The Day I Arrived

I arrived on Saturday into Colorado Springs, CO around noon.  Some information on Colorado Springs:

Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado - about 60 miles South of the capital - Denver.  Colorado Springs is approximately 6,000 feet above sea level and is located at the base of the Rock Mountains.People in Colorado talk about "above sea level" a lot.  It also means elevation.  They explained to me that being in Colorado was like being about 1 mile higher than being in Indiana.  I tried to envision being 1 mile higher than at home, but it is hard. 

Also, being that high up can make you feel funny.  They told me I need to drink a lot more water than I do at home to avoid getting a headache or feeling light headed.  Also, whenever I walk up stairs or just around, I get out of breath a lot!  That helps put elevation into perspective for me :-)

 My journey from Tipton, Indiana to Colorado Springs, CO was a long one.  It was 1,092 miles.  Although I came via the United States Postal Service and it took me 3 days to arrive, I could have driven in a car and arrived within about 17 hours.  Either way, it is not a quick trip!

Colorado Springs is the 2nd largest city in Colorado  and the 41st largest city in the United States.  It has a population of 416,000 people.  Colorado Springs is about 83 times larger than Tipton, 9 times the size of Kokomo and 1/2 the size of Indianapolis.

Colorado Springs and the surrounding area has many tourist attractions that draws visitors from around the world.  Some of the main features include:

• Pikes Peak
• Garden of the Gods park
• Seven Falls
• Cave of the Winds
• United States Olympic Training Center
• ProRodeo Hall of Fame

On the day I arrived, we saw two of the main spots that people visit.

Garden of the Gods:

 Is a 480 acre park open free to the public that was donated by Charles Elliott Perkins (head of the Burlington Railroad) in 1907.  It is amazingly beautiful!  In the park you can hike, take photos, take tours, and climb rocks.  Here I am visiting the park:

Me by the Entrance Sign

Me in Garden of the Gods

Pikes Peak:

I learned some very cool facts about Pikes Peak such as: 

• It is the most visited mountain in North America
• It is 14,110 above sea level.  Locals would call this a 14'er (because it is above 14,000 ft).
• You can get to the top by either hiking, driving, or taking a train

In 1893 Katharine Lee Bates joined an expedition to the top of Pikes Peak via a private wagon.  Awed by the beauty she saw, she wrote a poem that later became known as "America the Beautiful".  You probably know "America the Beautiful" as a song though:    America the Beautiful Song/Video

Here I am with Pikes Peak in the background:

Cool mountain hu?