MOTHER CABRINI SHRINE - Golden, Colorado on "TRAVEL TUESDAY"

On the side of Lookout Mountain, in Golden, Colorado, sits a beautiful landscape that holds a peaceful shrine dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini - this is the Mother Cabrini Shine.

Although a Colorado/Denver native, this was one spot I had never been until I tagged along with a sister-in-law this summer.  Open to the public, free of charge, 365 days a year.  Mother Cabrini came to Denver in 1902 to work with the Italian immigrants and miners.  This is one of the ways she came to be known as the Patron Saint of Immigrants.  What is known today as the Mother Cabrini Shrine, was originally established as a summer camp for orphan girls at Mother Cabrini's Queen of Heaven Orphanage in Denver.  The land was purchased in 1909.

While no reliable source of water was known to exist on the property at the time, there were two barns and a spring house that had been built sometime in the late 1800s.  The only water was in a small pond next to the spring house.  All the water needed for drinking and cooking had to be brought up the canyon from a stream below.  The Stone House (middle right) was built between 1912/1914, as a summer dormitory for the orphan girls, and later serving as the convent for the Sisters of the Sacred Heart before the permanent convent building (left bottom) was completed in 1970.  The site is self-supporting, receiving no funding from the Archdiocese of Denver.

Mother Cabrini discovered a spring on the property in 1912.  A replica of the Grotto of Lourdes was built over the spring in 1929.  Demolished and replaced by the current sandstone grotto in 1959, the spring, which is housed in an 8,000 gallon tank, has never stopped running.

The mountain gardens surrounding the grotto and throughout the property are beautiful and serene, offering up some gorgeous Colorado vistas.

The property became a pilgrimage site in 1938, following the beatification of Mother Cabrini, and was established as a shrine in 1946 - the year she was canonized.  A 373-step stairway was constructed, following a path Mother Cabrini took to the top of the mountain.  Along this staircase, you will find beautiful mosaics depicting the Stations of the Cross, as well as numerous benches should you need to rest on your way to the top - it's quite a climb.

There is also a road running from the bottom to the top, for those not inclined to make the hike.  

In 1954, a 22 ft. carved statue depicting the Sacred Heart of Jesus was mounted atop an 11 ft. base, and erected at the highest point of the site.

In 1912, Mother Cabrini took several sisters, and a few children from the orphanage, along what was (at the time) a cow path, to the base of the highest hill.  From there, leaving their buggy below, they climbed to the top where they gathered white stones - Mother Cabrini arranged them in the shape of a heart, surmounted by a cross - the Sacred Heart.  Those stones remain in the same position to this day, at the base of the statue, covered by a glass case.

An old wagon on the property, where we stopped to watch a large elk herd.  In the history of the site (there is a great little museum housed in the old spring house, also), it was mentioned that the girls would load up native stones for the construction of the Stone House, into horse drawn wagons.  I can only assume this may be the remains of one of those very conveyances.  For more information on this beautiful site, as well as travel directions, click on this link...MOTHER CABRINI SHRINE.

BUFFALO BILL MUSEUM AND GRAVE, GOLDEN, CO on "TRAVEL TUESDAY"

High atop Lookout Mountain, towering above Golden, CO (home of Colorado School of Mines and COORS Brewing Company), is the final (and fitting) resting place of one of America's legendary frontiersmen, William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody.

I-70 from Denver, will get you there just fine (with a turnoff at Lookout Mountain Rd...find a GPS, don't take me at my word, though it's easy enough to get there)...the winding switchbacks of the historic Lariat Loop Byway will take you up the other side from Golden.  Plan to take the Loop for the scenery and vistas of the Great Plains, at least one of the ways, either up or down.

Born in 1846, Buffalo Bill went on to dabble in fur trapping, gold mining, riding for the Pony Express, soldiering in the Civil War, scouting for the Army, and buffalo hunting - but was undoubtedly most famous for his world renowned "Buffalo Bill's Wild West", in later years. 

This beautiful little museum will cost you all of $5.00 to tour ($4.00 for seniors, $1.00 for children 6-15...under that, you're free). There is no charge for wandering up the hill to the grave if you choose to skip the museum and just enjoy the beautiful views the area affords (do the museum, though - you'll be glad you did).

Cody founded "Buffalo Bill's Wild West", a circus-like attraction that toured annually throughout the United States and Europe, in 1883.  The show would typically begin with a parade on horseback, with participants from horse-culture groups that included US and other military, American Indians, and performers from all over the world in their best attire.  Visitors would be wowed by main events, feats of skill, staged races, and sideshows. Many historical western figures participated in the show - Sitting Bull appeared with a band of 20 of his braves, as well as other well-known headliners of the day such as Annie Oakley, Frank Butler, and Calamity Jane, to name a few.

The museum is featuring a special exhibit presently, dedicated to the American Indians who travelled with the show.  "Oskate Wicasa - One Who Performs" will be on display until January of 2014.

Performers re-enacted the riding of the Pony Express, Indian attacks on wagon trains, and stagecoach robberies. The show was said to end with a re-enactment of Custer's Last Stand, in which Cody portrayed General Custer, but this was more legend than fact, in all actuality. The finale was typically said to be a portrayal of an Indian attack on a settler's cabin. Cody would ride in with an entourage of cowboys to defend a settler and his family.

Trick and sharp shooting were also on the bill during the shows - there's a little something for just about every old west history buff at this museum...plus a hands-on area for the little ones, where they can dress up cowboy style - boots, chaps, the whole nine yards - and rope a steer.  An approximate 15 minute video at the beginning of the museum gets you off on a great start to your self-guided tour through the displays.

The Pahaska Tepee was built as the original Museum in 1921 and remains today as the Museum gift shop and cafe - a regional tourist destination for many decades, we had some pretty fabulous Root Beer Floats there that afternoon, after paying our respects to old Bill, up the hill, behind the "Tepee".

Cody died, in Denver, in 1917. There's been quite a bit of controversy over the years, that continues to this day, between the city of Denver and Cody, WY (and most recently, NE), over where exactly his final resting spot should be (after ALL these years). Family and friends affirmed, before burial, that Lookout Mountain was indeed his own, personal choice. 

On June 3, 1917, Buffalo Bill was buried on Lookout Mountain, a promontory with spectacular views of both the mountains and plains, places where he had spent the happiest times of his life. His wife, Louisa, lies beside him.  The walk to the grave is paved, and on a slight incline - nothing strenuous...just a beautiful stroll through the pines.

The grave and museum are open year-round - for more info on times and driving directions, as well as an online look at the museum offerings and special events, please visit BUFFALO BILL MUSEUM AND GRAVE.

As you travel through the foothills (or Colorado's larger mountain ranges) keep your eyes open for wildlife on the sides of and/or crossing roads (these are Mule Deer, or "Mulies", as they are also affectionately known).  A late winter/early spring storm was moving in the day we visited the museum, or those skies would be as brilliant blue as the background of the CO flag.

Til' next week on "Travel Tuesday", happy trails and SAFE travels!  Holding the people of Granbury, TX and Moore, OK, in our hearts - XOXO