DA PLANE! DA PLANE!
Barrington Irving
Front Range Airport
5200 Front Range Parkway, Watkins
So he comes from Jamaica, not Paradise Island, but the arrival of 23-year-old pilot Barrington Irving in Colorado really is something to get excited about. The 23-year-old Florida college student will land his single-engine plane, nicknamed “Inspiration,” between 11 a.m. and noon on Thursday. His touchdown brings him two stops away from the end of a ’round-the- world flight that began March 23 in Miami. If he makes it back home again, Irving will be the first person of African descent and the youngest person to fly solo around the globe. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in inner-city Miami, Irving says he is making the journey to show kids that they don’t have to give in to the hopelessness of their surroundings. Can’t get there for the landing? Watch his progress online at experienceaviation.org.
WOO-HOO
1901 Steam Locomotive
Rio Grande Scenic Railroad
alamosatrain.com or 877-726-7245
Starting next month you can ride the rails from LaVeta to Alamosa on a train pulled by old SP1744, a restored steam loco that served mightily for 40 years on California rail lines and then starred in the 1959 Rock Hudson feature “This Earth Is Mine.” She was brought out of retirement in Los Angeles in 1999, restored and put to work on the New Orleans & Gulf Coast Railway as The Big Easy Steam Train. Alamosa is so excited about her arrival back in the West that the town is throwing a celebration May 27-31. The fun includes Wild West shows, music and lots of period dining opportunities, ranging from chuck wagon dinners, to an evening dining-car-style dinner followed by dancing under the stars. Reserve a seat now if you want a Memorial Day ride to remember.
