Nice To See You Again, I-25!
The long-awaited trip to Colorado finally arrives this week, and with it the chance to see our favorite state and front-runner in the retirement sweepstakes (should IP and I get to retire, that is). Not only will we look appropriately smashing at the wedding and the dinner the night before, but we will approach the events after time spent enjoying the cheap showiness of nature.
Since we’re in Colorado Springs for the wedding, we’ll be sticking to the immediate area rather than wandering to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (which would be at the top of my “Parks to Visit Again!” list if we had the time). IP and I have decided to not overly exhaust ourselves, choosing to save the physical exertion for August’s hiking vacation (location TBD). With this in mind, we’ve booked a ride on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which will take us to the summit of Pikes Peak in a train. As we remember to sit on the left side of the train, we’ll be entertained with great views and charming historical anecdotes (so says the brochure). Guests tend to spot bighorn sheep, and while spotting a bear might be interesting, it’s something I think isn’t necessary to make the trip complete. Sure, it’ll be freezing cold at the summit (14,110 feet), but it’ll be worth it. So I have to pack my puffy jacket—it could be worse, the wedding could be in western Michigan, where it’s probably just as cold but a lot less interesting-looking.
On Saturday and maybe Sunday, we plan on going to the Garden of the Gods, a free park where we can hike to our hearts’ content. There is no concrete plan for Garden of the Gods—we’ll determine what hikes to do once we get our hands on a hiking brochure.
I’m definitely looking forward to it all. The latest I’ve been in Colorado is October and the earliest is June, so the snowfall on Pikes Peak (when we drove by it) wasn’t as dramatic. We’ll get to taste a bit of our future vacation, and possibly find Colorado Springs to be charming. We have attempted activities in Colorado Springs twice, and only once were we successful. We made it to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in 2005 after trying in vain to fight traffic in the summer of 2004. One of the trails at Florissant, the Hans Loop, provided us with endless amusement in 2005 as we traversed its not-so-challenging terrain. IP supplied running commentary a la Hans and Franz, with trail challenging us to finish it, if we could. At one point, the trail promised me (or IP?) the governorship of Colorado if I could complete the loop. I completed the 1.2 miles with ease, and wondered where the hell my governorship was—it was, obviously, not forthcoming.
Perhaps Garden of the Gods and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway will provide other unforgettable Colorado Springs moments. I’m sure neither will deliver the much-promised governorship, but I suppose I can settle for mind-boggling height, amazing vistas and the chance to hike in the red dirt of Colorado.
However, I must add, just for my sister’s sake: the Colorado Avalanche still suck.
