Anniversary trip part 2

Our next full day was driving to Estes Park. We made stops at Red Rock Amphitheater, Downtown Boulder, and El Dorado Canyon State Park.

Night view from our hotel

sunny morning

Red Rock

After a break for lunch and shopping, we went to a state park for a hike on the Rattlesnake Gulch trail. It was rated as moderate, so I figured we would be fine. I was right! We did survive. However, I should have noted the 1,300 foot elevation gain in 1.5 miles.... anyway, we lived to tell the tale, and the views were 10000% worth it.

View from hotel

Elk grazing out front

view from hotel

10 year anniversary trip

For our anniversary trip, we decided to go to the Rockies courtesy of Southwest Airlines and their cheap flights. That meant landing at midnight and leaving at 5 am, but it was so worth it! I took eleven billionty pictures, so this will take multiple posts. :)

We spent the night... or morning, near the airport. Then we hit the road for Colorado Springs. Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods were on the agenda.

Castle Rock

Going up Pike's Peak

Marmot at the top of Pike's Peak 

View from the top

View from the top

14, xxx feet up!

heading back down

Garden of the Gods

View from our room

Our Garden of the Gods visit was a little eventful. While we were driving around, we saw a family come running out of some of the formations. Apparently, the brother was throwing a rock and a sister accidentally walked into it. She was bleeding a good bit, so we drove her and her family to the visitors' center where an ambulance and a fire truck met us. They tended to her and stopped the bleeding. We drove them back to their car so they could go to urgent care, and we continued with our visit. Moral of the story: Don't throw rocks!!