In September 2017, Joe R.'s cousin Jimmy came to visit us in Colorado Springs for about 10 days. As usual, we visited and laughed alot and also took a couple of road trips to show him sights and places in Colorado he had not seen before.

On September 10th, we took a day trip to Bent's Old Fort near La Junta Colorado. Being a former history teacher and buff, Cathy had come across it while searching for interesting historical sites in Colorado. We went with minimal expectations and willing to be satisfied by just enjoying the ride and scenery. Well, we were all totally surprised and blown away by the size, amount of historical information and the faithful and detailed recreation of the fort and its multitude of rooms and facilities. We were also graced with a gorgeous Colorado day and virtually no other visitors. This is truly a hidden gem that more people need to experience.

After resting and visiting at our house for a couple of days, on September 13th we took a road trip to the town of Fort Collins, CO to check out some interesting places there. After the 2+ hour drive from Colorado Springs, we stopped at the Fort Collins Visitor Center for information, got settled in the AirBnB house we rented, drove through the picturesque Poudre Canyon, stopped and spent several hours at the surprising and magnificent Shambhala Mountain Center and Buddhist Temple and then back to the town of Fort Collins for dinner at the very interesting Totally 80s Pizza.

On September 14th, we went to the (at that time) locally employee-owned New Belgium Brewery near downtown Fort Collins, for a tour and samplings. Cathy and Joe R. had taken the tour in the past, so knew what to expect, but Jimmy was totally impressed with the 90-minute employee-guided tour with all its historical information and all the interesting things to see. Tasting the various beers and ales was great too! We then stopped in Old Town Square in downtown Fort Collins to check out the sights and have dinner.

On September 15th we headed home, but first stopped at "Rise! - a Breakfast Place" for a huge and wonderful farewell meal.

Check out the maps below for our routes and view the many photos at each of the locations and set of 3 videos at the brewery.

Cathy & Joe R.