A River Runs Through it

Photo of the Arkansas River from Union Street bridge June 2010

Wow! For the last 6 years I've spent several weeks of my summer vacation in Pueblo, Colorado. It's my hometown and more. Five times I went with my mom, but last year I took the trip solo. To be honest, most of my life I've lived in Missouri. But there's something unique about my hometown. Or maybe Pueblo just has some crazy spell over me. I absolutely love visiting!

And the photo above reinforces why I'm entranced by this town. This view can only be seen by someone actually walking the bridge. How do I know? Well, I've taken a photo of the Arkansas River every year I've been back to visit. And once I took a photo from a car. Not the same at all!

I'm going to say you have to see Pueblo from the sidewalks; it's true. I've done both and there are so many neat things you can see when on foot travelling slower than you can in some four-wheel device. Some of these sights I'm going to share with you in later blogs. Today I want to focus on a particular part of the river that runs through Pueblo. That's the Arkansas River. On my drive to Pueblo I see a lot of the Arkansas River. Though I must admit, this one in Pueblo is my favorite.

Photo of the Arkansas River from Union Street bridge July 2011

This section of the Arkansas River is part of the kayak course. I like to float on the river. My family takes inflatable rafts over to the City Park access and rides the river down to a lone fishing dock just past 4th Street bridge. You can see the bridge in the photos. It's an enjoyable trip with great scenery, but we get out before hitting the kayak course. I'd be terrified trying to navigate these rapids in a little raft. I know of people who have done it, though. Their rafts were beaten up pretty bad.

Photo of Arkansas River from Union Street bridge July 2012

This is not one of my favorite photos. I know drought conditions happen often in Pueblo. The river relies on snow melting from the mountains and obviously, rain. Not enough snow means not enough water. The climate in Pueblo is categorized as semi arid which means they get rain, but sometimes not much. What I've experienced in my summer visits are few rain showers. When it does rain, it pours. And I'm not joking. Hard and fast rain that can easily flood the roads. And then it's gone. But I suppose it doesn't happen all that often since Colorado supposedly has over 300 days of sunshine in a year. Water conservation is a hot topic in  the east side of the state.  And if I'm correct, there was a fireworks ban in 2012.

Photo of the Arkansas River from Union Street bridge July 2013

Moving water can be dangerous. Earlier in the summer when the water is higher people not taking precautions actually drown. Rescue crews are kept busy helping people who don't take the river seriously. 

Arkansas River July 2014

There was no drought in 2014. I also heard that the murals were going to be removed. Personally, I find them quirky and unique. They give the river some character, while keeping it in the banks. But if the levees are subpar and needing replacement, I'd rather have them fixed properly. I'm going to miss those murals.

Arkansas River from Union Ave. May 2016

I loved visiting Pueblo this year in May. The cool mornings and warm afternoons were a refreshing treat from the usual July weather. And Missouri had been cloudy and cool for days.  I also loved seeing Pikes Peak with a bigger cap of snow. 

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a history buff when it comes to Pueblo. The river's course was changed long ago; 1921 to be exact. This was 2 years before my Grandma was born. In June of 1921 excess rain caused the river to flood over the levees and changed its course approximately a half a mile south where it currently resides. The water destroyed all the Union Street businesses and many people's homes. There are lots of old photos showing the destruction of the flood; I don't have the copyrights for them, so you can look them up yourself.

I hope my all the citizens of Pueblo are taking time to appreciate the lovely view they can enjoy daily. Thanks for reading this. #Pueblo