Playing tourists in Colorado Springs...
Day 183
9-6-2006
Started: Outside Pueblo, CO
Finished: Outside Pueblo, CO
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles: 2516.0
When we woke this morning we compiled a list of things we needed to accomplish while playing tourists for the day in the nearby town of Colorado Springs. Today was a day of rest, resupply and "discovery". We drove into Colorado Springs and headed right for the Visitor's information building so we could get a good idea of what we should see while visiting Colorado Springs. We were given so many great options but had to choose just a couple of things to see in the short time that we had. Over a very tasty lunch at the local restaurant, The Warehouse, we decided we would head to the Garden of the Gods and then to Seven Springs. We had all heard from different people that The Garden of the Gods was an area not to be missed, and we couldn't agree more. Garden of the Gods is on the National Registry of Natural Landmarks and is a sight that everyone should have a chance to see. The amazing thing is that it is a place that everyone can see, and free of charge, thanks to the wonderful foresight of Charles Elliott Perkins. Perkins owned the property that the wonderful outcroppings of Lyons Sandstone sit on and in recognition of the natural beauty of the property he never developed the land. It was his wish that the area be forever open to the public and available for all to see. To honor his wish his children donated the land to the city of Colorado Springs in 1909. The transfer of land came with the condition that it would always remain freely open to the public and never be unnecessarily developed. We ended up spending so much time at the Garden Of the Gods that we had to make a beeline to the Seven Springs, since today was the first day of their shorter winter hours. Seven Falls is considered the grandest mile of scenery in Colorado, and the only waterfall in Colorado to make National Geographic's list of international waterfalls. Seven Falls cascades 181 feet in seven steps down a solid cliff of Pikes Peak granite. Next to the falls a 224 step stairway leads to a nature trail that allows hikers to experience views of the city and the great plains. We decided to take advantage of the elevator that is built into the canyon next to the falls where we stood at the Eagle's Nest lookout. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to explore Pike's Peak, but we did enjoy the view we had of it towering over us most of the day. Pike's Peak stands at 14,000 feet and is the 31st tallest mountain, out of 54 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado. Because it is the farthest east of the big summits many early explorers had the rally cry of "Pike's Peak or Bust". We also were not dressed to be at such a high elevation with just shorts and tee shirts. After leaving the falls area we were off to do business. Randy has worn out his 6th pair of shoes, so we were in search of pair #7. Randy has not had a whole lot of luck with blisters on this trip and certainly knows what doesn't work well with his feet, so he is definitely a tough sale for a shoe salesman. We first checked out a local outfitter but didn't have much luck. Although the outfitter was very well stocked and had anything you could possibly need, shoes for Randy's feet were unfortunately not one of them. However, the outfitter was kind enough to make a phone call to a local running store for us and it sounded like they had just what we were looking for. We jumped in the car and headed straight for Boulder Running Company. What a great establishment with a super helpful and knowledgeable retail team. We purchased Randy a pair of shoes similar to the last pair he wore, which has been the best pair yet and were even given free microfiber shirts with Boulder Running Company's logo on the front and back to take with us on our journey. We really appreciate the kindness and help from the entire staff at Boulder Running Company. Now that the hardest part of the day was over, it was time to kick back and relax and enjoy a nice dinner. We found a great Irish Pub and Restaurant, Jack Quinns, and feasted on a meal fit for any Irishman. We even got to enjoy the sounds of some great local music after dinner. Wouldn't you know that the band, the Tribe, somehow heard about our journey and dedicated a song to us. Dad Wiest and Lynn were sneaky little things. We really enjoyed our day off today, exploring the very beautiful town of Colorado Springs. Thanks so much to Dad Wiest and Lynn for overflowing our cups with kindness. We will keep our fingers crossed that Randy's new shoes will cooperate tomorrow as we head west and can't wait to see more of the mountains.
Your Friends on the ADT,
Randy and Sheri
Follow our Journey at www.treckusa.com
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