Colorado Springs, CO - July 9 thru 12, 2005 (Re-run)

 I'll repeat myself by saying Colorado Springs offers so many activities, I always enjoy going there.  On this particular visit, we started by driving to the top of Pikes Peak, elevation 14,110 feet.  There are many good views on the way up, but the views from the top are even more spectacular.

Garden of The Gods is an incredible urban park created by geological upheaval millions of years ago and preserved when the city was laid out in the 1850s.  There is evidence of natives in the area going back to 1330 BC, and numerous tribes have ties to the area over the centuries since.  It's not clear how it came by its current name, but it certainly seems to fit.

The park is nearly 1400 acres and has 21 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.  Paved roads meander through the formations, allowing sightseeing by automobile.  Since the admission is free, there is no exact count of visitors, but it is estimated that some six million visitors per year see at least part of it.

Numerous waterfalls can be found around the town, here are just a few.