e's
Peak on the south to Long's Peak on the north. It is a grand view and
should be seen more than once to be fully appreciated. One may sit on
the steps of the fine Capitol building just a mile above sea level, and
enjoy the same view.

Or one may take a famous mountain drive, winding up and up a stiff
mountain road until one has reached the summit and can look down on
miles of plains and on the city of Denver in the distance.

CHAPTER X

Leaving Denver in the afternoon, we drove to Boulder; from Boulder to
Plattville and from Plattville due north to Greeley. All along to the
left, between Plattville and Greeley, we had fine views of the whole
line of mountains, and particularly of Long's Peak. Again we were
impressed by the fertility of the Colorado alfalfa fields and by the
rich green of its meadows. Greeley is a very attractive town with wide
streets and with pretty homes set in green lawns. It is well shaded,
stands high, and looks off to the noble line of mountains to the south.
Early on July 15th we left Greeley, taking a last look at the glorious
mountains to the south. We passed through fields upon fields of alfalfa
and of grain. Great stacks of alfalfa everywhere dotted the country. The
greenness of the land was refreshing. Then we came into more rolling
country, less cultivated. We were plainly in a new part of the country,
in this northwest corner of the State. The houses were new, and often
small. In some places new houses stood alongside the old ones, the
earlier ones being made of tar paper and looking like little cigar
boxes. Some houses had tents erected near them for use as barns. Some
houses were made of sod. There were very few trees, most ranch houses
looking bare and bald. We passed quantities of a beautiful blue flower,
growing sometimes in great patches. Its bell-shaped flowers, sometimes
rose, sometimes lavender, grew on tall green stalks. We also saw a
beautiful starry white flower growing along the roadside. At Sterling we
had a particularly good luncheon at the Southern Hotel on the main
street. We exhorted our host and hostess to put out a Lincoln Highway
sign, so that none should miss their excellent table.

We saw our old friends, the Matilija poppies, growing along the roadside
as we went along in the hot afternoon. This was one of the hottest days
of driving that we had in all our tour, and in it we made our longest
run, two hundred and eight miles. We took early supper at th