Day 10: Mile High City

July 28, nine days in to our amazing vacay and we are headed to.....DENVER, CO!  Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and one of my best friends EVER (also my sister-in-law) were on the list.  We got in late, slept, and got up to GO!

First order of business were the Manitou Cliff Dwellings.  We walked through ancient carved cliffs learning about their customs and life style.  Basket weaving, cradle boards, hunting and gathering, and dwelling development were covered in a short tour.

From there, we journeyed up Pikes Peak.  Have you ever driven up a mountain?  I don't think I ever will again.  It was terrifying.  There you are, 10,000 feet in the air with a suggested speed of 35 mph with NO SIDE RAILS.  Just a soft, gentle drop off a CLIFF.  Did I mention it started raining?  And since the altitude climbed, guess what the temperature did....it dropped.  Guess what happens to rain when it gets cold?  IT FREEZES!  So I'm driving the 19 miles up past 14,000 feet with no side rails in freezing rain.  I don't know why they don't sell beer at the top.  I could have used one by the time we got to the summit.  

Honestly, I think the only reason I got down with less anxiety was a mild hypoxia.  But we made it!  

Garden of the Gods was only a few miles down the road, and the rain had let off, so, we hiked it!  It is truly a marvel to see, and it is very well named.  Spears of rock, ascending to the sky, with boulders precariously mounted on the spears.  Below is "Three Cathedrals".  The weather was perfect, and thankfully held back the rain the entire time we were there.

The day ended driving back into Denver where SIL and I took the kids to a horrible Mexican Restaurant, Casa Bonita.  The food sucks, but there are cliff divers.  

It was a packed day, and we slept well.  We woke up the 30th, had lunch with a friend of mine from RN school (small world), shipped some cookies home from Victory Love and Cookies, said our good byes to SIL, and headed WEST.  Next Stop....GOBLIN STATE PARK!