Cross Country Trip ~ Part Four

DAY THREE

We got into Colorado Springs, Colorado late at night, after dark, so any pictures I took just didn't turn out too well but oh what a view come morning!

We had wanted to take the Cog Train up to Pike's Peak but reservations are required and the only time slot available was around noon ... too late in the day for our plans, so we drove up to the Peak, instead, at a cost of $12 per person ... well worth it!

The weather was beautiful, spring time temps, however, the guy at the gate said "It's starting to snow at the Summit, so if you want to make it up you might not want to make any stops along the way" so that's what we did ... drove straight up. It was freezing at the Summit but I was comfortable in my long sleeved shirt, covered by a zip up hoodie with my jean jacket on top with jeans and my cowboy boots (with socks) lol ... so as I said, weather was beautiful as we started our climb but as we neared the top it became somewhat foggy.  Pike's Peak stands at 14,110 feet at its Summit and somewhere along 11,000 feet, hubby says "I'm feeling this altitude, are you?" (shortness of breath)  I say, "no, my ears just keep popping, that's all ... I feel fine".

We get to the Summit and I go to get out of the car, feeling fine (so I thought), and BAM ... it hits me, I had to sit back down, and quickly.  Dizzy, nauseated ... my eyes literally felt like they were going back and forth real fast ... left to right, left to right, left to right ... now I remember why I felt so bad up here as a child!!! 

We made our way inside the Summit building, I really needed to go to the bathroom ... I make it there by holding onto walls and displays, praying "Please Lord, do not let me pass out".  I sat in the bathroom for sometime with my head between my knees, praying.  I know, that's probably too much information, but I was feeling pretty bad.  Finally, I had to just get up and deal with it and went back out to find hubby, again holding onto walls and displays for support ...”did everyone else feel like this?” … I did find, however, that if I held my face very very still, it helped.  Breathe Debbie, breathe ... 

GOT OXYGEN?

I manage to pick out a souvenir and while standing at the counter waiting to pay, the guy gets on the PA system and announces that no one is to leave the Summit building ...there is lightening right on top of the peak ... literally, we heard the thunder and lightening at the SAME TIME as it struck all around us. 

After a short while, the Park Rangers announce that we could now go back outside, if we wanted, BUT could not leave the Summit until the snow plow came up so that we could follow it down.  There were 2 inches of "grapple", which we had never heard of but were told is snow in the form of pellets, on the mountain and roads.  Kinda looked like pea sized hail but made up of snow instead of ice.  We go and sit out in our car and wait (I just really needed to get down from that altitude, badly) ... the grapple hurt when it hit you so, we waited in the car, it was so foggy you couldn't see anything from the Peak anyway.  A few pretzels and sips of Ginger Ale later, and I felt better but it was time to head down.

THEN and NOW!

We were held up there for over an hour and I wasn't able to get very many photos at the Summit.  Boooo!  But the drive down, even behind a snow plow, was interesting, considering there are no guard rails (at most points) and hair pin turns left and right.  Still it was beautiful and worth it all ... I'D DO IT AGAIN!

Next sightseeing stop, Golden, Colorado, well it wasn't actually a planned stop.   See, we stopped to get gas and I just happened to see a sign stating "Buffalo Bill's Grave 4 miles".  I'm like "I've been there!!!" excited as a kid lol  I remembered there was a beautiful overlook ... we had to go ... and we did, much to hubby's protestations ... he was grumbling and mumbling the whole 4 miles about "going to see a dead man's grave"!!! 

The grave and museum are located on top of Lookout Mountain and man, the views alone are worth the 4 miles off the Interstate, hubby was glad we stopped!  LOL Changed his tune right away after seeing the views!!!  The views and the gravesite are free to visit, the museum is $5 per person.  Free views and man oh man are they awesome ... you can see both Golden and Denver, Colorado off in the distance, actually you can see for miles and miles ... absolutely beautiful!  Let me tell you though, pictures do not even give the view justice ... firsthand is always the BEST view!  A MUST SEE, for sure, we will stop there again, if ever out that way!!!

Almost the same exact shot, all these years later!!!

Buffalo Bill's Grave way back then!

Back on I-70 and on towards Grand Junction, Colorado ... through the Rocky Mountains ... the most spectacular view after view, different terrain, topography, vegetation (from rocky to dry to forested to snow capped mountains) ... each turn seemed to have something different to see, you feel so very small driving through there ... let's just say, I was glad I was in the passenger's seat and not the driver's!!!  We were in total AWE!!!

Next sightseeing stop, Vail, Colorado, we wanted to stop long enough just to check out the little ski town ... and little town it is, something like 1 mile long by 4 blocks deep ... pretty little town full of very high end shops and restaurants, most of which were closed for the season.  We walked around the main part of town, 3 blocks one way, 2 blocks another then back around in a big circle (or square, is more like it lol).  I've never really had much interest in skiing but I gotta say it’s a beautiful little town with beautiful architecture, kinda looks like what you'd see in the Swiss Alps.  I even ran into Samuel L. Clemens aka Mark Twain and sat down to chat a bit ... well, not in the flesh but in bronze.

Somewhere between Vail and Rifle, Colorado, at Glenwood Canyon, Colorado there is a Rest Area ... one of the most beautiful Rest Areas I've ever seen, not based on their facilities because those were a little out dated, but based on the scenery surrounding it ... hiking/biking trails, perfect place to get some exercise, hiking or biking (if you have your own bike), while taking in a rest stop ... rushing beauty of the Colorado River running right along side of it (and a rushing creek feeding the river) ... OMG so beautiful!  If it hadn't been so late we would have gone on a longer hiking excursion, as it was, we didn't walk far but enjoyed it very much.  Wish I had the Mile Marker Number but it is definitely right at Glenwood Canyon (travelling west, that is).  So so so worth the stop!!!  Another definite MUST SEE!

More of the Rockies ...

Colorado ... what a beautiful state ... we had an amazing time travelling through and spending the day at various stops!!!  Lots more that we could have seen but only so many hours in a day!!!

STAY TUNED!!!