Drag Illustrated Issue 149, October 2019 | Page 46

D.I. COLUMNIST
On the Road
with Van Abernethy
I
f ever there’s a racing trip
that turns into an outright vaca-
tion, my annual trek to Denver,
Colorado, for the Drag Illustrat-
ed World Series of Pro Mod stands
apart from any other adventure I
strike out on. Since the race cover-
age of this event is quite comprehen-
sive in this very issue, there’s really
nothing more I could add in that
regard, so if you’re up for a road trip
filled with snow-capped mountains
in August, NFL stadiums and Ju-
rassic encounters, then buckle up
for a 4,000-mile journey that goes
slightly off course from my normal
musings.
From Bandimere Speedway you
honestly don’t have to venture
far to see some spectacular
sights. That’s why I always
clear the following days to en-
joy the geological wonder that
is Colorado. For starters, Red
Rocks Park and Amphitheater
is among the most incredible
things I’ve ever seen, and it’s
located exactly 2.8 miles from
the drag strip. Red Rocks is the
most spectacular outdoor venue
of its kind, being heralded as
the “Only naturally occurring,
acoustically perfect amphithe-
ater in the world.” Since 1941, it’s
hosted many legendary perfor-
mances across every imaginable
genre. The majestic setting of
the amphitheater, along with
the panoramic view of Denver,
makes for a truly breathtaking
scene.
As blown away as I am by Red
Rocks, there’s another attraction no
more than five minutes from Ban-
dimere Speedway that is also unlike
anything I’ve ever encountered. In-
sert Dinosaur Ridge! It all started
in 1877 when a man named Arthur
Lakes discovered giant dinosaur
bones the world had never before
seen. After that epic discovery, Mor-
rison, Colorado, became a hotbed
for Jurassic discoveries, and many
bones and fossils were unearthed
in this area in the following years.
Excavation continues to this pres-
ent day.
Another major discovery came in
1937 during the construction of the
West Alameda Parkway. As layers
of rock were blasted away to build
the road, it revealed di-
nosaur tracks that had
been permanently pre-
served in the sediment.
Further research showed
that these ancient dino-
saur tracks were hardly
unique to just Morrison,
as they were later discov-
ered in a vast path now known as the
“Dinosaur Freeway,” which stretches
from Boulder, Colorado, to northern
New Mexico.
Next time you visit Bandimere
Speedway I would encourage any-
one to take the five-minute drive
over to Dinosaur Ridge and visit the
museum. Afterwards, you may even port yourself to another
world entirely with a
short drive to the nearby
town of Golden, specifi-
cally Lookout Mountain.
Not only are the views
amazing, but the Wild
West comes alive with
a visit to the Buffalo
Bill museum located on the top of
Lookout Mountain. William F. Cody
earned his identity of “Buffalo Bill”
as a hunter for the railroad, later
gaining fame as an Army Scout. He
then became a legendary showman,
launching Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
Show, which traveled 10,000 miles
across the country in 1896, making
take a guided tour bus to see the ac-
tual track discoveries and place your
hand on dinosaur bones sticking out
of the rocks on Dinosaur Ridge!
Switching gears from T-Rex to
Broncos, no visit to Denver would be
complete without a stop at Broncos
Stadium at Mile High. The facility
has 24-hour security who couldn’t
have been more pleasant to this
visitor. They encouraged me to park
the Drag Illustrated van and spend
some time walking around the sta-
dium, where many locals come to
jog, ride bikes, skateboard or even
pack a lunch and have a picnic
around the perimeter of the stadium.
From the thriving metropolis of
Denver, you can seemingly trans- 132 stops that year. The show also
made two extended trips to Europe,
first in the late 1800s and again in
the early 1900s.
The museum in his honor is home
to an incredible number of vintage
artifacts that were used in the shows,
including guns, saddles, outfits, and
even a dollar coin that Cody shot a
hole through using a 30 cal. Win-
chester, also on display. A few steps
from the museum is Cody’s grave,
as he made it known in his final
days that he wished to be buried
atop Lookout Mountain in Gold-
en. The Denver Post reported that
25,000 people attended his funeral
in 1917. It was appropriately writ-
ten that “Buffalo Bill is a symbol of
the American West. His name lends
credibility to all things Western and
embodies the spirit and adventure
of when America was young and leg-
ends were born.” So true. I thought
it only fitting that this month’s col-
umn photo should illustrate the view
from Lookout Mountain, a serene
sight that Cody treasured.
From Golden I then ventured
north to Estes Park, the last town
you pass through before entering
Rocky Mountain National Park. The
single most amazing thing to me
was seeing snow on the mountain
tops on August 15! Various signs
cautioned that weather and driving
conditions could change drastically
with little warning. Another sign
informed travelers that it could
potentially snow here any night
of the year – not that I needed
any further convincing!
The other astonishing thing
was how tame I found the wild-
life to be. Huge deer with mas-
sive antlers would walk within
several feet of me, and native elk
didn’t seem to mind I was snap-
ping selfie photos as they grazed
in the background. Even a dar-
ing chipmunk scurried up to me
completely unnoticed and put
its nose against my hand while
I sat admiring the snow-capped
mountains! By 5:00 p.m. the
wind chill had plummeted to the
40s and I couldn’t believe how
cold it was getting. As absurd as
a blizzard seemed in mid-August,
I wasn’t taking any chances of
getting caught in one, so I hastily
drove back down the mountain to
Estes Park and ordered a hot pizza!
I wish I had more than a single
page to detail the rest of the trip,
because honestly, the adventure
was just getting started. From Colo-
rado I explored southern Wyoming,
where I encountered translucent
lakes, then drove down a peaceful
stretch of highway and watched
the sun slip out of sight behind the
southern plains. As a grand finale,
I was able to board a bison-viewing
train on my last day in Wyoming.
There’s just nothing quite like the
Great American West, and while it
isn’t nearly as untamed as it used
to be, it’s got more than enough ad-
venture for this roving reporter!
DI DI DI
DI DI DI DI
46 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
I s s u e DI 1 4 DI 9 DI