I recently wrote about a trip we took to The Royal Gorge. You can read that post by clicking here. I now want to focus on the trip we made to Pikes Peak. I remember taking a trip to Pikes Peak as a little girl and was very excited to be able to take my daughters there. One of the reasons we picked Colorado for our vacation was to see the mountains. Both my husband and I had been to Colorado before, but our daughters had never see mountains. So, going to Pikes Peak was important to us.
Originally called Pike's Peak, for the discovery led by Zebulon Pike in 1806, this mountain is now referred to as simply, Pikes Peak.
Before we left home, we had a wonderful study about Zebulon Pike.
Below you can find wonderful learning resources on Zebulon Pike
Pikes Peak Fun Fact
The most visited mountain in North America and the second most visited mountain in the world behind Japan's Mount Fuji is Pikes Peak. It forms a stunning backdrop for Colorado Springs and the Garden of the Gods. At an altitude of 14,115 feet above sea level, Pikes Peak is the 31st highest peak out of 54 Colorado peaks.
Upon entering we had to stop at the Pike National Forest sign and get a picture. It's a must in my opinion. We also stopped at the Corwe Gulch Picnic Ground for a little hiking. This picnic ground is located 3 miles up Pikes Peak Highway.
Our next stop, was at the Glen Cove Inn.
Glen Cove Inn was originally a cabin settled by Frank Tweed in 1886. He later developed the cabin into a station for travelers up the original carriage road. Though it has been completely rebuilt, the foundation of Tweed's cabin is still part of the construction.
Today, the Glen Cove Inn offers travelers a gift shop, restaurant and restrooms. In the summer months, rock climbing lessons and panning for gems is also be offered.
My daughters were excited to finally see some snow. My oldest took the opportunity to make a few snowballs. :)
On the way down the mountain, drivers are asked to stop at Glen Cove to have their brake temperature checked by Rangers. This is done to ensure your safety as you continue your descent.
One of the things we really enjoyed seeing as we neared the top of Pikes Peak was the large amount of skiers and snowboarders. I was amazed at their braveness.
As we finally started to get close to the summit house, we were stopped and told we couldn't go any further. The snow was too deep on the road. So we pulled off to the side, along with many other people. My husband and daughters decided to run up the rest of the way. The snow was a little too deep, so needless to say, they didn't quite make it.
I stayed back and took pictures of the amazing views.
After playing near the top for awhile, we eventually made our way down the many twists and turns.
We stopped at the Ute Pass to see more beautiful views.
After our long day on Pikes Peak, we were starting to get a little hungry. So we stopped at an awesome little cafe at the bottom called Mildred's Cafe. This place was awesome! The food was excellent and the homemade ice cream was delicious. We highly recommend it.
We had a wonderful trip to Pikes Peak. Are you interested in taking a trip to Pikes Peak?
Check out http://www.pikes-peak.com/ for more information.
Check out our trip to the Royal Gorge
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