Day 13, August 28 Golden, Colorado

This morning we set out on a drive to Lookout Mountain where William F. Cody - "Buffalo Bill" - is buried. Unfortunately for us, the inaugural Quiznos Pro Challenge professional bike race was passing through today. The result - roads were closed! We did get stuck partway up on the mountain, so did get to see the cyclists passing by. It was quite interesting, as there were thousands of people lining the route to cheer on the cyclists. This race was the brainchild of Lance Armstrong, who resides in Aspen. It is a seven stage race, starting in Colorado Springs (when we were there!). http://procyclinggolden.com/ 

Just heard that yet another record was set for high temperature - 96F.

Tomorrow we are taking a bus tour of Denver then will be staying at WalMart for the night (no WiFi)

Day 12, August 27

After a long, arduous drive (about 1 1/2 hours) NOT! we arrived in Golden, Colorado (just outside Denver). For the first time in a week, there have been winds!Wonderful sights of the foothills and some mountains beyond. Staying at a lovely campground here with WIFI! Free day tomorrow, then Denver City tour Monday.

Day 11, Colorado Springs

Lynda & I went to Manitou Springs, to browse the shops - left the boys at the campground to go to Campers World. Little did we know that they discovered where the airbag was leaking and decided to fix it thenselves! While we were touring the various natural soda springs, they had the truck jacked up & were getting greasy.

All in all, the repair was sucessful (for now, anyway).

Day 10, August 25

This was a "do your own thing "day. Ken & Lynda visited the U.S. Air Force Academy - report to follow - while Marcel & I went in search of an RV dealer for help with a leaking airbag on the truck.

From K & L: Went to the U.S. Air force Academy this morning. What I didn't realize is that this is the only one in the country. You only get to visit a few places of course, one being the Visitoe Centre and the other, the Chapel. The Chapel is absolutely beautiful - shaped like 17 airplanes taking off vertically. It takes in all faiths.

Visiting the U.S. Olympic Complex  took up the afternoon. Nearly 130 athletes representing 9 sports live & train here full time. Thousands train here part-time. It is also the headquarters for the U.S. Olympic Committee. Our tour guide was a young man who will be competing in the London 2012 Para-Olympics in swimming. By the way, the Olympic-sized pool is much bigger than you would imagine!

Day 9, Colorado Springs

Another hot, sunny day! We went to tour the Garden of the Gods park  http://www.gardenofgods.com/ which is a 1319 acre city park known for its towering red sandstone formations. There are miles of trails & paved paths to explore. We spent over 4 hours there, which included a guided tour. Incredible scenery - as I am taking pictures, I keep telling myself that photograpy does not do it justice! Below is the famous 'balanced rock'.

In the evening, we went to the Flying W Ranch  http://www.flyingw.com/ for an "authentic" chuckwagon supper & Original Western Music Show. Before dinner, we toured the old western town. Dinner consisted of BBQ chicken or beef, baked potato, baked beans, chunky applesauce, dutch-oven biscuit & spice cake served on a tin plate. We were there on a slow day - only 400 - 500 diners! The music show after dinner was a blast! The best part was that it only cost $20.00 per person.

Day 8, Manitou Springs, Colorado

Today we were off to the Pikes Peak Cog Railway for the 10:40 departure. http://www.cograilway.com/  We climb to 14,115 feet above sea level, sometimes at a 25% grade. Excellent views from the summit after a 1 1/2 hour 8.9 mile trip.
Next stop was the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, which recreate the fascinating architecture of the ancient Anasazi Indians who roamed the area from 1200BC to A.D. 1300.

Day 7, August 22, Canon City, Colorado

After doing laundry, we departed for Canon City where the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park is located. What an awesome place! The suspension bridge is 956 feet above the Arkansas River, is 1270 feet long,18 feet wide and sits at 1900ft elevation. http://www.royalgorgebridge.com/
We rode the 4 minute aerial tram across the gorge, then took the 5-1/2 minute, 1550 foot descent down the incline railway. It is built on a 45 degree angle, which is pretty steep!

The weather was gorgeous, but it clouded over as we were leaving, along with some thunder and lightening.

Day 6, Colorado Springs, Colorado

After 6 days on the road, one night at Fitzsimmons in Caledon East, 3 nights at Wal-Marts and one at a campground, we arrived in Colorado Springs.
We have settled in to Goldfield Campground for a few days.
This post is short as I am still practicing about blogging. Have to learn hoe to add pics!

We are planning on touring the U.S. and Canada and hopefully will share our adventures with you. Enjoy!