the park people how much it cost to book it, she said $200! Not bad. I'm not sure if the price goes up if you have more people stay. I think the park person assumed we only needed it for two people. My buddy and I didn't stay though because we had work to do, which involved looking for a woman who lives way way out in what I think is unincorporated Fremont County, in beautiful but remote mountains. If you want to disappear, the place to do it would be where this lady lives. But that's a-whole-nother story.

HEAT HEAT GO AWAY
Looks like the cooler weather is finally moving in. Yippeee!!!! No more hiding out in the library, mall, movie theater and swimming pool or getting to the office four hours early just to escape the heat! (Just kidding on that office one)