The last stop for us was in Colorado Springs and it was a very busy time. There were two bus tours, a cog railway trip to Pike's peak, our farewell dinner and an added event, the Iron Springs Chateau Dinner Theater.
Our first bus trip took us through the town of Manitou Springs which was founded in the late 1800's as a resort town focused around the many springs in the area. The springs had different mineral contents and drinking their water was prescribed by physicians. We also had a tour and lunch visit in Old Colorado City - the "rowdy" neighbor to the much quieter towns of Manitou and Colorado Springs. We then visited Patsy's Candy Factory which has been making delicious chocolate and candies since 1905 and went to the two museums featured in pictures below.
The second bus day took us through the Garden of the Gods (an area of beautiful red rock formations), the U.S. Olympic Training Center for gymnastics - primarily men's -, shooting, wrestling and swimming, but not diving. Interestingly, diving is not practiced there because the high altitude of 6,000 + feet affects performance. We finished the day by visiting the Air Force Academy and chapel. The chapel at the academy has 4 separate chapels for protestants, Catholics, Jews and Buddhists. It is the most visited man made site in Colorado.
Our cog railway trip to Pike's Peak took us to about 13,000' but the snow did not allow us to get to the 14,115' peak.
the trip ended with a great Farewell dinner at the Stagecoach Inn in Manitou Springs, a fun evening at a local dinner theater and a final continental breakfast on Saturday morning where we sadly bid our farewells.
We will end with our usual parting words "We'll see you down the road" as we head east towards home. Stay tuned for our next chapter which, God willing, will be Mardi Gras in February, 2015.
OLD COLORADO CITY
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PROSPECTOR WHO DISCOVERED GOLD AND
DEVELOPED RICHEST GOLD MINE IN
CRIPPLE CREEK, AND BECAME BUSINESSMAN WHO
HELP DEVELOP THE COLORADO SPRINGS AREA
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| ONE OF THE ORIGINAL COG RAILWAY ENGINES |
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| PIKES PEAK BEFORE SNOW |
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| GARDEN OF THE GODS |
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| GAZEBO AND SPRING IN MANITOU SPRINGS |
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| JOAN, OUR CRAZY CANADIAN |
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| INDIAN POTTERY |
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| WE ARE READY TO MAKE THE CANDY |
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| TOFFEE |
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| SUE, PAT AND ED EXAMINING THE CHOCOLATE MACHINE |
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| A CHILD'S BUGGY |
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| THE DRIVER AND NAVIGATOR WALKED AWAY |
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| WE ALMOST MADE IT TO THE TOP |
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ONE OF THREE OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTERS
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OLYMPIC STRENGTH
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| WALLY SAYS LETS GO GUYS |
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| TARGET TRAINING STADIUM |
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| WRESTLING |
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| GYMNASTICS FACILITY |
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| SPONSOR WALL |
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| GARDEN OF THE GODS |
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| U.S.A.F. ACADEMY CHAPEL |
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| PROTESTANT CHAPEL ALTER |
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| ORGAN IN THE PROTESTANT CHAPEL |
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| CATHOLIC CHAPEL |
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| THE JEWISH CHAPEL |
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| BUDDHIST CHAPEL |
IRON SPRING CHATEAU DINNER THEATER
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| POOR POOR IRA |
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WALLY AND TIM WITH THE CAST MEMBERS
WATCH THOSE EYES WALLY |
FAREWELL DINNER
THE WHOLE GROUP
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SORRY GUYS I HAD TO SUBSTITUTE THIS PIC AS I MUST HAVE MISSED
YOU AT THE FAREWELL DINNER |
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| MO SAYS GOODBY EVERYONE! I LOVE YOU ALL |
