Summer Fun in Colorado

We did some travel within CO this past year, and I neglected to write about any of it!  The hubs had the brilliant idea of a stay-cation in Colorado Springs earlier this year, as he had a Friday morning mediation down there  So we booked a single night in a lovely downtown hotel and drove down together. You must ALWAYS go visit Garden of the Gods city park when going to Colorado Springs.  A vision of Sedona-like red rocks poking up from the ground to amazing heights.

After he completed his day we went up to Pikes Peak on the funicular.  It was a balmy day at the bottom, but up at 14,000 plus feet, it gets a tad chilly!  Drink water at elevation, but not too fast, it's a long ride and there are no bathrooms on the way up.  We arrived at the top to a massive microburst thunder and hail storm and a very rushed de-training to get out of the metal boxes and into the less lightening strike prone visitors center.

We ended up trapped in the center for over 30 minutes, but we were able to rush outside and have this lovely picture taken right before we went back down.

The next day we hung out at the Broadmoor and did the drive to Garden of the Gods.  Lunch at the Broadmoor was exceptional, and then we walked around their little lake, stopping on a bench to enjoy the lovely view.  It's an extraordinary hotel and resort.  We made a few work calls from inside in several empty seating areas while we were there and finished up on the opposite side of the lake in the lakeside lounge for a quick cocktail before driving back to Denver.  

I love our state!

Later in the summer we did our "guest tour" for my hubs brother, girlfriend and a friend of ours who recently moved back to Denver from Switzerland.  First we head to the Stanley Hotel where "The Shining" was filmed.  The Jack Nicholson version.  Their porch looks out at the Rocky Mountain National Park vista and it's an incredible view from Estes Park.  Then we go into the RMNP and drive the jeep trail road up to the top, coming down into Grand Lake Lodge for dinner.  Spectacular views along the way, a short waterfall trail and then a scrumptious dinner with the largest fireplace I have ever seen.  They have a new chef and the food was equal to the views this time.  Our friend bookmarked it as a great place for her husband to come whenever he is homesick for Switzerland.  It's just that pretty of a valley.  

Lastly, we managed to eek out a few camping days at our friends land in Park County, essentially you gaze out over the back side of Breckenridge.  Beautiful panoramas of valleys and mountains, even the rain didn't stop us from having a great time.  We set up a popup gazebo and were able to get a campfire going for those s'mores!  Two of my favorite smells, campfires and pine trees.   Ok, three if you count the s'mores, and we put peanut butter in the cracker first!

Hope you had an enjoyable summer as well:)