Saturday we drove about an hour south to Colorado Springs. First we went to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. These preserved authentic Anasazi cliff dwellings were built more than 700 years ago. There are no "Do Not Touch" signs. You are free to touch, climb, and even go inside these fascinating architectural remnants of an American Indian culture that roamed this area of the Southwest from 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1300. Layla loved this place!
Next we went to the Cave of the Winds. This cave was awesome! It was discovered in the late 1800's and has been excavated deep enough to accommodate a 45 minute tour. I felt a bit claustrophobic in the parts where you had to duck and squeeze through narrow passageways, but it was so worth it. At one point in our tour, the guide turned out all the lights and we stood in complete darkness. Obviously, with no light for your eyes to adjust to, you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face. That was the most claustrophobic I have ever felt. There were a lot of stairs and dark passageways so we couldn't really let Jack walk around, he was pretty patient and we all had a good time.
After our tour, it was just about "nap time" so we started the 38-mile round trip drive up to the summit of Pikes Peak. The road was closed just 3 miles shy of the summit, but we were able to drive up a little past 12,000 ft. The views were amazing!! It felt as if we were literally on top of the world! The best part, for me, of visiting Pikes Peak was it's tie to one of my favorite songs. It was on the summit of Pikes Peak that Katherine Lee Bates penned the words that later became the song "America the Beautiful." It was touching to look out over the "purple mountain majesties" and reflect on the beauties and freedoms our country offers.
Last, we took a walk in The Garden of the Gods. The walking paths wound around these beautiful red rock formations. We watched rock climbers and kite flyers and let the kids climb smaller boulders. The rocks were truly amazing and the whole park just gave me the feeling I was in "Giant Land" or something.
And the cherry on top of this wonderful day was the Mexican restaurant we hit on the way home. I have only three words--FRIED ICE CREAM! Oh my goodness!
I am so glad we got to see these things and that we were able to have some real quality family time. I love hanging out with my kids. They are so funny at times. And I also love the time I get to spend with Caton and I am grateful that he can usually spend the weekend doing things with us.
1 comment:
I love your pictures! You have the cutest kids.
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