Colorado Springs

9-16-15 to 9-27-15

We left Yellowstone NP and headed north and then east and south on Interstate 90 to repeat the route that we had previously taken. We were having trouble with one of our lifting jacks and decided to stay in private RV parks where the sites are mainly level. So we ended up at Buffalo, Wyoming again. The next day south to Cheyenne, Wy and then on to Denver. Sister Jane and hubby Terry were flying back to Florida on Sat so we met them for breakfast before they flew out.

Next we moved on to Colorado Springs, CO. This is my new favorite city. There are so many things to do there and the food is very good. We stayed about 15 miles outside the city and preferred the rural atmosphere with deer and turkeys wandering around the campground.

The first day we took the COG train to the top of Pikes Peak at 14,100 feet. The train went up a steep canyon through forests, lakes, streams and then up above the tree line to the summit. We were warned about altitude sickness because we went up so high so fast, but it wasn't a problem. We could see forever because it was a perfectly clear day.

The next day we visited the small town of Manitou Springs that is adjacent to Colorado Springs. Just outside the town is the Garden of the Gods park. It has beautiful sandstone formations and lots of hiking and biking trails. The town itself is very artsy and eclectic. One thing I hadn't seen in city parks before were people openly sharing cigarettes, not the filter type, but rolled. Then we remembered the recent legislation that had passed here in Colorado.

The next day off to the U.S. Olympic Training Complex. They gave a great tour, and it's a state of the art facility. 140 trainees live here, and food, housing, doctors and a pharmacy are all available for them.

The next day was military day as we visited the Air Force Academy and then the Peterson Air/Space Museum. The Air Force Academy had a visitors center and self guided walk around the campus. Of course, the highlight of the campus is its chapel.

The Peterson Air Museum had 21 historic aircraft on display. The docents who conducted the tours had actually flown the planes that they were explaining to us. We even saw a similar mockup of a minuteman silo where our friend Ken A spent many 24 hour shifts for 3 ½ years. We thank him for his service AND it also gave him time to complete his PhD.

Next, Santa Fe and some wonderful food.