3 SPEED WOMENS BIKE

In View of the Mountains: A History of Fort Morgan, Colorado

Fort Morgan is a town named for a short-lived military fort (1864-1868), but Fort Morgan's history isn't just military; it is linked with the movement west, with the telegraph and railroads - and with gold. The history of Fort Morgan may never rival that of Denver or glisten with the same gold dust of the mountain mining towns, but this town on the plains was central to the story of the Romantic west; connected to the major events of the age. Everyone has a history and every place is central to a story. What follows is the story from the land - of the land - on which Fort Morgan would rise.

Better use your piggy bank now that all banks are going down the drain.

Dalat, also Da Lat (Da L?t), located in the South Central Highlands of Vietnam, was originally the playground of the French who built villas in the clear mountain air to escape the heat and humidity of the coast and of Saigon, now know as Ho Chi Minh City.

Dalat looks like a cross between Vietnam and the French Alps. Many of its hotels and houses are built in a French style. The city spreads across a series of pine-covered hills, with a small lake in the center and surrounded by higher peaks, making for some lovely scenery quite different from the rest of Vietnam. Temperatures are pleasantly warm by day, and quite cool at night, down to perhaps 10C.

Dalat is very much a tourist town. Tour buses by the dozen run up and down its hills, and small hotels line its streets. The vast majority of visitors are Vietnamese on short package tours, drawn by the scenery, vivid blue skies, fresh air, flower-filled parks, and local edible treats. Dalat is a favorite destination for company weekend outings, family get-aways, and honeymoons.

Most guidebooks for overseas visitors describe Dalat as a cheesy town with tacky tourist sites, which is partly true. Attend a "mountain tribe" dance performance, and your eyes might get stuck in the upward-rolled position.

But Dalat remains a pleasant stop on a north-south tour, or a pleasant outing from Saigon. For overseas visitors, it offers mostly a chance to cool down, observe the Vietnamese at play, view a bit of the French legacy, and enjoy the atmosphere. Dalat is also surrounded by some of the best mountain biking, hiking and canyoning opportunities in Vietnam.

Dalat's high altitude (1500-2000 m) and fertile landscape make it one of Vietnam's premier agricultural areas, producing varieties of fruits, vegetables and flowers that don't grow in the lowlands. In markets as far north as Hanoi, vegetable and flower vendors will tout their "made in Dalat" produce.

Notice the heads, feet and innards. Yummy.

Dalat, also Da Lat (Da L?t), located in the South Central Highlands of Vietnam, was originally the playground of the French who built villas in the clear mountain air to escape the heat and humidity of the coast and of Saigon, now know as Ho Chi Minh City.

Dalat looks like a cross between Vietnam and the French Alps. Many of its hotels and houses are built in a French style. The city spreads across a series of pine-covered hills, with a small lake in the center and surrounded by higher peaks, making for some lovely scenery quite different from the rest of Vietnam. Temperatures are pleasantly warm by day, and quite cool at night, down to perhaps 10C.

Dalat is very much a tourist town. Tour buses by the dozen run up and down its hills, and small hotels line its streets. The vast majority of visitors are Vietnamese on short package tours, drawn by the scenery, vivid blue skies, fresh air, flower-filled parks, and local edible treats. Dalat is a favorite destination for company weekend outings, family get-aways, and honeymoons.

Most guidebooks for overseas visitors describe Dalat as a cheesy town with tacky tourist sites, which is partly true. Attend a "mountain tribe" dance performance, and your eyes might get stuck in the upward-rolled position.

But Dalat remains a pleasant stop on a north-south tour, or a pleasant outing from Saigon. For overseas visitors, it offers mostly a chance to cool down, observe the Vietnamese at play, view a bit of the French legacy, and enjoy the atmosphere. Dalat is also surrounded by some of the best mountain biking, hiking and canyoning opportunities in Vietnam.

Dalat's high altitude (1500-2000 m) and fertile landscape make it one of Vietnam's premier agricultural areas, producing varieties of fruits, vegetables and flowers that don't grow in the lowlands. In markets as far north as Hanoi, vegetable and flower vendors will tout their "made in Dalat" produce.

Linda Bluenight travels from her home at the edge of the Tohono O'odham reservation to Mt. Lemmon, Arizona to help an old friend open a bed and breakfast inn. Soon after, a vicious killer begins stalking the local pets. Suspicion falls on a young mama bear with a cub, but Linda has other ideas, especially after she discovers that someone may be looting ancestral artifacts and selling them for profit. But when the violence reaches into the human realm of the animal kingdom and her prime suspect is found mangled to death, Linda finds those she loves in mortal danger.