I had to go to Denver, Colorado for a five day school on the Search Query Language (SQL) for Release 10g of Oracle's Database. Much to Oracle's credit, not only did they decide to keep all the old Oracle stuff, they've decided in 10g to implement ANSI standard SQL into the mix.
The class was to run from the 11th through the 16th, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. I decided that since I didn't want to miss any of the class, I would fly up on Sunday afternoon so as to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed come Monday morning. Anyway...
The flight from Jacksonville to Atlanta came off without a hitch. I was hopeful that the rest of the trip would also be uneventful. Arrangements were for me to be in Denver around two o'clock. However, United Airlines and Hurricane Dennis had other plans for me. By the time I got to Atlanta, the outer bands of Hurricane Dennis were just beginning to kiss the airport. Those of us sitting at the gate waiting got some sob stories from the gate agents; "Bird strike damage to the plane," "the plane has some mechanical problems," etc. Finally, someone came out and told us the truth; the connecting flight from Washington, DC had never left to come to Atlanta because of high winds from the hurricane.
My flight had been cancelled without the plane ever having been in Atlanta, but it only took United about four hours to make the decision. Then, I got the real United run-a-round.
The fine folks at United Airlines were beginning a desperate search for my luggage... for THREE MORE HOURS! Meanwhile, by the time they actually found it, my luggage had been sitting out on the tarmac for SEVEN hours, while tropical storm force winds and rains are engulfing the greater Atlanta area. When I finally did get my luggage, it, and everything in it, were completely soaked. Now, I'm tired and a little cranky, but I have no dry clothes to show for it. But, United Airlines was kind enough to put me up at the Airport Sheraton Hotel, which included a $7.00 voucher for dinner and a $4.00 voucher for breakfast the next morning. Both were only good at the hotel or the airport. Ever tried to pull off dinner and breakfast in the Atlanta airport for $11.00 bucks?
By now, it's about 11:30 PM, but United scheduled me for a 6:45 AM flight the next morning, so it's a 3:30 wakeup call. Me and my wet, heavy luggage are off to the airport to clear security in time for the flight to Denver. Did I mention breakfast? $4.23 for a cup of coffee, compliments of United (and me).
Ultimately, buy the time I got to Denver, got a car, got some real lunch, checked into the hotel, and got to class, I missed about the first six hours of the first day. "Sam, welcome to Oracle's 10g Introduction to SQL. Come on in and join us."
Locals told me that there's roughly 1.5 million people in the greater Denver area. Granted, in five days, I couldn't see anywhere close to all of the city. However, of the part that I did see, and for a city its size, it was the most pristine, beautiful city that I've ever been in. Period!
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Tuesday - School...
Wednesday - School...
Thursday - School...
Ok, OK, I didn't actually bust out of school; we were just very fortunate to have a really good instructor and we finished the week's schooling a few hours early. Of course, I had no way of knowing that would happen when I made the travel arrangements the week before. My flight out of Denver wasn't until Saturday morning. Well now, 10 hours of daylight, 25 miles from the Rocky Mountains; YEA ME!!!
These are just a few of the superlatives that have ever been used to describe Rocky Mountains and, they're all true. The Rockies are truly splendid in every way imaginable. Just take a look...
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With so little time to explore, I decided to hit up some of the locals for the best way to spend the time I had. All of them pretty much said the same thing; "Ride the Lariat Loop." One of America's Scenic Byways, the Lariat Loop is a 40 mile loop road that traverses some of Colorado's best history and heritage. In just one short afternoon, I saw some really cool stuff! For more information, check out either of the links above, or the Colorado Tourism Information website.
First stop was to Lookout Mountain and the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, which is at the top of the mountain. According to the lady at the museum, on his first visit, Buffalo Bill stated that he wanted to be buried there. On his death bed, he said it again. It's easy to understand. From the top of the mountain, if one looks east, one can clearly see the towns of Morrison and Golden at the base of the mountains as the lead into Denver and off into the Great Plains. Turn around and look west and one stares into the heart of the Rockies. Looking either north or south, one sees the Great Continental Divide as the Rockies extend as far as the eye can see.
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About half way down Lookout Mountain is the Boettcher Mansion. Built in 1917 as a summer home and hunting lodge for Charles Boettcher, it is historically significant as one of the most grand homes built in the Arts and Crafts style in America. The Boettcher Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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I don't know that I've ever been anywhere else that has a healthier rabbit population than Denver. Those varmints are EVERYWHERE! If ever there was place in need of a good dose of hawks and owls, it's Denver. It reminds me of the commercial for the Visa Check card where while waiting to get a check approved at the pet store, the rabbits are multiplying like, well, rabbits.
Anyway, just a short distance down the Lariat Loop is a section of park cordoned off for Buffalo. Still an endangered species, the local parks people have done a great job of helping this icon of the American west. Check 'em out.
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A little further down the Lariat Loop stands a geological anomoly known as Red Rocks. 250 million years ago, these two huge monolithic sandstone rocks rose from the ocean into the slope of a mountain creating a natural amphitheatre like no other anywhere on earth. With the plans completed and work beginning in 1936, the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre was dedicated in 1941, although it would take the Civilian Conservatioin Corps a total of twelve years to transform it into what it is today. For some more general information on the history of our nations parks, the National Park Service has some great stuff on their Links to the Past website.
Literally, just across the road from Red Rocks a place known as the Morrison Formation which contains considerable evidence of the Jurassic period. Although I would have loved to have gotten some pictures of it, I couldn't, as there was a archeaology/geology class from one of the local colleges going on. Still, check out their website if you have that sort of an interest.
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Denver to Atlanta.
Atlanta to Jacksonville.
I made it...