Today Michael and I headed to Rocky Mountain National Park. After about an hour or so drive we hit the park entrance. We drove around the park for a few hours and saw chipmonks, eagles, marmots, and woodpeckers. We drove along Trail Ridge Road until we reached ~12,000 feet and turned around as we had to make it back out so we could catch our flights. On the way out of the park we came across a traffic jam. In a National Park when there is a traffic jam it usually means there is some interesting wildlife. We pulled over to the side of the road and there were 2 bull elk grazing near a waterfall. I could have watched them for hours but unfortunately we had to head out. Michael dropped me off at Ken and Ania’s place and headed to the airport.

Ken, Ania, and I headed into Denver to “My Brother’s Bar”. We met up with Jaime, Trevor, and Mark from Syracuse. It was good to catch up. Ken and Ania took me to the airport where I found out that I was upgraded to 1st class!!

Overall it was a great trip! Thanks Ken and Ania for being such great hosts AGAIN!

-Allen

Today we (Ken, Ania, Michael, and I) headed up to Cheyenne, Wyoming to see Cheyenne Frontier Days, the World’s Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Festival. It has been dubbed, the “Daddy of ‘em All!” Today was championship Sunday and there were several events including, bull riding, several bronc riding events, steer wrestling, and roping. This was my first rodeo as well as my first time in Wyoming. Only 13 states left until I have covered them all! This event is also one of the “1000 Places to See Before You Die”.

There were some events that I would certainly call questionable and look like animal cruelty, but the organization insists that they work with animal rights groups to ensure the safety of the animals. It certainly was quite the experience.

-Allen

On the way back from a business trip, I stopped over in Colorado to meet up with some friends. Michael flew out from NJ to meet Ken and I and we headed to Red Rocks to see moe. play. Leftover Salmon was the opening act.

The first time that I was at this venue was in September 2005 when Ken, Ania, Susan, and I saw Robert Randolph and the Family Band along with Santana. Red Rocks is truly an amazing venue that is well worth the trip, even to see a band that you remotely like. Sandwiched between huge rocks, the outdoor music mecca is surreal. Last night, the weather was amazing and the light from the full moon added to the ambiance.

Overall the show was OK, but I was not a huge fan of the set list. I guess that can happen after you have been to 26 shows by the same band. The show started off with one of the best “Plane Crash” versions that I have heard. But once they hit Macintyre Range it seemed like they lost the rest of the crowd. Those that still remained in the audience appeared to be sucked back in when moe. busted out “Wind it up” to end the set. Perhaps one of the reasons the crowd appeared lost is the location of the show??? Although moe., appears to have gained popularity around the nation, they are still primarily known on the East Coast. I often heard people saying, “what tune is this?” I even had a guy ask me what song “Havah Negilah” was. You certainly would not find this in NY or NJ. Check out the set list

Anyway, I will still continue to see moe. for many years to come.

-Allen

That means “Lower Head” in Elephant. This way you can get off by sliding down the trunk.

This morning Susan and I went to the Elephant sanctuary near our hotel. This place takes in sick and injured elephants. For example, one of the elephants was hit by a car and they brought it in for rehab. We learned various commands and got to ride on the elephant by ourselves. Susan was a bit skeptical and nervous throughout the process. Especially when she tried to slide down the trunk, and the elephant decided that she wasn’t ready to let Susan get off.

The elephants are very beautiful and graceful animals. This was one of the coolest experiences in my life.

Afterwards we swam in the endless pool here at the Anantara for some relaxation before our 40 hour and 4 flights home. We are certainly NOT looking forward to that! (Except to see friends and family of course )

-Allen

Today we drove from Chiang Mai to Chaing Rai making various stops along the way. We stopped at a cave where monks go to meditate in the dry season. In the wet season the cave could get flooded.

We then stopped at a local village where some of the women traditionally have rings placed around their necks beginning around age 5 and adding additional rings every few years. Due to the weight of the rings the shoulders of the women are pushed down making their necks look longer. There are a few reasons why the tradition of placing the rings began. One legend is the rings acted as protection against tiger bites.

Lastly we stopped at the Golden Triangle. This is the point where Myanmar (formerly Burma), Laos, and Thailand meet separated only by a small river. This is called the Golden Triangle because this is where a large portion of opium trading was done. The people used to pay with gold instead of money. In Thailand it is illegal to grow poppy plants, but in surrounding areas they are still grown. Maybe next time we will have more time explore these countries.

One thing we forgot to talk about for Chiang Mai was their driving. I am not sure, but I think there is not an “on the road driving exam” to get a license like we have in the US. Essentially, one can take a test and buy a license. The only time I was ever afraid for my life was when I was crossing the street. We would have the walk sign and people wouldn’t stop at the RED light to let us cross. It was scary.

-Susan