Glen Eyrie, Valley of the Eagle's Nest

Our time here at USAFA (US Air Force Academy), Colorado Springs is drawing to a close.  It's sad, but exciting at the same time, because we know new adventures lie just down the road.  We wanted to make the best of our last couple of days, but we also decided we'd stimulated the local economy just about enough, so we looked around for something free, or at least, CHEAP to do or see.  We recalled that Staples had suggested Glen Eyrie, a local non-denominational Christian retreat center. OK, so time for honest truth here - we had tried to visit the estate the day before, but were denied access, due to a Save the Storks event that had the whole estate reserved.  So, Sunday, we tried again, this time, with great success.

We were stopped at the gate, the same one we had been forced to turn around at yesterday, but, this time, we were issued a "drive-thru" pass.  We didn't think anything of it,and we certainly didn't READ it, just hung it up on the mirror, as requested.

We parked at the first opportunity, and quickly spotted a herd of antelope off in the distance!  Except they weren't antelope!  As we approached, we discovered they were Bighorn Sheep!  in the wild!

A noisy car approached, honking the horn, no less, so they took off up the hill, and out of our camera range.  I thought this was supposed to be a RETREAT, for gosh sakes!  You know, where you go to slow down, recharge and enjoy Nature!  Guess not for the occupants of THIS car!

The Carriage House/bookstore/front desk was at the edge of the parking lot where we had parked, so we hiked on in.  Of course, as we were walking across the lot, I was abhorred to discover that in our haste to get a lunch packed and get on the road, SOMEone (me!) had completely forgotten to suit up the pup, so she had NOOOO vest!  We DID have her short leash, which luckily had her Service Dog tag attached, and since I was carrying my wallet (because it has MY military ID in it, and you need that to get back on base!), we also had her ID, in the event anyone questioned me.  Whew!  But, I still prefer to keep her suited up, as the vest is so very obvious, and people don't have to ask questions.  Anyway, I approached the clerk at the front desk, and yup, she questioned whether pup was a Service Dog, 'cuz, apparently, NO pets are allowed on the premises unless they are Service Animals....but, once I answered positively, she was most gracious.  Up to a point.  She offered me a brochure that explained the history of the estate, and then she tried to book us a room for an overnight stay.  Ummmm...well, we are staying in our RV, so we really don't need a room....and with prices ranging from $159 to $229 per night, we wouldn't be needing one anytime soon.  (yes, they don't come close to The Broadmoor, at $600+, but still...no.  Thank you, no.)  She also suggested we would want to purchase tickets to tour the grounds and castle, after which we could come back to her and sign a liability waiver so we could hike the trails and walk around at our leisure.  Ummmm...OK.  We'll read the brochure and think about that.  So we walked outside and read the brochure, which really was very interesting.  (more on that in a moment)  Then I explained to Driver that we really weren't supposed to be walking around the grounds without having signed a waiver, so maybe we ought to get back in the car and finish our tour that way.  It was then we noticed that the hang tag had our entrance time written on it.  And a warning that the pass expired 15 minutes after the time stamp. HAHAHA....we were already half an hour past that!  We just hung it back up on the mirror and kept going.  Rapscallions that we are!

So, here's the actual castle, which originally was built by William Jackson Palmer, the very same railroad magnate that had encouraged Charles Perkins to purchase the land that became Garden of the Gods, right next door.  He was also the founder of Fountain Colony, which has become the city of Colorado Springs. The castle was built for his wife, Mary (Queen) Lincoln Mellen.  The castle was originally a 22 room frame house, but later remodeled the tower and other additional rooms.

In 1880, though, the beautiful Mrs. Palmer suffered a heart attack, and she was encouraged to move to a lower altitude.  She took no chances and moved herself and their 3 daughters across the pond, to England, yet she only lived another 4 years, passing away in Dec, 1844.  Mr. Palmer traveled to England to get her remains and retrieve his daughters.  The remodel was started in 1903 and was completed within 2 years.  During that time, the family traveled extensively throughout Europe, searching out fireplaces, artifacts and heirlooms to fill the castle.  The estate also enjoyed indoor plumbing, electricity, battery-operated gates, other luxuries, and some of the most talented chefs and gardeners of the time.   Unfortunately,in 1906, Mr. Palmer was thrown by a horse during a ride through the Garden of the Gods.  He broke his neck and was paralyzed from the 3rd rib down.  Though disabled, he continued to give generously to the community until his death in 1909. From there, the estate fell into disrepair, was bought and sold a few times over, and was finally purchased and restored to its former glory by The Navigators in 1951.  Told you, the brochure was really interesting!  Let's take a look around the grounds, shall we?

Check out that hole in the rocks, up at the top of the pillar!

Wild turkeys!

Glen Eyrie, Valley of the Eagle's Nest, and there it is!  Just as it's been ever since it was first spotted by the landscape architect, way back in 1881.

Since we weren't really permitted to lunch on the grounds...well, I guess we COULD have, since we were already well overdue for departure, what's a few more minutes, right???.....but we thought better of it, and decided we should take our lunch elsewhere.  But where?  Where else, but off to The Garden of the Gods!  Well, on the way, I saw a sign that said Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens, off to the left.  You know what that is, right?  (Xeriscape is the art of landscaping so that you are using little to no water, but still enjoying beautiful gardens, with all sorts of textures, colors, flowers, foliage and hardscapes.)  Off we went!  Up the hill, down the road.  One quick U-turn, and right into the gardens.

This Bee-N-Bee Hotel is dedicated to Lolly, who, along with Allen, raises bees up on their farm in Ohio.  What do you think, Lolly, do you think you get Allen to build you one of these?  

I believe this was Russian Sage - it is so pretty as a backdrop!

See, lots of different colors and textures, along with inviting benches.

Not a fan of spiky plants in my own garden, but they were pretty to look at here.

Barbara S., these plums are for YOU!  They only had the one that was anywhere CLOSE to ripe.  And it wasn't very close!  Be glad yours are as far along as they are.

So, after not finding a suitable spot to eat our lunch ('cuz there really was no shade to speak of, and it was pretty hot and sunny), we continued our journey on to The Garden of the Gods.  OK, so maybe that wasn't such a good idea.  The place was packed.  I mean, PACKED!!  There wasn't a single parking space available, but that was ok, 'cuz there wasn't a single table under cover, and it was really, really hot.  Record-breaking hot, we found out later that night.  We didn't think we'd see any wildlife, due to all the crowds, but lookee here, what Driver spied with his eagle-eye!  Can you see him??  Blow up the photo, and you'll see a big ole buck, right smack-dab in the middle of the picture.  He really blends in well, don'tcha think?  I barely got a glimpse of him before he was gone!

A few last, parting shots.  Beautiful and special place.  See the rain moving in?  You're right - it didn't hit the ground.  Weird weather here.

At this point, we decided lunch would make a good dinner, so we called it a day and headed back to the base.  Lunch/Dinner done, we took a long walk around the park with the pup and settled in for the night.

Slept in late this morning (Monday) and then had a nice, relaxing day, just getting ready to pack up and leave on Wednesday.  Driver greased the axles of the tow dolly (NO, we still haven't seen a penny of reimbursement for the fender and tire that were destroyed by the steel plate in the road in West Memphis, and NO, the governor's office has been NO help at all) and washed all the tire covers.  We mopped the floor, cleaned both bathrooms, including that huge shower, did ALL the laundry (including rugs!), paid the bills (pretty important, right?), wiped down all the countertops and dashboard, and even checked out some things to do in Santa Fe.  Everything was going smoothly, until I received an email from our Camp Verde, AZ campground, apologizing for our early departure and inconvenience due to storm damage.  Whaaa?  How could we be leaving; we hadn't even arrived yet???!!

A quick call to the campground confirmed we still had our upcoming reservation, but they also thought we were leaving today.  Ummm...no, I don't think so.  Apparently, they had 18 early departures, and one of the guests had a name similar to ours, so we got their email accidentally.  Well, the funny part is that the email mentioned a 20% coupon to arrive to offset our inconvenience.  The dude said to go ahead and use it when we arrive in 3 weeks.  Suits the heck outta me, that's $54 bucks saved!!  

So, we've been watching Dorian's progress all day, and we've spoken with some of our East Coast friends.  Some of y'all are gonna get wet, it looks like.  So, be careful, stock up on water & gas for the generator, fill up your bathtubs, and make sure you have food that doesn't need cooking.  And if they tell you to evacuate, perhaps you should heed the warnings.  Please stay safe.

Not sure what we'll do tomorrow.  I think I have a final commissary run planned, but other than that...nada.  Unless you've got a suggestion?  I did get an order for 18 luggage handle wraps (thank you Marie, and WELCOME to our world!) and I have an outstanding order for a baby layette set.  And a couple of garden flags for Dick's sister.  So, maybe I should think about sewing some.  M,aybe I should do more than think about it, eh?  Our next stop is Raton Pass, NM, and we'll be there for 2 days, just killing some time before we're due in Santa Fe.  There is absolutely NOTHING to do in that park (unless you count watching the hummers, remember from a couple weeks ago?), and we don't *plan* on unloading the car, so we will be parked behind the office for the duration of our stay.  That really should present a golden opportunity to do some stitching.

Till next time...

New Brakes and Labor Day Weekend Balloon Liftoff, Memorial Park, Colorado Springs

On the way home from the Cliff Dwellings, on Thursday, our brakes began to make a funny noise.  Not ha-ha funny, but ODD funny.  It sort of sounded like a tummy growling.  Neither of us had ever heard that kind of noise before, so we were a bit perplexed.  Luckily, Dick knew that there are "wear indicators" that make noises when your brakes are beginning to need replacement, and the worse they wear down, the worse the noise.  Apparently, it's annoying and scary, specifically to make you do something about it.  I mean, who needs brakes failing?  Especially up here in the mountains!  Soooo, early Friday morning, we suited up the pup and headed in to Midas Muffler and Brakes.  I didn't know they even DID brakes, so that was my first surprise.  We were extremely fortunate, as the manager was able to work us in.  At first, he asked us to leave it and he'd get to it late afternoon, but when Dick told him it was our only transportation, he managed to work some magic and said he could get it up on the rack in about 20 minutes.  Whoohoo!  That was the good news.  And after said 20 minutes, he was came back with the bad news.  Yup, we needed new brakes in front.  To the tune of 3 hours (plus another for lunch) and about $500!  Oh.My.  Well, we are in the mountains, and we plan to be here another 5 days or so, so it's certainly not like we can do without, is it?  And we'd heard several times "sorry, we don't have any more appointments till Tuesday" or "sorry, we can't get to it this weekend, you might try Jiffy Lube, but I think they're booked up too," so it's not like we could pack up and take the car somewhere else.  I wouldn't have thought Labor Day was such a great weekend to get your car worked on, but apparently, it is. 

And that was how we spent Friday!  We had originally planned to go square dancing in the evening, but after spending the whole day either walking to and from the mall and Best Buy, or sitting in the waiting room, we weren't really up to spending another 40 minutes (each way!) in traffic.  Plus, it's Parents' Weekend here on base, and they have already set up traffic cones, limiting cross-overs and turns, promising to make an adventure out of driving on, off, or around the base.

So, Colorado Springs has an event they call Labor Day Liftoff, where they invite about 80 hot air balloons to a park downtown, to lift off at the crack of o'dark-thirty.  Actually, Dick said it was to start around 7 a.m., Saturday morning, but when we arrived at 7:15 or so, this is what we saw as we approached.  It appeared as though half the balloons were already well on their way to "up in the air" status.  Yes, for this we got up EARLY!  

We decided that maybe only about half were up, so hopefully, the rest would be still on the ground, filling, and beginning their ascent.  We found a parking place (just off the sidewalk, in front of an abandoned car lot) and hiked up and over the hill, to the park.  We were rewarded by getting to watch the dragon lift off, just as we came upon the launch field.

As we watched, more and more balloons filled and began to lift in the cool morning air.

It really was a pretty sight to watch them all go up and sail away so quietly, off into the bright blue sky.  The announcer made mention that there would be an Air Force flyover, and a parachute team would be dropping in, but it was still 45 minutes away, and there really wasn't anything else for us to do while we waited, so we didn't stay.  He also invited everyone back for a "glow" starting at 7 or 8 pm at night, but the weather was predicted to be pretty poor at that time, so we didn't plan to return.  Good thing, too, because the forecasters were correct, and the "glow" was nothing more than the fires spouting off periodically.  No balloons, no glow, no liftings, just some fires from propane tanks.  We would definitely have been disappointed if we had traveled 45 minutes through horrific traffic and hiked another half mile only to see some propane tank flare ups!

Once again, we took the scenic way back home.  Seems like I-25 is the backbone of the city, but it always seems to have crashes and slowdowns, so we look for back roads and alternate routes every time we can.  So, now you have the backsides of some of the rock features from Garden of the Gods.  

Remember Balancing Rock and Steamboat Rock?

The Gateway Rocks (North and South)

And who could resist these adorable little Christmas decorations??  A vintage trailer and a vintage VW hippie bus.  Oh, yes, I did say Christmas!  Yes, last I looked, it wasn't even Sept 1st yet.  Merry Christmas to all, courtesy of your local Sam's Club!  Oh, yeah, by the way, we resisted.  Not only are they costly, at $34 bucks a pop, but space is limited, even in our 44 footer!  Sooo, no.  We didn't get either one, and nooo, I don't miss 'em a bit!

Till next time....

Big Rocks, Big RED Rocks

Well, the morning started out pretty chilly and overcast, so we dug out our jackets and made our way "down" to The Garden of the Gods."  I say down, because 1) it's South, and typically, that's down on a map, and 2) we are camped at the Air Force Academy, which is about 7258 feet up, and The Garden of the Gods is only 6400 feet up.  It is only about 40 minutes' drive, and it was still chilly and overcast when we arrived.  This is the view we had from the Visitors' Center.

This was probably my favorite formation - Kissing Camels.  Can you see them?

No?  Here they are a little closer up. 

The South Gateway 

Just some friends we met along the way.  We pulled off to watch them, but several cars zoomed past and never saw 'em! I guess that's one advantage of being retired...we can take as much time as we like, watching wildlife.  But, really, why would you visit such a magnificent place and not take the time to really see what's all around you?

The paths were well marked and well maintained. This particular path was defined as moderate, and led up the formation called Siamese Twins.

These are the Siamese Twins, and it's said that you can see Pike's Peak through that window.  There were a couple of ways to get up there, and in fact, we did see several people sitting in that window, but, um, well, you know.  It's pretty high up, and lots of loose rock to get up there.  I refrained.  We're actually darned lucky we have these photos, and all the others.  After I took the photo above, of the steps, I slipped my camera into my pocket.  And, apparently, it fell out, unnoticed, almost immediately.  When I went to take the photo below, obviously, I couldn't find my camera.  Instant panic!! We started retracing my steps all around the rock formation, asking other visitors if they had seen my little blue camera.  One kind gentleman said, YES, he had just seen it, down the path, and hanging on a tree limb.  Whew!  We headed back down the path, down the steps, and around the corner, and BAM!  There it was, just as he said, hanging off a branch.  Some good and honest person must have seen it on the ground, and knowing I'd be back for it, hung it up so it would not get trampled and be more easily seen.  Lucky me!

''

We saw signs like this sprinkled throughout the park.  I never professed to be a technical climber, nor do I have proper gear, so, most assuredly, I stayed primarily on the sidewalk.

I must admit, I did read this sign. 

And then proceeded to climb up and on this formation...

To get this picture... 

Thank Goodness for Zoom lenses.  I was able to stay at the base and zoomed right up close!

This photo shows the path water takes as it runs down the formation; that's where all the trees are growing.

Check out these climbers - they, apparently, HAVE proper equipment.  A lots more courage than I.

This is Balancing Rock; can you see the young man posing under the edge there?  This area, including this rock, used to be private, and the owner set up a photography business, allowing people to pose in front of the rock and charged them 25 cents for the photo.  His wife even set up a small cafe and sold sandwiches to their visitors.

The street, narrow that it is, runs right between Balancing Rock and Steamboat Rock, and the young lady you see in the photo below belongs to the young man you see in the photo above.  They took their sweet time taking photos of each other.  Maybe they're retired too?  Or just inconsiderate of others that might also wish to take a photo, without them.  

It was here that a huuuge group of Japanese tourists joined us.  One of their party tried to wrangle them all into a line, posing in front of the Balancing Rock to take a group photo.  He spoke not a lick of English, but I managed to convey to him that I would be happy to take their photo so that he could join the party.  He looked a little confused at first, but seemed grateful when he finally got the meaning of my gestures.  But there were sure plenty of "arigatos" afterwards!!  

On the way back to the campground, we saw a sign for Cheyenne Mountain State Park, and being as we are still in August, our pass was still valid, so, being retired and having lots of time on our hands, we went.  Wasn't too much to see from the car.  There were lots of biking and hiking trails though, and if we wanted, there were 3 trails connecting the various camping areas that puppy was permitted on.  I'm pretty sure that she was prohibited from all the other trails for her own safety, and we were happy to comply with that regulation!

This was the view from one of the empty campsites.  Those buildings are Fort Carson.  And of course, we can't pass up the chance to tour a commissary!  Off we went! 

We found the BX (Base Exchange) first, and oh, my.  I'm sure glad I had the puppy with me - it was huuuuge!  Overwhelmingly so!  We walked around, and around, and around.  They didn't have much stuff in the way of Army swag - not at all like the Air Force.  Air Force stores are well stocked with sweatshirts, T-shirts, stuffed animals, drinkware, pens, cards, oh gosh, you name it, and you'll find it.  Not so in the Army store - there were a few kids' T-shirts (I especially liked the one that said My Dad's Other Car is a Tank), a few mugs, and maybe some stickers, we can't really remember.  Nothing we had to have, and certainly, nothing we wanted to make room for.  After asking around, and maybe even a wrong turn or two, we found the commissary.  As is customary, it was FREEZING inside.  We were only looking for sesame oil and HOT sesame oil, but even so, we found only the plain.  Made our purchase and skedaddled.  I had the bright idea of looking for an Asian Market, and lo and behold, I found one, only about 7 miles away!  Thank you Google Maps!  We made our way there but still didn't find any hot sesame oil.  Bummer.  Looks like we might have to do without our Egg Roll In A Bowl for a while.  Of course, we used up the last of our good sausage a couple of nights ago, so, we were gonna go without anyway.  Oh well, we're camping, so we'll rough it.  LOL

So, all our Florida friends are battening down the hatches as Hurricane Dorian approaches.  I know Lolly and Allen are on the road, traveling back to Inverness, hoping to get home in time for an online auction of farm equipment.  Allen has his eye on a rock picker.  A rock picker???  Really, Allen, don't you already have a couple?  Right there at the end of each arm!  Ba-hahaha!  Ed & Evelyn are up in Vermont; I think they are planning to ride out the storm right there.  Gail & Gary are up in NC, and I know they have plans to meet up with Tim & Staples.  I'm sure there will be some stories told and laughter shared over delicious Tin Tin Chinese buffet.  

And, speaking of Tim & Staples, here is their lovely daughter-in-law in her own front yard.  Staples had mentioned that they lived right near Garden of the Gods, and that we would be able to park right by their house to visit the Rock Ledge Ranch.  Keep in mind, we've never met Amanda, so I'm sure it surprised her greatly when I called out her name!  We had a nice meet and greet, and bless her heart, she invited us to dinner that evening!  Now, that's a true Southern gal (if I recall correctly, she's from Kentucky) for ya!  

That's it for now...next stop is Miramount Castle and Manitou Springs.  Y'all stay safe and dry!