Cross-Country Road Trip Day 19
We slept a little later than usual then went to IHOP for breakfast.
We had wanted to drive up to Pike’s Peak, but it would mean about a three hour round trip to add to our drive time to our next hotel stay, plus it was very cloudy and gray around the mountain, so we probably wouldn’t see much. I’m also not thrilled about driving blind (in fog) on a narrow, winding, steep road up a mountain with no guardrails! So we drove to Garden of the Gods instead.
The scenery was so darn beautiful! I have to go back and spend more time so I can ride my bike around that area!
We next went to some cliff dwellings hoping we could at least see some of it without having to actually go in, but the gate was locked, so no dice. Instead, we drove up to the Cave of the Winds for some views before hitting the road to the Sapphire Point Overlook miles away on our route.
The view from Sapphire Point was pretty with a beautiful lake down below. The Mountaineer naturalist in me couldn’t keep my mouth should when I saw people trampling off trail to take photos. I had to tell them, politely, that if everyone got off the trail, it would destroy the delicate foliage and cause erosion. Luckily, they understood and got back on the trail…glad they didn’t turn hostile!
Back on Hwy. 70, we eventually got to the Colorado National Monument, another place I didn’t know about. We drove up high for some spectacular views. At the top, there was a visitor center where I got postcards and stamps for my parks passbook. On the way back down, there was a bighorn sheep (ewe) walking along the road.
Several hours later we finally made it to Green River and checked into our hotel for two nights.
After checking in, I ran to the grocery store to pick up some dinner and things for breakfast before kicking back and relaxing.
