Mountain Secrets Blog

A weekend is a sacred thing, isn't it?

Whether our weekends start on a Friday, a Tuesday, or somewhere in between, they are something to be cherished. They provide a well-deserved break between the drudgery of consecutive work days and we become the masters of our own destiny for those short, blessedly unallocated hours.

My own imagination starts percolating right around the time Tuesday shows up. I think, "I could sleep, around the clock, for the entire weekend!" or "I may just lounge around in my skivvies and binge watch the latest Netflix season." I COULD do those things, but my adventurous side wins over. "What road trip would take me to someplace I've never seen before?" I think, and usually go with that.

 -There's nothing like a good find.

Unearthing a forgotten or buried treasure (whether it was hidden months or decades ago) is a thrill. I know you know what I mean. So do antique shops, who take pride in their people traveling miles for a coveted candy dish. Swap meets, flea markets, and garage sales bank on the good finds, too. They count on the theory that "One man's trash is another man's treasure." My own Aunt Fran makes her living by it, mining nuggets of genealogy for curious folks who are eager to know whether their ancestors are heroes, villains, or just plain folk like us. (You're reading one of her edits today, in fact. She's just that good.)

I'm taking a page out of Aunt Fran's book this week and going on my own historical treasure hunt. It's my adventure and privilege to unearth the good finds around Conifer, Colorado. It's a little piece of heaven nestled in the foothills about 15 miles southwest of Denver going West up Highway 285. Conifer has a long history of treasure seekers, being first used as plentiful hunting grounds by the Arapaho, Ute and Cheyenne tribes, and then sheltering miners, trappers, and a plethora of pioneering souls who happened upon the place.

You know those weird neighbors that have nothing in common with you? The nosy ones that stare through your window to see what's up in your world just so they can tell you how to do your life better? Those sort of neighbors make living in a community a challenge sometimes. I've been known to hunch my shoulders and run inside as they start to come my way. You may have done the same thing, too. But this year, this year ... I don't have those neighbors AT ALL. I'm talking about the other ones. The awesome ones. The neighbors we all cross our fingers for when the moving van pulls up.

If you're a resident of the towns that make up the Jefferson, Park, and Clear Creek Counties of Colorado, you've probably heard that same phrase from every tourist that crosses your beautiful trails and frequent your shops.
Well.
You, dear Mountain Town Folk, are patient, generous people. When this phrase comes your way, you are known to open your lives and history to those who want to know more...