Summer Vacation 2010 Part 2

On Wednesday morning we headed to Manitou Springs. We took the Cog Railway up to the summit of Pikes Peak.

{ Isn't this the cutest little train depot you have ever seen?! }

{ Getting ready to board the train. }

{ All Aboard! }

{ This is the view known as Inspiration Point.  This was the view that Katherine Lee Bates saw when she was inspired to write "America the Beautiful." }

{ Our train making a turn at Windy Point.  It was just after this that we were asked to put our windows up as the temperature dropped quickly.  At this point we are above timberline. }

{ It was really starting to get cold.  Notice the view behind Koen- there are no longer trees, just rocky soil. }

 { We made it to the top. }

 After one and a half hours on the train we arrived at the summit of Pike's Peak.  This was a breathtaking experience. You could see for miles! We were all bundled up as it was 35 atop the mountain with a wind chill of 32!!

{ It was so windy that Gannon was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. }

{ The view was simply unbelievable.  The pictures really do it no justice. }

{ I really like this picture because if you notice slightly to the right of center is a very red rock formation sprouting up out of the middle of nowhere.  This is known as Garden of the Gods and we were also able to visit here while we were on the trip. }

We were allowed 40 minutes on the summit due to the risk of altitude sickness.  At the top we were at 14, 1115 feet in altitude.  We learned so much neat history about Pike's Peak.  Once we got on the train and started heading down I caught this great shot of the moon while we were still above timberline.

Thursday we explored Garden of the Gods. Before we headed there we ate at The Hungry bear in Woodland Park, CO. It was so yummy!

{ This is the site that you see upon entering Garden of the Gods. }

 { I wished I knew how to use Photoshop and I would take these people out of this picture. }

 

 { See Brandon in this one...} 

 { Can you find all three of my "boys" in this one? }

After Garden of the Gods we began our journey home. We stopped and had lunch in Pueblo, Co at the river walk, stopped and got gas in Trinidad, Co and then we briefly drove through New Mexico- which was a very pretty drive. During this portion of the trip we were able to see the Sangre de Cristo mountains as well as a beautiful mountain range in new Mexico.

{ This is the only picture that I took in new Mexico.  It's not a very good one, but the mountains were pretty. }

 We made it to Guymon, Ok out in the Oklahoma panhandle and we stayed the night there.  The kids were able to swim at the hotel to get some energy out.  We drove home the next morning.  We had such a great trip!  We would love to go back to the Colorado Springs area again because there was so much more that we could have done.