Leadville, Colorado

💞 Leadville, Colorado is a very special place for us. 40 years ago next month will be the first time Tim & I came here and stayed at Sugar Loafin’ Campground. We visited here numerous times over our first 10 years while the boys were young. The last trip here was 21 years ago with our 3 sons and 2 dogs!! 🐶 🐕 That year we dressed up in our Marlins shirts and hats and built a ⛄️ ( put a Marlins hat ⛄️ too) there at Turquoise Lake, that picture actually got published in the Marlins program for “where has your Florida Marlins Hat been”! Tim’s great, great, grandfather was a miner here and back in 1981 during our first trip to Leadville, we found his house and toured the mines. Our 1985 trip, we walked into an Antique Store (close to Mt Elbert) there in Leadville …..and walked out with our deer mount that sits above our fireplace to this day…and his name is Elbert 🏔 Tim made a mount on the wall of the RV for it to hang over the table, so it wouldn’t get damaged on the drive home! 😱🤦🏻‍♀️ Across from that, Tim had suspended the playpen above the back bed for 10 month old John! All about the rigging!🤣 For that 6 week trip we traveled in a Class C motorhome which we rebuilt inside and out and of course we sold it when we got home to get something else! As you can see we have such wonderful memories in Colorado! 🏔 ***Leadville is the highest incorporated city in North America at an elevation of 10,152 feet.The mountain scenery is out of this world, with 14-thousand foot peaks all around you, including the 2 tallest peaks in Colorado.🏔 ⛰ Mt Elbert 14,440 & Mt Massive 14,428! Both surrounded us at the campground. The city population was 2,762 in 2018. A former silver mining town it lies in the heart of the Rocky Mountains & the Leadville Historic District contains many historic structures and sites in its dynamic mining era. In the late 19th century, Leadville was the second most populous city in Colorado, after Denver. ***The Leadville area was first settled in 1859 when placer gold was discovered in California Gulch during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. The early miners had noted that mining for placer gold was hampered by heavy black sand in the sluice boxes and in 1874 it was discovered that the heavy sand that impeded gold recovery was the lead mineral cerussite, which has a high silver content. Prospectors traced the cerussite to its source, present day Leadville, and by 1876 had discovered several silver-lead deposits. Horace Tabor, who became known as the “Leadville Silver King”, and his wife Baby Doe were among the first prospectors to arrive in Oro City. Tabor tried his luck at prospecting while his wife worked as a camp cook, laundress, banker and postmistress. Leadville was founded in 1877 by miners Horace Tabor and August Meyer. The town was built on desolate flat land below the tree line. The first miners lived in a rough tented camp near the silver deposits in California Gulch. Initially, the settlement was called “Slabtown”, but when the residents petitioned for a post office, the name “Leadville” was chosen. By 1880, Tabor and Meyer’s new town had gas lighting, water mains, 28 miles of streets, five churches, three hospitals, six banks, and a school for 1,100 students. Many business buildings were constructed with bricks hauled in by wagons. A lot of the old mines still stand and the town has been preserved very well! *** As we climbed up the mountain side to Leadville, the temperature was dropping fast. Saw moose along the road. As we pulled in it was 38* 🥶❄️ We were very excited when we pulled in to Sugar Loafin campground to see that it was exactly like it was all those years ago! The office, play ground, sites still the same…ice cream social nightly continues (for $1.00 you bring your own bowl & spoon & it’s all you can eat)… our family loved this! The campground is 53 years old and it’s run by the couples son Don now. His mom Mary died 5 years ago & gave him the campground! She was the mastermind behind starting up the campground. We couldn’t express enough to him how we loved the simple campground and so glad the family who started it stills runs it! We shared many memories with him. We set up Ruby in the best site, surrounded by snow capped mountains all around us.❄️🏔 Then took a ride up to Turquoise Lake, which was frozen solid and snow deep all around us when then it started snowing! ❄️ Like a little kid I got out and danced around and played! Called all the kids to show them the snow! 🥰 Then after feeling really cold we drove into town! We’re driving while it’s snowing…crazy fun! Went into the Legendary Silver Dollar Saloon and each had 2 drinks to warm the bones! 🥃🍹. ***The Silverdollar is the second oldest saloon in Colorado. Established in 1879….With its original tile floor (brought in from Italy was the first tile floor in Leadville) and its custom made bar with original diamond dust mirrors. When we entered it was like stepping into the past. As you enter the doors which are very thick wood and heavy, there’s a windbreak room (dual purpose area, keeps harsh winds & cold out and obstructs view of drinkers inside)! Many features throughout the building are the original pieces. Even the trap doors behind the bar for quick disposal of bottles. The back room was used for gambling & musical entertainment. The saloon has stayed opened since it opened. The bar is named after the second daughter of Horace & Baby Doe Tabor … for her baby giggle sounded like “the ring of a silver dollar”. (Rosemary Silver Dollar Tabor). Around 1883, outlaw “Doc Holliday” moved to Leadville after the fight at the OK Corral. He live across the street and visited the saloon for gambling, drinking and played the piano (which is still in the back room today). Jimmy Buffet wrote the song Incommunicado in one of the booths. The song is about the passing of his friend John Wayne. “Now on the day that John Wayne died -I found myself on the continental divide-tell me where do we go from here? Think I’ll ride into Leadville and have a few beers- Think of Red River, Liberty Valence, can’t believe the old man’s gone”. ****The next day was Tim’s birthday! We woke up in the middle of the night to no water because everything was frozen! 🥶 I made him his favorite breakfast, biscuits & sausage gravy, eggs, bacon and sausage! 🍳 🥓 Then off to tour a museum! The National Mining Hall of Fame is a museum dedicated to commemorating the work of miners and people who work with natural resources. The museum occupies 25,000 square feet. Major exhibits include an elaborate model railroad, a walk-through replica of an underground hardrock mine, the Gold Rush room, with many specimens of native gold, a large collection of minerals, a mining art gallery and a gift shop. 5 levels in the museum, so we spent a few hours here but to our surprise as we were coming down the stairs …..it was snowing really hard! I was like a little kid again. It snowed for hours! ❄️⛄️❄️ Stopped by the saloon for a birthday drink then went to High Mountain Pies for pizza (that’s what Tim wanted)🤣😂! Amazing pies! 🍕 Then back to camper…which was covered in snow! Ice on the windows! Time foe presents and birthday cake and german chocolate cake! What a great day! The next morning we stood in amazement of the magnificent mountains & crisp clean air…..God’s Church, we were so humbled by its glory and thankful for all our memories…past and present! 🌞🙏🏻🏔 Such a special, magical place for us. Said goodbye to owner and off to Littleton, Colorado. 🎉🎉 We just added another reason for loving Colorado…🔔 our youngest son Daniel proposed 💍 to his girlfriend Lauren last week one a getaway trip to Colorado! 💞 We are so very happy for them! They too share our love for this beautiful state! ❤️