Our first stop in Colorado Springs was to visit with our friend Julia and her mother Sue Ann. We had a great evening talking, laughing and catching up and we can’t wait till we meet again.
Colorado Springs gave us a magnificent sunny morning the next day as we headed to Garden of the Gods. Filled with amazing views of red rocks rising up out of the ground, Garden of the Gods was designated a registered National Natural Landmark in 1971 and comprises 1300 acres of sandstone formations and hiking trails. We zipped around in an open air jeep as our guide pointed out the many geologic features of the park and explained how the formations came to be as they are today. With the towering Pikes Peak as a backdrop, the landscape was spectacular.
Our guide also took us to Helen Hunt Falls in North Cheyenne Cañon Park, not far from Garden of the Gods. It was our first sighting of a frozen waterfall and we found ourselves standing and watching it as if it was still flowing. The park was filled with hikers, runners, cyclists and tourists as the sunshine drew everyone outdoors.
From Colorado Springs we headed up the road to Denver where our first call of duty was to find a bar and settle in for the Super Bowl. Cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs, we loved the atmosphere in the bar which was filled fairly evenly with supporters for both teams. The game was excellent and we were thrilled to watch quarterback Patrick Mahomes lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win against the San Francisco 49ers.
From a day of sun to a day of snow… We woke up to a white Denver and as tempting as it was to sit indoors and watch the snow fall outside the window, we had a date with six alpacas. We headed out to Crystal and Joe’s alpaca farm as part of an Airbnb experience, and had a super afternoon learning about and meeting the woolly residents. Feeding and petting Picasso, Michael, Alan, Rocky, Tango and Lawrence was so much fun, even if I did get caught in a crossfire of alpaca spit 😂
As the snow continued to fall at a rapid rate, we made a quick stop to check out the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. With the highest seat sitting at an elevation of 6,435ft / 1961m, this amphitheatre is cut into the red rocks that surround it and has some of the best acoustics in the world. We would love to come back here for a concert when it’s a bit warmer!
As we’ve said before, one of the best parts of this trip has been meeting up with friends as we travel around the country. What we didn’t expect was to be in Denver at the same time that another Sidra friend happened to be home on vacation from Doha. It was so good to see you Beth!
Not being proficient drivers in the snow, we took a deep breath (actually many deep breaths), put Wanda into four wheel drive, and headed west from Denver over the Rockies. Slow and steady won the race as we crossed the Continental Divide through the Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158 ft / 3,401 m. And what picture perfect scenery we had to keep us company with snow-laden trees surrounding us as far as the eye could see.
A stop at Vail Village for lunch was also picture perfect as we wandered along the heated cobblestone streets amongst skiers and snowboarders.
I believe I said at the end of the New Mexico post that Colorado had big shoes to fill. We can confirm that Colorado was every bit as stunning in completely different ways. Utah, we’re on our way!
P&S