Cripple Creek

Downtown Cripple Creek

Well wouldn't you know it...I saw an event listed in one of the circulars that comes in the mail about a Christmas Event in Cripple Creek this year.  Of course it didn't take me any time to determine that we needed to go there and join in the festivities.  Mark's take on this...and I quote..."Is it going to be cold?". NOT, "What is there to do there?" or "When does it start?"  Nope...just "Is it going to be cold?".  Sometimes I wonder about the guy!

The information that was in the circular was a little vague so I called the Cripple Creek Visitor's and Information Center and spoke with a really nice lady and asked her about the event.  She let me know she didn't know much about the event because she was just filling in for the day for someone who was out sick; but was quick to transfer me to another gal.  Seems that Cripple Creek was having some sort of epidemic because the second gal I got a hold of didn't know much either because she was filling in for someone who was out sick as well.  So I was transferred to another gal and fortunately she actually knew what I was talking about.  She gave me the hours, directions to the events and was very helpful with info on the celebration.   There were three things that sounded interesting to us: visiting the Mining Heritage museum, going on the 5:30 pm guided shuttle tour of the lighted Headframes (entrances to the mines) and going to Victor, another mining town about 7 miles away, to watch their lighted Christmas parade.

So on Saturday Mark and I headed south to Cripple Creek.  It's less than 100 miles to get there so we set off a little after lunchtime.  The drive was uneventful considering that the mountains have been been hit with lots of snow these past few weeks.  

We got to Cripple Creek around 2 pm and we wanted to find out where the shuttle was leaving from so that we could be there on time.  The nice gal on the phone earlier in the week had encouraged us to be at the shuttle at least 15 minutes early to ensure that we could get a seat since they didn't accept reservations. So we headed over to the Visitor's and Information Center, which is a converted train car, to ask for directions.  This train car was about 50 feet long, filled with brochures and such, but only had one man (with one phone) in attendance.  Now remember, I had called to talk to someone earlier in the week and I was transferred to three different ladies. There was hardly enough room in the train car for more than one attendant at a time so I guess they were just transferring my call to anyone in town who was on the party line.  But I digress.  We asked the man about where go to get to the shuttle and guess what?  HE didn't know anything about anything either!!!!  Oh my lands.  So he told us to go to the Mining Heritage Museum and that "they should know something".  So off we went in search of someone, ANYONE who knew what was going on.  Fortunately the lady at the museum was a lot more helpful.  She found a local flyer that listed the day's events and told us where to meet the shuttle, and again told us to be there at least 15 minutes early.  Okay, okay.  We get it.  Be there 15 minutes early.

In the meantime we went through the museum.  Cripple Creek was established in the 1870's after gold was discovered there.  The museum had lots of memorabilia and photos from the height of the gold rush. Unfortunately the town is now the home to a bunch of casinos.  But fortunately they are housed in the original buildings built in the late 1800's so the town still has the look of a turn-of-the-century mining town.

Main Street through Cripple Creek

We toured a building that was the original town store and it had the top floor restored with furnishings from the late 1800's.  The museum grounds also had an actual miner's cabin, an assayer's building, and a one room cabin that was owned by a lady who "entertained" the miners.  

Miner's cabin

Inside of Miner's cabin

Santa was visiting Cripple Creek

In the museum

One of Cripple Creek's switchboards

Bronze honoring the donkeys that worked in the mines

Mark looking at the rock samples

After we finished with the museum we went to look for the shuttle stop.  And just as luck would have it, a shuttle showed up right as we got there.  So I got out of the truck and walked over to talk to the shuttle driver.  When I asked him if being at the shuttle 15 minutes early would ensure that we got a seat on the tour he looked at me like I had two heads.  I kid you not.  He said he had no idea what I was talking about.  But he suggested that we check in at the Aspen Mine Center and they should have all of the information about the shuttle that we needed.  Fortunately Cripple Creek is NOT that big so we easily found the Aspen Mine Center but guess what?  It was closed.  Mmmm hmmm.  That's right.  CLOSED.

Well we knew that we needed to eat before we got on the shuttle so we found a nice little restaurant to eat at and then we made our way back to the shuttle stop a full 30 minutes ahead of time.  And we waited, and we waited, and we waited.  And nobody else was showing up.  And it was 15 minutes before the shuttle was supposed to leave. And no shuttle arrived. And nobody else had shown up. And it was 5:30.  And no shuttle arrived. By this time we figured we were either on Candid Camera or there was no shuttle leaving.  About the time that the two of us figured that out, a lady walked by and asked us if we were okay.  (Mark's gray hair must make us look like we get confused a lot) We explained that we were there for the Lighted Headframe shuttle tour and she just looked at us and said, "Oh that was last night".  WHAT?  WHAT????  Are you kidding me?  All of the activities were on FRIDAY not SATURDAY?  Somehow during all of the phone calls and the person-to-person queries someone failed to mention that the festivities were going to be held on Friday.  Did I mention that the circular was vague and I needed information from someone to clarify what was going on?  Do you think that any ONE of the half-dozen people I spoke with would have told me that the festivities were on FRIDAY?!?! Nope.  Not one.  Geez. (Insert a HUGE eye roll here).  That meant there was no tour, no lighted Headframes, no parade, no nothing. NADA.

And you know, there's usually a moral to a story like this.  But this time there isn't.

Oh and by the way.  It was not cold.