July 6, 2016
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Memories
Today is my Dad's birthday. He would be 84 years old if he were alive. He's been gone for nine years now and the loss still overwhelms me sometimes. In memory of Dad and in honor of his birthday, I made a pilgrimage to a place that I've always connected with him - Lookout Mountain near Golden, Colorado.
It's a small mountain by Colorado standards, rising only 7,000 feet and change above sea level. There's a large "M" on the side facing Denver made of white rocks. When I was a kid in the 60s, I could see that white "M" every day. On Sunday afternoons, Dad would take us for a ride wherever struck his fancy; Seven Falls, the Royal Gorge, to the top of Pike's Peak, to Cheyenne, Wyoming for root beer floats... but the closest drive and perhaps the one we did the most was to Lookout Mountain to visit the grave of Buffalo Bill Cody.
Standing there looking at the graves of Buffalo Bill and his wife Louisa, I was overcome with emotion thinking about Dad and those Sunday drives and the stories he told and the adventures he tried to give us. He loved Buffalo Bill; I think that was the real reason he took us up there so often.
There is a Buffalo Bill museum at the top of the mountain, but we didn't have time to tour it.
There is also a gift shop which we did spend a few minutes exploring. I bought a postcard for each of my siblings which will be mailed sometime after I get home. I'm sure they will be thrilled to know that the moldy old stuffed buffalo is still standing in a corner of the gift shop.
Brett found Buffalo Bill before we left.
It was a morning of bittersweet memories and laughter through tears at a kitschy little gift shop and the grave of a man who died when my grandfather was a young child.
Today Brett is flying back to Delaware and I will continue the eastward drive home by myself... in the rain...
Haha! Don't feel sorry for me; I've had a wonderful time, spent time with wonderful friends, and relived some wonderful memories. What more could a person ask of a vacation?
Comments (7)
Yesterday was the anniversary of my dad's death. So many memories. I think we are in the minority having wonderful memories of loving fathers. We saw the giant M every day for 5 days - didn't know that was lookout mountain! Have a safe trip home. I watched the video again last night - still laughing!!
Memories of dads abound -- the 3rd was my dad's birthday -- he would have been 104 years old -- if he hadn't died when he was 57! And I can relate to pilgrimages and wonderful memories like yours! It sounds like you had a wonderful vacation -- drive carefully in the rain
!
As a man, I too think many times about the adventures that my dad and I have had through the years. He is still with us an I know that in a few more years I too will be dwelling on the memories to see him.
Thank you for the reminder of how great ours dads are and were to us.
So glad that you had a good vacation.
If that statue of Buffalo Bill was accurate (though I have a feeling it's not), then either Buffalo Bill was a short man, or Brett is quite tall! Only that hat makes him taller.
I am glad you got to take this memory trip, and that you had a good vacation all around.
So cool to visit all those places! Never did much traveling because there were 7 of us when I was young and not much money. Mom didn't enjoy traveling either. Dad loved to travel. Miss him too.
What a sweet thing to do in your dad's memory!
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