Cripple Creek, CO

I wonder how well this law was enforced?

The photo of this old sign was taken at the Cripple Creek District Museum which used to be Cripple Creek's train depot. At one time, the Cripple Creek district had over 500 gold mines. Cripple Creek is about an hour away from Colorado Springs.

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Colorado Springs: See It. Experience It. Live It.

Once upon a time, there was no such thing as a cell phone.

People that just HAD to stay connected wore pagers.

Most people were content with an answering machine at home.

If someone had an answering machine; that meant that they did not have a party line.

If someone needed to place a call, they used a phone in a telephone booth.

Just this last weekend, I found an old telephone booth in a museum. The phone was so old that the hand set and mouth piece were separate.

Can you imagine conducting real estate business without a cell phone?

I stumbled across this old telephone booth at the Cripple Creek District museum in Cripple Creek, Colorado. The Cripple Creek/Victor District was the home to over 500 gold mines at one time. Cripple Creek is about an hour away from Colorado Springs.

Colorado: See It. Experience It. Live It.

Left behind from the Gold Rush??? Well this one may not be that old...

Turn back the clock to the late 1800’s. The young United States was full of opportunity, heart ache and tears. Railroads, cattle and gold all played key roles in the story.

In Colorado, gold was discovered in the mountains just to the west of Colorado Springs. During the peak of the gold rush, there were over 500 mines in the area which is referred to as the Cripple Creek Victor Mining District. Gold made millionaires of a few men. It has provided jobs for thousands of others.

Today, if you want to step back in time or just see some gorgeous Colorado country side - be sure to visit the Cripple Creek/ Victor Mining District. I'm hoping to that way this weekend with a camera in hand.

Colorado: See It. Experience It. Live It.

Cripple Creek is a former mining town not too far out of Colorado Springs. A City that made many millionaires and kept many paupers in the late 1800s, it is fascinating and quirky and fun to visit.

Until the late 1990s it was a charming place – jewelry stores, saloons, old mining-type stores – just the kind of place that you would want to wander and stroll on a weekend afternoon. But within the last decade or so, Cripple Creek was made into a gambling town, and all of the quaint and interesting shops have become casinos.

Still a unique little town that is fun to visit, I recently packed the nieces and grandkids in the car and made a little trip ‘up the mountain’ to check on one of my listings. They were totally enamored with the quaintness of the houses and the buildings and the inhabitants of the town. Actually, it is quite difficult to drive down the street, as is evidenced by this picture. If you slow down for a stop sign, you are swarmed. This is a picture of the lady who stopped at the opposing stop sign . . . the kids were enthralled.

Please Move Your Ass was written by Mimi Foster

Donkey Derby Days in Cripple Creek was a huge success! Held July 25-26 in the historic mining community of Cripple Creek, the event drew thousands of people who came to eat, drink, but especially to see the donkey races!

The streets were lined with tents filled with every kind of merchandize imaginable. There were birdfeeders made from crystal plates and poultry feeders, a wide variety of clothing (children and adult), unique jewelry, artwork and food choices to suit any appetite.

At noon, the crowds moved back from the street to allow the parade to march through. From bagpipes to hot cars, there was something for everyone.

The Donkey race was a riot to watch as teams tried to get their donkey to move from station to station where they had to complete a task before proceeding. One such challenge was to load a large bag of gold dust (sand) into each side of saddlebags mounted on the donkey's back. Of course, some of teams had difficulty even controlling the donkey!

Hope to see you next year! This donkey has his eye on you......