Composer | Pianist | Music Informatics
Today, Ruby Jean took me up. Higher than we had ever climbed before. The California Pass reaches 12,960 feet. And there just isn’t much up there.
Just silence. And beauty. In all directions.
Oh, and an old, abandoned mining town called Animas Forks. Now, that’s my kinda town!
This morning I awoke to find that the fall color was moving in. And quickly.
Many of the local mountain trails connect Ouray, Teluride, and Silverton, so if you’re in the area and you’re Jeepin’ around, you’ll most certainly end up visiting Silverton. Silverton is a former silver mining camp, most or all of which is now included in a federally designated National Historic Landmark District called the Silverton Historic District.
Here’s a nifty little video describing Silverton and the surrounding area:
Taking a few days to acclimate to the altitude…
One of the effects of high altitude is light-headed dizziness. Driving on narrow, rugged roads that are barely clinging on to the side of a mountain at 11,000 feet isn’t advised. So today, Ruby Jean and I decided to take an easy (non-technical) drive up Brown Mountain.
Even so, the views were spectacular.
Along the way, I found dispersed campsites — even near the top. I stopped and asked someone about them and guess what? He lives in Centerville, Ohio!
So, sitting high up in the San Juan Mountains, we had a strange (but fun!) chat about Bill’s Donuts and Marion’s Pizza.
Small world.
Nestled high in the San Juan Mountains, Ouray was established in the mid-late 19th century by miners in search of sliver and gold. The town sits at about 7,800 feet, but the surrounding mountains frequently exceed 12,000 feet in elevation.
Due to its unique history, the entire length of Main Street is registered as a National Historic District. Here’s a great video summarizing why Ouray is a desirable destination in 2018.
Wait! Did you say that Ouray is the Jeeping Capital of the World?!? Well, Ruby Jean heard you and is ready to go…
Time to leave Houston (and that horrible heat + humidity combination) and head home via Colorado. But along the way, it’s comforting to stop and see some old friends.
Driving around Washington D.C. offers an endless parade of nondescript office park buildings — like the one pictured above.
Imagine our surprise when Google navigated us to a popular breakfast location in the parking lot of one of these buildings. “Google knows best,” we thought, and entered using the only door we could find.
With no receptionist desk in sight, we hunted around and stumbled upon some slightly obscure signage.
“Ah ha! So we ARE in the right place!” Turning left we found this…
But the faint smell of grilling breakfast burritos urged us on. Eventually we stumbled into an outdoor courtyard.
Could this be where the fabled patrons sit and eat their eggs?
Yes! Although, maybe we should start reading the restaurant descriptions more carefully…
With the first completely electronic film score in Hollywood history, Dr. Mobius and the Krell technology had more going on than a trans-humanist future.
Maybe we all could benefit from a lesson or two?
