A Day In Colorado...

13 January 2006

Just after our last Leadership Development session, I headed for the hills... so to speak! Adjacent to the Nature Center in Florissant where I had spent the week in training was Florissant Fossil Beds national Monument. It was set aside in 1969 to preserve the spectacular prehistoric fossil record buried away in the shale there. About 35 million years ago, volcanic ash covered what was then a large lake and provided the perfect matrix to preserve delicate insects, spiders, and plants that came to rest on the bottom of the lake.

"When the mountains are overthrown and the seas uplifted, the universe at Florissant flings itself against a gnat and preserves it."-- Dr. Arthur C. Peale, Hayden Expedition Geologist, 1873.

The volcanic activity also petrified the redwood trees which at one time covered the entire area. I took a hike to check it out and was amazed at the redwoods the settlers had tried to cut out because they got in the way of the wagon trains. There were saw blade still stuck in the stumps! It is a lovely area with Pike's Peak always shining not far off in the distance.

As I drove out of the mountains and to Colorado Springs, I stopped along the way to do a bit of Indian jewelry shopping. The dark, long-haired man at the shop, clinking with his own rings and bracelets gave me a thorough background in turquoise, its origins, its use, and subsequent value. I finally made it out of the shop with my own turquoise - handcrafted Navaho earrings and a Navaho ring set with a bobcat claw.

Next stop was Garden of the Gods Park. It is famous for its red rocks (especially the one that looks barely perched in the pic) and great rock climbing venue.

I then visited Van Briggle Pottery on the outskirts of Colorado Springs. Established in 1899, is one of the oldest active art potteries in the United States. Founded by Artus Van Briggle, of Holland Dutch descent, Van Briggle Pottery has been considered one of the great American art potteries for over a century. The Art Nouveau designs are quite collectible, and quite expensive! In fact, examples of Van Briggle pottery can be seen in permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum in New York , the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. , The British Museum in London , and at the Louvre in Paris. I think I'll leave it to the museums and collectors!

After this last stop on the local tour I made my way through Colorado Springs and north towards Denver in hopes of clearing it before rush hour as I headed to the Butler's house...

- Tiffany


Related links:
Florissant Fossil Beds NM: http://www.nps.gov/flfo
Garden of the Gods: http://www.gardenofgods.com/default.asp
Van Briggle Pottery: http://dynamicinnovation.net/vanbriggle/index.htm