We couldn’t wait to go to Colorado, to see majestic mountains with snow covered peaks!
Not seeing that in Texas, this would be the vacation of a lifetime! My kids had never been to the Rockies. Seeing the Rockies twice before, I regaled their beauty from my past visits.
When I was three we moved from Hawaii to Texas. After flying from Oahu to San Francisco, my dad drove our packed VW bug through the Rockies to Texas.
Mom tells me at one point traffic slowed down on a twisty turny road without guardrails. Turns out everyone was taking pictures of a bear cub on the side of the road.
My other Rocky Mountain trip was in the 1980s to Jacksone Hole, Wyoming in the wintertime where I rode a snowmobile in Yellowstone National Park.
Looking forward to summer thrills, we couldn’t wait to drive to the top of Pikes Peak! All of that we did for the first time in June 2001.
The highest peaks in Colorado are dubbed the 14-ers. Pikes Peak is one of them, towering over Colorado Springs.
Named for Zebulon Pike, explorer for Thomas Jefferson
Because of the Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson assigned various expeditions to explore the West.
Lt. Zebulon Pike discovered the massive mountain, taller than any in that part of Colorado. Amazed by its height he didn’t think anyone would ever successfully reach the top.
The mountain now bears the explorer’s name: Pikes Peak.
Car Racing without Guardrails
So here we were, in 2001, driving to the top like other tourists. Surprisingly we had to stop at Crystal Reservoir so that a car race could proceed!
Yes, a car race on a mountain with steep curves and no guard rails.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is aptly nicknamed The Race to the Clouds and has been active since 1916! Can you just imagine Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang speeding up flying off this mountain?
After we explored Crystal Reservoir for a while, the roads were opened for tourists to drive to the top. It wasn’t such a long wait for us and we saw many race cars coming down as we went up.
My goodness as we ascended at a comparative snail’s pace we certainly did feel as if we were climbing to the clouds.
The closer we got to the top, the steeper the road became. Would gravity promise to hold us to the ground? The final stretch yields views of only the sky.
Alpine Zone
At last we reached the top. Because we were over 14,000’, we had passed tree line and were now on the tundra. We were in the alpine zone.
All we could see around us was sky. We carefully edged our way to the side where we beheld a magnificent view! For miles we saw a patchwork quilt of tans and greens on the ground far, far below. Our little family started singing, America, the Beautiful.
The children had just learned in school how Katherine Bates had written those verses after a trip to the summit of Pikes Peak in 1893. She said, “all the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with sea-like expanse.”
Famous High-Altitude Hot Donuts
It was bitterly cold at the top, being the alpine region, so we took some pictures and ran into the gift shop where we enjoyed some of the famous hot donuts.
At the previous link read all about the 2018 renovation of the summit’s visitor center that was built around the brand new 15 pound donut machine that cranks out over 500,000 donuts a year.
After we ate our donuts we mused through the gift shop that had great shirts, caps, mugs and bumper stickers with sayings like Real Men Don’t Need Guardrails.
Manitou Springs Shopping
Later that afternoon in the small town of Manitou Springs at the base of Pikes Peak, we found a shop where we designed our own t-shirts. Mine says: I made it to the top…and back down again. Whenever I wear that, I get a lot of comments!
Lone Duck Campground
My kids had a blast camping at the cute Lone Duck Campground in Cascade.
My favorite part of the campground was the scenery.
Accessed via the Ute Pass from Colorado Springs, we drove by Pikes Peak to Cascade.
Set near the base of a tall mountain, we had gorgeous views of the mountains and the valley below.
Lovely homes built there beguiled us to purchase one for permanent residence. How tempting!
Lots of sightseeing
Spending a week there, we also visited several other sites with breath-taking views.
At Buskin Joe’s we enjoyed an old-fashioned Wild West town where we road a small train to the edge of the mesa where we could see into the Royal Gorge.
Inside the Royal Gorge we rode a large locomotive train along the Arkansas River.
Driving from the mesa through lots of twisty turny roads with Rocky Mountain views, we arrived at the old mining town of Cripple Creek. This time we road a narrow-gauge train, required for the terrain and the mining parameters.
We listened to cowboys sing at the Flying W Ranch after playing among the 1950s entertainments and enjoying a Chuckwagon dinner. Located near the Garden of the Gods, the famous red rocks are here, too.
Climbing tons of stairs to ascend Seven Falls, we hiked all over the top of Cheyenne Mountain where we saw our first columbine.
Fascinating rock formations with interesting names at the Garden of the Gods allowed lots of scrambling and fun picture taking.
Can we come back? Better yet, can we live there? For more photos check my Flickr set.
