Estes Park - Elk Meadow RV "Resort"

Just an update on our location for now, pictures later. Verizon wireless internet does not work in campground, however Verizon cell phones and ATT cell phones work just fine. Using campground wifi, which means the service is very dependent upon how many people are on line. It can be slow in the evenings but its better than nothing.

Chatfield State Park, Littleton, Co

Well, we finally moved out of Pikes Peak RV Park in Manitou Springs, we were really comfortable there, maybe too comfortable, even though it is in a more urban setting, it is very relaxing being in that area and we really enjoyed staying at the campground. Plenty of sight seeing to be done in the area and an easy walk to Manitou Springs for lunch and/or dinner. But time to move on and see more of Colorado. Today we are stopping for 5 nites on our way to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.

We decided to stay at Chatfield State Park in Littleton Colorado before we get into Estes Park. This State Park is located adjacent to the Chatsfield Dam. There are lots of boats on the reservior here during the weekend, not so much during the week. We were able to get a site for Sunday nite through Thursday nite. Weekends, the sites are pretty much booked up. The sites are huge, I think these sites have the most distance between the sites for any campground we have been in since we started traveling years ago. We decided to come up here so we could visit the Denver Botanic Garden and we will do that on Tuesday.

Well so much for now, here are some pictures including a couple of me since the kids keep asking for a picture of me:

More Garden of the Gods

Today we just took it easy and drove through Garden of the Gods again.

Balancing Rock

Manitou Springs - Eclectic comes to mind

Parts of Manitou Springs continue to be a flashback to the 60's for us.

Lover's Lane Chalet - Early 1900s there was a walkway along Fountain creek. A lot of businesses and a busy street were on the other side of Fountain Creek. The walkway had benches for sitting and watching the creek which has a considerable flow of water with a lot of large rocks. Anyway the walkway was eventually referred to as Lovers Lane.  Now it's a narrow dirt/paved road that runs along Fountain Creek.

Nolon house built in 1890 undergoing yet another renovation although this time it looks like its mostly interior.

Driving Pikes Peak 14,110 feet

Today we left Manitou Springs around 11am for the drive to the top of Pikes Peak. We decided to get a late start since the air temp up there can be cold and windy. When we got there it we were told it was 45-50 degrees. Wind was gusting up to about 20 when we were there makeing it feel colder, so you need to bring along heavy coats if you plan to spend a lot of time outside taking pictures or just viewing the sights.

Need a haze filter for these high altitude pictures, well maybe next time.

Zoom in to see how road winds back and forth in the upper elevation

Colorado Springs major sources of water are along road to Pikes Peak one of them is Crystal Reservoir.

Brake check at Glen Cove for cars coming down from Peak, they use a handheld IR temperature gun and if your brakes are too hot, you have to pull into parking lot and wait. We saw cars getting pulled over.

Alpine Zone - Getting above the tree line.

Getting windy and colder

Air temp around 45-50 with strong gusty wind makes it feel colder

Built for commemoration of 100th anniversary of America the Beautiful

Cog train that runs from Manitou Springs

Cog Railway cars leaving top of Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak Cog Railway - 2 cars going back down to Manitou Springs

Manitou Springs

Open Pit mining as seen from Pikes Peak

Garden of the Gods

Looking North from below the Peak

Colorado Springs, Downtown is lower right. Colorado 94 is the ribbon of road heading into the horizon(East towards Kansas)

Colorado 94 disappears into the horizon East of Colorado Springs

Just an example of the drive back down. From the top to Glen Cove is steeper and has more hairpin turns.

Monsoon Season - Localized flooding in Colorado Springs

Since we moved to the Pike Peak RV Park in Manitou Springs, it has rained everyday here in the Colorado Springs and surrounding areas similar to the afternoon/evening rains we are used to in Florida. It can be a light rain or a heavy rain with thunder and lightening. So our highs have been in the 80s during the day with the lows into low 70s, high 60s at nite.  Humidity relatively low as compared to Florida. The local weather people says this is the Monsoon season as moist air comes up from the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of California and the daily rain will continue for another week and local flash floods are common which means flooded streets in the low lying areas in Colorado Springs and Pueblo as well as surroundng communities with some hail north of here. So far things have been fine where we are with respect to flooding, perhaps it is because we are in a slightly higher eleveation although that is a relative measure here in Colorado. So we continue to see flash flood warnings while watching the local TV in the evening and we are learning what areas are really affected.

Manitou Springs Sight Seeing

We are staying at Pikes Peak RV Park in Manitou Springs on Manitou Ave and we can walk to downtown Manitou Springs, its about a mile to 1.5 miles depending upon where you want to go.

Manitou Springs was a "Spring" destination when springs were considered very therapeutic back in the late 1800s early 1900s. We noticed this last year when we saw a lot of small towns that were developed around various springs. Railroads were built to get people to the springs and hotels sprang up around them as well. Now it attracts tourists for a variety of reasons.

Cliff House, Manitou Springs

Cliff House with guess who.

Colliers Hotel, some how out of sequence

Colliers Hotel

Cliff House

Cliff House

Cogs to climb up Pikes Peak