SEA TO SHINING SEA January 21, 2004 (Referring to July 2, and Eagle, Colorado), Note: from what I've since ascertained, the population of Eagle, Colorado, is about 2,000 now; therefore I assume that the population was less than that back in 1951. In addition it's about 7,000 feet above sea level and is close to the Continental Divide. July 3, 1951. After breakfast we hadn't driven very far (straight UP) when we saw a sign announcing the Continental Divide about fifty feet ahead. Ric stopped the car along the road and I ran up to the sign to read what it said. I was totally surprised that I was completely out of breath and was having difficulty breathing in the thin air. As I recall, we were at around the 10,000-foot elevation. I got back in the car, we crossed the Divide, but it was only minutes afterward when I felt the full effects of the high altitude. I felt very sick to my stomach and I even had Ric stop the car to let me out in case I couldn't keep my breakfast down. When I got back in the car and we started up again, I found myself very shaky and nauseous and it was agreed that we would turn around and go back to the Diamond J Cabins. We pulled up in front of our recently vacated cabins and found the "maid" preparing to refreshen our cabins for the next occupants. I was the one who approached her and told her of my condition and asked if we could stay in our rooms one more day. I'll never forget her frank response, "You can stay as long as you damned well want to, honey!" Oh my, she was such a warmhearted woman! I took to my bed and stayed there the entire day and night, feeling my stomach calming down and my strength coming back. July 4, 1951. The next morning I felt well enough to continue and we started out again. Back over the Continental Divide and down the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The scenery continued to be breathtaking. HUGE rock formations that were unbelievable and gave us a glimpse into the ice age and what had put them there. The long miles downward were absolutely frightening. It was one frightening curve after another on the two-lane road. I was sitting on the passenger side of the car and when I looked out my side window, my only scenery was a scant few feet of road on the side and then straight down HUNDREDS of feet into a deep canyon. I can't recall that there were even guardrails along the road! I couldn't bear to think of the possibility of what could happen to us with just a wrong turn of the steering wheel and I moved over as far away as I could from the window. When we got down to lower altitudes we began seeing lots of sagebrush and COWBOYS! WOW! Regarding vegetation, with the exception of sagebrush the only other thing of note were trees along the streams. We crossed into Utah in the afternoon and found ourselves surprised that we surrounded by almost desert! That afternoon we stopped at Green River, Utah, where they were having a 4th of July rodeo. We couldn't pass up such an opportunity to see a honest-to-goodness rodeo! And it was beyond our wildest dreams! What made it so special is that we knew that the cowboys were for REAL and that it was put on for and by cowboys and the local people for a special 4th of July celebration of their own. What made it even more special to me were the conversations I struck up with the local people. The people were the BEST! They were so warmhearted and friendly and welcomed us Easterners with almost open arms. After the rodeo was over, I really, really wanted to stay later so that I might have a chance to talk with some of the cowboys and ask them lots and lots of questions. But I guess it wouldn't have been proper since I was a married woman (especially since I was only nineteen years old!). And somehow, I guess that my husband and mother thought it wouldn't be either! But oh my, what I could have learned about the cowboy's lives and their work and their horses! That's what I dearly wanted to talk with them about! vee