Mountain awe... does it last? (Colorado Springs, Aspen: living, moving, vacation)

[Shuffler]

Was in the North Park area this past weekend. Dead trees everywhere as far as the eye can see. Yeah, I was in awe of how a little insect can have such a profound impact.

I'm sure we'll all be in 'shock and awe' when the fires happen.

[SunnyP]

I grew up in Boulder, but I have lived out of state (in FL) for the past 13-14 years. For me the awe inspired by the mountains never leaves, and the longing to see them again never goes away. Most of my family is still in CO, so we visit from time to time, but there's nothing like seeing those mountains every day.

[fierce_flawless]

Originally Posted by TedH71

Try Alaska. Has the biggest mountains in the U.S. Also has better summer climate than here...so tired of 90-100 degree summers...go there!

I'm sure Alaska is beautiful. I have family that's been there, worked there, lived there a bit, and I've seen all their pictures and heard all their stories. Never been there myself.

Too far from family though. I can handle hot summers as long as "summer" doesn't last 6 months, like it does here. I'd kill for a 90 degree day right about now! Oh wait, we do get the 90 degree evenings, around 10pm.

Anyway, in CO we have family, job prospects, and possibly even housing lined up, and it's not a horrible drive back to Texas to visit family here, either.

Thanks to all who posted, understanding what I was asking about!

[fierce_flawless]

Originally Posted by mhouse2001

Grew up in the Midwest. Loved every little hill and always wanted to see bigger ones. Used those orange hot wheels tracks to make "really" big hills for those cars to go screaming down. Saw The Sound of Music and those mountains at the beginning. Heard the lyrics: "with songs they have sung for a thousand years...". I was drunk on mountains from that point forward. Driving from Kansas to Colorado for the first time, I kept wondering when I would see the mountains. I thought I might see them right at the border, Ha! Then they appeared and I was in awe. In my dreams, I float above them, stand tall on top of them, and feel my spirit run and fly through the valleys as fast as the jet stream.

I've tried to move to Colorado but I don't want to make a mistake and be alone there like I am here in Arizona. I've driven everywhere in Colorado, practically every mountain pass in my trusty 18-year old Acura (since traded in for a Mazda). Fell in love with the 14ers around Salida/Poncha Springs. Totally love the San Luis Valley because there's mountains in all directions. There is no mountain more beautiful than Blanca Peak. Love the backdrop to Colorado Springs but as a gay guy, that would not be a pleasant place for me. Mind you, I haven't fit into any gay community I've been in proximity to. Boulder is too expensive and overregulated. Fort Collins is cool but a bit too midwestern and Wyomingish (not meant to be a bad thing). Denver is probably the best for a person like me but I don't want a big dirty city. I like Grand Junction, but again, it's as politically red as Utah. I've concentrated on an area between Salida and Canon City because it's really nice there, central to everything for me, but I don't know how I'll fit in. But I digress...

The mountains will always fill me with awe. And after I'm dead, I'll be hiking and flying around them for a couple million years. Perhaps you'll catch a brief glimpse of me beneath a tree on a ridge, or hear my voice in the wind across the snow like it's coming from the clouds.

Life is too short. If you want to be in CO, go! If you end up alone, well, you said you are already alone in Arizona...? So it's not going to be worse, right?

Forget trying to find a good gay community, that's my advice. Find a place to live where you can be yourself and your chances of being subjected to discrimination or gay bashing is minimal. That's our plan (we are a lesbian couple, with kids)... I've given up on the whole "gayborhood" idea. We live in a very conservative, highly Catholic (but small) area of our town, but the people are decent, and we've had no problems. Nor have our kids. I mean, related to anything about us being lesbians, having 2 moms, etc.

Good post, and I say, go for it... no use spending life wondering 'what if'..

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by mhouse2001

Grew up in the Midwest. Loved every little hill and always wanted to see bigger ones. Used those orange hot wheels tracks to make "really" big hills for those cars to go screaming down. Saw The Sound of Music and those mountains at the beginning. Heard the lyrics: "with songs they have sung for a thousand years...". I was drunk on mountains from that point forward. Driving from Kansas to Colorado for the first time, I kept wondering when I would see the mountains. I thought I might see them right at the border, Ha! Then they appeared and I was in awe. In my dreams, I float above them, stand tall on top of them, and feel my spirit run and fly through the valleys as fast as the jet stream.

I've tried to move to Colorado but I don't want to make a mistake and be alone there like I am here in Arizona. I've driven everywhere in Colorado, practically every mountain pass in my trusty 18-year old Acura (since traded in for a Mazda). Fell in love with the 14ers around Salida/Poncha Springs. Totally love the San Luis Valley because there's mountains in all directions. There is no mountain more beautiful than Blanca Peak. Love the backdrop to Colorado Springs but as a gay guy, that would not be a pleasant place for me. Mind you, I haven't fit into any gay community I've been in proximity to. Boulder is too expensive and overregulated. Fort Collins is cool but a bit too midwestern and Wyomingish (not meant to be a bad thing). Denver is probably the best for a person like me but I don't want a big dirty city. I like Grand Junction, but again, it's as politically red as Utah. I've concentrated on an area between Salida and Canon City because it's really nice there, central to everything for me, but I don't know how I'll fit in. But I digress...

The mountains will always fill me with awe. And after I'm dead, I'll be hiking and flying around them for a couple million years. Perhaps you'll catch a brief glimpse of me beneath a tree on a ridge, or hear my voice in the wind across the snow like it's coming from the clouds.

I am openly gay and Colorado Springs is not as bad as people say. They have the states second largest gay pride and have many gay bars. Sure a major city is better but for its size, 600,000 people, its good. I say if you want to go to Colorado Springs then go for it.

Also, even Pueblo at, 150,000 people, has a gay pride and the people in the city are accepting. It is easier to meet people in Colorado Springs simply because they are bigger but I would say any place on the front range is fine.

[cowboyxjon]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

I am openly gay and Colorado Springs is not as bad as people say. They have the states second largest gay pride and have many gay bars. Sure a major city is better but for its size, 600,000 people, its good. I say if you want to go to Colorado Springs then go for it.

Also, even Pueblo at, 150,000 people, has a gay pride and the people in the city are accepting. It is easier to meet people in Colorado Springs simply because they are bigger but I would say any place on the front range is fine.

I'll agree with this. I'm gay and in Denver, but I haven't felt uncomfortable in any of the Front Range cities or anywhere in Colorado for that matter. I think a lot of this "conservative areas = OMG extreme gay bashing" hype is overblown. Most people don't care.

[Mike from back east]

Folks, lets stick to "Mountain Awe" and if we need a thread on places that are tolerant of "alternative lifestyles" let me know and I'll split some of these out into a new thread for you.

[conservativedude]

As a fellow Texan who lived in Woodland Park, Co for 4 years and had to return to Texas due to job relocation let me tell you... the awe never goes away (provided you are the sort of individual who 'gets it'). In fact the 'awe' has brought my family and I to the point that we said 'to heck with it' and plan on moving back within a few months... kinda' wingin' it... frightening yet exhilarating all in one! No job lined up yet but confident in our abilities to do such. But as for Woodland Park... it is perfect in our eyes.

[Bob from down south]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

I am openly gay and Colorado Springs is not as bad as people say. They have the states second largest gay pride and have many gay bars. Sure a major city is better but for its size, 600,000 people, its good. I say if you want to go to Colorado Springs then go for it.

Also, even Pueblo at, 150,000 people, has a gay pride and the people in the city are accepting. It is easier to meet people in Colorado Springs simply because they are bigger but I would say any place on the front range is fine.

Colorado Springs has "many" homosexual bars? Uh, no, I don't think so. But it's curiously funny that the number of [mod cut] saloons is the metric of choice here.

[janelle144]

We just took a week vacation there. It is breath taking. We were up in the mountains in Cascade in a cabin. The mountains are great to drive through but at times can be scary on some roads, like the ones you see straight down and your car is on the edge. Scary for a flat lander from KS.

Mostly had fun but did miss the sunsets. I was waiting for a good sunset but the sun just drops behind the mountains and that was that. Kinda closed in when you are in a canyon. When I was in Hawaii the people always stopped whatever they are doing and stand to watch the sunset over the ocean. Kansas gets spectacular sunsets. I don't really like wide open spaces that much but it felt kinda claustrophobic in a canyon.

I did wonder why people built those houses on the edge of the mountain. Wondered how they can live on the edge of a cliff. Also wondered why people were allowed to build right up to the Garden of the Gods. Seems like some people would build right on top of the rocks if allowed by the state.

I guess it's all what you get use to. Like the man who grew up in flatland and wondered why the mountains were in the way of the scenery and the man who lived in the mountains and wonderd how people could stand no scenery in the flatland. I'm glad we have both.