Our first stop was at the Garden of the Gods. Given to Colorado Springs by the children of Charles Perkins, it is a beautiful park with hundreds of paved walking trails through some of the most attractive rock formations east of Utah.
Enjoyed by millions of people during the year, the park was donated with the understanding that it would be open to all without charge. Dogs are allowed to visit while leashed, and climbers can scale the formations with appropriate permits.
With a view of Pikes Peak in the background, Donna and Sasha enjoyed the warm day!
And, of course, the required Balanced Rock.
Just a couple miles west of Garden of the Gods, the road to Pikes Peak appeared.
Followed shortly by an entrance station run by the NPS (toll required) just as the road heads up the mountain.
We had a choice: The number one tourist attraction in Colorado Springs is the Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak. At this moment that is the only route that goes completely to the summit, and is therefor extremely busy. The cost of a 3 hour round trip with 30 minutes of time at the summit didn't compute for us, so we opted to drive on the same road used for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb race.
At first the road is not unusual, but about mile marker 7, near the beginning of the Hill Climb, the road began to show some character, without guardrails, but with spectacular views.
Pikes Peak reaches to 14,115 feet above sea level and inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write "America the Beautiful" in 1893. Unfortunately, we were only allowed to drive to the 13,380 foot level where the road condition deteriorated. Called Boulder Park, this turnout and parking area still provided awesome views of the area around Colorado Springs.
A nice gentleman from North Dakota offered to take our picture. The temp was about 40, with a windchill in the 20's, so we didn't spend a lot of time wandering around the boulder field!
We did get to see the top of the mountain, though!
The scenery on the road back down was even more spectacular than on the way up! After a mandatory brake temperature check at Mile 16 (we were already too hot and had to wait 30 minutes for the brakes to cool), we headed through the Switchbacks all the way down to Mile 11 at 10,000 feet. First gear all the way, so it was a bit slow, but safer. Just before the first switchback, we briefly saw a family of Marmot(s?) bailing over the side of the road.
By this time we were anxious to find something to eat, so we decided to head a bit farther west to the old gold mining camp of Cripple Creek. Cripple Creek has been transformed into a casino/tourist destination, but still continues to produce most of Colorado's mineral wealth. Our GPS took us on a long, scenic route, so by the time we arrived, the start time of the Belmont Stakes horserace was fast approaching, and we, along with millions of other people, wanted to see a possible history making run. We pulled into the VIP parking lot at the Colorado Grand Casino (why not?).
Where we ran downstairs to Maggies Restaurant and Bar.
And enjoyed Honey Slung Fried Chicken and Chicken Fried Steak while we watched the horserace!
And what a race it was! Congratulations, American Pharaoh!
As usual, in the afternoon as we approached our rv park, the clouds built up and the rain started. Pikes Peak, normally visible from the intersection in front of the park, began to disappear.
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