Manitou Springs

Friday August 12, 2016

Moving day went well.  The drive to Manitou Springs was very scenic and uneventful which is a good thing.  Our neighbors here at the park drove in from Kansas and lost a bicycle off the end of their trailer and didn’t know it until they arrived here.  Hope no one ran over it causing an accident.  We are in Manitou Springs which is just west of Colorado Springs at the base of Pike’s Peak.  PRC

We arrived in the lovely town of Manitou Springs in the afternoon. It is 4 miles from downtown Colorado Springs. By the way did you know that Colorado Springs does not have springs? (Manitou Springs does.)

When we checked in to the RV Park we were given evacuation plans in case of a flash flood. This was slightly disconcerting. There is a stream surrounding the small RV Park which is on the main drag. We can take a free shuttle into town (up a long hill) and walk down hill home.

We made plans to go to Annette’s townhouse in Colorado Springs on Saturday.  JY

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday August 13, 2016

We drove into Colorado Springs to visit one of June Yvonne’s old friends.  Annette worked for her at Juvenile Detention.  It was a great visit and the two of them got reacquainted and reminisced about old times.  Drove home in the late afternoon and witnessed a thunderstorm on Pike’s Peak and with the sun shining through the openings in the almost black clouds it was a biblical looking scene.  We were driving on the freeway during rush hour and wish I could have stopped to take a picture.   PRC

We had a delicious meal at Annette’s place. (It was nice to have a meal not made on the grill or in the trailer.) It was great to see her settled and happy in her spacious condo. It was also fun for us to get caught up in each other’s lives.  JY

Sunday August 14, 2016

A dear friend of June Yvonne’s worked at the Broadmoor Hotel about 60 years ago and when she heard we were going to be in Colorado Springs she asked us to visit the hotel.  We thought sure why not – park the car – run in and take a few pics – and away we would go.  WRONG.   The Broadmoor is a 5 star hotel and we ended up spending about 3 or 4 hours strolling around the meticulously manicured grounds.

It would be a gross understatement to say it was absolutely spectacular.  We had lunch by the enormous pool which butts right up to the huge man made lake.  Just out of curiosity I inquired what it would cost for a suite for our 20^th anniversary (5 years from now) and the suites are only $1,900.00 per night.  A luxury cabin is $2,800.00 per night.  I told the concierge I would like to book the suite for 4 hours which is all I could afford.  Definitely a place where the rich and famous hangout.  If you ever visit Colorado Springs checking out the Broadmoor should be close to the top of your list.

I could see large fish swimming in the water and went back to the concierge’s desk and told them I had my fly rod in the truck and could I fish for a couple hours.  She stepped back and said, “I’m so sorry sir fishing is not permitted but leaned over and assured me the fish were very large and probably would be very easy to catch.  And by the way,” she added, “security does patrol the perimeter of the lake at night to discourage midnight fisherman.”

As our readers know,  we have a hummingbird feeder outside our dining room window.  In Manitou Springs we put it up and drove off to visit the Broadmoor.  When we got back the feeder was empty and hanging on one of our insect shape solar yard lights.  As we drove up to our RV the neighbor walked over and said he had the camp host move it as there were hundreds of bees swarming on it, so many you couldn’t see the feeder.  The camp host moved it however he did not empty it … the bees consumed a cup and a half of hummingbird food in a couple of hours.  The camp host confirmed the story.   PRC

Sunday afternoon we spent a glorious afternoon at the Broadmoor Hotel/Resort. The only reason we went in the first place was because Joan T. asked us to see it. She worked there one summer during college. We planned to go there, spend some time looking around and take some pics for her. However it was so historical and beautiful we spent the afternoon there. Too bad we hadn’t planned to have Sunday brunch there as it looked magnificent.

We spoke with friends later who were there for a business conference. They indicated that not only is the Broadmoor “pet friendly”, but aggressively so. They apparently provide dog treats, food and a bed for your pooch.   JY

Monday August 15, 2016

We drove into Denver to visit some other friends of June Yvonne’s.  Denise and Tim moved from Phoenix to Denver about 6 or 7 months ago and love the climate and the atmosphere.  After a wonderful afternoon we headed back to Manitou Springs.  After dinner we took the free shuttle up the hill to downtown Manitou Springs and checked out some of the shops and walked back down the hill.  PRC

We drove to Denver to see Denise and Tim. Denise prepared a perfect lunch of soup and salad with fruit as dessert. We spent the entire afternoon visiting with them and her brother who was visiting. They moved to an urban combo – sleek and modern with 4 stories including the roof, a great place for entertaining.

I had hoped to go the “Tattered Cover” a several story book store I had been to years ago with John Sem.  Unfortunately we didn’t have time as we wanted to miss the 5 pm traffic. There were so many other sites I wanted to see in Denver but I guess it will have to be another trip.

Same goes for Manitou Springs/Colorado Springs. We could easily spend another two weeks here. There is so much more to do including hiking and fishing.

After returning home from Denver we took the shuttle to town and spent some time browsing in the cute shops. Unfortunately I started getting dizzy so we headed back down the hill to our RV Park.  JY

Tuesday August 16, 2016

We are going to ride the cog railroad to the top of Pike’s Peak (14,115 ft) tomorrow so before heading off to Garden of the Gods we checked out the free parking and shuttle situation.  We arrived at Garden of the Gods visitor center and watched a couple of movies about the park.  This is one of the most visited city parks in the US.  We ate lunch on the second story patio of the visitor center and what a gorgeous panorama.  We took a one and half hour jeep tour of the park and Manitou Springs.  We were able to drink some of the mineral water straight from the spring.   The weather is great and we eat at the picnic table every night.

I was bummed that the RV Park did not have Wi-Fi and alarmed when we checked in that we were in a flood zone.  Apparently a large fire not far from here denuded the hillsides of vegetation and when it rains it floods.  We are backed up right next to the creek and it was raining when we registered.  On the instructions for what to do in the event of a flash flood it was clearly stated in large print that there were no refunds.  We would have approximately five minutes to pack up our things, hook up the trailer and get to the Wal-Mart 8 miles away provided there were no traffic jams.

Interestingly enough, our guide on the jeep tour drove over the creek a mile upstream where the creek runs under a row of houses.  The guide said the year after the fire there was a torrential rainstorm and the water level in town rose 8 feet in five minutes.  The people in the houses had water running out their front door.  The guide also added that ironically it barely rained in Manitou Springs.  Tomorrow we are going to Camping World to purchase pontoons for our potentially new houseboat.  Not that I am alarmed but it’s raining right now ….. but just barely.

FUNNY STORY:  After shopping at Safeway we headed to the car with a cart and our groceries.  The parking lot had a very steep slope for drainage.  I went ahead of JY to unlock the truck.  I looked up just in time to see JY sprinting full speed across the parking lot with a six pack of paper towels under her arm and her black and white purse swinging around her neck like a raccoon trying to hang on for dear life.   I was so surprised to see her running at that speed with the six pack tucked under her arm like a football.  It took me a second to figure out what was happening.  —  On the way to the car the six pack of paper towel had fallen off of the cart and she hadn’t noticed.  Someone driving by pointed to the six pack about 20 yards behind her and she realized it was ours.  She let go of the cart and ran back to get it only to have the same people yell out the window at her that her cart was picking up speed towards a parked car.  She’d already run back to get the six pack and only then became aware of the runaway cart.  The distance between her and the cart was increasing while the distance between the cart and the car was decreasing …. rapidly.  She tucked the six pack under her arm and took off at a dead run for the cart.  The people in the car and I watched in awe as she reached the cart s before it hit the car.  For a moment I thought she was going to spike the package of paper towels.

I am amazed at the subtle changes we have experienced since the beginning of our adventure.  We watched TV regularly when we were at home but in the last ten weeks we have watched less than 4 hours of TV and quite frankly don’t miss it at all.  We have been reading more, talking more and doing more things together.  We sleep better and laugh more.  We are living in a very small space and have managed to work it out so we are not in each other’s way.  We work cooperatively to get things done like cleaning and cooking.  We are living in the here and now and not in the where and when.  We miss our home and our “stuff” – we miss our family and friends but have no burning desire or need to rush home.  We appreciate all the “stuff” we have at home but realize how little of it we really need.  We are in cities and towns where there are lots of beautiful places and things to see but we are comfortable with the fact that we will not see everything and on some days choose to do nothing and go nowhere.  I believe that each of these things are important and special and that when they all happen at the same time they become the essence of happiness within a peaceful and quiet soul.  We are truly blessed.    PRC

A day in the Garden of the Gods was of course divine. We have red rock in our beautiful Sedona. However, in GOG an extensive geological history of the formations is given along with the flora and fauna and the people of the area. The serene red rock setting seemed to have a lowering blood pressure effect. And it’s one of the few free parks in the U.S. There were lots of trails that called to us but it started raining and we didn’t want to get soaked.

 

We had a fun jeep tour by a rider and guide full of personality. We got a scenic tour of the area and rock formations which also included a tour of Manitou Springs. We learned more about this lovely little town we have come to appreciate. (We are not missing big cities.)

After dinner we had a stroll through a pretty park just down the street which had a tempting fishing pond.   JY

Wednesday August 17, 2016

Caught the free shuttle up to the Pike’s Peak Cog Railroad depot.  It is a unique form of transportation that uses large interlocking gears to pull the train up very steep slopes and brake the train when using gravity to go down steep slopes.  Unlike a steam locomotive or electric or diesel train system this is direct drive with only one locomotive – unlike a funicular.

 

On the way up we passed through 4 different “life” zones.  And the narrative provided by the conductor/engineer was very informative and humorous.  He has been doing this trip 3 times a day, 5 days a week for 9 years – he’s got his facts and humor down cold.  We saw 25 sheep on the way up and down, a small herd of rams at the tree line and a dozen or more yellow bellied marmots.  The temperature, although 50 degrees cooler at the top, was not as harsh as I expected probably due to the fact there was very little wind and a beautiful sunny sky.

 

 

 

You can drive up to the top but it is 19 miles of tight hairpin turns and no guard rail.  At one point on the way down you can see the road and there was a guy riding his bicycle up to the top.  It is not a friendly road to drive and depending on the weather and other drivers can be dangerous.  One of our tour guides said they lose a couple people every year.  Every year they have an automobile race from bottom to top – of course they lose a few people there also.

There was a flat spot on the rocks stuck way out on the edge of the cliff and of course I had to go out there and take pictures.  The scenery was amazing – from the top you can see into 5 states and the city of Denver on the journey up there is a spot where you could see east and west.   PRC

We woke up early to catch the Cog railroad to the top of Pike’s Peak. We parked down the street and caught the 6:30 am free shuttle. Much to our surprise the shuttle was filled with hikers that do a very steep incline trail at the base of the mountain. This could be a heart pounding trek due to the high elevation.

Our journey to the top was the least strenuous of several options. Driving to the summit is one way to go. But keep in mind that the road has 151 hair pin turns and no guard rails. Peter met a guy at the RV Park who did it on his motorcycle today. It was bumper to bumper, very slow and he admitted it was very scary.

We enjoyed our trip to the top with a guide and the ever changing scenery. At one time long ago there was a resort half-way to the top. We spotted wild life including Bighorn sheep, deer and yellow belly marmots. We learned that Pike’s Peak is about 1,700 feet higher than Mt. Fuji. As you may know I tend to have a low tolerance for high altitude.  So as a precaution we drank lots of water and took a can of oxygen which I used. Besides being somewhat short of breath I did have some muscle cramps in my leg. It’s a good thing we brought a jackets as it was 50 degrees colder at the top.  We were rewarded with spectacular views.

We leave for Estes Park on Friday so tomorrow (Thursday) is a preparation day. Peter did the laundry today so we may have time to do a short hike in the morning. We will probably go the public library to finish the blog. (Remember we have no WIFI at this RV Park.)  JY

Thursday August 18, 2016

 We finally did a hike in Colorado! Yeah.  Every day we pass a trailhead that we’ve wanted to check out.  It seemed like a short hike that we thought we’d have time for. It turned out longer than we planned but so worth it. It took me about 10 minutes to get my “hiking legs” mostly due to the elevation. However once I did I felt like a real hiker again.

 

 

 

 

Now we are at Subway (for their WIFI) to complete the Manitou Springs portion of the blog. (Remember we have no WIFI at the RV Park.)  The next installment of the blog will be from Estes Park.  JY