On Wed, 20 Dec 2006 19:40:34 -0700, "Robert Barker"
wrote:

"DABEAR" wrote in message
ups.com...

I hated ~ absolutely hated ~ spending hours, days, even years of my
life, in crowded, L.A. Traffic, including at least one instance of
complete gridlock following a series of accidents about ten years ago.
One to two hours to travel at best, 35 miles in the Los Angeles area.
The time you spend on an L.A. freeway adds up. Here, in Manitou
Springs, I'm ten minutes from downtown Colorado Springs, or I'm five
minutes from the road to Pikes Peak, or an hour from Cripple Creek, or
45 minutes from Denver, and so on and so fourth.

Hmmm...watching the news today it sounded like it takes days to get
between those places.:-))

I'm roughly eight hours from the Balloon Festival in New Mexico. I'm
pretty darned close to Las Cruces, White Sands and a few other choice
places. I can fly anywhere in the World from Denver and back again.

snip

Third reason: enjoying having the Seasons again. Snow tonight. They
can't say that in Los Angeles, California.

How many feet?

My daughter lives on the second range. Their last big storm dropped 12
feet in ought three I think. It was part way up on their sliding glass
door to the second story deck. They only received three feet out of
this one. OTOH they are in Cabo San Lucas with a Frontier flight to
arrive in Denver around 5:00. I figure they may be home by Christmas
if they're lucky:-))

But you are right, it's beautiful country. I typically fly into Jefco
(BJC) or I did. I haven't flown out there in a few years


And Air Shows, Air Races and Rocketry (sans the RRL, which is a
fraudulent joke), all around me. Four air museums within 45 minutes of
me in all directions.

Mountain Goats, Big Horn Sheep, sunrises and sunsets that are to die
for, rivers, lakes, streams, springs (one runs right past my door), and
the history of the old west mixed with a college town that includes the
U.S. Air Force Academy, Peterson and Schreiver AFBs, along with Ft.
Carson, all within ten minutes of me, not to mention Colorado Springs
Airport.

And that's it..."Found Paradise" ~ 'nother reason to leave L.A.

I can't imagine living in CA even for money.


You forgot to mention that VFR around here means 120 mile visibility (every
direction except west :-). IFR for me is when I can't see Mt Evans (65
miles N) from Centennial Airport (KAPA) :-D... And how about the aircraft
firms? Nexaer, Adams, ATG...

Hmmm... last time I left BJC it was around 5 miles. They thought I was
crazy for taking off in such poor weather. I told them it was a lot
better than what I'd left back here. OTOH by the time we were 5
minutes South of BJC you could see of 75 miles plus. Looking back
North it looked like a gray wall just North of the airport.


Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com