Well, this has almost been our motto. When we made our first trip to the area in 2001, I told dh we'd get the wonderful opportunity to drive to the top of Pikes Peak, a mere 14, 110' high! The highest peaks in Colorado are dubbed the 14ers. Pikes Peak is one of them, towering over Colorado Springs. Surprisingly, as we drove to the top, we had to stop at Crystal Reservoir and could go no further so the car race could proceed! Yes, a car race, as in the Indy 500 but this is the Pikes Peak Challenge or something. Those crazy drivers come to the mountain yearly to speed their way to the top to capture the prize. Hmmmm, I thought the prize was making it to the top at a slow speed, yet safely, and enjoying the view! This goes on for a week. Sadly, later in the week, a man was killed, driving off the side of the road (there are no guardrails.)

This drive is not for the faint of heart. In fact, most take the cograil to the top. The drive starts easily enough, making many twists and turns with lots of great scenery. Near the top it gets really scary and the road seems to go straight into the air. I am digging my fingers into the seat. That first time, the kids were ages 5 and 8 and loving the view d-o-w-n. There were no guardrails. Did I mention that already? DH was gripping the steering wheel and you could see the whites of his knuckles while he sang under his breath, "Have Faith in Jesus" while the children would call out, "It’s a l-o-n-g way down there Daddy! But you’re not scared, are you?" Finally we made it to the top and I wanted to keep my family in the center of the mountain so that no one would fall off. Because we were over 14,000’, we were way past treeline and on the tundra. All we could see around us was sky. We carefully edged our way to the side and what a view! Way down below looked like a patchwork quilt of tans and greens. Our little family started singing, "America, the Beautiful." The other tourists must have thought we were nuts. The children had just learned in school how Katherine Bates had written those verses after being on top of this mountain. It was bitterly cold at the top so we took some pictures and ran into the gift shop where there were great shirts, caps, mugs and bumper stickers with sayings like "Real Men Don’t Need Guardrails." Later down below in Manitou Springs, we found a t-shirt factory where we designed our own t-shirts. Mine says "I made it to the top…and back down again." Whenever I wear that, I get a lot of comments!

When we came back in 2006, we had just done Trail Ridge Road in RMNP. We drove to the top and that was easy that time! And we found out it had grown since our previous trip! The mountain had recently been measured again and now it is 5’ taller! I think it helped that there was little traffic, so that we owned the road for the most part. That means we could drive down the center of the road most times. Did I mention, there are no guardrails? Here are some great pictures from that drive…

Crystal Lake Reservoir with Pikes Peak in the background...

Glen Cove...the last rest stop before the climb that looks like it's straight up in the air!  This is the point of no return!  Looking down from where we came...

The top...

Glacial Lakes...

More great views...

We finally headed down.  This can be real scary, because your car seems it will have to point straight down, to get down.  There were lots of marmots laying on the side of the road on the way up.  We made friends with this one...

As we continued our descent, the kids started yelling!  They had finally seen the elusive big horn sheep!  We all took pictures, but only dh's camera had a good enough zoom to prove they were indead bighorn sheep...rams in fact!

This year, we had planned on driving to the top. It’s a piece of cake now! However, before the trip our brakes had been declared being only 20%. We had already done RMNP and I-70. Would they hold for Pikes Peak? Since we didn’t want to really bust the van, we opted for Seven Falls…and almost saw a bear! In hindsight, I wish I had asked that lady to e-mail her photo of the bear to me!

My previous blog about the Flying W Ranch reflects great times and memories. Our first time there was in 2001. I had found them in a travel brochure in a magazine or on-line. It looked like good clean family fun-tour a Western town, eat cowboy food and listen to cowboy songs. To our surprise, there was more to it than that.

For one thing, it was an ROTFL experience! For dinner, we sit at huge picnic tables that seat at least 12 people. We get to meet lots of new people. Then this cowboy comes out to tell jokes, tell us how to proceed in an orderly fashion to go through the chow line buffet style and reseat ourselves…all while cracking some of the best jokes I’ve ever heard.

After we have all eaten, and had our fill of seconds and thirds, the tables are cleared and we settle down to some serious old fashioned cowboy music. This Roy Rogers style of cowboy music is my favorite type of western. They also throw in some old westerns from the movies, tell more knee slappers and we’re just having a grand time.

Then they do some great skits too and at one point the guy who was cracking all the jokes left, but came back dressed up as a chipmunk or squirrel or something. I was laughing so hard as they sang a silly tune to go with his antics that I’m not quite sure what he was. Back then ds was 5 and had fallen fast asleep by this point. Sadly, he missed the whole squirrel act.

Then they shared how they are born again Christians and shared some great gospel tunes, cowboy style. We left feeling warm in our heart underneath the chilly Colorado nighttime sky. We purchased a couple of CDs from the Wranglers on the way out. DH is the music guy around here and when he puts one of these CD’s into the stereo, great memories come flooding back.

We got to go back last year and with enthusiasm we hoped to see the same guys. Sadly, they had left the outfit earlier that year and only one of the guys had stayed. The funniest guy, the one who had donned the chipmunk costume and who had been the most open about his faith, was gone. I learned his name was Scotty and he had been with the Wranglers many, many, many years. The show just wasn’t the same. The new guys sounded good, had great talent, and were trying to tell the old jokes…but it just wasn’t the same. You could tell they were struggling to pick up where the other group had left off.

Well we had a year to get over it and we planned to go back and enjoy it for what it was. After all, it was still great music and good clean family fun, even if the jokes sounded cornier. The guys from last year were back, and the one was teasing me (although it was going over my head at the time) as I was trying to complete a travelers cheque correctly for some of their CDs. I bought one featuring the new guys and 2 left over featuring the old guys.

The show was much better this year than last year. They took out some of the corny stuff and it flowed better. However, something was missing. Although, they shared that they were born again Christians and sang one gospel song, it sounded more like an apology than a testimony. It was still a night of good clean fun. But that is where the focus seemed to be. The older guys used to say that first they were Christians, and second they offered good clean family cowboy entertainment. Now it seemed to be the other way around.

I met a neat Christian family at my table and they told me that their dd, who is now in her early 20’s, had adored Scotty in the chipmunk costume ever since she was a little girl and wrote a letter to him. When they came back for another visit, they told him and he remembered and he gave her a treat. (I forget now what that was.)

They were telling me that now Scotty and some of the other old Wranglers have a new group and give their testimony openly. They also have a cowboy dinner, great humor (I believe it because Scotty is a natural born story teller), and cowboy music and gospel show of their own.  We had in fact tried to go to their show, but it didn't work out.  If we get to go back to Colorado again, it will definitely be at the top of our list!

 You can hear them singing at their web site and see their travel schedule. The schedule also includes many of Scotty’s speaking engagements where he gives his testimony. Right now it looks like they are traveling through Colorado, yet they are based just north of Colorado Springs. In time, they might be coming to a state near us. If you ever have opportunity to see them, go! You will blessed beyond measure! If you are looking for a great gift, their music is wonderful! It looks like samples of music from their CDs are available. They even have a DVD now. Oh, and if you look at the CDs they offer, you’ll see one of Scotty in the chipmunk or squirrel costume!

We decided to save the Flying W Ranch for the last bang of our summer vacation! This would be our third opportunity to visit. Before the cowboy dinner starts, we have about an hour to check out the town. There are lots of cute shops and we usually find something neat to take home. We got a few CD's to take home.  The link plays some of their music.  http://www.flyingw.com/  Hmmmm, the old web site used to play samples.  I can't find any of that now.  How sad.  It's a great sound!

Then we enjoy a cowboy dinner, followed by family friendly entertainment. Well, I’ll let the pictures show you how fun this place is!

Here is the parking lot with cowboys to show us where to park…

Here is the Summer House (it's that dark tunnel up ahead)….this is an important place…remember this for later…

Pretty flowers…

Not sure what this one is…

Trying to obey the sign…

Peaceful spot…

They must be proud of their beef…

Christian bookstore…

Pre-dinner sample of homemade biscuit and honey…

Chapel…

I’ve been looking for them…

Cooking up some grub…

Pretty flowers…

On the way to the train ride, we followed a lady up the hill telling her granddaughter "NO" she was "NOT" going to climb 50 stairs to the top of the mountain (dh and I were telling our kids the same thing; our thighs were still burning from Seven Falls that morning-lol). We had to laugh and while waiting in line for the train, told her about Seven Falls. She decided to skip that spot...too many stairs! We also told her about Focus on the Family and Adventures in Odyssey and she was extremely interested in taking their granddaughter there. In the meantime, ds kept talking her ears off. She finally asked if my daughter ever gets a chance to speak! The first time we came to Flying W, a lady asked if I had a screw in ds’s back to wind him up!

Well, finally our turn for the train ride. We go through a tunnel…

And oh no, the sign says, "Watch for Train Robbers!"

Could that be one of those rascally varmints standing against the red rock up ahead?

No, that’s just dh. He said a lot of people came by thinking he was one of the train robbers as part of an act. Then he’d smile at them and then they thought he was one of the Wranglers and asked for directions.

Oh, those must be the train robbers…

Another sign…remember the Summer House in the parking lot????

During dinner a neat Christian family sat next to me and we had a wonderful time talking. She used to sew for one of the cute shops in Old Colorado City we had been to the day before.

After dinner the show started. The night was getting nippy. This is after all Colorado. Time to put on my brand new jacket to keep me warm under the stars and funny entertainment and cowboy music. What a way to end our vacation!

Our last day in Colorado and how to spend it? The popular vote was to drive up Pikes Peak. However, our brakes were down to 20% before the trip…how well were they after all this mountain driving? So we decided to do some hiking at Seven Falls. Besides, we had a chance of seeing beers there.  That could be interesting!  http://www.sevenfalls.com/

Seven Falls is a beautiful box type canyon. There is only one way in, through a very narrow gorge between two tall mountains, called the Pillar of Hercules. One has the profile of George Washington at the top! Once in you walk up to the waterfalls. This 181’ waterfall actually lands and falls again 7 different times, each time with a different pattern. So each fall is actually a different type of waterfall. To get to the top you have to climb a huge set of stairs…224 of them! Talk about a real thigh burner! I am always a bit terrified of slipping through the cracks…or one of my children stepping through! This was our third time here and so far so good!

Once we finally made it to the top, we walked into the woods along a stream. Soon we met a family quietly sitting and they pointed out the deer who were peacefully laying down under the trees nearby. We remained very still and very quiet.

Finally we moved on for more hiking. We heard nervous chickarees chattering in the wood. Occasionally birds chirped here and there. It was a lovely day. At one point we stopped for a snack. I was not too comfortable with this particular location, because signs were posted that bears were in the area. We have yet to see bears in Colorado. But that does not mean that they are not around. I did not think advertising our snacks and allowing the aroma waft into the woods was a good idea. Nervously, I ate mine quickly and kept looking over my shoulder. Fortunately, no beers came looking for our snacks!

As we headed down the path we were nearly blindsided by one of those deer we had seen earlier. We stood around trying to take a great picture but it was difficult with them hiding in the trees. We were simply amazed that we had seen so many animals this time. Usually the woods are very quiet when we are here.

Then we saw some interesting plants. DD got her flower book out to identify them while I tried taking just the right picture. DS and DH got into analyzing them too!

Nodding onion…

Berries under the chiming bells…

Fungi…

Wild Geranium…

Chokecherries…bears love these…

While taking pictures, a couple excitedly walked up to us and told us if we hurried, we’d see a bear ahead! It was a big one! They showed us a picture on their camera! There he was, running through the narrow place between the split rock, not too far from here, looking over his shoulder. We set out to see the bear for ourselves. Was this a safe thing to do? The couple assured us we’d be okay, he wouldn’t hurt us. We pressed on while I anxiously looked over my shoulder and up into the trees. We got to the falls, but didn’t hang out here as long as usual. We didn’t see him. Do you see him peeking at us? I had to wonder if he was doing that.

Oh well. So close….

On the way back we saw this colorful fungi…

We got blindsided by the deer again and took more pictures!

Since we aren’t allowed to take specimens out of these parks with us, I had a special project planned (all the while looking over my shoulder for the bear). At RMNP the first night I had purchased some Nature Print Paper. http://www.natureprintpaper.com/ This undergoes a permanent chemical change when exposed to sunlight. We gathered leaves, nuts, etc and laid them on top of the paper in the sunlight. Then we counted off 2 minutes and removed the objects. The result was that the shadow made by the objects stayed the original dark blue, but everything else exposed to sunlight became pale blue. I safely packed them into the envelope (while looking over my shoulder) and when we got home I had to soak them in the sink for 1 minute then let them dry. Here they are! The kids will put these with their Colorado pictures in their scrapbook!

I thought we took pictures of the process but I guess not. I think I was too busy counting and looking over my shoulder!

On we went along the stream, and here’s a woodpecker! He was difficult to capture with the camera because he kept flying and going higher into the treetops!

Back to the stairs, looking down into the canyon, down the 7 Falls…

Here’s the first fall from the top…

Looking at the first drop…

Finally, a columbine!

At the bottom of the Seven Falls, the stream leading out to the parking lot…

From the parking lot, looking up towards the Seven Falls…

Further down from the falls, you can climb over 100 steps to the Eagle’s Nest. I don’t think so!!!! We took the elevator! Looking down into the parking lot…

I went to bed with a headache from the day’s descent from the top and woke up with a splitting headache around 3am. My head was pounding and my blood sugar had fallen. I needed food, as I have impaired glucose tolerance. Not wanting to disturb the family in the cabin, but I did anyway, I found a flashlight, my purse with snack and Excedrin, and headed out to the bathroom.

When we camp here we stay at the KOA Kabins. My poor back and knee can’t take tent camping anymore. This is the most economical way we can enjoy our trips so we can do special things like horseback riding! Also the kids love to play outside, build camp fires at night, enjoy the scenery…

Well this morning as I walked to the bathrooms, I was amazed by the stunning cloud formations building over the mountains. I found it highly unusual for them to form so early in the morning, when they tend to form by noon. I finally took care of me, back to bed, and I woke up more relaxed and pain free. I went outside and the cloud show was stunning! Bright enough to take pictures, I ran in to get my camera! Here’s the view!

We packed up, and headed back to Colorado Springs. Sadly, we hated to leave. We miss it still. Here are a few of the best shots from last year (I just can’t let it go!)

Well, we got back to Colorado Springs for a couple of more days.  No elk there...but chances of seeing bear are better!  Would this be the year?

We drove to the nearby quaint town of Old Colorado City nestled at the foot of Pikes Peak. 

Two shops here are my favorite....a tea shop and a yarn shop!  Hmmm...lots of scope for the imagination!

Then we took a short drive to a German restaurant, Edelweiss. 

We were entertained by some German musicians in costume.

It was past noon and the sky was still beautifully clear! One of the rangers said it was one of the best days of the summer, little haze and lots of blue sky! Time to press on. Quickly we descended to the other side of Mummy Range and Fall River. This took us over the Never Summer Mountains and over the Continental Divide. Amazingly, we were at a lower elevation, a mere 10,758’. Nevertheless, we were back in the forestry montane zone. At this road side stop, Milner Pass, we stopped to take our picture by the Continental Divide sign. As we walked east, we saw Poudre Lake, the headwaters of the Cache la Poudre River which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Near the lake we saw these pegmatite dikes. If we had more time we could have hiked in to see old volcanoes.

Not far from here to the west of the sign, the headwaters of the Colorado River form, which empty in the Pacific Ocean.  All because we were on the Continental Divide.

Here are the Never Summer Mountains on the Western side of the Continental Divide…

We headed on for Grand Lake, the Western entrance to RMNP, about a 30 minute drive. The drop in elevation comes quickly on this side, and my headache started forming...altitude sickness. I seem to have a problem with coming down instead of going up. The day was getting late, going on 3pm. Clouds were starting to form in the west. We decided to head back. There is only one way back! Back up Trail Ridge Road, to the alpine views, to get back to Estes Park!

Once at the top, we saw that the elk herd had made its way closer to the road. I hurriedly got my camera out and snapped some pictures from the car. Since all the cars were stopping for the obligatory tourist photos, I got some good shots!

Can you see the velveety antlers?

Then ds saw him! There he was as grand as could be! To our left, on top of a huge boulder, silhoutted against the sky, was a bighorn sheep in all his glory! But, he too quickly went down the other side of the boulder so I couldn’t capture a picture. You’ll just have to imagine it! Lol

Well, that was the end of a beautiful day!

Tundra is derived from a Russian word that means "land of no trees". It is too cold for plant life to grow more than a few inches in this harsh environment. The tiny plants that thrive at this high altitude  have special features in place to help them survive frost, strong winds, and intense sunlight. Winter temperatures rarely exceed 20 degrees F; summer temperatures rarely exceed 65 degrees F. Blizzards can occur any day of the year. The land is so fragile, that walking on it could destroy plant life for hundreds of years. Knowing this and experiencing just a few of these weather conditions can make me appreciate the hardiness of these tiny flowers.  However, like in my own garden, there are certain varieties seen for each season of the year.  Here are a few that I was privileged to see!

The red flower is King’s Crown, smells like a rose and the entire plant turns a deep red in the autumn. The yellow flower is Alpine Avens. Its leaves contain an antifreeze like pigment that changes sunlight to heat and acts as a sunscreen at the same time. In the autumn, it’s a deep red.

Alpine Avens and Bistort (white), which can also be called "dirty socks" because of the smell…

Chiming Bells and Alpine Sunflower (Old Man of the Mountain)…

Perry Clover…

Rose Crown (pink)…in the autumn the leaves turn a bright red and orange. The daisy (purple) gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon (whom we’re learning about in history) for "day’s eye" because they open at sunrise and close at sunset.

Snowball Saxifrage…saxifrage means "rock breaker", referring to the flower’s habit of growing between rock crevices. As a result, ancient medicinal practice assumed it would also break kidney stones.

We finally tore ourselves away from the view of the glacial lakes and turned to the 1 mile hike behind us. That might not sound like much down here around sea level. But now we were near 12,000’ in elevation. That means it’s colder, windier and less oxygen! Just being in Colorado at a mere 7,000’ elevation can make one winded walking across a parking lot. Now we were climbing up an easily paved path over the tundra….and huffing and puffing! There were lots of little signs a few yards from each other. These were wonderful spots to allow us to catch our breath and enjoy the scenery!

We are not allowed to walk on the tundra, because the soil is thin and fragile. Alpine flowers, as all plant life on the tundra, barely grow more than a few inches, hugging the ground to stay warm. The ones that are red and blue use their colors to capture ultraviolet radiation to help them keep warm, sort of like natural anti-freeze.

Here are some alpine sunflowers. They are also called Old Man of the Mountain due to dense, tiny hairs that cover them. These hairs help them to diffuse ultraviolet radiation, hold in heat and protect against water loss. It always faces east, away from the prevailing winds. Blooming only once, it can take several years to bloom. I think I read up to 30 years but now I can’t remember where I read that and I have 5 Rocky Mountain flower books open on my desk right now!

Pegmatite quartz….

Now the full shot…see the pegmatite quartz with the mica schist on top?

This was as high as we could hike.

 What a gorgeous view!

And another view...

These are mushroom rocks. The top is mica schist and the bottom is granite, which eroded at different rates.

Mountain Harebells…this same plant is the bluebell of Scotland.

We are now at the top of Trail Ridge Road at the Alpine Visitor Center. There is a huge glacial cirque behind the visitor center, that is covered with snow. It was formed by the Fall River Glacier.  Both times here we’ve seen elk in the valley below. Here’s a marmot looking at the snow instead of the camera...

On the other side of the parking lot is the short hike that will take us as high as we will get…12,005’ Appropriatly named Huffer Hill, every few steps up begs you to stop and look around at the view while your breath catches up with you!

Halfway up, looking down at the glacial cirque where the visitor center is perched.  All these rocks on the tundra you see are not left by glacial deposits.  Instead they have been thrust up by the constant freeze and thaw cycle at this elevation.

Looking towards the Fall River Valley where we went horseback riding…

Here is the back of Ypsilon Mountain and Mummy Mountain.  There's a big marmot who daily comes out to lay out on a rock to enjoy this view.  We saw him but I didn't get a close up of him.  But if you use your binoculars, you can see him!

At the top of the world!!

Our last day in Rocky Mountain National Park was beautiful! There were no threats of thunderstorms as we drove back up Trail Ridge Road and to see more of the alpine beauty. We drove quickly to the top, which took about 10-15 minutes. We skipped the previous stops so that we could spend time looking at the new stuff.

As we broke treeline, we entered the tundra. When one lives in Texas, the most economical and quickest way to see the tundra is to drive/climb an alpine peak in Colorado! We began where we left off in the rain the other day, at Terra Tomah at the edge of Forest Canyon. Several glacial lakes and waterfalls ran along the sides and foot of the mountain. DH kept spotting more lakes through his binoculars and we saw how they were all connected with streams and waterfalls. This is common in the Alps where they are given the Latin name, Pater Noster Lakes, meaning "Our Father", because they resemble the beads on a rosary.

Terra Tomah, elevation 12, 718'.  Get out your binoculars to view the 4 stunning glacial lakes and waterfalls! Oh, you forgot to bring them?  No problem!  Close ups to follow...  

Here is the uppermost lake we found in the alpine zone...

A little further down is this lake.  Don't you want to just jump right in?

Below that is a waterfall...

Down below is another lake.  Don't you just wonder if anyone is peeking from the woods at us?

And to the left is this one...oh so serene...

We saw lots of animals near us who were also enjoying the view...

Like elk...

Pikas....(well ds got all those pictures, I didn't get one of them yet.)

Marmots...

"For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills."  Psalm 50:10

Estes Park promises elk sightings at every turn. Last year we saw them daily on hillsides, around the lake, and throughout the park. Where were they this year? After 5 days, we still had not seen a single one. Even the couple in the cabin next door asked if we had seen any elk yet. Part of the fascination of touring the park is the opportunity to see wildlife and take pictures of them. And not just one picture, but more pictures than anyone would ever be able to do anything with. Vacation just isn’t complete without a picture of each plant, geological feature and wild animal. And the more close up the picture is, is like a trophy of the trip.

Last year we had gotten to the point where we felt we could count on the elk. Other animals were more elusive, like the bighorn sheep and the black bear. At least we got to see other types of fascinating critters. Always the chipmunks and ground squirrels would come up to us. Even at the cabin, they liked to run along the fenceline. Lots of ravens, magpies and stellar jays flew around. The Clark’s Nutcracker abounded in the subalpine area. With delight during one picnic we got to see a Nuthatch run down a tree trunk head first, just like we had read about in our science book a few years ago! A lady we met while we were watching the bighorn sheep said she saw some black bears by Bear Lake, which is uncommon. There are less than 10 bears in RMNP. On our hikes through the woods we’d hear a chattering noise made by the nervous Chickaree, but we never saw him.

After our 7mile hike, where we saw the usual birds and squirrels, we were hungry. We drove along the beautiful Glacier Creek, the rushing stream tumbling over boulders along the side of the road that originates from Alberta Falls. We eventually pulled into a picnic area near the stream to enjoy some hot soup and relax. As we entered the picnic area, we heard the Chickaree nervously chattering, because we were entering his space. We set up lunch near the rushing Glacier Creek and relaxed and enjoyed the sounds and sights and finally caught a glimpse of the frazzled Chickaree, though he was too quick to capture on camera.

From there we headed out of the park when …elk sighting!!! The hallmark of a great tourist in RMNP is keen observational skills, which thankfully the kids had! They sighted them through the trees! Like any good tourist, DH managed to turn the van around and strategically parked within walking distance but not too close to the animals. Dutifully, we grabbed our cameras and quickly popped out of the van. With expertise, we quietly moved along the edge of the road and started taking as many pictures as possible to see who could get the most impressive one. If you’re really good, you attract the attention of all the other tourists who may not see what you are aiming the cameras at, but they trust that you found a treasure! Before long, the road was lined by several vehicles, doors flung open and more tourists were whirring and clicking cameras!

Meanwhile, there was a hint of rain in the air. The temperature was comfortably cool. Peacefully, the elk laid down or nibbled grass from their favorite spot, contentedly enjoying their space. Calmly they ignored the 20+ tourists aiming little boxes in front of their faces that scarcely made a sound. The elk, because they knew from past experience that they would be undisturbed, refused to worry. They knew this park was their safe haven. As in the past, the crazy people would eventually move on. It happened yesterday and the day before…and will happen again tomorrow.

How often have I learned that my Heavenly Father is always my safe haven in the storms of life? How often do I choose to worry like the Chickaree, instead of calmly waiting on my Heavenly Father who holds me safe in His hands. He is always here with me. Such is the blessed security of the believer in Jesus Christ.  I am always ultimately safe in His secure hands.

Who could ask for a more beautiful day! Here is Hallett’s Peak from the Bear Lake parking lot. Elevation 9475’. We were going to try a new hiking trail to some waterfalls and beyond.

A brook along our path…

We finally arrived at the thundering Alberta Falls. We hiked upwards alongside the waterfall for over a 1000’ elevation gain.

Here’s a beaver dam in Alberta Falls…

Fireweed…

Snow knees…

This is as high as we got with Alberta Falls. We must have reached the 10,000' elevation by this point.  We decided to follow the trail further up.

Here is Hallett’s Peak…

Nearly above the treetops. Around here we met a hiker from the Northeast who had a GPS and he told us we were about 11,000’ That GPS was a cool gadget!

Snow…

Another waterfall along our path…

Below is the road to Bear Lake, the parking lot, our van, bathrooms, and ds’s food and water bottle. I shared my stash with him.

So close to the alpine peak…

Back in the woods again. See the eratic boulder left by a glacier long ago, and the snow knee?

Lake Hiyaha, 10,220’...

Tyndall Glacier near Hallett’s Peak…

Long’s Peak (highest summit to the left, the only 14er in the park) and Keyboard of the Winds (jagged peaks) to the right…

As dd used to say when she was a toddler… Peaky boo…

Dream Lake at the top and Nymph Lake below. We hiked to these from Bear Lake last summer, as we hiked further in to Emerald Lake at the foot of Hallett’s Peak and Tyndall Glacier. Oh how I wanted to do that again, it was so peaceful and beautiful there!

Close up of Dream Lake...

Close up of Nymph Lake...

I’m not sure how high we got, but we are near treeline, which begins at 11,500’. To the right are more lakes we’ve not hiked to yet, so we’re not sure of their names. Close up photos are below. Below is the parking lot, bathrooms…

Bierstaldt Lake?

Another lake…

And yet another lake...

Silver Plume Granite…

Longs Peak and Keyboard of the Winds. They say that as the wind rushes through the Keyboard of the Winds, you hear a musical sound. Would we hear it?

Sigh, time to head down. Hallett’s Peak…wait, what was that sound??? Why, that sounded like musical notes! DS and I were certain that was from the Keyboard of the Winds but DH thought we were crazy!

Tyndall Glacier…

Stream between Dream Lake and Nymph Lake…

Looking over my shoulder to Hallett’s Peak…rain clouds forming…

On the way to Bear Lake...

On the way back, raindrops caught up with us. By the time we reached the parking lot, the rain had blown away. I bought more books about our hike that afternoon and saw that we hiked nearly 7 miles in 5 hours! What a beautiful day to enjoy God's handiwork!

The next morning was hopefully sunny, with scattered clouds. Despite the rain chances, dh and the kids were determined to begin the drive up Trail Ridge Road. This is the highest continuous paved highway in the world. The top reaches over 12,000’ in elevation with stunning views. At points the highway nears the edge of cliffs. The nifty thing about these mountains, is that every gain of 1000’ of elevation results in a 3 degree drop in temperature! Rising in elevation also means change of ecosystems. A drive (or hike) up one of these alpine mountains is like a drive to the North Pole. How cool is that? Because of their height, these alpine peaks create their own weather systems. Snowstorms can occur in the middle of summer. Dangerous thunderstorms could brew at any moment. The weather forecast predicted a need to keep our eyes to the sky!

I had yet another self-guided tour book for the drive. Last year as we drove Trail Ridge Road, we stepped out at each road stop to drink in the breathtaking views. This year we decided to learn a little geology and conquer the desire to be able to name the mountains. We were amazed as we drove to the top, we never left the Fall River Valley. The mountains we saw from below, were the same mountains we would see from the other side once we reached the top. We got pretty good at identifying the 4 rock types up close, as well as identifying the composition of a mountain peak from afar!

First stop was Deer Ridge Junction, which overlooks Horseshoe Park, where we took our horse ride the other day. The Fall River Valley below is a Riparian Zone where beavers and other water animals live. Here at Deer Ridge, the Montane Zone takes over. Here is a close up view of Ypsilon Mountain. See the Greek letter Ypsilon in the snow?

From afar, Ypsilon Mountain is the second peak from the left. Mummy Mountain is the sort of flat peak to the right of that…imagine a mummy laying on its back. You can just make out the Alluvial Fan, the skinny whitish area below Ypsilon Mountain. The road will take us through extensive switch backs until eventually we are behind Ypsilon and Mummy Mountains, at the very top, over 12,000’.

Moving the camera to the right, you can see Fall River meandering through Horseshoe Park. The trees right below us have the horse trail we took the other day.

Here is McGregor Mountain, with exfoliating Silver Plume Granite.

We continued higher to Many Parks Curve Overlook. Driving up to here has breathless moments where you grab something to make sure you don’t fall over the edge! Here is a great view of the Alluvial Fan.

Climbing ever higher, we came close to the end of the Montane Zone (heavily wooded area) to near treeline (near the tundra). This is the Subalpine Zone. This is the overlook from Rainbow Curve. When you park here, you think you could fall over the edge. When you park very carefully by the rock wall, you thankfully realize you have this stony hillside to break any falls.  There's another view of the alluvial fan.

This is a Clark’s Nutcracker, named after William Clark, as in Lewis and Clark.

Leaving this parking lot to move further on makes us all extremely nervous! It appears as though you are driving up into the sky and there is nothing, not even guard rails, bordering the road! One of our favorite movies is "The Long, Long Trailer" with Lucille Ball and Ricky Ricardo. The movie is reminiscent of our drives on Trail Ridge Road and especially other drives up Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. We would never drive a trailer up these roads, but some do take them up Trail Ridge Road, so it’s doable. Nevertheless we have to laugh when the signs in the movie indicate a 9000’ elevation, while at Trail Ridge Road we drive up to 12,183’ (and at Pikes Peak we drive up to 14,115’)!!

Driving up Pikes Peak or Trail Ridge Road gives one an opportunity to experience the North Pole. Once breaking treeline, trees no longer grow. We have reached the tundra, the Alpine Zone. Yes, this is just like being at the North Pole. Here nothing grows taller than a few inches, as the plants fight to stay warm. Truly an alpine environment, it is cold, windy, and stunningly beautiful!

After reaching the tundra, we park at Forest Canyon Overlook. Here we can see the tiny plants up close. Here is a view of Torah Toma Mountain. You can easily see where glaciers scraped away the sides and left the top flat part alone. That is part of the tundra. The tundra where we are standing was also untouched by glaciers. The canyon below was scooped out by glaciers.

The weather is getting bad. Dark clouds are forming. Rain is beginning to spritz. Lightening is certain to begin soon. One doesn’t want to be the tallest thing around. But before we go, a quick moment to check the alpine lakes at the foot of Torah Toma.  Here's one of them.

Here's a shot of the overlook into Forest Canyon... 

After lunch near the Alluvial Fan, we headed for a hike around Bear Lake. Last year we quickly hiked around the lake, then up in elevation to a Nymph Lake, then higher in elevation to Dream Lake, then higher in elevation to Emerald Lake, underneath an alpine peak with a glacier and waterfall. This dismally chilly afternoon we decided to leisurely walk around Bear Lake and use a field trip booklet I had purchased.

Bear Lake with Hallett’s Peak in the background…

Fireweed amongst evidence of beaver work…

The highest peak on the left is Long’s Peak, the only 14er in the park. The jagged peaks to the right are the Keyboard of the Winds which as the wind blows through the air sounds like musical notes.

Friendly ground squirrel…

No, it is not a chipmunk, it is a ground squirrel! During lunch they begged for food, as always (which we do not give them, park rules to keep them healthy). We argued with ds until we were blue in the face that this was a chipmunk. Then he pulled out all those wildlife identification books I had purchased. Chipmunks are smaller (though you can’t tell by the picture) and have stripes on the cheeks. Ground Squirrels have the white circle around the eye. We had to apologize to ds who was gleefully correct and I am here to tell the world, this is a ground squirrel! Lol

Indian Paintbrush…

See that tree trunk, bent near the bottom? That is a snow knee. That happens when heavy snow pushes against it.

Is this a ground squirrel or chipmunk???? If you are not correct, ds will come and lecture you until you get it correct! Lol This one was standing up while dd spread her fingers out to get him to stand. DS is the professor and dd is the animal trainer!

Stellar Jay…

Since we spent 3 days in RMNP last summer, we wanted to do new things. Last year ds did an excellent, thorough job on the Junior Park Ranger activity booklet. When he turned it in to the ranger the day we left, he was sworn in as a junior ranger. This year upon arrival, I scoured the ranger store for ideas. On the shelf I found a little booklet called "Trouble in the Rubble," a mini-field trip guide teaching the geology of the alluvial fan.

The book had a story about kids trying to solve a mystery, and our kids were invited to join. The mystery was that a boy found a treasure map from 1884 locating gold near the alluvial fan. Historically, gold prospecting was successful in parts of Colorado. Was there any in RMNP? Was this map real?

Well, when you look around you see lots of boulders laying around and felled trees. You see the water falling down the valley and the rapidly flowing stream. It continues downhill to Horseshoe Park and continues as Fall River into Estes Park. We learned how to measure our paces so we could mathematically count the steps from one large boulder to another.

Then we looked at the various shadings for each boulder on the map and learned about the type of rock of each: silver plume granite,

pegmatite,

mica schist, and gneiss (nice). The kids were already familiar with how each rock was formed. Granite and pegmatite are igneous rocks, having been formed by volcanic activity, which formed the Rocky Mountains. Schist and gneiss are metamorphic rocks, having been changed in compostion due to heat or stress. They were also familiar with the names because of our rock collection at home. But now they had the opportunity to apply that knowledge.

Well, there certainly were some shiny rocks. We concluded they were mica schist, a type of metamorphic rock which often fooled gold prospectors.

Another clue was the gouged out part of the rock, gneiss. This is formed by turbulently swirling waters that are full of pebbles. The pebbles act like a drill, caused by the momentum of heavily swirling water. As the hole got bigger, bigger rocks got stuck in the swirling process, causing a bigger pothole, which this feature is called.

Historically, this is a flood area. Above us in the alpine area, is Lawn Lake which used to be dammed. In 1982, that dam broke and within minutes the landscape was changed by a deluge of water. Boulders left in the higher altitudes of Lawn Lake by glaciers tumbled down, clearing the path of trees and forming a V shaped valley which now contains a water fall. The flood waters continued down Fall River into town. Unfortunately a few lives were lost. The resulting scar on the bottom of the mountainside was an alluvial fan…

From a creationist viewpoint, this is a perfect example of how a flood can destroy things quickly. Water did not erode that pothole in millions of years, it happened in minutes. Awesome from a geological viewpoint!

From the activity we learned that these 4 rocks are the only 4 rock types in the entire park. Ah! We could actually drive around this year, knowing a little something! We spent about an hour climbing around looking at the alluvial fan with new eyes. We could appreciate the new plant life emerging from the destruction.  Here is some Russet Buffaloberry...

Changing leaves...

Fireweed...

Baby pine trees...

Tiny daisies...

Oh, and the mystery? One of the give away clues to the 1982 flood was the trapped logs under some of the boulders.  No, this cannot be an accurate map, because this is not where the boulders were in 1884. Case solved!

The next morning was dismally cold. Brrrr. Time to pull out the winter coats. We decided to forego Trail Ridge Road and finish our geology field trip at the Alluvial Fan. We had started it the day before after horseback riding, but after lunch the clouds started rolling in and the rain fell. We decided to drive past Sheep Lakes and conquer the geology before rain started again. It was in the air.

Sheep Lakes is in Horseshoe Park, on the way to the Alluvial Fan. It is a glacial valley with mineral lakes that the sheep enjoy. There are signs for sheep crossing and the park rangers work there all day awaiting their arrival. Then the rangers run out and stop traffic, to safely give the sheep the right of way. At least, that’s what we’re told.

This was our first stop last year. We parked and saw other wildlife. From the mountain to the side of us, we heard a sharp chirping noise. Turned out to be a marmot standing on a rock calling the alert…a grey wolf was stalking him. DS was so excited he started yelling and eventually scared off the wolf. We stayed for the ranger talk to the kids on bighorn sheep. DS got to be in a skit about how the lambs are protected by their parents. Then we sang the welcome song to the Bighorn Sheep, perfectly timed to coincide with their arrival. They never arrived. We drove through here everyday to get to various points in the park…no sheep. We had already been through here a few times this year and still, no sheep.

We’ve been looking for bighorn sheep for years. It’s one of those animals that rarely get checked off on the "RMNP Wildlife to See" list. They usually reside in the alpine areas of the mountains where there are no trees. Occasionally they come down the mountain to take in the minerals at the lakes.

When we first came to Colorado 6 years ago, we drove to the top of Pikes Peak. Knowing our best opportunity to see them would be the treeless alpine mountain top, we looked far and near. No big horn sheep. However, at the end of that week, we had been hiking through the trees dh found a bighorn sheep! It was a ram. It was standing with his back to us, but only a few feet away. We were very quiet and excitedly I took a peak…but there was something wrong. It never moved. I finally told dh it was a statue. It took a while for him to believe me… Five years later we saw him on another hike…he was still standing there.

Last year after a few days in RMNP, we spent a week camping in Colorado Springs. Disappointed that we had not seen bighorn sheep, we were determined. As we drove up Pikes Peak, we saw lots of marmots, but no bighorn sheep. After a chilling hour at the top, we started to make our way down. Before reaching treeline, the kids started yelling! They saw bighorn sheep in the distance! We parked near the side and yes, there were a lot of something there. But they were too far away to tell exactly what. Maybe mountain goats? DH got the binoculars out and sure enough, there was a large herd of rams, of the bighorn sheep variety! And they were moving; grazing to be more precise.

Mission accomplished! We stood there for quite some time taking the obligatory pictures, attracting the attention of the other motorists who had to pull over to see what they could see. Fortunately dh’s digital camera had great zoom that enabled him to take the photos that clearly showed they were bighorn sheep!

Therefore, we had little hope of seeing any bighorn sheep as we drove to the alluvial fan. As we drove past Sheep Lakes, I was looking up the mountainside hoping I’d see some wildlife, when the kids started shouting…there were bighorn sheep at the lakes! I hadn’t been paying attention but dh had noticed the flurry of activity of tourists and park rangers. We turned around and parked and sure enough, there they were (not statues). There were 2 ewes and 2 lambs.

They were funny to watch. Because after a while one would get the idea to run elsewhere and everyone else would follow. I could just imagine the leader calling in a high pitched voice, "Oh g-i-r-l-s! Lets try this tidbit over here!"

Eventually they crossed the street to go back to their alpine home.

Today was the day. The weather was gorgeous! Blue skies! DH and 11yods were excited! 14yodd and I were cautiously excited. She had made another breakthrough this summer. She was willing to go horseback riding! We used to be part of a horseback riding therapy program for Sensory Integration Disorder when the kids were 2 and 4. We’d get to ride the horses with them and it was a weekly delight. (Since then, my kids were graduated from the SI program.) DH wanted one new activity on this trip to be horseback riding, so we encouraged dd that she used to enjoy it and it would be equally enjoyable. She also enjoys the Marguerite Henry horse stories, the American Girl Felicity and her horse, Penny…dd was willing to try.

After breakfast, we headed to the SK Stables outside of the Fall River Entrance to RMNP. We signed up and had an hour to wait. Well, dh decided he needed a cowboy hat. Interestingly, dd already had an orange one with seashells she got from her grandpa at the kiosk where he works on base. She had never worn it before, because she is not a hat person. Today, she was wearing it. So we went to the Fall River gift shop to get hats for the rest of us. Eventually, it was time, and I was getting more nervous. I have never really ridden a horse, except in the therapy program when we had the horse owner lead the horse and the parents each rode with a child. Now we had to sign our lives away for insurance purposes (gulp) and partake of a 2 hour ride into RMNP. (Double gulp.)

We were helped onto our horses by the wranglers. DD had a difficult time mounting, because she has trouble motor planning and didn’t know what to do with her legs and got tangled up. With the help of a wrangler, she unconventionally got situated on the horse.

Then we were given quickie instructions on how to become expert equestrians. I have never handled the reigns before! (Triple gulp.) We were all told to keep the horses from nibbling on the trail. And I was told that my horse liked to trot! (Wait a minute…maybe we should rethink this adventure!!!) I was told how to slow him down and we were off. (Ummmmmm, I’m really high up here. Wait, we’re moving! The horse is moving! Shouldn’t someone be guiding this horse for me???? And 14yodd is really high up…how is she doing? I hope she doesn’t have a melt down!) I knew 11yods would prefer to take off with a charge up the San Juan Hill, I mean Mummy Mountain (an alpine peak) and find the elusive bighorn sheep. Hopefully his horse would be a slowpoke.

Our guide, Alex, led us out. He took the lead on Maverick. Then dd on Elmer (whew! That sounds like a slowpoke name.) Then me on Ripple (sounded delightful!). Then dh on Rocker. Finally, ds was behind on Cutter. (Hmmmm, as long as he doesn’t "cut loose".) Shortly after starting, we stopped for Alex to check the cinch (?) under the saddle. 

I think mine was the only one loose.  I had wanted to bring my camera, but I was holding on for dear life!  DH, behind me, took pictures when he could.

After a while, I started to feel more at ease. Often Alex stopped to allow all of us to catch up, especially ds. He had trouble keeping his horse in gear! Then when it was time to start up, dd’s horse seemed content to stay put. It was funny to watch dd try to nudge him back into movement. We crossed the bridge over Fall River and saw the Lawn Lake flood washout from 20 years before (more on that another day).

We rode through Horseshoe Park and made a 1000’ elevation gain. As we left the trees to the meadow, a steep hill dropped down to our left. Alex said the grade was as sharp as the one the horseman takes in "The Man from Snowy River". I hadn’t seen that movie since it first came out, but I vividly remembered that scene. The scenery surrounding us was breathtaking. The sky was blue. I wasn’t tired a bit since the horse had to do all the work. (This was great!) We crossed the uphill side of a meadow, with a mountain beyond. Alex pointed out 2 coyotes, a mom and a pup. One of the kids saw another coyote. Alex said it was another adult. He kept a close eye on them. (Hmmmmm, should I be worried? Didn’t Laura Ingalls Wilder and other authors talk about fearing for one’s life because of coyotes?) Oh well, they never seemed to pay any attention to us. They were far off in the distance playfully jumping around, enjoying the lovely day. The mood was incredibly peaceful. Behind me, dh started softly whistling cowboy and praise songs. This was the life! Even the chipmunk, perched on the boulder nearby, seemed to enjoy the day, curiously watching us. In the distance we could see beautiful Ypsilon Mountain and Mummy Mountain.

We came to the woods again and had to negotiate muddy spots from the typical afternoon showers. The horses didn’t like stepping in the mud, so they’d hesitate and we’d have to nudge them to proceed. Also there were times they chose a drier path, not the established muddy horse path. Alex told us to try to keep them on the horse path, because the RMNP rangers wanted to preserve the land and didn’t want new horse paths made. Finally we had to start going down, which was tricky for me. I had had major head surgery years ago when a balance nerve was cut; now I struggle with keeping my balance. My lack of balance was definitely taxed on the downhill portions. A few curves were especially sharp. One of them was called Dead Man’s Curve. Alex teased us, saying that’s where we might need to pull the ripcord on the parachute behind us…the rain slickers actually. We kept taking steps down which were exceedingly difficult. Ripple was an extremely thoughtful horse. He’d stop to think how to best negotiate the step down into the muddy area and the rocks and tree trunks. Then he would slowly and carefully proceed. There were a few times I had to use the reigns to guide him the way he was supposed to go. That challenged my lack of balance, but I was elated when he obeyed. DD also was challenged trying to get her horse to go the proper way. She did an excellent job nudging him on and trying to steer him properly. I was amazed!

When we approached level land again, Ripple got the sudden idea that it would be fun to trot! (Yikes!) Thankfully, I remembered what to do and managed to slow him down. That happened a few times. Thrilled, I couldn’t believe I got a horse to obey me! We finally got back to the corral. A wrangler helped dd off her horse. Again she became a pretzel, not sure how to negotiate her legs. I knew exactly what to do, except I was just plain stuck! I was so sore! Alex helped me down and said, "Just swing your right leg over the back of the horse." "Oh I know what to do," oomph I huffed as my leg got stuck on the back end. "I just don’t think I can do it. I’m stuck." Chuckling, Alex helped me get off. I could barely stand! Alex asked if I was staying in at a place that had a hot tub. Longingly I thought about the soothing treat but dismally replied, "Oh no, we’re camping." He told me to do lots of walking. DH had to come and help me walk out of the corral. The pain lingered for about 3 days. Surely, my back end was solid black and blue. I couldn’t walk straight; I couldn’t sit. DH and I theorized that my lack of balance caused me to use my legs extra hard to balance and resulted in extra pain. Would I ever do that again? Hmmmmm, yes, when can we go again? Ride ‘em cowboy!

Driving into Estes Park on the back roads allowed us to see gorgeous scenery! This was a new route for us, having driven through Denver last year. This year we took I-70 south of Denver to some back roads and the breathtaking views began! Grade signs about being careful with braking so we don’t lose them added to the heart stopping delight of driving towards those rugged mountain peaks that abounded in the distance. We took a steep downward exit to get to the first back road that bordered a rapidly flowing stream spilling over rocks and stones, twisting and turning through the mountains. We got to drive through a couple of tunnels through mountains to the delight of the kids! We arrived at our campground in the early afternoon and we anxiously got out to unload everything into our cabin…and it was hot! Wait…Colorado Springs was a bit cooler than this! I knew a few weeks earlier a heat wave had gone through parts of Colorado, near 100 degrees, reminiscent of typical Texas summers. I’m not sure what the temperature was, but in this high altitude, I felt a different heat since we were closer to the sun. Actually it was probably due to the drier climate, although everyone kept saying it was a humid summer. Well, it was a lot drier than where I came from, but a bit warmer too! We unloaded, ate lunch outside the cabin, then headed to Rocky Mountain National Park, a couple of miles away, to buy our week pass. Then we went to the gift store to hang out and to continue getting adjusted to the altitude…I suffer from altitude sickness. While there, I told the rangers about how hot I was now that I had arrived from Texas and they were shocked! I told them we had had so much rain (only 2 full weeks of sunshine) that our temps rarely got over the 80’s and were often in the 70’s. I just had to tease them about this! They assured me it still cools off at night and especially at the higher elevations! Great!! That’s what I came for! Before long, I looked out the window and saw it pouring rain on a perfectly sunny day! Hey, I thought it only did that back home! Well, we just had to hang out at the park store a little longer as I chatted with the ranger about Texas. He loves my hometown and the little town we ate pastries from the German bakery, Fredericksburg. He had just been there a month earlier during one of our deluges. I told him this year one of my goals was to be able to name the mountains so he showed me some great resources. After some shopping we finally left and the rain had stopped. A beautiful rainbow was between us and Estes Park and the temps had dropped considerably! Ahhhhhhhh, refreshing!

Despite the rain over the mountains, we decided to leave our fun at Focus on the Family and head for Garden of the Gods. This beautiful rocky wonder is nestled between Colorado Springs and Maintou Springs at the foot of Pikes Peak. It was late afternoon and we could at least enjoy the views from the Visitor Center museum and gift shop. Besides, coming from Texas, we were used to rain! And since Garden of the Gods was free, it was a great bargain for a short afternoon!

Shortly after we arrived, the sun came out! After shopping and looking around the museum, we drove to the central part of the park. Hiking and biking trails abound, but this is the easiest path. We usually spend an entire day here to see all of the unusual rock formations. They have many interesting ones, like the Scotsman, Kissing Camels, Balanced Rock, Weeping Indian, Siamese Twins and others. There’s a really cool one where you look through a window of rock formations to view Pikes Peak. I have great photos of them from previous trips, but alas, no scanner. Since we had limited time in Colorado Springs, and we had been here before, we merely took a light hike before dinner. If we were fortunate, we might get to see some deer… or…a bear? They’ve been known to be in the park.

Here is a close up of the Kissing Camels I took from the Visitor Center in the rain.

Here is the beginning of our walk/hike. We are at North Gateway Rock. Look w-a-y up and you’ll see the Kissing Camels. Some photographers wait for a certain time of the year to get a shot of a full moon through the opening.

Here is a scrub jay.

Hmmmmm, what do I see here? Shhhhh, let's be quiet...

Could that be a bunny rabbit?

This sweet bunny liked having his picture taken!

He sat there for at least 10 minutes while we all stood there taking pictures of him.  Reluctantly, we tore ourselves away from the photogenic bunny to see Cathedral Rock...

For more pictures of the garden, go to

 http://www.rockymountainreflections.com/gardenofthegodsphotos.html

Finally we were getting hungry. We usually camp in Colorado Springs so to save my poor back and knees and dh’s driving fatigue, we were saving the camping for the next stop in the adventure. So I did some research on unique restaurants and found Guiseppes…an old Victorian railroad station.

The interior was l-o-n-g. The waiter took us to the other end. It was beautifully decorated with train artifacts. Being next to the train track, ds wondered if any of the trains on the track were active. It wasn’t long before we knew the answer to that one! Several trains rolled by during the evening and some even parked alongside the restaurant. Impressively, the restaurant had excellent insulation so it was not a noisy experience. DS could hardly contain himself and had to run to the windows to check out every train.  The following link has pictures of the interior.  Scroll to the bottom and click "take a tour".

http://www.giuseppes-depot.com/default.htm

Here’s a shot of Pikes Peak from our hotel.

We were packed up and off to our next stop…Rocky Mountain National Park. We had our first trip there last year and was only able to get a cabin for 3 nights. This time I booked early and got a cabin for 6 nights. We couldn’t wait!  See you there!

After the taping, we helped the kids finish the scavenger hunt they started the afternoon before. The place is wonderfully decorated, but most of our pictures have my kids' faces (not sure about posting them here.)  One of my favorites is the room where the pictures of all the voice talents are and foley effects to play with.  On the one wall is a wardrobe...you open the doors and enter Narnia.  We did get a picture of that with my kids entering the doors. 

Here's a mosaic of Whit.  We made mosaics last year in school when we studied Ancient Rome.  Before when my kids' saw mosaics they sort of yawned.  Now they have deep appreciation for the artist.   

Here's one of the many fantastic murals.

Then we went to the soda shoppe for a Wodfamchocsod (World Famous Chocolate Soda…featured on some of the episodes) Delicious!

Then we went back to the visitor center and got another daily gift for visiting…"Adventures in Odyssey" tapes! We also looked at all the magazines they publish and got to take any freebies home that we wanted. The kids each picked one for their age level and have asked for subscriptions for them. That is the first they’ve been interested in something like that. DD’s is so girly, Brio, and has since started trying to fix her own hair because of one of the articles (another motor planning thing I’ve been trying to help her with.) I picked a Citizen Magazine, which had a recent writing contest that I had entered (I didn’t win; that is okay =).

Then we watched the movie on Dr. Dobson’s founding of Focus on the Family. We haven’t done that in 6 years and they have a new movie from the recent 25^th anniversary. We saw neat things in the gallery like part of the destroyed baseball cap Dr. Dobson had given the Columbia crew to take into space that exploded upon reentry to earth, over Texas. (Rick Husband was on that flight and his wife’s book, High Calling is wonderful. We listened to the audio tape when we took a vacation to Johnson Space Center in Houston a few years ago.) There were pictures of the crew and that definitely tugged at my heart.

Then we went on a tour of the facilities.

The man who had helped us in the sound booth was the tour guide. DH talked with him at great length about working there. We sat in the viewing area of the sound booth where Focus on the Family tapings occur. You know when Dr. Dobson will be there, because there will be a pitcher of water at his place…he wasn’t there that day. We were told about the publishing facility and there is only one author they do not publish…did any of us know? Hmmmm, I raised my hand and said, "Dr. Dobson." Yes, he publishes through another place and for a few of his books all of his royalties go to Focus on the Family. Also he rents his office space at Focus and pays for his own secretary. He is their longest volunteer. The tour guide told us about the magazines published there (which we had already seen in the other building, but were available to choose from in this building too.) He said whenever the new editions come out, you can see the staff hovering by Clubhouse, the one ds had selected. They are full of great jokes and the tour guide proceeded to tell a favorite…and it did stump us and was pretty good!

We also got to see the counseling center. Whenever someone writes, e-mails or calls for help, these are the people who aid the request. They have pcs with search engines where they type in the problem and find resources to help the individual. They also pray for the individual. Several years ago I had written them for help and I got a phone call encouraging me! The tougher problems are sent upstairs, where the more experienced counselors help. A corner is devoted to those who help children, and a life size placard of Eugene from "Adventures in Odyssey" designates that precious area. Then the staff has special prayer days where they are given these letters to pray over. The tour guide also told us about how the property is so large, they got their own zip code, and therefore, their own mail sorting and packaging facility which saves them tons of money when shipping. As a result, other nearby ministries, like the Navigators, get to be blessed to use the facilities too. Afterwards each of us on the tour were gifted…you guessed it…"Adventures in Oddysey" CDs.

We got our pictures at favorite spots. My favorite statue is of a mother sitting on the grass with an open book and her children around her looking at the pages. So the kids and I posed like that in front of the statue. I’m not much into statues, but that one is dear to my heart.

Hungrily, we went back to Whit’s End for lunch, a real value meal, good and cheaper than a fast food restaurant. We could have eaten in the employees’ cafeteria. Or we could have eaten in the visitor center where they have a lovely restful snack area and free hot drinks. But there is something about going to cheerful Whit’s End. Afterwards we shopped at the bookstore and purchased some great treasures for the new school year. And with our coupon, we chose a CD set when Dr. Dobson comes to Odyssey!

Then dh and the kids finished up the afternoon by sliding down the 3 story slide, A-bend-ne-go! The kids had already spent a great deal of time sliding down, but they just couldn’t resist another opportunity. DH decided to join them too.  The slide part you can see through the windows.  You enter a fantastically decorated 3rd floor to climb into a bag and put socks on your arms.  Then you go down and land in front of the soda shoppe.  The openings at each end are indoors.   See the picture of Eugene?  You have to be at least that tall to go on the slide.  If too short, there is a smaller slide area for the little ones around the corner.

Here is the view.  The slide is to the left.  Pikes Peak is in the distance.  

These pictures were taken in the morning.  But by afternoon rain had descended on the mountains and we couldn't even see Pikes Peak anymore...so we stayed and played.  Eventually the kids and dh were played out and ready to go to Garden of the Gods...