It’s strange where a fascination with historical cannibalism can take you.
In my case, discovering Cannibal the Musical led to thoughts of designing a game about the most famous cannibal in Colorado, which led to… a spring break road trip deep into the mountains in search of inspiration.
It was March. The girls were out of school, so we took a couple days and headed up to Lake City, Colorado, which is home to the Packer Massacre Memorial and… not much else.
Lake City is a charming tourist town surrounded by lakes, mountain peaks, and terrible cell service. It’s also a ghost town. Oh, I’m sure the place is hopping in July, but in March? We saw more deer on the streets than we did people.
Honestly, it felt like we’d wandered into Silent Hill. A hush lay over the tiny town. Its buildings were old-fashioned, yet well-preserved. When I saw the iconic church building standing stark against the mountains, I almost expected to hear an emergency siren and see black snow start to fall.
I’d hoped to visit the local museum for more local information on Alfred Packer and his doomed expedition, but it was closed for the season. We did find some local info at the Packer Saloon & Cannibal Grill, the only eating establishment open before June. (The theme combines Alfred Packer and the Greenbay Packers, turning into a cannibal sports bar, which is as oddly amusing as it sounds.)
Ultimately, there wasn’t much to do in town. So while the kids amused themselves by watching hotel TV, I started putting together notes for a Packer-themed card game.
Next: The results of those notes.
