Friday, May 27, 2022
We got off to a late start this morning (11ish), headed east, navigated a passage through the Sangre de Cristos with beautiful scenery, and then turned north on I-25. We were heading to Loveland, CO, but changed plans along the way. Jane wanted to show me the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs that she had visited 33 years ago. So, she booked a campsite enroute for us at the Colorado Springs KOA (actually in Fountain). Upon arrival there, we hooked up the RV and after a 30-minute drive, we arrived at the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center parking lot.
In the center, via an educational movie, we time-traveled back to the hot magma origins of the region and then traveled forward in time watching well-designed animations of the geologic and biotic changes up to present where we disembarked from the time machine. We then toured through the center’s excellent educational displays about the area’s geology, flora, fauna, peoples, etc.
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| Jane and her Theiophytalis kerri Friend (only fossils found in Garden of the Gods) |
Garden of the Gods is a public park donated to the city of Colorado Springs by the family of Charles Perkins upon his death. The ancient sedimentary beds of deep-red, pink and white sandstones, conglomerates and limestone were deposited horizontally but later were tilted vertically by the mountain-building forces that uplifted the Rocky Mountains and surrounding areas. Subsequent erosion and glaciation of the rocks sculpted the current unusual rock formations.
Once we left the center, we moved the car to the main hiking trails parking lot. We were able to walk in the Garden of the Gods taking in the awesome rock formations up close. There were many fellow gawkers as well as climbers scaling the formations. We also spotted wildlife (various birds and deer) and a nice view of Pike’s Peak, Colorado’s most visited mountain. The walk was another inspiring natural encounter for us.
White Rock and Tower of Babel
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| A Soaring Red Peak |
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| Boulders balanced in Eroded Fins |
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| Three Graces and Cathedral Spires |
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| Steamboat and Balanced Rock |
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| Trailside Young Deer |
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| View of Pike’s Peak |
On the drive back to the RV, we stopped at the Colorado Mountain Brewery for beer and dinner. I tried their coffee stout (excellent) and couldn’t resist trying one of their agave mango ales which was good and had a very distinctive flavor. After sufficiently filling our bellies, we returned to the motorhome. Jane telephoned her sister, Stephanie who we hope to visit Sunday, while I blogged. We’re heading to bed soon hoping for an early departure tomorrow to finish our trip to Loveland.
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| Home of Agave Mango Ale |