Olympic Ceremonies - Colorado Springs

Drove to Royal Gorge - but WOW! YIKES!  Too tight to pay $26.00 each to see the gorge - so took a picture instead!

Garden of the Gods - colorful - unusual



Ancient rocks - tilted on end

The Olympic Training Center

Katherine Bates - wrote "American the Beautiful" after traveling up Pikes Peak

Air Force Academy Chapel

Mollie Kathleen Mine Tour

Morning view of Pike's Peak

Top of Pike's Peak

View from the top

Drew, Sean, Kim

Colorado Springs has a grand variety of sights to see and things to do.  Enjoyed sharing time with Sean, Kim, Drew and Justin too!

Going to Aspen Ridge

Mt Princeton view from Campground

Easy scenic views

Rolling hills going to Aspen Ridge

Always mtn peaks in view

Beautiful Aspens along the way!

Aspen Ridge was a scenic drive with some afternoon rain - hail - and then clearing skies.

Bonanza Mine

Morning Mtn Views - clear skies

Clouds gathering on the way to Bonanza

Shelf Road - once a Toll Road

View from the Bonanza Mine

Beautiful sky, Beautiful mountains

Back down we go!

A sunny beautiful mountain day.  Today's drive to the old Bonanza Mine.  Up ~11,000'

Near Monarch Pass

A wide shelf road

Enjoying the views

Great views

Wild Flowers

An 'easy' scenic travel day -

Near Leadville, CO

Mining area above Leadville

An unexpected surprise - crossing the stream

Mining areas and mtn views

Doesn't Look Nearly as Bumpy as it really was!

Up about 11,500' for neat valley views

Destination arrived for a picnic lunch.  What a view!

A drive thru the Aspens

Mountain Views always delightful

Sunny Buena Vista, CO.  Today's jeep adventures took us to see some of the old mine sites near Leadville, CO (10,200').  This was a '#2' run - easy!  Well not so easy, but fun. 

Colorado

Yesterday was a travel day.......... Friday the 13th...... that should tell the tale of the day.  This week the side awning spring broke - do Denny bungeed it up.  Leaving Moab before 9am and it is already 85 - the dash air conditioning decided not to work, so ran the generator for the whole RV air conditioning.  And our step decided it didn't want to work - so traveled with it out.
The trip to Buena Vista was to be about 350 miles...... we were sure we could find an easy place to park along the way.  That didn't happen so we just kept on driving.  I-70 is a very scenic drive - curing between the mountains, valleys, the Colorado River.  #24 was closed with a road cave in, so we went over Vail Pass (10,666'), then Freemont Pass (11,500+') south to Buena Vista....... a beautiful valley surrounded by many fourteeners (that is mtn peaks over 14,000').   We've gone from 100+ to cool 60's with rain.
Today we went to the Leadville Fish Hatchery to see some friends from North Ranch that are volunteering for the summer.  Enjoyed the tour and learning more about trout.

Scenic - incredible I-70

Interesting Tunnels I-70

Leadville, CO Fish Hatchery - Mt Elbert

Lake w/Mt Massive

We're gathering with some friends for some mtn 4 wheeling adventures.  Should be a fun week.

Buena Vista, CO

Rocky Trail Going to Hancock Pass

Mountain Top Views

Down and Around

Ledge Roads

Yep, we were just there!

And a narrow spot to pass!

Enjoyable scenery along the way!

Ending the day with rain showers!

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Buena Vista is a beautiful area high in the mountains of Colorado.  Monday was a 2.5 rated 4 wheel drive to the Alpine Tunnel.  Up we went, enjoying the views.  The route included lots of rocks - scenic climbs and an amazing amount of traffic!  Yes we passed many jeeps, but also many more ATVs.  Sunny skies in the morning with gathering afternoon clouds with some rain and even a bit of hail.  Decided to take an easier road back.  A long, but enjoyable day!

Moab Drives

Slick Rock Trail



Hill & Dudley maneuvering down and around

End of the Road - Hidden Canyon Overlook

Kane Creek Road - scenic - smooth



And then the dessent in the canyon

And the challenge begins

And we made it - last 1.5 miles challenging

North View - the Potash Ponds we saw from N side of CO river

Sure like that air conditioning - temp 103 today!

We came up the road along Kane Creek

Time to return - down hill

A challenge around each corner

And return to easy road!

Today we  (Steve & Lila Dudley, Dennis & Carol Hill, Ed & Sandy Kruty) went north of Moab for the Hidden Canyon Overlook Drive.  A moonscape of slick rock -- which is more up/down/bumpity/bump. 

Then the afternoon trip to Hurrah Pass --- a scenic easy route, except the last 1.5 miles..... what a ride.  What a view!