Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods

The Jenkins parents came into town Wednesday night and stayed with us through Easter Sunday. It was so fun to have these two great people in our home. And though it was just a few days, it was a great blessing in our lives and wonderful for me to have some quality time with the in-laws as we haven't been able to spend a lot of one-on-one together since our wedding.

Thursday morning, we decided to take a trip to 'America's Mountain' or Pikes Peak. The mountain is not the highest in the state, but is certainly the best known. It stands at 14,114 ft with a road and a railway that reach the top. The top boasts an un-obstructed view of the surrounding area and a restaurant to help you enjoy it. Anyways, having never been to the top ourselves, we thought it would be a good experience to make the trip.

Upon arrival at the fee station, the park ranger informed us that due to a recent snow, the streets hadn't been fully cleared and we would only be able to drive 16 of the 19-mile road to the top. Deciding that 16 was better than none, we made the payment and started to climb the hills in our little Corolla. After only a couple of miles, we spotted this sign for Big Foot Crossing! Of course we had to stop to get a picture.

We found this sign on the drive to the top of Pike's Peak.
Who knew that Big Foot lived in Colorado!

And not too soon after, we found an almost identical carving of Judy!

While we were up there, we found
this carving of Judy

We continued up the mountain, trying to get glimpses of the beautiful surrounding scenery. There are small natural lakes and reservoirs in the area that can be viewed from the drive and these just add to the beauty. After the 16 miles, we arrived at 12,280 and got out to take a picture. As you look around, you get the beautiful mountain ranges and valleys on the West, North, and South. To the East, there is nothing. It is flat for as far as the eye can see and very barren looking. It makes me feel so sorry for the people that don't have mountains in their lives! Here is our picture:

Kirk, Judy, Lisa, and Matt at 12,280 ft.

Snow Capped Peaks

Some Red Rock above the Treeline

The car performed a lot better on the descent and we were out of the park in no time. Near the base of Pikes Peak is a beautiful outcropping of red rock. The Red Rock is not commonly found in the area and as a result, it appears out of place. Not only is the color unique, but the way the rocks rise out of the ground makes this spot a majestic site. The place has been named the 'Garden of the Gods'. Having a little bit of time, we decided to drive through. Here are just a couple of the things we saw:

Balance Rock

The rock juts out of the ground creating a 'fin-like' structure.

By the end of the trip, we were all pretty tired - but the trip was great and was another reminder of the beautiful earth that we live in and how much we have to be grateful for!