Sometimes you pass a site frequently enough that it just becomes
part of the landscape so that you never consider checking out what’s there .
There are a few places like that west of Denver in view of I-70 that are like
that. So one morning after “boot camp” at Red Rocks when everyone else went off
to do their worky thing, I decided to take a short ride up into the hills to
check out the Mother Cabrini Shrine and the town of Idaho Springs.

The Catholic shrine is dedicated to Saint Frances Xavier
Cabrini and is located in the hills above Golden, close enough to I-70 that the
22 foot tall statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus can be seen from the highway.
I decided to drive up, walk up the hill past the station of the cross and take
in the view from the top. Whew, that was a hard climb after running up and down
the steps and athletically climbing over the seating at Red Rocks Park for over
an hour earlier in the morning. OK, I’ve seen what’s there now!

I drove on down into the valley to Idaho Springs, the old
mining town in Clear Creek Canyon that I-70 runs alongside. Idaho Springs is a
place I frequently stop in for a snack or a pee or sometimes a meal at Beaujo’s
or Tommyknockers Brewery on the way to or from the mountains, but it also has
an appealing old Main Street in its center and a historic mine complex, the
Argo Gold Mine, that can be toured. However, I was out of luck because it wasn’t
open the day I was there. Hmmm, I thought all attractions were open daily
through the summer months. I guess I need to do better Internet research and
come back another time for it.