Newbie mistakes (Colorado Springs: garden, areas, Hispanic)

[RockyMtMom]

Originally Posted by janetjanetbobanet

The streets curve and circle around in strange
ways here, even the major ones.

As a newbie myself, this has been the most frustrating thing to me. You take Austin Bluffs from I-25 west, but then end up driving south for a bit, then west again, then finish up north. Also, all the streets that curve, do so in different directions. Very weird.

[haselton]

Its great to know which cities are often pronounced wrong, but could somebody spell them out phonetically so we can figure out the correct way to say it?

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by haselton

Its great to know which cities are often pronounced wrong, but could somebody spell them out phonetically so we can figure out the correct way to say it?

Correct pronunciations (phonetic)
Saguache - Suh-WATCH
Towaoc - TOY-ock
Cochetopa - Coach-uh-tope ("a" silent)

Also, it helps if you can actually pronounce Spanish correctly, like

Huerfano - WHERE-fah-no ("fah" rhymes with soft "awe"; means "orphan")
Cebolla - Suh-BOY-yuh ("onion" in Spanish)
Conejos - Ko-ney-hos (long "o"; means "rabbit" in Spanish)



And, know the local "bastardizations" and nicknames for places like

Buena Vista - proper Spanish BWAY-nah VEES-tah (means beautiful view)
Most Coloradans call it "B-yoonie," for short.

Trivia - Did you know that 18 out of Colorado's 64 counties have Spanish names, and that all of Colorado south of the Arkansas River and all of the state west of the Continental Divide was part of Mexico until 1848? I'm always amazed how many newcomers don't know that. (The Republic of Texas also claimed a sliver of Colorado more or less following the Continental Divide, but Mexico never recognized the claim.) Also, that several areas of southern Colorado have chains of land title that stretch back to the Spanish Land Grants.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Trivia - Did you know that 18 out of Colorado's 64 counties have Spanish names, and that all of Colorado south of the Arkansas River and all of the state west of the Continental Divide was part of Mexico until 1848? I'm always amazed how many newcomers don't know that. (The Republic of Texas also claimed a sliver of Colorado more or less following the Continental Divide, but Mexico never recognized the claim.) Also, that several areas of southern Colorado have chains of land title that stretch back to the Spanish Land Grants.

Here are more

Little known facts for Colorado Day

[caroljoyce]

I just signed on here for Colorado. I am considering transferring to CSU Pueblo Campus from Penn State. I am concerned about snakes in Pueblo. Also, this appears to be the closest geo link to Pueblo, correct? Any information on Pueblo would be appreciated before I make the move. My son lives in Boulder, but tells me that Pueblo isn't Boulder! My studies will are sociology, also interested in mesoamerican,iberian and chicano culture and history

[suzco]

Originally Posted by caroljoyce

I just signed on here for Colorado. I am considering transferring to CSU Pueblo Campus from Penn State. I am concerned about snakes in Pueblo. Also, this appears to be the closest geo link to Pueblo, correct? Any information on Pueblo would be appreciated before I make the move. My son lives in Boulder, but tells me that Pueblo isn't Boulder! My studies will are sociology, also interested in mesoamerican,iberian and chicano culture and history

Questions about Pueblo belong in the Colorado forum, rather than Colorado Springs. If you do a search here (click the search link in the dark blue band near the top of the page) and enter Pueblo as a keyword and select Colorado in the select forum field, you'll find some earlier threads about Pueblo. You can then add your questions to one of those, or start a new thread if none of them talk about your questions.

[Shuffler]

there's also 'Vasquez'....I always hear reporters pronouncing it "vass-skwez" and it bugs the $%# outta me.

It's "vass-kez".

[kalipsoh]

Originally Posted by caroljoyce

I just signed on here for Colorado. I am considering transferring to CSU Pueblo Campus from Penn State. I am concerned about snakes in Pueblo. Also, this appears to be the closest geo link to Pueblo, correct? Any information on Pueblo would be appreciated before I make the move. My son lives in Boulder, but tells me that Pueblo isn't Boulder! My studies will are sociology, also interested in mesoamerican,iberian and chicano culture and history

I'm a grad student at CSU-P. I don't know a lot of the departments outside of my own, but I have been impressed with the school as a whole from registering and financial aid, to the caliber of the professors. I live in Colo Springs, so I don't know much about living in Pueblo, so I can't help you on the snakes question.

[Ghostgecko]

I am having VEGAS flashbacks with the getting lost in the streets biz. I saw that entire city in one morning trying to find my friend's house. Drove four hours! She lived all the way up North, almost at the mountains! I was near Henderson (Some Las Vegans are laughing right now) Wait, did I just call them strict vegetarians....sigh.

I will be ok with the spanish pro, as well, largely, South Florida is becoming Hispanic! Not that it's bad, just took an Indiana guy with a Hawaiian accent a bit to get! The Indian names had my mouth wide open...yikes. I guess you'll know I am new.

[Ghostgecko]

Originally Posted by RockyMtMom

As a newbie myself, this has been the most frustrating thing to me. You take Austin Bluffs from I-25 west, but then end up driving south for a bit, then west again, then finish up north. Also, all the streets that curve, do so in different directions. Very weird.

How about streets that are the same but change names every so often just to confuse you... There were three interstates in Hawaii, always thought that was funny...