Our Trip To Pikes Peak

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

 http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/p/pike.shtml

http://zebulonpike.org/

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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Our trip to the Royal Gorge Bridge & FREE coloring & Activity Pack

One of the things I truly enjoy about homeschooling is the opportunity to take off and explore. Recently, we did just that. Our family took an amazing trip to Colorado. Eventually I will blog about all the different places we went and loved, but today I want to focus on the Royal Gorge. It was truly amazing and beautiful. We had all learned and read about the beauty of the Royal Gorge, but seeing it in person was way different.

As you probably already know, a June 2013 wildfire destroyed 48 of the 52 buildings and structures of the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park and 90 percent of the park on both sides of the gorge. The Royal Gorge Bridge was spared minus some boards that had to be replaced. They have since rebuilt – please visit their website for the newest updates. 

Upon arriving, our family walked into the new visitors center and immediately paid the admission, eager to see what laid upon the other side. We walked out the doors and made our way to a fence and peered over the edge. It was breathtaking in a literal since. It was kinda funny, because before we arrived one of my daughters and husband had talked about zip-lining across it. When we paid the admission a very nice lady working had let my daughter know that you had to be at least ten years old and weigh one hundred pounds or more to do it. Check and Check. She was a happy camper. 

Everything changed with that first peek. Neither one of them had an interest anymore.  I'm quite sure they were thinking that their very first zip-lining experience should probably be a much smaller adventure than the Royal Gorge. 

After taking a few pictures, we made our way to the new aerial gondolas. The gondolas glide 2,200 feet across the Royal Gorge and over 1,200 feet above the Arkansas River. Each car will hold up to 8 guests and they have a total of 6 cars traversing the gorge at one time. We were very happy to learn that the Gondola ride is included in the general admission price and you can ride it as many times as you please. 

I'm not going to lie. The Gondola ride was absolutely amazing, but also a bit terrifying as well. My oldest didn't quite enjoy it and was very eager to remove herself when we stopped. I was pretty nervous but managed to convince myself that there was no way it was going to break. It swayed a little with any movement from us, so we all tried to stay as still as possible all while trying to take in the marvelous views. 

At the other side, we opted to not take the Gondola back across, but instead to walk around and explore the park and then walk back across the bridge.  While walking around we discovered an observation area. It took a little hike to get there, but it was definitely worth it. The views from this area were wonderful. 

We eventually made our way down a little path and arrived at the Plaza Theater. Colorado history comes alive with original artifacts and photos in their historical displays. 

We were also able to buy some yummy slushies and settle in to watch a short film all about the Royal Gorge. It was a wonderful presentation. Below you can see the same film that is played. It is filled with history, fun facts, drama, and awesome scenery surrounding the park.

After watching the film, it was time to make our way across the bridge. I didn't know if I was quite ready for it. I secretly wished that I could just teleport to the other side. I'm not really a fan of heights and having to cross that bridge on foot, no matter how beautiful it was, seemed like a huge feat. I managed it though. I must say, I actually loved it. I did try to stay away from the edge though. 

The Bridge was built in 1929 and nicknamed "America's Bridge." It is still the highest suspension bridge in America. It hangs 956 feet above the Arkansas River and is 1,270 feet long and 18 feet wide. 

Since we are from Oklahoma, a couple of my daughters and husband wanted to take a picture next to the Oklahoma sign. They are much braver than I am. 

It was interesting to see the gaps in between the wooded boards on the bridge as we walked across. It was so far down and if you looked down while you were walking, you could see the bottom with every step that you took. 

We when arrived at the other side, we spent a little more time looking around and taking pictures. We then made our way back to the visitors center shop to buy souvenirs.

As you can probably already tell, we loved our trip to the Royal Gorge. It was a wonderful family experience and I'm so thankful we had the opportunity to bring our daughters. I hope that this is a trip they will remember forever. 

Check back soon for more stories and pictures from our Colorado vacation. 

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I have searched for coloring pages and activity worksheets for the Royal Gorge and haven't found many, so I decided to create my own. 

Click here to download and Print Our 

FREE Royal Gorge Coloring & Activity Pack 

Have you been to the Royal Gorge or are you planning a trip? 

We would love to hear your stories. 

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