Florence= dump (Silverton: high school, living in, train)

[BlueWillowPlate]

Considering the fact that it's Colorado, I thought it was pretty green, especially near the river.

[I_LUVNM]

Originally Posted by cil

Considering the fact that it's Colorado, I thought it was pretty green, especially near the river.

Thanks Cil. That was my impression of Florence too. Thanks for confirming that for me.

[Nadine]

Originally Posted by I_LUVNM

Florence isnt a desert town right? I have seen pictures of Florence and I see pines and some hills around it. The city looks old like Silverton, is that correct or am I seeing pictures of another town?

No, Silverton is a mountain town, Florence is an old town, but it is on the beginning of the plains on the Arkansas River. Only short way to the mountains, 15 miles maybe. The pines you see are either planted there by homes or the pinions and junipers on the prairie. Away for the river it is prairie land. Irrigation is used in many areas so they are green. Florence was coal mining at one time and some farming. Both are about gone. As to the prison. We in Fremont County don't think anything about having them here. They are our biggest employers, whether federal or state. Nothing freeky about them as one poster said. It would be more than freeky if prisons did not excess and they must be some where. Actually the one in Florence is a very attractive green area in the middle of dry prairie. Looks more like a college campus.

[vfrpilot]

Nadine-
I friend of mine in Canon City once told me there were 13 prisons in the area. Is that right or is that an exageration?
Paul

[Nadine]

Originally Posted by vfrpilot

Nadine-
I friend of mine in Canon City once told me there were 13 prisons in the area. Is that right or is that an exageration?
Paul

The federal prison out of Florence is all in one place but there are several prisons there. They are divided by the type of incarceration but still one place. Same with the state prisons. There is the one large complex on the east of Canon City again several type. The Women prison is there also. Territorial is on the West end of Canon City. I have not counted how many divisions there are but just 3 main complexs. And there are some farms and ranches but all are again at the complexes. Not as many now because the prison is not self sustaining like it used to me. Inmates are not made to work as in the past. As to the number 13 or even more would not surprise me.

[I_LUVNM]

Originally Posted by Nadine

No, Silverton is a mountain town, Florence is an old town, but it is on the beginning of the plains on the Arkansas River. Only short way to the mountains, 15 miles maybe. The pines you see are either planted there by homes or the pinions and junipers on the prairie. Away for the river it is prairie land. Irrigation is used in many areas so they are green. Florence was coal mining at one time and some farming. Both are about gone. As to the prison. We in Fremont County don't think anything about having them here. They are our biggest employers, whether federal or state. Nothing freeky about them as one poster said. It would be more than freeky if prisons did not excess and they must be some where. Actually the one in Florence is a very attractive green area in the middle of dry prairie. Looks more like a college campus.

Thanks Nadine for your info. It sounds like a lot of different areas and from desert to prairie to mountains right around that area. Is Canon City, the city itself, in a mountain area or more of a prairie area or in between? Does it look like around Santa Fe, or Trinidad, Raton, Pueblo or more like around Colorado Springs? Woodland Park? I know what these areas look like so if I know if Canon City looks like any one of these cities (scenery wise), I will have an idea of Canon City. This is one area of Colorado I wish I knew more about. Thanks Nadine.

[COflower]

I_LUVNM - Cañon City is what the locals call "the banana belt" of Colorado as it rests on the Arkansas River so growing things in the area is excellent. Also, it is surrounded (sort of) on three sides by the mountains so it's protected much of the time from the bad weather we get in Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

I can't equate it to any of the places you listed at all. I've only driven through Raton and Trinidad. It's not like C Springs, it's not like Woodland Park and it's not like Pueblo at all. It actually reminds me more of Grand Junction although not as spectacular in geographic formations and tighter in a valley than GJ.

That's my take on it, perhaps Nadine has a better way to describe it.

[Nadine]

Originally Posted by I_LUVNM

Thanks Nadine for your info. It sounds like a lot of different areas and from desert to prairie to mountains right around that area. Is Canon City, the city itself, in a mountain area or more of a prairie area or in between? Does it look like around Santa Fe, or Trinidad, Raton, Pueblo or more like around Colorado Springs? Woodland Park? I know what these areas look like so if I know if Canon City looks like any one of these cities (scenery wise), I will have an idea of Canon City. This is one area of Colorado I wish I knew more about. Thanks Nadine.

We are semi- arrid not arrid, we are not a desert. There is a qualification on the amount of rain etc or lack of. We don't qualify. Plains and prairie, yes, not desert.

Pueblo is 40 miles into the plains. We are more like Colorado Springs. Canon City backs up against the Wet Mountains. Our elevation some under 6000 ft. Florence is 15 miles east of us. Just a smaller town. More run down but they are working on it. Canon City is at the ft of the canyon that forms the Royal Gorge if that means anything to you. Green because of irrigation. Good graze even on the praires if not in a drought. Don't do that on deserts.

[I_LUVNM]

Thanks COflower and Nadine! I have a better idea of Canon City. I actually like the land you described. I live in a desert in Farmington, there are a few areas with some pinons but mostly any trees are down on the rivers or planted by someone. I plan on visiting Canon City in a month or two and I appreciate your clarity on the area. It sounds like a beautiful area. Thanks again!

[vfrpilot]

Wonder what happen to the original poster? They didn't rally elaborate on their original statement. It went from Florence is a 'dump' to 'sounds pretty nice to me'.