The drive from Moab to Colorado Springs was a long one. It was 7 hours with no stops, but we HAVE to make stops. Not only for lunch and bathroom breaks, but just to get out and walk a little. Unlike the beginning of this trip, we aren't sight-seeing along the way, we are driving from one point to another. On the Route 66 leg of this trip, we were averaging 250-300 miles a day, this trip was 419 miles. As we entered Colorado and started climbing in altitude, my feet started to swell. We stopped off in Eagle, CO for lunch, and that is when I first noticed my ankles. They gradually got better, but I could tell these long drives were going to get to me a little more than the others. Not to mention the fact that we have eaten REALLY good the whole time, we are gonna have to diet when we get back. Blah!
The drive through the Rockies from Grand Junction through to Denver was gorgeous.We followed the Colorado River for a little while and saw some rafters out on it. All the ski towns we passed were a little more quiet than I am sure they are in the winter months. We saw Vail, Loveland and Breckenridge, the ski slopes all green but easily identifiable. We followed Straight Creek and when we passed through the Eisenhower tunnel past Silverthorne we then saw the Clear Creek flowing in the opposite direction. That is pretty cool, and really makes you think.
We hit traffic the closer we got to Denver. The first sign said it would take 90 minutes to get to the I-25 split, and it took every minute of it! They are widening the tunnel at Idaho Springs, and because of it, they are staggering traffic so that the other tunnels don't get congested. They need the tunnels clear so that if there was an emergency they can get the emergency vehicles through the tunnels. It was a long wait, but traffic was moving, albeit slowly. Once we reached Idaho Springs, we were routed around the tunnel and then we were wide open to Denver. By this time, however, it was already getting late, but with three nights and two whole days here in Colorado Springs, it was ok. We had dinner and checked in to the hotel for the night.
Now, Tony was stationed here in Colorado Springs back about 20 years ago. It was funny to see his face as we pulled into town as 20 years has changed this town a lot! He really couldn't remember the way to anything that he remembered, but that is what a GPS is for. Saturday morning, he had made reservations to go to the top of Pikes Peak on the railway. Our reservations were for noon, so we took it slow and drove over to the Garden of the Gods and checked out the sights as well as the trading post. The park was crowded, so we didn't make any stops, but it was ok, we needed to get on over to the railway to make sure we were there in time for our departure.
We made it to the train with plenty of time to spare. We grabbed a bottle of water for each of us and decided to buy some sandwiches to have lunch on the train on the way up. We all used the restrooms and were ready when the train arrived. Once on board, we started up the mountain. The trip takes about an 1:15 up and 1:15 down with about 30 minutes on the summit. The conductor of the train narrated the sights along the way and told some really dry jokes as well. We had our lunches, but then it happened...
Mom had already drank a half of her liter bottle of water on top of the coffee she had that morning. Berfore we knew it, she was in a sweat and a panic knowing she would never make it the rest of the ride to the top before she exploded. At Windy Point, well above the permafrost line, the air was getting cold, and we made a stop for the conductor to flip a switch as we passed a train on the way down. That was it. Mom eased her way up, and managed to walk down the aisle towards the door that the conductor had gone out. Once there, she was not able to find the conductor, as he was up flipping the switch. She opened the door to look out and find him, and saw that it was a long way down off the train to the ground. She shut the door and paced, hoping that soon he would return and that he would allow her to get off the train for an unscheduled pit stop. That's when a lady said she saw him and mom opened the door again. The conductor, even though he had asked that no one follow him off the train, was more than understanding as he helped her out of the train and pointed her in the direction of the Windy Point building and told her she could go behind it.
Of course Mom was not exactly worried about modesty at this point, it had gotten to Defcon 1! She got as far as she could safely make it and let it fly. During this time, Tony, Jon and I were laughing it up as the other passengers were realizing what was happening. Only my Mom. But as we sat there chatting with the passengers around us, Jon pointed out that we were "making memories", something he had heard Mom say several times this trip, and boy was he right! She was relieved and made her way back to the train, now up here, at 12,129 ft above sea level, the oxygen in the air is getting lower, so her walk back to the train was more strenuous than normal. She caught her breath and the conductor (Jereth) helped her back on the train and then we were on our way again, forever with the memory that Mom made a pitstop on the side of Pikes Peak.
Now once at the Summit, 14,110 ft above sea level, they don't allow you to stay very long, 30-14 minutes tops, because of the low levels of oxygen. There are other routes up other than the train, you can hike it, bike it, or even drive it, which makes the top a crowded place. Not only are the 200+ passengers of the train all milling around, you also have a parking lot full of cars and bikers and hikers all around. The mile high donuts weren't our goal, no it was more about saying we did it. So we took the photo, headed in to the restrooms and before we knew it we had to get back to the train. By this time, the clouds had rolled in and it started raining. I snapped a few photos, that aren't that great because of the rain in the air, but let me tell you, we were up there in the clouds, and the only place I felt safe was in the giftshop or on the train. Me and heights aren't friends!
After coming down off the mountain, we decided to check out Manitou Springs, but ended up just driving through a couple of times. We then headed over to the Cliff Dwellings, Tony remembered being able to see them in the side of the mountain, but once we got there, it was a pricey entrance fee that sent us on to something else. I told you a lot of things change in 18 years. He said that when he lived here, you could see them for free, but that they weren't impressive enough for the cost. We then headed over to Old Colorado City and walked around shopping a little. Jon got another postcard, his collection is getting massive! After we had walked both sides of the street, we found a cool store that Tony remembered taking his mom to when she had come to visit. Mom decided to buy a concrete turtle, a HUGE one, for her garden. Jon found a Mayan Calendar and had to strike a pose!
We went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and then back to the hotel where it had started to rain a little.
We woke up Sunday morning, thinking about heading over to Peterson Air Force Base to check it out and have lunch there. We had to drive around looking for the side gate because the main gate is only open on weekdays, and Tony didn't work on this base, even though he was stationed in Colorado Springs. He had only come on the base to go shopping at the BX or the Commissary. Once we finally found the side gate, we checked out the BX, had lunch and then went to see the outside of the Air and Space Museum on the base. The inside museum is closed on Sundays, but the planes outside were what we all wanted to see. We walked around looking at all of them and Jon said his cheeks were hurting from smiling. He really likes seeing the airplanes.
After checking out all the planes, we decided to see if we could drive over to where Tony did work. Cheyenne Mountain. Yep, that's the command center built into the mountain...This mountain...
How cool is that?? Well, we drove up to the exit and noticed it said "Official Business Only", but we kept driving. Well, at least until we saw the Warning Sign...
We didn't want to have to answer any questions, so we decided to heed the warning and just turn around. We were hoping to see at least the sign where Tony had reenlisted while he was here. Oh well. Jon thought it was cool enough to be on Norad Rd. knowing that this was where they track Santa! Knowing that his Dad worked there was even cooler for him!
After that we drove around, trying to think of something to do, so we drove by the Broadmoor Hotel, cool building, then over to Seven Falls. Guess what...Closed. Due to construction. What are the odds?? We had looked into going to Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, but Tony found out that the park had been burned in a wildfire a little over a year ago, and that the only way to see the bridge was to go by bus, so we decided against that. We decided to head back over to the Garden of the Gods Trading Post to get a few more souvenirs and then back to the hotel to do a little more laundry. It is amazing how much laundry can come from the four of us. So, here I sit, waiting for the last of the laundry to finish drying. Maybe we will go to dinner, maybe we won't. We are pretty tired and to be honest, we have eaten enough in the last 19 days to hold us over.
On to Dodge City, KS tomorrow. We found out they are celebrating Dodge City Days right now, so who knows what we will find there. Only a 5 hour drive tomorrow, so hopefully we can get there early enough to see something. Then on to Columbia, MO the next day and back home by Wednesday night!
