Kansas to Colorado Springs
A roadside sign read “Welcome to Quinter, Kansas,” from United Methodist, Presbyterian and Catholic churches. The last on the list was the “Drunkard Brethren.” Mark and I think it was a joke. We didn’t stop in Quinter, just drove through on I-70 on our way to Colorado Springs, the true beginning of our western dream trip.
The Olympic Training Center was our first stop in Colorado Springs. We killed time in the gift shop while waiting for the next tour. I bought a red knit T-shirt for $13.77.
The tour began with a short film on past champions and current athletes-in-training. When the lights came up, our guide spoke, but we could hardly hear due to rain pounding the roof. Our group left the theater, and we saw that it was hailing, hard. The tour was canceled.
Not knowing if the bad weather would ever let up, we left for our next stop: the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. On our way, we had to pull over—partway under a tree—due to hail.
Lights were out and streets were awash, but we made it. I enjoyed the Rodeo museum. Besides displays of riders, other “notables” got their billing, including announcers, promoters, clowns and bulls. I am not particularly interested in museum art, but the pictures, paintings and sculptures in the Hall of Fame were tasteful and well placed.
After more than an hour in the Hall of Fame we found it raining harder than ever as we started towards the Air Force Academy. It was Parents’ Weekend, and everything was crowded. We stopped at the bookstore, which is more than a bookstore. It’s a museum giving information on duties of cadets and upperclassmen, on what campus life is like, and on the history of the Academy. We thought we would eat at the cafeteria on campus for a cheap meal, but then remembered that it would most likely be crowded due to Parents’ Weekend. We decide to check into our motel, then go to dinner.
Traffic on I-25 south was bumper to bumper, slow to stopped. On the radio we heard that the exit nearest our motel was closed due to flooding. We exited the highway earlier; we had a good map of downtown.
The outskirts of town weren’t that well mapped though. Between the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and the Air Force Academy, we wanted to drive through Garden of the Gods but couldn’t find it, so gave up.
Determined to see Garden of the Gods, we set out early the next morning. The sun was up and the birds were singing though we never expected such nice weather after yesterday’s torrents.
To get to the Garden, the map indicated a right turn at the crossroads just beyond Columbine High School. Since it didn’t work either of the times we tried it the day before, we took a left instead and came across the park entrance. Entrance is free, and we drove through twice because the Garden was so spectacular with its red rock formations. We hiked a little, but just a little because we were on a schedule.
We had just 15 and a half days left to explore the rest of Colorado and four other states. Pike’s Peak, just up the road, was our next intended stop.
On the way to Pike’s Peak we saw signs for Manitou Hot Springs and so stopped for a self-guided tour.
Manitou didn’t offer much. Dwellings carved out of the mountain side were open for touring through. We weren’t sure if they were original, but we doubted it. The requisite gift shop was on site too—with a small information center/museum.
Manitou Hot Springs is worth a stop but not much time. We had reservations in the center of the state for this evening and so had to keep moving.
The Olympic Training Center was our first stop in Colorado Springs. We killed time in the gift shop while waiting for the next tour. I bought a red knit T-shirt for $13.77.
The tour began with a short film on past champions and current athletes-in-training. When the lights came up, our guide spoke, but we could hardly hear due to rain pounding the roof. Our group left the theater, and we saw that it was hailing, hard. The tour was canceled.
Not knowing if the bad weather would ever let up, we left for our next stop: the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. On our way, we had to pull over—partway under a tree—due to hail.
Lights were out and streets were awash, but we made it. I enjoyed the Rodeo museum. Besides displays of riders, other “notables” got their billing, including announcers, promoters, clowns and bulls. I am not particularly interested in museum art, but the pictures, paintings and sculptures in the Hall of Fame were tasteful and well placed.
After more than an hour in the Hall of Fame we found it raining harder than ever as we started towards the Air Force Academy. It was Parents’ Weekend, and everything was crowded. We stopped at the bookstore, which is more than a bookstore. It’s a museum giving information on duties of cadets and upperclassmen, on what campus life is like, and on the history of the Academy. We thought we would eat at the cafeteria on campus for a cheap meal, but then remembered that it would most likely be crowded due to Parents’ Weekend. We decide to check into our motel, then go to dinner.
Traffic on I-25 south was bumper to bumper, slow to stopped. On the radio we heard that the exit nearest our motel was closed due to flooding. We exited the highway earlier; we had a good map of downtown.
The outskirts of town weren’t that well mapped though. Between the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and the Air Force Academy, we wanted to drive through Garden of the Gods but couldn’t find it, so gave up.
Determined to see Garden of the Gods, we set out early the next morning. The sun was up and the birds were singing though we never expected such nice weather after yesterday’s torrents.
To get to the Garden, the map indicated a right turn at the crossroads just beyond Columbine High School. Since it didn’t work either of the times we tried it the day before, we took a left instead and came across the park entrance. Entrance is free, and we drove through twice because the Garden was so spectacular with its red rock formations. We hiked a little, but just a little because we were on a schedule.
We had just 15 and a half days left to explore the rest of Colorado and four other states. Pike’s Peak, just up the road, was our next intended stop.
On the way to Pike’s Peak we saw signs for Manitou Hot Springs and so stopped for a self-guided tour.
Manitou didn’t offer much. Dwellings carved out of the mountain side were open for touring through. We weren’t sure if they were original, but we doubted it. The requisite gift shop was on site too—with a small information center/museum.
Manitou Hot Springs is worth a stop but not much time. We had reservations in the center of the state for this evening and so had to keep moving.
posted by Elizabeth Evans Fryer at 1:44 PM
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