You don't see this everyday!

Part of the fun of traveling is seeing things you don't generally see at home. There were a lot of things I saw in Colorado that you don't generally see in Indiana. Here are a few more pictures I hope you will enjoy. The first is a poster that was nailed to a telephone pole, much as someone would post a lost dog poster. But beware! This is no lost dog the reader is being asked to be on the lookout for. Even so, some local resident found a way to inject some humor into the situation by adding a personal note to the poster. If you can't read the note, click on the picture to enlarge it.

Another thing you don't typically see in Indiana is a spectacular view from a shopping center parking lot, such as this view that was found in the shopping center across the street from my Colorado Springs hotel. The view from most shopping centers in Indiana usually involves asphalt. I like how the developer left this scenic area open for all to enjoy rather than extending the shops to this corner. Do you see the snow on top of Pikes Peak to the left? I'm happy to say we don't usually see snow in October in my hometown!

This was also the first time I saw someone rock climbing in person. This was at Garden of the Gods. To me, it just didn't seem possible that someone could actually make it to the top. Then again, I didn't stick around long enough to see if he actually made it, but I hope for his sake this climber was successful. I am also posting a picture of a balancing rock at Garden of the Gods. This park is simply a must-see for anyone visiting the Colorado Springs area. Unless you live in Colorado Springs, you just don't see stuff like this every day!

Home from Colorado

Like most things you spend a lot of time looking forward to, my trip to Colorado Springs was here and gone before I knew it. It was a great trip. It was a lot of fun to visit with my friend Robin, go sightseeing, and to do a fair amount of shopping. My favorite stop was probably Manitou Springs, shown in the photo below. Manitou Springs is a quaint little town known for its historic mineral springs and funky shops at the base of Pike's Peak. Just walking along the sidewalk was a treat, as well as taking in the vistas and sampling some of the famous waters (which I did not think tasted very good). We also visited a Victorian home and museum that was built between 1895 and 1897, Miramont Castle. Miramont means "look at the mountain" and the home was aptly named as it faces Red Mountain. The home has seen better days and is in need of further restoration, but is nonetheless a treasure that was saved from demolition in the 1970s by the people of the area who knew it was a treasure worth preserving.

It is always good to get away and do something different, and of course it is always even better to get back home again. It was chilly while I was in Colorado and I'm glad Robin told me to bring my winter coat. I certainly needed it! Meanwhile, back home in Indiana, it was sunny and a pleasant 80 degrees. It seems I brought the Colorado weather back with me because since I've been home it has been cooler, and this evening it is raining.

Here are a few more pictures from my trip. The first two are from Garden of the Gods, a beautiful and fascinating place. The third photo is from the Cave of the Winds park. I wish there was a way to also capture the wonderful evergreen aroma that permeated the cool, crisp air that day. The last photo is not very clear, but is the view from my hotel window one evening as the fog dramatically rolled in and hovered about the mountains. With nearly every picture I took I would remark that I knew the photos would not do the view justice, but I had to take it anyway. I spent a lot of time just trying to soak up the view and memorize the grandeur of the mountains. The photographs help you to remember what you saw, but cannot begin to capture the actual sights. The Colorado Springs area is very beautiful, and I am so happy I got to spend a few days there.