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Ladies and Gentlemen, This is just a reminder that the Cripple Creek ride is the Saturday after next (Aug 23rd). If you check your ride book, there are notes and website links on the various attractions as well as turn-by-turn directions for both the scenic route (no highways) and an alternate (I-25) route. The group ride will be taking the scenic route. The scenic route is a bit shorter but there is no difference time-wise, as both take a bit under two and a half hours at the posted speeds. This is a great ride to take your favorite companion along on. The ride is beautiful. The destination offers gambling, theater, lots of local history, and a world-class one-of-a-kind hard rock mine tour. With a little planning, it can all be done in one day. The tour of the Molly Kathleen Gold Mine is a must do. If you think you have already done “a mine tour”, think again. This one was once listed as one of the top-five tourist attractions in the United States. You will see the signs for it about 1 mile before reaching the town. They load you in small groups onto a miner’s cage and drop you down 1,000 feet where the tour begins. It’s like an elevator ride except that you can see out of the cage as you go down. It is a quiet and gentle ride. When you get off, the mine is very well lighted and the air is cool and fresh. It is very interesting and you will marvel at how all the work was done, then and now. There is a fee for this tour, but please take my word for it – it is well worth it. The next stop is directly across the road from the mine. It is the brand new Heritage Museum and it is free to the public. This multi-level building has a three-story cut-away model of the mine you just toured. The museum has only been open for a year and it is beautifully done. Then, down the hill and into town. Gambling came to Cripple Creek at the same time as Central City. Casinos line the main street these days, but the flavor of the town has been protected fairly well. What you won’t see, unless you know to look for it, is the Homestead House brothel tour, run by the Historical Society. The donation is $4 each, but well worth it. You will find it one block downhill off the main street. It’s towards the end of town you entered from but you can ask anyone where to find it. The reason this tour is so interesting is that when it operated, this house of horizontal refreshment charged 50 dollars. The going rate at all other establishments was 25 cents! If a gentleman wanted to spend the night, he paid 250 dollars. This was a hangout for the well-heeled only. The customers were mine owners, leading politicians, and guests of other well-healed “important people”. These men had their favorite women and they lavished very expensive gifts on them. You will see Persian rugs, Tiffany lamps, ornate tables, bed covers, even carved brass door hinges from the original house. When word that the house was to be restored, women who had worked there came forward and donated many of the items back to the house. It is a real piece of Colorado history. The melodrama mentioned in the Ride Book is still operating but unfortunately, not on the date of our ride. There is a modern play running on our ride date and while the current production is undoubtedly fine, the melodrama is unique and worth a return trip. It is the only melodrama in Colorado still presented as it was over a hundred years ago. Melodrama was the serious theater of its time and Cripple Creek offers it as serious theater only. The booing and raucous audience behavior was never encouraged back then. It only occurred because of the bad manners of the mine workers. While most melodramas today ham it up and even “teach” the audience to boo and yell during the show, Cripple Creek actually fines their actors if they speak directly to the audience. This is theater as history and the audience will boo and yell on its own. The actors always present a Vaudeville style show after the play ends. It’s a fun time. For those who want to make a leisurely weekend of it, the historic restored hospital sits uphill from the main street. In addition to hotel rooms, they also offer camping spots. Hope to see you all there for the ride! Jeff Burns Ride Leader (303) 794-0694 Details – When and Where The date is: Saturday, August 23 Starting from: Red Rocks Grill, Morrison Breakfast: 8:00 am (optional) Rider’s Meeting: 8:50 am Leave: 9:00 am sharp We will take a short break to bunch up again just a ½ mile before reaching town in Woodland Park. The stopping point is the Loaf & Jug convenience store on your left as you are heading towards town. Look for a wall with a black & white checkerboard pattern painted on it, also on the left and adjacent to the Loaf & Jug.
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