After a few days in Rocky Mountain National Park we drove the back roads to Lone Duck Campground near Colorado Springs.
Lone Duck Campground
We first camped here with tents in 2001, but now that cabins were available, we took advantage of that.
Nearby was a stocked pond that my son had remembered. He loves eating fish and he loves the idea of fishing. He wanted to give it a try.
He was determined to capture some for dinner every night. That became rather dubious.
In anticipation of this trip, I had purchased a fly-fishing kit for him so he could make his own and then try it out. Which he did, but it didn’t work. He quickly went to plan B.
Meanwhile we were looking forward to seeing Colorado Springs with new eyes, now that we had some geology under our belt.
Ute Pass
Originally carved out by buffalo, the Ute Pass is also known as Highway 24. This beautiful route between Cascade and Colorado Springs was a favorite drive that daily led us to numerous adventures.
The Ute Indians named the route El Puerto del Sierra Almagre which is translated: Doorway to the Red Earth Mountains.
By the 1860s it became a wagon road which led to a railroad for various mining camps, including Cripple Creek, which we had visited in 2001. The views are stunning.
Our campground was located on the Ute Pass, which was our only route to and from all the sites.
Pikes Peak
On the first day we traveled the Ute Pass to Pikes Peak, which we had visited in 2001. I blogged about here: its history, annual auto race, and famous doughnuts!
The geological key to this location is that it’s a lovely giant piece of pink granite where we drive higher and higher, straight up into the sky. This was our last rest stop before the peak.
Pikes Peak lies between Lone Duck Campground and Colorado Springs. We again made this our first stop.
After a doughnut snack at the top, and a picnic lunch under the trees just below the peak, we drove back down to the town of Manitou Springs at the base of the mountain to window shop and enjoy ice cream.
That evening my son fished at the campground, but nothing.
Manitou Cliff Dwellings
The next day we traveled the Ute Pass to the intriguing Manitou Cliff Dwellings which we had often seen, but hadn’t yet visited.
While driving on the pass, a glimpse through the mountains reveals a peak at the dwellings suspended from the cliffs.
Literally built into the cliffs, they hang off the mountain. From the inside we looked out the window to see a massive drop to the ravine below.
Originally located several hundred miles southwest of Colorado Springs, the dwellings had collapsed. In the early 1900s they were moved by railroad to their present location.
Earlier this year we had read about the Pueblo Indians in New Mexico in one of our favorite book series for kids. This site was quite relatable because these are the ancestors of the Taos Pueblo Indians of New Mexico.
Cave of the Winds
Then we took the Ute Pass to the nearby Cave of the Winds where the views are similar to those from the cliff dwellings.
Comprised of Manitou Limestone, the cave was formed by water, though I recall that it is now dry. We walked to a particular spot so all could hear the wind blowing through it.
In 1880 two boys camped in a presumed small cave. Surprisingly their candles flickered from a breeze from within. Following the source, they discovered a larger chamber.
Further exploration with an Ohioan revealed Canopy Hall, nearly 200 feet long full of stalagmites and stalactites.
George Washington Snider, the explorer from Ohio, wrote: It was as though Aladdin with his wonderful lamp had effected the magic result.
Unfortunately, the news quickly spread of the discovery, resulting in looters mobbing and stripping the cave of many of its geological features.
Nevertheless, Snider continued excavating routes through the cave to bring in tourists, making t one of the oldest tourist sites in the area.
After enjoying Cave of the Winds we returned to our campground on the Ute Pass, where my son gave his fishing attempt one last try. We had plans the following evening, so it was now or never. He finally caught a trout!
Seven Falls, Cheyenne Mountain, NORAD
The next day we traveled the Ute Pass to Seven Falls for a lot of stair climbing (7 waterfalls high) and lots of hiking. Last time we huddled under a shelter during a deluge, but this time we stayed dry as we hiked all around.
Interestingly we were on top of Cheyenne Mountain, home to NORAD.
When we came home we watched War Games with Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy, which is partially set within NORAD.
Then that Christmas I realized NORAD does the annual Santa Tracking, which began with a wrong phone number.
That afternoon we explored Petersen AFB, as there was a possibility we’d be relocated there. That would be fun to actually live in Colorado!
Focus on the Family
Towards the end of the day we made our first trip to Focus on the Family, not realizing how huge they were! The kids had about 30 minutes to squeeze in some fun before they closed. We’ll just have to make a return trip!
Flying W Ranch
That evening we continued to another old favorite, Flying W Ranch. This fun locale is built in to some of the outlying red rocks featured at the nearby Garden of the Gods.
Garden of the Gods
The next morning we packed up camp then drove to Garden of the Gods. We had a few hours to enjoy before before driving back home to Texas.
See more Colorado photos from our trip at my Flickr set by clicking on any of the pictures.
