Colorado
After a major problem with our agenda due to the fires in Northern Colorado, we have re-planned the first half of our trip and are packed and ready to go.
We will be using the Austin Airport for the first time and we will be arriving in Denver around 9:00 PM Denver time. On the agenda is a whitewater rafting trip, Garden of the Gods, Seven Falls, the Royal Gorge Bridge, Pike's Peak Cog Railway, and even a goldmine. |
Road Trip to Pueblo
Day 2 of the Beck Family Vacation 2012 started bright and early at 6:00 AM. We didn’t get up at 6:00 AM on purpose, however, with the time difference we were wide awake and ready to adventure. Brodie and Coby had different plans. We let them sleep in a little longer and finally dragged them out of bed and we hit the road by 7:30. Our first destination was The Moonlight Diner. The Moonlight Diner in Aurora, Colorado is a 1950s throwback diner. The place is decorated with 1950s era theme inside and resembles a 1950s era eatery from the outside. The 1950s era music playing really sets the mood. The only complaint was that the waitresses do not dress in the 50s style, however, the food was good and the service was prompt and pleasant. After a brief bathroom break in Parker, Colorado, which is very scenic and clean, we continued down Interstate 25 headed to Pueblo. We did detour a bit to make our drive a little more scenic by driving near Castelwood Canyon State Park and Cherry Creek. We made another brief stop on the highway at the Scenic Overlook which was near the USAF Academy. Very cool to see some of the planes (not jets) doing training exercises. |
Pueblo, Colorado
We finally arrived in Pueblo around 10:00 AM and headed over to the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo (HARP). It was a bit of chore to find, but it was expected as we made last minute plans to visit and didn’t really know where it was located. Losing our 3G connection didn’t help since we were using Mancie’s phone as our map. The HARP was a pleasant surprise and well worth the admission price (FREE!). We walked around for a bit and took in the sights and decided to take a boat ride. The boat ride was also very reasonable ($16) and fun. Our guide was funny and informative. The area is beautiful and super clean. It is tiny compared to the San Antonio Riverwalk (SAR), but it has a charming and cozy feel that I never got from SAR. The only feeling I ever got from the SAR was dirty. The guide let us know that there are several expansions in the works for the HARP. I hope they do not go overboard with it and lose the charm. Our next stop was the Buell Children’s Museum of Pueblo. I had read that this museum was rated the second best children’s museum in the nation. Although entertaining, we have visited better Children’s Museums, particularly the Children’s Museum in San Antonio which I highly recommend. After using our coupon (WTG Mancie!) we paid $13 for all of us to visit. Brodie was concerned that he would not be able to find anything that interested him assuming that the Museum was for little ones. He was partially correct. He did find a couple of awesome exhibits, but the rest of the setup seemed to be geared to young girls. There were several areas to play dress up and color which does not interest our boys whatsoever. Overall, the museum experience was positive. We made it fun, as we usually do. It is our gift. Around 2:00 PM, we started to head back to our hotel to check in and pick up some supplies and souvenirs along the way. Thanks Target and Walmart. Our check-in time was not until 4:00 PM, but the nice folks at Holiday Inn Express of Pueblo let us in early and we lugged our stuff up to our room and headed for the pool. The indoor pool was nice, clean and cold as ice, but there was also a huge hot tub as well. Brodie announced that it was the biggest hot tub he has ever seen. It had to hold at least 10-15 people easy. I spent about 20 minutes in the hot tub after 20 seconds in the pool and Mancie enjoyed her Kindle while the boys played. We finished our evening at Coby’s favorite, Chili’s. We wanted to eat somewhere a little more adventurous and new, but after some research we found that unless you wanted Mexican or Pizza you were out of luck. We are having pizza tomorrow in Canon City and there is no way I was gonna eat Mexican food in Colorado so you can’t go wrong with Chili’s…So we thought. Mancie’s salad had some sort of dressing on it that was super spicy. I like spicy and it was even too much for me. So rather than being up all night with heart burn, I shared my Baby Back Baby Back Baby Back ribs with her and we finished off with a Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie. The waiter was nice enough about it and didn’t charge us for the salad. SCORE! |
Whitewater Adventures Outfitters
Day 3 was another bright and early morning for the Beck Family. Our first stop was about 45 minutes away in Canon City, Colorado and we had to be there at 8:30 AM. After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we hit the road for Whitewater Adventure Outfitters. Upon arrival, our first impression of the company we chose for our whitewater rafting adventure was not the best. The place was a little run down and all of the guides looked like they needed a bath. By the end of the day, they had won us over and we gave our guide a nice little tip (which he and his buddies probably smoked in the back room). The water in the Arkansas River is normally between 55 and 60 degrees and on rafting day it was no different. The water was so cold it was uncomfortable. Luckily, we barely got any on us at all. Since we had never been whitewater rafting before, we chose the Family Fun Trip. It was very tame, but had 2 or 3 nice spots where we felt some thrill. At 1 slow point, our guide, let the boys slide off the side of the raft and into the water, but within seconds they were ready to get out. Mancie and I both paddled in the rough spots and the boys paddled the last 50 yards or so, but throughout most of the ride, we were able to hang out and look for wildlife and enjoy the beautiful day. The highlight of the trip (for Mancie at least) was watching me get out of the raft and almost fall about 5 or 6 times. I would slip, catch myself, slip again, catch myself. Mancie said it looked like I was falling in slow motion. I did not, however, fall into the water and I swear that Coby was pulling on my shirt the whole time making me lose my balance. It was a great experience and we would love to try it again one day. We returned to Whitewater Adventure Outfitters around 12:00 and changed clothes and drove another 4 miles into the Rocky Mountains for our next stop, the Royal Gorge Bridge Park. |
Royal Gorge Bridge
Breathtaking is the word I would use for the feeling we all had when we looked over the ledge for the first time at the Royal Gorge. Looking 1000 feet straight down is something everyone needs to experience at least once. Walking across the Royal Gorge Bridge gave us all another feeling, Terror! The bridge itself looks fine from a distance, but when you get closer, the first thing you notice is that the part you walk on is wood, and there are big cracks between the boards that you can see through, and every so often you step on a board that is a little loose or creaks. Every movie I have ever seen when a character walks across a wooden bridge with cracks and creaks in it ends up falling through the cracks about half way to the other side. That is all I could think about while walking across. However, this ended up not being the scariest part. About half way across, we did not fall through the cracks, but the whole damn bridge started noticeably swaying from side to side with the wind. Are you kidding me? What the hell are we doing walking across and crappy, wooden, crack-having, swaying bridge 1000 feet above a rocky death? The rest of the park was fun. We forced Mancie to ride the Aerial Tramway, which she was not happy to ride. It ended up fine and I was the one that felt the most uncomfortable. I guess I never really thought about being scared of heights, but I think I might be. The Incline Railway was interesting. A vertical railway straight down into the Royal Gorge. We had a few minutes to explore around and headed back up. We skipped the Zipline and Skycoaster because the wind was so strong we were all kinda scared (except Brodie). We finished the day with a drive back to Pueblo in the rain, ordered pizza and went for a dip in the hot tub before calling it a night. |
Road Trip to Divide, Colorado
Even though Day 4 of the Beck Family Vacation 2012 was a travel day, we were still able to mix in a couple of attractions and a trip to the grocery store. After spending the first few nights in Pueblo, our ultimate destination was about an hour away and about 3000 more feet up into the clouds. We rented a cabin in Divide, Colorado (elevation 8700) which is nestled in the foothills of Pike’s Peak to the West of Colorado Springs. On our drive North on I-25 we made a quick stop at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). On our first attempt to visit the Visitor’s Center and Chapel at the USAFA we were met by an armed guard! We went to the South Gate and were asked to turn around and enter through the North Gate. No problem. We stopped at the Visitor’s Center which was very nice and then took the trail over to the Chapel. The Chapel was a very unique structure which has 2 floors and a huge, beautiful pipe organ. We were also able to see 100s of cadets who looked like they were either heading to or returning from the Mess Hall. The place is absolutely beautiful and a nice little stop. Coby loved it. We loaded up and continued our drive to the cabin. We made an additional stop in Old Colorado City, which is part of Colorado Springs, at the Ghost Town Old West Museum. Complete tourist trap, but we made it fun anyway. The place is really just a store with a 10 minute walk through the back room which is an old west “museum”. We still had fun and unexpectedly purchased the highlight of our trip so far. We had noticed that we saw many out of state license plates on our adventures and we mentioned that we should play license plate bingo. While we were at the “Museum” we saw a license plate game and bought it. Since then, the drives between stops and of course the ride through the Walmart parking lot have been 100 times more fun. We loaded up once again and continued our journey. The highway that takes you to Divide goes through Woodland Park, Colorado which is a cool looking little mountain town. Most of the businesses look like mountain lodges including the Sonic and Walmart. It is also, much like the rest of Colorado, super clean. We drove through Saturday afternoon and the downtown area was packed. The main drag was lined with people visiting all of the little shops. We continued on through and after a quick stop at the local grocery store, we finally made it to our cabin in the mountains. The cabin is small and cozy and literally at the foot of Pike’s Peak. We are still quite far up in the mountains and the dirt rode we took to get here is a nightmare. Straight up one way and straight down the other. We unpacked, hopped in the hot tub, and then called it a night. |
Pike's Peak Area
Day 5 was our first full day in the Pike’s Peak region so we started off with a bang by taking the Cog Railway to the top of Pike’s Peak. The Cog Railway, over in Manitou Springs, is a cog-driven train that takes travelers to the summit of Pike’s Peak. We boarded the 9:20 train and started our 90 minute trip to 14,100 feet. On the way up, we passed several unbelievable views that were breathtaking. Pictures do not do the pictures justice. You have to experience it to understand. At the top, we all tried a mountain donut and felt the Rocky Mountain High. The trip down was just as amazing. After catching our breath, we headed over to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Another tourist trap, but still fun and interesting. We spent about an hour climbing around in the “authentic” cliff dwellings and had some lunch at the snack bar. We called it an early night after a quick dip in the hot tub and prepared for another big day. |
Pike's Peak Area Day 2
Day 6 started off with a trip to the North Pole. We visited Santa’s Workshop over in Cascade, Colorado. Santa’s Workshop is a family amusement park with a Christmas theme. The rides are mostly the carnival type and they also have a short train ride, a skyline, several shows, and of course Santa Claus. We rode pretty much everything, watched a magic show, browsed all the Christmas themed shops and saw Santa a few times, but the boys were a little too cool to visit. We returned to the cabin and rested up for our big night at the Flying W Ranch. The Flying W Ranch is a cowboy themed dinner and show over in Colorado Springs. They also have a western town you can visit before the dinner bell rings at 6:45. We arrived around 6:00 and took a look around the town. The boys were able to learn how to rope a cow from a friendly yet completely unqualified worker. She was barely able to rope herself, but she was there to teach beginners. Brodie picked it up pretty quick and roped the horns on his first few attempts. However, when I started to record him, he started missing pretty consistently. Maybe a little stage fright. On the other hand, Coby seemed to think that the harder you threw the rope the better chance you had of roping. He finally managed to get the horns on one of his last throws, but not before actually roping himself. We wandered around a bit longer and rode the small train before being called to dinner. Dinner was an experience. First we were sat down outside and given a little rundown of how everything was gonna go. The Flying W folks pride themselves on feeding a ton of people in a short amount of time. And they deliver. Even though we felt like cattle going through the shoots, we had a full plate of food and were eating within a few minutes. The food was edible, but not what I would call good (except for the beans) and certainly was not Texas BBQ. There was plenty to go around and we were even able to have seconds if we wanted. Within a few minutes of finishing, the show was about to start. The show is four Cowboys on a small stage singing old country and western songs and telling corny jokes in between. It was fun and I liked the music. Papa and grandma would have loved it. The boys, however, were completely bored. We left a little early to avoid the traffic and drove back to the cabin in the dark. Colorado does not believe in putting reflectors on the road so you can see where you are going or lighting the roads in any way. The drive home was terrifying, but we made it. |
Colorado Springs
Day 7 was full of nature and natural resources. The day started with a trip to Garden of the Gods. Everyone we talked to that had been to the area before told us that Garden of the Gods was a must visit. It did not disappoint. We arrived around 10:00 AM. There is a little to no shade in the park and all the walking paths are in complete sun so visiting in the morning turned out to be a great idea. The park itself is quite small, but you definitely feel small when you are walking through it. After a quick stop at the Visitor’s Center, we drove in and parked in the first lot. We were able to check off a couple of license plated before heading over to the walking trail. The walking trails take you through the main rock formations and over to a few of the unpaved trails. We mostly stayed on the paved trails, but did adventure through one of the shorter natural trails. There was an area where we were able to climb around on the rocks and through the cracks. Tons of fun. We finished our visit at the Garden of the God Trading Post and Balanced Rock. Balanced Rock is a huge rock that is sitting on top of a rock about the size of your dinner table. The huge rock is about as big as half of a house. Super neat little area and a fun place to take pictures. After a quick lunch at Pizza Hutt, we headed up US-24W to Cave of the Winds. Cave of the Winds was cool, but having been to Natural Bridge caverns and Wonder World, it was a little underwhelming. Our tour guide was friendly and told the usual corny jokes, but she was a little robotic and seemed to be going through the motions. However, as we usually do, we made the most of it and ended up having a good time. The boys really enjoyed a climbing toy downstairs. It was meant to simulate crawling through a cave and according to Brodie, it did a pretty good job. The other highlight of the day was getting Mancie to go on the Zipline with Brodie. The best part was when I was taking the video I slipped on the rock I was standing on and took a spill. All of it caught on camera. Brodie was actually able to ride the Zipline 3 times because there was no one else in line. We made the quick drive back to the cabin stopping in Woodland Park to get some ice cream at Mountain Scoops and then calling it an evening. |
The Rest of the Trip
Bill didn't actually finish documenting our Colorado trip so here I sit, 5 years later, trying to remember what in the hay bale happened. Yeah, I can't. So here are some pictures of us visiting the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo - beautiful place! We also ate at a restaurant called The Airplane (or something like that) and it was a hoot! Somewhere in there we also went to Seven Falls, which is another natural place. It was home to some super friendly chipmunks! We also went into Cripple Creek, which was FREEZING in June! We toured the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine - which was awesome! If you are ever near, plan to do that. At some point we flew home. It was probably the worst flying experience of my life and the reason why we didn't fly for years afterward. We were glad to get home, but Colorado was a gorgeous place and I would definitely go again. |