Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-04-13
PLANS FOR THE SUMMER.
The Rocky Mountains, and tho Pleas

Tho Rocky Mountains, and the Pleas
ures Awaiting the Tourist There.
The winter being over. the time ap-
proaches when one begins to think Of
the locality for his summer outing, and
plans are laid for the greatest pleasure
with the most reasonable outlay Of
money. Variety is-needed, else absence
from business is not absolute release
from care, and they are fortunate who
have learned the benefits of the Rocky
Mountain country. How to travel and
where to go are the important primar-
les to be considered, and perhaps can
aid some one who has not yet learned
the way. The route should be the one
which makes you comfortable from the
time you leave the station until you
reach your destination, supplying for
that purpose commodious cars and the
latest equipment for American touring.
The Missouri Pacific System, with its
arms reaching to every part of this
Western country, gives everyone a
great advantage. Take their superb
train to Pueblo, the gateway to the
magnificent Colorado scenery. Twenty
four hours places the most eastern
dweller Of the state right in the heart
of the great divide, and he has enjoyed
such scenes en- route as wealthy tour
lists cross the ocean to find. The Den
yer & Rio Grande Road, the Great
Scenic Route of the world, takes you
at Pueblo or Denver, and whirls you
through canons where there must have
been an enchantment and where giant
arms have dashed the boulders into
their present resting places. The ride
through the Royal Gorge displays the
great ingenuity of it's engineers, and
the obstinate determination of its
builders. The rails are placed in al
most inaccessible places, along the
edge of the stream or torrent, which,
with wonderful skill, has been forced
out of the way to make room for the
rock road bed and the iron rails. At
certain points the torrent maintains Its
supremacy, but the difficulty is met and
surmounted, a set of hangers being
made into the cliffs overhead, to sup
port the bridge work and track. The
stream Is still jubilant of its power
over man, and laughs, booms and
dashes by as the train passes, not car
ing for the queer shadows that fall into
it, II it can only be supreme at this
critical point. The canon is one Of the
grandest in the world, barely wide
enough, in certain parts, to admit Of
the stream and the tracks, the granite
walls Of giant mountains towering
above and over all, and giving a still
more impressive object lesson of the
great force of Nature which has caused
1t all. The climb is long one, and
after leaving Salida you think 1t is over
and that as you enter upon slight
down grade, or a smiling valley, that
you are now going to slide down into
the great San Luis Valley. Never were
you more mistaken; and IL you look
you will see two putting little giants
pulling the train for several hours yet.
At length, however, when you have be-
gun to wish for breakfast, the summit
is reached, and there is rapid stride
down the western slope, and into the
beautiful valley. For more than fifty
miles the track is as straight as an ar
row, and the train speeds along bring
ing you into Alamosa for breakfast,
right under the shadow of Blanco, the
highest mountain in this country. All
around are smiling fields as far as the
eye can reach, until vision is interrupt
ed by the mountains which encircle the
valley. Some one has said the West
Mountains and the Sangre de Cristo
range on the east are a ring, and that
Blanco Is the setting. These mountains
afford every variety Of amusement and
There Is fine trout fish,
Ing; in season there are plenty of
ducks and Sand Hill Cranes, Brants,
Geese and Curlew. These are in the
valley. II big game is desired you must
90 back into the mountains, where Elk,
Bear, Mountain Sheep and Lions,
Grouse, etc., are still to be found. Out
1T at one of the pleasant little hamlets
and spend month In these mountains
and in this valley, il you want an out
Ing. If you wish to meet the gay So
,ial parties that make the mountains
heir home in summer go to Colorado
Springs, Manitou, or some other of the
delightful resorts on the line of the
Denver & Rio Grande road.
e. p. BAKER.