No ghosts to report. Not that they weren’t there; I just slept soundly and didn’t hear anything. But, as we should do with everything, I’ll trust the internet that they’re real.
I returned to Sacred Grounds for coffee and breakfast. Criticize my lack of variety all you want, but when you need to work remotely, and you know there is a table with a power strip readily available, you don’t take chances. My repeat visit yielded the intended results, with 443 new words added and another 2,624 edited, not to mention an entire reference section built for a paper. Perhaps I should just stay in Glenwood!
Also, I realized an error in the prior post – I watched England’s win today. Apparently, you lose track of dates when you don’t keep up with your posts and are traveling the country with no concept of time outside of when your next train is.
I was cutting it close on time for the next train but then got a notice that it was running late (a trend?). So, I was able to enjoy one last meal in Glenwood before departing for Denver. I edited another 2,035 words on the train, while also enjoying more amazing views.
Rafters enjoying the river (mooners not pictured)
In particular, crossing the Continental Divide from west to east is amazing. It’s reported to be the single most impressive view from a train in the United States, and I’d easily rank it in the top 5-10 overall that I’ve seen. Try to imagine coming out of a tunnel at a couple thousand feet of elevation where the mountains meet the Great Plains. The juxtaposition of the two terrains is incredible, and after traveling along rivers between mountains, the first glimpse of the expanse of land is breathtaking. Roughly ¼ the state of Colorado is visible from this point. A pic won’t do it justice, so you’ll have to imagine it or (better yet) book that leg of the trip for yourself.
If you do book this leg of the trip, be forewarned that this is the PG-13 segment, as it is apparently tradition for those enjoying the river to moon the train as it passes.
To top off the day, a friend from grad school drove up from Colorado Springs to meet me for dinner. Thanks, KRMD! We capped the evening with a drink at a bar in one of Denver’s growing number of trendy establishments. Despite only a few people in line ahead of us, it took more than 20 minutes to get a drink, due to the orders in front of us consisting of the craftiest of craft cocktails I’ve seen. Seriously. The bartender was adjusting ice cubes with oversized tweezers. I appreciate the dedication to your work, but at some point, it does become excessive.