Colorado Springs

SO much to do/see, SO little time!

Seriously, we have to come back. We’ve added 3-5 times as many things to do/see around Colorado Springs to our Next Time List as those we saw or did here. That was partly due to this being a bit of a “chore stop”, being our last stop not in the “wilderness” for…3+ weeks. We also did a bit of driving (325 miles), some I-25 every day, and through some gorgeous red rock and other canyons, several times on route 24. Sunday (our longest driving day), we started at 5,618′ where we’re camping, drove over Ute Pass at 9,165′ enroute to Florissant and drove over Victor Pass at 10,201′ one our return to camp, for our…

Visit to 1 new National Park Site:

Florissant Fossils Beds National Monument (#367), where, beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossils of insects and plants reveal the story of a very different, prehistoric Colorado. We explored outdoor exhibits in and behind the visitor center (featuring massive petrified tree stumps), took the self guided hikes on the Ponderosa Loop, Petrified Forest Loop, and Geologic Trails, and visited the 1878 Hornbek Homestead.

Florissant Fossil Beds NM-The Trio Petrified Stumps
Florissant Fossil Beds NM-Petrified Forest Loop-where we learned that Ponderosa Pines’ bark does not turn orange until they are at least 80 years old!
Florissant Fossil Beds NM-Petrified Forest Loop-View over the valley, with the Hornbeck Homestead in the distance
Florissant Fossil Beds NM-Petrified Forest Loop-perhaps the stump to the largest tree in the world
Florissant Fossil Beds NM-1878 Hornbek Homestead
Florissant Fossil Beds NM-Hornbek Homestead Kitchen, with stove which still works, according to the volunteer there who has cooked bread in it!

Other Sunday Stops

After Florissant Fossils Beds, we drove on south on the Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway to Cripple Creek, CO and then on to Victor. We saw MASSIVE Gold Mining operations and one more Thomas Dambo Troll (one of two in Colorado)! Then we returned to camp via a slightly different route.

Rita the Rock Planter
100 Suns – that is how long a nap is for a Troll
When Rita woke, her mountainside had grown a hole!
The humans must have dug them in search of shiny rocks.
Someone could fall in, so Rita went to tidy up.

One View on Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway
One mining “hill” between Cripple Creek and Victor
Remains of the American Eagles Mine on Little Grouse Mountain
Rita the Rock Planter pushing rocks into a hole on Little Grouse Mountain with gold mining hills in the background

Monday

In the morning, The Monster got an oil change, we did all our laundry and lots of shopping…stocked up at our first (and last?) Costco for awhile and made some Lizzy purchases at Camping World and Home Depot. Like we said…”Chore Stop”. In the afternoon we drove north to visit the Western Museum of Mining & Industry, in time for the 1:00 Tour. It was excellent, especially since the tour guide operated all the machines they have, as he walked us through. After going around the museum again on our own, we drove the whole mile to the brandy new Air Force Academy Visitor Center. Very nicely done. We applied for access to visit the Academy campus while in Colorado Springs, but never heard Yay, nor Nay. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Western Museum of Mining & Industry, one of many machines we saw operating (briefly)
Western Museum of Mining & Industry Display
Western Museum of Mining & Industry, outdoor display, with some also operational machines
Airforce Academy Museum, awsome building…inside one could walk through the 4 years of a cadet’s life here.
Airforce Academy Museum View of the football stadium against the mountains
Airforce Academy Museum outdoor exhibits

Tuesday

OMG! We took off for Garden of the Gods in late morning, thinking we’d visit 2-3 hours and then make another stop. Instead we spent the entire afternoon there, 5+ hours…Museum, walking/hiking the Central Garden Trail and various off-shoots, driving the park loop drive, hiking to see the Siamese Twins, and stopping for a good look around Balanced Rock and Steamboat Rock. WOW!

Garden of the Gods, one of our favorite exhibits in the Museum
Garden of the Gods, view of the garden from the Museum deck
Garden of the Gods, walking the Garden Loop – White Rock
Garden of the Gods, walking the Garden Loop – Kissing Camels
Garden of the Gods, walking the Garden Loop
Garden of the Gods, walking the Garden Loop
Garden of the Gods, walking the Garden Loop
Garden of the Gods, the Siamese Twins, with Pikes Peak showing between them up top, Mark looking through the lower opening
Garden of the Gods, Balanced Rock and Steamboat Rock

Wednesday

Deciding we weren’t in a “Museum Mood”, we instead spent the afternoon taking the Pikes Peak Cog Railway from Manitou Springs to the top of 14,115′ high Pikes Peak. Another OMG…WOW Day!

Heading up to Pikes Peak on the Cog Railway, looking back at Cars 2 & 3 & the engine from our seats at the back end of Car 1
Heading up to Pikes Peak on the Cog Railway, view of the only NOT man-made lake in the area
Just arriving at the summit of Pikes Peak on the Cog Railway
A view from the summit of Pikes Peak
View of the Gold Mine Hill around Cripple Creek & Victor from the summit of Pikes Peak

On our way to Gunnison

Next 2 stops will be sort of along the Gunnison River…camping on one of it’s reservoirs in Curecanti National Recreation Area (with limited Cell and no internet) for 3 nights, then camping close to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.