A Day in Colorado Springs
One of the planned stops while on our trip to Colorado was the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Sure, we had been here a few times before, but it had been a while and it is a fun place to visit. We had been shut out by rainy weather earlier in the week, but decided to give it another try toward the end of our trip. On the drive from Denver, the weather was looking like it may get the best of us as the rain started to fall and thick cloud cover seemed to be the order of the day. Upon arriving at the visitor center for the park, the rain was holding steady and low clouds obstructed the view of the rock formations. Time for plan B...
The Olympic Training Center, also in Colorado Springs, was a place we had never visited. We thought why not give it a try since the tour would be mostly inside and would give us a chance to see something new.
The World Sculpture at the entrance to the Olympic Training Center
This is one of three Olympic Training Centers, with the other two in Lake Placid, New York and Chula Vista, California. It was an interesting place to visit and offered a lot of U.S. olympic history. The guided tour took up through some of the training facilities and provided us with stories of world-class athletes, both past a present, who have trained there.
Olympic Torches from U.S. Host Cities
The Olympic Training Center Campus
After our tour, the rain had finally stopped and it appeared that the cloud cover had thinned. So off to the Garden of the Gods for one last try. It turned out to be a great afternoon to visit. The Garden of the Gods was established in 1909 and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. The park's land was donated to the City of Colorado Springs with the provision that it would remain a free public park for all to enjoy.
The Dedication Plaque
A hike through the park takes you past a host of interesting rock formations. The rain earlier in the day seemed to really bring out the color of the red sandstone and limestone.
A Walk Through Garden of the Gods
Rock Formations in Monochrome
Garden of the Gods Panorama
You will see from the photos that there were still plenty of clouds, but the rain held off and we had a great time visiting this beautiful place once again. Our trip was drawing to an end, with only the long drive back home left. Our Colorado adventure had been another great one, and I've enjoyed sharing it here. Thanks for stopping by!