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May 27, 2005 Up high in the Rocky Mountains in Park County, sits a tiny town that only has two paved roads and the rest of the roads there in the town are gravel. Everywhere you look, snow-capped mountains surround the town as if they are a fortress protecting this precious jewel of the mountains known as Fairplay. The significance of this town is that Trey Parker, one of the creators of the show “South Park,” went to school in this town for a year and most of the characters in the show are based on residents of the town. So for three summers in a row, I have made a pilgrimage along with other fans of “South Park” to this town, and each time, my breath is taken away and my inner peace is restored. Maybe it is the calmness of the entire town. It could be the setting of the town itself, or the friendliness of the residents themselves. The history of the town (that dates back to the silver mining days) that enraptured me with this town and made me never want to leave every time I am there. I cannot place my finger on any one thing about this tiny hamlet. Mere words fail to describe this town accurately that within two hours you can walk the entire town and see everything that there is to see, that is even stopping to see things that interest you. Maybe it’s the lack of pollution and the freshness of the mountain air? Could it be that the residents know their neighbors? Maybe it’s the serenity of sitting beside the river that runs beside the town among flowers that you will never see anywhere else and looking into the river that is so clear, you can see the reflection of the mountains and the fish that swim in the river? Maybe it’s the memories of the residents that remember you year after year and warmly great you as if you are a resident. It’s the Mayor that runs to you and marvels over how big the baby has grown and asks about your health, knowing that the year before you were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It could be the owner of the “Chocolate Moose” that is standing outside waiting for you to show you the new inventory and tempt you with the new chocolate confections. (She knows I am a HUGE chocoholic and I always drop close to $100 before I leave there!) The owner of the “Fairplay Hotel” has exited his hotel to drag me in to show me the new Christmas ornaments he has gathered that year for sale in his Christmas village. Pat, the owner of “South Park Pottery” and her son greet me with hugs and kisses before they show me not only the new “South Park” merchandise, but the Native American art and sundries she as acquired since my last visit. Every visit and every hug makes me feel not only welcome in the town, but it makes me want to stay and sometimes when we leave to go back to the hotel in Denver, I have tears in my eyes knowing it will be another year before I see everyone again. When I am in the town, I feel as if I am a resident of Fairplay and one day after I am published and hopefully the novel makes it big, I plan on making Fairplay my year-round residence instead of a one day trip because when I am there, I feel right at home. ------------ About the author: Kaycee Nilson has completed her first novel, "Night Falls on Chicago." The first two chapters can be viewed at http://www.KayceeNilson.com. Besides writing columns for Useless-Knowledge, Kaycee is currently working on two more novels, "From the Mind of a Vampire", and "I'll Love You Til You Die." If you have enjoyed what you read, or would like to leave Kaycee a message, please visit her message board at http://www.KayceeNilson.com/Board Email: Kaycee@kayceenilson.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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