I am a 12 month employee with our local school system and during the summer we switch to 4 – 10 hour days and have every Friday off. I love having Fridays off and I feel I am much more productive working 10 hour days. Blake has a 5 day break this week and we planned to go hiking but we didn’t know where we wanted to go. I took off Thursday to give us a 4 day weekend together. A friend of mine took her son to Colorado Springs for a week and I enjoyed seeing all of her post on Facebook. Blake and I have talked about going out Colorado at some point but we didn’t know when we would go. Yes I know this is in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, however I researched locations with lower COVID rates and Colorado Springs was pretty low on the list. I started researching hotels and flights on Wednesday 8/19 while Blake was at work. I sent him a message around 10 am and said what do you think about going to Colorado for the weekend? He had hesitations just like I did because of COVID but we decided to go anyways. Because of the pandemic, prices were significantly low and we were able to get 2 round trip tickets, hotel and rental car for $700. The hotel occupancy was around 20%, the plane wasn’t even half full and plenty of rental cars to choose from.
The next morning, I drive to Blake’s brother’s apartment to meet up with Blake and we head to the Richmond airport. This was Taylor’s first time on a plane, she is 4 months old. We didn’t know what to expect with her. Blake wore her in her carrier and she did great.
Our plane to Dallas, TX departed Richmond at 7:30 am EST and landed at 9:36 amCDT. We spent about 3 hours on the first plane. We left Dallas at 10:45 am CDT and arrived in Denver at 11:57 MDT. During our layover in Dallas, we went to grab something to eat and Blake noticed that he didn’t have his license. Knowing he had it when we went through the TSA check in Richmond we knew it had to either still with with Richmond TSA or on the plane. I ran to the arrival gate and had the seat checked and no luck. I contacted Richmond International Airport and they said they only do a lost and found check around 8pm and would call me if they found it. I was panicked more than Blake.
Wearing a mask on the plane was a bit strange. It was also a strange experience to be handed a bag when we first boarded that contained a bottle of water, snack and wipe. Flight attendants were available if someone needed something, other than that they kept their distance. I had printed a bunch of things to do in Denver/Colorado Springs and we used the time on the plane to pick out some must do things.
Once we arrived in Denver, CO we took the bus to pick up our rental car. We mistakenly left Taylor’s car seat on the bus and an employee was able to locate us and we got the car seat. The line to get a rental car was out the door and not moving. Somehow, when we were pulled out of line to get the car seat we were sent to the front of the line and got our car quickly and were out the door.
We made it to Denver and found a police officer sitting in his car. I approached the officer and asked for his recommendation on places to eat and things to see in Denver. He told us there is nothing to see in Denver and just head straight to Colorado Springs.
We did eat while in Denver at Colorado Campfire. We were the only ones in the restaurant and it was delicious. We got the toasted marshmallows for dessert and Taylor got to have a taste of it.
Denver does have a Firefighters Museum and we decided to check it out before heading to Colorado Springs. I was able to find a Groupon for a buy one get one free admission. We really enjoyed exploring the museum and learning about the history of the Denver Fire Department. We picked up a couple of shirts for Blake and a challenge coin and went on our way.
We decide to take the scenic route to our hotel in Colorado Springs. We took I25 to Highway 85 and turned onto Highway 67 in Sedalia. We continued down Highway 67 through Pike National Forest turning onto Highway 24 and continued into Colorado Springs.
The route we took was gorgeous, we got to see deer, new growth forest from an old wild fire took out all the trees in the area, South Platte River Corridor where we stopped and put our feet in the water. Taylor snoozed most of the way.
We came to a pull off on the side of the road and figured it would be a good place to stop and feed Taylor. Blake looked around while I fed Taylor. Once I was done, he told me to come look and see what he found. What we saw was disturbing. Down the embankment there were tons of deer carcasses wrapped in barbed wire. We had no idea what we stumbled upon and didn’t know if we should call someone.
Nearing our hotel, we made a stop by Walmart because what trip wouldn’t be complete without a stop at a Walmart. We made it to our hotel – Fairfield Inn & Suites Colorado Springs Air Force Academy. We checked in and got to the room. I called in an order to Outback because it was in the same parking lot as the hotel and we could easily walk. I got Taylor fed and in bed and Blake went out to pick up our food. We had our Anniversary take out dinner in the hotel room. (Today is our Anniversary and what a way to spend it).
I got a call around 8pm from Richmond International Airport, they found Blake’s ID!!!!! I had them overnight it to the hotel…….that was NOT cheap, but it saved us a lot of trouble, so in the end it was worth it.
We got up around 6:45 the next morning. Taylor was happy and ready to go.
The hotel did a grab and go pastries for breakfast and this worked until we found a Starbucks and grabbed breakfast.
We make our way to Pikes Peak Highway and begin our 19 mile drive to the summit. The highway offers many pull offs for views. We drive the highway about a week before the Pikes Peak Race and got to see the set up. We saw a tiny bit of snow left on the mountain.
We made it to the summit. Unfortunately the Summit View House was under construction and heavy machinery was everywhere. It was also blocked off to see the bench mark. One of the construction workers did take my phone and got a closer picture for me.
We took our mandatory pictures from the Summit. It was freezing and very windy. We had to keep monitoring Taylor because of the elevation. Little ones have a harder time in that high of an elevation. Medic crews are on standby at the summit for any visitors that experience breathing problem.
Unfortunately during our visit, Colorado was experiencing the 2nd largest wildfire in their history making the views almost non existent. First thing in the morning the views would be okay and then quickly fade away. We stayed at the summit for about 45 minutes before beginning the drive down.
On our driving decent down the mountain we made a stop at the Devil’s Playground parking area. Elevation 12960 feet. Hiking trails are located in this area and we wanted to do a quick hike to see how we would do in that high of an elevation. We did a 0.5 mile hike and you could definitely tell the difference in breathing.
Pikes Peak highway is well marked with mile markers and elevation.
We stopped at the North Slope Recreation Area. We got to see a helicopter remove water from the lake to carry to the fire.
We made our way to Cave of the Winds to ride the Terror-dactyl ride. The ride provides a 150 foot free fall into Williams Canyon at around 100 MPH. The ride was awesome and definitely a thrill!!!! We got our video from the gift shop to show the kids when we got home.
Once we finished getting our thrills in, we headed to the town of Manitou Springs. Manitou Springs is known for its Natural Mineral Springs located throughout the town. We get a seat at the bar at The Keg Lounge and have a quick bite to eat before walking around the town and checking out the mineral springs.
We find a penny arcade and go inside to see what they have to offer. The penny arcade area is huge, both inside and outside.
We found most of the springs while walking around checking out the sights. A few of them were not in operation unfortunately. All the working ones we tried the water. Each spring had its own unique taste and it is a taste that is hard to describe. We would see people riding bikes and jogging stop at the springs to fill up their bottles of water.
At one of the entrance to Manitou Springs is Rainbow Falls. Rainbow Falls is a quick out and back hike. From the parking area it is approximately 0.25 miles to the falls. The trail runs alongside Fountain Creek and under a bridge.
Unfortunately vandals have taken to the area around the falls and bridge and covered the area with graffiti. Thankfully the rocks to the right and left of the falls are clear from graffiti. Despite the graffiti and trash, the falls are beautiful and worth the short hike.
Being that I love waterfalls we find another waterfall close by with a short hike. We drive to the Helen Hunt Falls visitors center which is located at the base of Helen Hunt Falls. We took a few pictures from the bottom of the falls and then took the 0.1 mile hike to the top of the falls for a different view. Helen Hunt Falls cascade 35 feet over rocks of the North Cheyenne Creek.
We leave Helen Hunt Fall and take the scenic route to Garden of the Gods. We drive Gold Camp Road to Bear Creek Road to Highway 24. Most of the road was dirt and rocks. We passed under 2, 1 way tunnels through the rocks.
We arrive at Garden of the Gods about the time their visitors center was closing but thankfully Blake was able to get a map. Upon arriving, we were blown away by the rock formations, they are breathtaking and unlike anything we have ever seen before.
We parked in the north parking lot off of Juniper Way Loop. We began walking on the Perkins Central Garden Trail to see the different formations. Right away we noticed the Kissing Camels. Sure enough it looks just like kissing camels.
We make our way around all of the rock formations and take lots and lots of pictures.
Deer frequent the area and don’t seem to mind that there are a lot of people around. We got up close and personal to them with no fault of our own. They weren’t scared off and casually walked by.
After getting back to the car we drive to the Siamese Twin Trail to take in more rock structures. The trail is a 0.5 mile loop trail with a little over 100 feet of elevation gain. We had to wait for the perfect time to get a picture. There was a couple sitting in the center of the rocks. I didn’t think about it at the time but the picture of this couple is incredible and I would have loved to share it with them.
It was getting pretty dark as we were finishing the loop and decided that we need to start heading back to the hotel. Garden of the Gods was very close to the hotel and we would be able to make a stop to see the rest of the rock formations before catching our plane home Sunday morning.
We did stop at Balanced rock before heading out of the park.
For dinner we went to Ivywild School. The school has been converted into a brewery and was recommended to us by the Denver police officer. We arrived around 8:30 and unfortunately the food truck was out of almost everything. The brewery did offer a couple of sandwiches. Blake got a sandwich and we went to Culvers afterwards and I got a butter burger.
One of the things Blake and I really wanted to do on our trip to Colorado Springs is The Incline. The Incline was closed for months due to COVID and opened up about a week before we arrived. We did not know at the time reservations were required. When we checked at the beginning of our trip all of the reservations for the entire time we were on vacation were full.
Fun facts about the incline……..
The incline ascends on the Eastern flank of Pikes Peak. It is the former site of a funicular railway. Unfortunately in 1990 the tracks were washed out during a rock slide.
Average Grade: 45% and gets as steep as 68%
Elevation Gain: 2,011 feet
Distance: 0.88 miles
Base elevation: 6,530 feet
Summit elevation: 8,550 feet
Advertised Steps: 2,744
Weather: HOT, 100 degrees (no humidity, thankfully)
When we woke up, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to check and see if anyone cancelled their reservations for the Incline and just my luck, we got a 9 am reservation. I tell Blake we need to head out and he asked why. I said we are going to hike The Incline. We were both nervous and very excited.
Since arriving in Colorado Springs, we kept seeing a scar on a mountain and wanted to know what it was well……..that would be The Incline.
We ran into a slight issue on the way out of the hotel. We left our keycard in the room and went to the front desk to get a new key and nobody was there. We waited for a few minutes and still nobody showed up. We called the number and nobody picked up. About 20 minutes later, a hotel guest comes downstairs that also works for the hotel and became very concerned. I told him that I checked all of the floors and could not locate anyone. He gave us a new key and we left. Prior to leaving, the missing employee was never found and we never heard anything else about it.
We arrive in the parking lot of Tahine Restaurant in Manitou Springs. This lot provides free parking for Incline hikers. There is minimal paid parking near the trailhead and it fills up very quickly. The walk to the parking lot is a little over a mile walk.
We arrive about 30 minutes late to the trailhead due to the incident at the hotel, we were told it was not a problem. We checked in and got our red wrist bands and read the signs at the start of the trail.
We begin the hike just after 9:30. The steps are labeled every 100 steps to let you know your progress. In the beginning this was very discouraging. Me met a bunch of people on the hike and everyone was encouraging each other. We made it to 1000 steps at 9:54. This was very encouraging.
Once we got to 1000 steps, the incline got steeper and steeper. We continue our ascent and keep looking back to see our progress.
We made it to the bailout trail. We cannot bailout, we have to make it to the top. Also at the bailout spot, there was a little area to rest. We took a short break, I also fed Taylor while we were stopped.
We made it to 2700 steps! Only 44 more to go right……..NOPE
The total number of steps ended up being 2768.
WE DID IT!!!! WE MADE IT!!!!!! This one of the most challenging things I have ever done. It took us 2 hours and 18 minutes and worth every second.
I was feeling very proud of myself. I finished an insanely hard hike 4 months post partum and stopping to nurse Taylor twice. Blake hiked the entire trail carrying Taylor. I am very proud of him as well. Taylor did great and enjoyed her ride.
Hiking back down The Incline is strongly discouraged. We did however pass a couple of people doing their descent down the trail. The best way and the way hikers are encouraged to go is to hike down the Barr Trail.
The hike from the top of the incline to the bottom using the Barr Trail is 4 miles. The hike is a series of switchback to the bottom with beautiful views of the mountains.
We made it to the end of the trail at 1:17. We finished the entire hike in under 4 hours. I will take that!
On the way back to the car we spot the Iron Spring. This is the only spring we were unable to locate the day before when we were exploring Manitou Springs.
We get back to the car and drive 1.5 hours to the Royal Gorge. We got to the Gorge a lot later than we wanted to and a lot of the attractions were closing for the day.
We took the Gondola ride across the Gorge and it offered amazing views.
Once across the Gorge we took in all the views and went to the Plaza Theater to learn about the history of the Gorge and Bridge. We learned all about the fire in 2013 which left 90% of the park burnt. Learning the history, especially learning about the fire and seeing how much progress had been made in 7 years made for a more enjoyable experience.
We made our way across the Royal Gorge Bridge shortly before the park closed.
Being able to capture the scenery at sunset made for incredible but hazy (due to the wildfire) photos. I just wish I had a better camera **Hint Hint Blake**
Once leaving the Royal Gorge, we needed to find a place for dinner. We stumbled upon Whitewater Bar & Grill. The restaurant actually had a table available. We enjoyed a table outside on the patio with live music.
We drove back to the hotel and got some sleep before heading out in the morning to fly back home.
In the morning, we stopped back by Garden of the Gods to get a few pictures of Balanced Rock and Steamboat Rock in the daylight.
After leaving Garden of the Gods, we said farewell to Colorado Springs and made our way back to the Denver airport. This time we took the interstate to get there on time. We boarded our plane and set off to Chicago.
Shortly after takeoff……….
Before getting off the plane, I asked the flight attendant if they still gave out first time flyer certificates. Unfortunately they did not have them but the pilot overheard and said I can do one better.
We got to take pictures with Taylor in the cockpit. Taylor would not look at the camera, she was focused on all of the lights. This was an awesome and unexpected experience.
In Chicago, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then made our way to the opposite end of the airport to board our plane home. When I say opposite, I mean opposite. Our gate was the 2nd to last gate in the entire airport.
Taylor slept most of the way from Chicago to Richmond. We landed in Richmond and took an Uber back to Blake’s brother’s apartment to get our cars and drive home. So long Colorado!
Nic of Time - Travel 