the States: colorado: colorado springs

The drive from Crested Butte to Colorado Springs was just as beautiful in reverse. Maybe even more so because I didn't have to worry about rain or low clouds. It took a little longer to get to my destination in Colorado Springs because there was construction on one part of the highway, and I couldn't go around.

This next part of my travels was another reason I'd come to the States this summer: a full on Garmisch-Partenkirchen reunion with one set of friends. (Between Crested Butte and Colorado Springs I was in Colorado for about a week. I used the hashtag #garmischappreciationweek for all the photos of the week.)

A couple friends had taken it upon themselves to choose a weekend, choose a place, and choose accomodation. The rest of us simply sent in the money, and figured out how to get to Colorado Springs.

The rental house was huge, and absolutely perfect. It was on the edge of town, and had no close neighbors. I was one of the first to arrive, I got to pick my bed. Not too long after I arrived, others started showing up. Soooo many hugs and smiles and general happiness.

It's hard to describe the friendships that started in GaP. Back then we were all young and somewhat naive. We traveled together, partied together, worked and lived together. People from Garmisch are the last ones who saw me drink a beer. (I figured out near the end of my time there that I'm allergic.) Back then we all lived in the same building, so you never had to go far to find someone to hang out with. Of course, this also means everyone knew everything about everyone else, there were very few secrets.

Some of us hadn't seen each other since we lived in GaP, and yet it felt like no time had passed at all. We've all sortof grown up, and even though I hadn't seen these folks much since, I'd still trust them with everything.

The first few hours were filled with greetings as new people arrived, and general catching up. It had been 14 years since some of us saw each other, there was a lot to talk about. Lots of laughter, dancing, etc...

At some point meals were discussed, and it was decided that the professional chefs in the group (3 out of the 15 people were professional chefs, how awesome is that?) would be cooking dinner that night, and everyone would chip in for the food.

Since I love grocery shopping, I went with two of them. I don't know if you've ever shopped with people who know food, it's fun. They had all kinds of ideas, and were ready to buy out the entire store, hee hee. For each item we had to remember that there would be 15 people, so we needed more than it seemed. One carton of cream cheese wasn't going to be enough, nor was one bag of chips. Megan was almost exactly right about the total cost at checkout, even though she hadn't been writing prices down as we went along. Eric and I were totally impressed.

Since this was a reunion of people who can drink, we also had to go to the liquor store. Colorado has strange laws about alcohol; you can't buy it at a grocery store, you have to go to a liquor store. That part of the trip didn't take nearly as long as the food part.

The rest of the afternoon and evening continued with hanging out, catching up, making new memories, etc... Groups of people talking changed around, everyone moved around from time to time, life was good. At some point all three cooks started preparing dinner.

Since this was a real house, and there was a real dining table, it was set properly. It was neat to sit down to a family dinner all at once. The food was set up family style in the kitchen, we all served ourselves. Again, the conversation never stopped, with lots of laughter throughout the evening.

I suppose it sounds like nothing much happened that day, but it was amazing to see all those people after so long.

There was soooo much catching up to do, with all of them. I think I finally went to bed around midnight, but I don't really know.

The next morning some people were up earlier than others. Courtney actually went to work out! She was the only one of us that motivated, the rest of us felt pretty good about getting up before noon. Even though we were all awake early enough, it took a while for everyone to get showered and dressed and ready to go.

Just as everyone was ready to go somewhere, we looked at the clock and realized it was lunch. We had lunch food in the house, and that seemed like a much better idea (since it had already been paid for) than going out to a restaurant.

Two cars worth of people finally got out the door after noon sometime.

The destination for the day was the chapel on the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy. (USAFA.) I'd seen it before, but it is really eye catching, and we all needed to get out of the house for a bit. The drive to the academy was easy, and the two cars were let in after quick checks of our drivers licenses.

We parked and walked through a platz like area (which I'm sure serves some purpose but I have no idea what it is) to get to the chapel. On the platz there are a couple memorials as well as some model airplanes.

I'm not terribly good at describing how things look, I'm hoping my photos will do the talking for me. The shape of the chapel is basically a giant triangle. It is divided into two levels; the top level has the Protestant Chapel, while the lower level has areas for Catholics, Buddhists, and Jews.

 The Protestant part of things is what usually gets all the attention, for several reasons. One, because it is the biggest, and the most cadets attending services here. Two, the interior is quite unique, it isn't like your average Protestant church. The stained glass lets in light and colour, and the whole thing is really geometric.

The bottom level is also beautiful but doesn't get as much attention. The Catholic chapel has walls of stained glass as well, I loved the colour and warmth. The Jewish and Buddhist areas are smaller, but still very nice. As far as I could tell, they didn't want visitors tromping through the Jewish and Buddhist areas, though the Protestant and Catholic areas are open.

After checking out the chapels we looked at the surrounding areas. I pointed out the dorms in which the cadets live, each of them for four years. We could see cadets rushing around with big trunks, maybe they were moving in before the start of the new year? We probably should've visited the visitors center and asked someone.

We could see dark storm clouds rolling in pretty fast, so we decided it was time to go. No one wanted to go back to the house just yet, so someone looked up a microbrewery close by, and that was our next stop. I went with raspberry lemonade, the rest of them went with something alcoholic. From the moment we'd all laid eyes on each other the day before, conversation had yet to stop.

After that we drove back to the house. It was early evening, so the cooks came together and figured out a plan for dinner that night.

The original plan had been to go out to a restaurant, but everyone had really enjoyed the family meal the night before and preferred to stay in. Plus, we had plenty of food left, no one wanted to waste it.

For the next few hours people hung out again, some in the hot tub, some in the living room, etc... At some point the cooks did their thing again, and put together another amazing meal. Eating as a group again was just as awesome.

Not long after dinner we gathered outside around the natural gas fire. Layna had prepared about 100 trivia questions about our time in Garmisch.

Some of the questions were about specific things that had happened, others were about the town itself, and still others asked for stories about our experiences.

We played in teams, which made it all really entertaining. Funny to find out who remembered what, and who had forgotten what. Heaps of laughter, and we all learned a bit as well.

In addition to the trivia questions Layna had put together a slide show of old photos. Watching all of those was hysterical. We were all really glad again that social media didn't exist when we lived in GaP. Or maybe we would've left our phones at home, who knows.

I don't know what the people who live there now do when they go out.

I finally went to bed around 0100, I think I was one of the earliest. How do people stay up so late?

The next morning we all got moving a bit faster than the day before, but not by much. We didn't have to officially check out until 1600, but everyone was ready to go long before that.

To get our deposit back we had to clean up of course, strip the beds, wash the dishes, that sort of thing. Since nearly all of us had spent at least a few minutes in housekeeping or waitstaff while in GaP this was easy enough to do.

Around 1215 everyone gathered out front for one last group photo. I love having a tripod.

Most of us went from there to brunch at a restaurant where Erik knows the owner, though some split off and drove back to Denver. Basically it was another hour and some for us to hang out with each other.

After that, it really was over. I'm soooo glad this weekend was planned, and happened. Hopefully we don't have to wait another 14 years to get together again!

colorado springs: i'm not in europe anymore

a friend from my years in germany now lives in colorado springs, colorado...which is a long name to write out when addressing postcards...her street address is also ridicilously long to write out...clearly the people who are on the naming committee don't think about the length of names when they make them up...j.p. rarely has room to put in her entire address when she orders something online...
when i originally booked the tickets to colorado springs, everything seemed great...just a few days later a massive wildfire was burning up waldo canyon, and parts of colorado springs were evacuated...i had serious concerns as to whether this visit would even happen, especially after seeing photos online of huge flames and smoke coming over the front range...fortunately the weather cooperated after a few days, and firefighters did a great job of containment...

anywho, the cheapest way of getting to colorado springs from toronto involved flying to houston from toronto, then connecting to a flight to colorado springs...yes, i know that's really roundabout...my flight left toronto at 0600, which meant that i needed to be there by 0400, and since buses and such don't run round the clock, i got there around 2300 the night before...it was surprisingly easy for me to stay up the entire night, i didn't get really really really sleepy until just before we boarded the plane...the really really really frustrating part is that planes aren't cleared to depart from toronto until 0630...so why does united airlines schedule a flight at 0600, when that clearly isn't possible?

i was hugely worried that i wouldn't make the connection in houston, but i did...even after i got on the plane in houston, i was worried that my pack wouldn't make the connection...but it did...after arriving in colorado springs i was able to check email and found that united airlines had sent me an email advising that due to the delay in leaving toronto i might not make the connection in houston...even if i'd had a smart phone, when was i supposed to get that email? even if i'd received it in a more timely manner, what good would it have done? at least the airline tried to communicate...that's only one of the problems many people have with airlines these days...another BIG problem is fees, but that's another story...

j.p. picked me up at the airport, and i got my first glimpse of the city...colorado springs doesn't have much height in the buildings...it's a big city, (pop 416,000+ according to the US census bureau in jul 2010) but veeeeeeeeeeery spread out...lots of developed areas with homes...lots of shopping centers...j.p. lives in an area known as old colorado city, which seems very much like a small town...the main street of old colorado city is a touristy little place to walk around...shops with knick knacks and souvenirs, (i know someone out there has always wanted a purse encrusted with rhinestones in the shape of two pistols!!) and chocolate shops and restaurants...
walking along this main street was our first activity...i didn't feel so hot after the flights so walking around was a very good thing to do...j.p. told me colorado springs is located above 6000ft, which means some people don't feel very good when they first get here...(by contrast my hometown is located at 760ft, and i'd just come from toronto, which is at 347ft)...i was hoping my headache and slight nausea were more from traveling in general and being dehydrated...i ended up buying cupcakes and chocolate truffles during this walk...visiting friends is not good for my waistline!! aaaaaagh...

after picking up a couple videos from a local public library (the whole thing was entirely self serve, from reserving the videos, to picking them up, to checking them out: j.p. didn't interact with anyone at the library) we went back to her flat and relaxed a bit...i love relaxing...i don't need to be busy all the time, whether i'm traveling in a foreign country, or visiting friends around the states...
then we went to a yoga class...since moving here, j.p. has become certified as a yoga instructor, which i think is awesome...j.p. also teaches zumba...i got to take part in this yoga class...the studio calls it hot power fusion...it's hot yoga, but not the traditional bikram you might be thinking about...they use some of the poses from bikram, but not all, and do them in more of a vinyasa flow style...it was only my second yoga class ever (the first was in pokhara, nepal, with layna, during the epic asia trip) so i was a bit nervous, especially because it was going to be in a hot room...as we drove to the studio, i still didn't feel very good...

i'm pretty sure that cars with good shock systems and good roads make me far more motion sick than old cars and pot holey roads...a smooth ride almost always makes me feel terrible...ugh
i did a lot better than i expected with the yoga class...prior to the class i really was expecting to have to run out in mid class, feeling faint...but that didn't happen at all...i never even got to the point of feeling really hot...at the hottest time, it was 41C (106F)...it feels the same as a day in vegas currently, or the heat index in chicago and toronto! (that being said, i don't see myself doing yoga outside in either of those cities with that heat)...during the class it was reinforced that i have zero balance on land, i'm not fit, and i'm not nearly as strong as i should be...i walked out of the class feeling a LOT better than when i walked in...maybe the sweat just helped get the bad stuff (whateva that may be) out of my system...
after dinner i managed to stay awake all the way until 2200...(which is midnight where i'd just come from)...then i crashed...hard...some people might have seen me when i get to this point in tiredness...i can barely walk straight, and i can't think at all...it was a good night of sleep...

after a lazy wakeup and breakfast the next morning, we drove to a place called garden of the gods...it's a national natural landmark...it's free!!! in the basic history of the place, a man named charles elliot perkins bought the land now known as the garden of the gods in 1879...approximately 280 acres...over the years he purchased additional acreage...he built just one house on the land, and opened the area to the public...i don't know of many people who would have anything worth seeing on their personal property, but the garden of the gods is special...
it's an area of natural sandstone formations...it's beautiful...red sandstone coming out of the ground...oen of the rocks is white sandstone, which really sticks out in contrast to the red...there are a number of walking trails through the area, small carparks in various spots, and amazing sandstone formations everywhere...it would be amazing for early morning and late evening walks, the area is just gorgeous...

when perkins died, the property went to his kids, and they knew what his dreams were, so they gifted the property to the city, with a few conditions...no alcohol is to be served on the area, and it should always have free admission...a foundation takes care of it all...there is a visitors center, which is where j.p. and i started our visit, by picking up a map...you can buy knickknacks here too, as well as at the trading post...(i bought my postcards at the trading post, as we left)...
after the garden of the gods and getting petrol (the car had started beeping at us) we had lunch at a brewery...colorado is well known for its microbrewery culture...i wish i could partake!
from lunch we drove to the academy...the air force academy, which is located just north of city limits...one of several military academies in the country, it opened to new cadets in 1954...(way after the other two majour military academies in the country)...the academy is a tourist destination, the most popular man made place in colorado...(how many people come to colorado for man made places?)

we started by parking at the visitors center, and walking around reading the different placards with information about the academy...it's history, famous graduates, requirements for entry, (it's not easy to be offered admission, and your four years as a cadet will be challenging) cadet life, and more...the gift shop is the same as any other college gift shop...heaps of hoodies, sweatshirts, socks, t-shirts, etc...keychains, postcards, pencils, water bottles, etc...all with USAFA written on them...it doesn't take a genius to figure out what i bought...
from the visitors center we walked along a short path to the chapel...

in terms of tourism, this chapel is why people come to the academy...it's unique, and from the outside, if you don't know it's a chapel, you'd never figure it out...it's also unique in that it's the only religious structure with places for four different faiths under one roof...protestants, buddhists, catholics, and jews, all have separate rooms in which to worship...it's hard to describe the chapel, my photo will have to be enough...notice that there are 17 spires...the original plan was for 21, though money ran out before that was possible...i've forgotten what the 21 would stand for, though j.p. did tell me...with 17 spires, the joke is that they stand for the 12 disciples and the 5 members of the joint chiefs of staff...

the first area most people enter is the protestant area...it's the largest area...it's beautiful inside...you wouldn't know it from the outside, but there is a lot of stained glass, therefore a lot of colour on the inside...it feels warm, and comfortable...if you pay attention, the air force theme is prevalent everywhere...the podium where the chaplain stands is even called the rocket ship...when you see it, this makes total sense...from the protestant chapel, we also looked in the catholic chapel, and the rooms for buddhists, and jews...the jewish area currently has a display of a torah that survived the holocaust...amazing...
the chapel is on an area elevated above other parts of the academy...we were able to look down on the terraza (terrazo?) and watch some of the activities going on...for most college students, this is summer break...but if you're a cadet at the air force academy, you're already back in school...freshman (1st year) or doolies (sp?) as they're called at the academy report at the beginning of july-ish) for 6 weeks of basic training...

they're split into 40 squadrons, they spend all four years with the same squadron...when they report for basic training, the only older folks they know are some of the leaders in their squadron...after basic training, when the regular school year is about to start, they meet everyone else in their squadron...everything is done with your squadron...intramural sports, living in the same area of the dorms, etc...while watching the terrazo we could see cadets singing/shouting/saying cadence while marching...we could see another group doing pushups...
j.p. also told me which buildings were the dorms, which is the academic building, and the uses of everything else i could see...the school has over 4000 cadets, and the majority of their college life takes place in a relatively small area...that being said, cadets at the air force academy have a very unique college experience...a combination of leadership training, classroom work, military training, etc...on the way out i did my best to take a photo of a large section of the academy...

from the academy we drove to manitou...a small (population 5000ish) town close to colorado city...it was established as a tourist town, and still is a tourist town...when it was first established as a town, visitors came to partake of the natural springs in the area...there are still 7 springs in the town, the water is very drinkable...it's supposed to be good for you...now the town is simply a cute place for people to visit for a few hours...cute shoppes, restaurants, etc...
j.p. had found a town tour we could take, so we showed up at the historic centre at 1730...we turned out to be the only people on the tour, yippee!! our guide showed us old buildings in the city, and told us their history...she took us to each of the springs, we got to taste them all...(there was only one i didn't particularly like, though i'm not sure i could say exactly why)...

she told us about the people who had founded the city, and why...most original residents were tuberculosis sufferers who had been advised by their doctors to come here for the clean, dry air...they stayed after they got well)...she told us about some of the geology of the area, and how it has affected the history of the town...i never knew there were so many types of limestone!
after the tour, we had dinner, and drove home...i crashed again...
the next morning we got up a bit earlier, though it was still a nice lazy wakeup...(i woke up early, as i always seem to do, but it's sooooo nice when you don't have to get out of bed)...

this time we got out the door a good two hours earlier than the day before...
our first destination of the day: pike's peak...to get there we needed to take the cog wheel train from manitou springs...depending on the time of year, there are several departure times for this train...each departure time has a corresponding time of arrival back in manitou, you don't get to spend much time at the peak...while i don't know the official reasons for this, i'm assuming two reasons: one, it isn't warm up there...while it was
approximately 85F in colorado springs, it was 43F at the top of pike's peak...and two, there is a large elevation gain (over 7000ft) during the train ride...most people wouldn't do well if they stayed at the higher altitude for very long...altitude sickness can be ugly, but if you don't stay at the altitude for long, you aren't as likely to feel any of it's effects...

our desired train left at 0920...the train is old, or at least the system is old...120 years i think? there has never been a majour accident in those years, which is pretty impressive...the train was originally built/designed because getting to the top of pike's peak and back down was a 3 day trip on muleback...the terrain is steep, therefore highly uncomfortable...the steepest grade of the rails is 25%, which is crazy...when the train is at that grade, our conductor said that the first train car was 3 floors higher than the last car in the train...whoa...as the train ascended, the conductor told us various tidbits about the history of the area, as well as the geology of what we could see...interesting...
we got to the top and enjoyed clear weather...i think that means we could see 5 states...since i have very little sense of direction, i don't know which direction i should've been looking for each of those states...i climbed around on the rocks a bit, having fun with the camera...at one point i was quite out of breath, the air really is thinner up there!! fun fact: the song "america the beautiful" was written after the author had been inspired at the top of pike's peak...on the ride back down, i dozed for a while, waking up when we were close to the bottom...i really felt the difference in temperatures...

lunch in manitou, then over to a canyon/sight called seven falls...it's a waterfall at the end of a canyon, the waterfall has seven layers...each layer is a different type of waterfall, i had no idea there were different types until i read the signs...very pretty...there are two ways to see the scenery...one, take an in-mountain elevator up to what they call the eagle's nest for a view of the waterfall as a whole...(or you can walk up the stairs to this viewpoint)...just a little bit down the canyon you get to climb 200+ stairs to the top of the waterfall...when you get to the top of that you're at a trailhead, which takes you to a couple scenic lookouts...seven falls is privately owned, with the original owner having been a homesteader...the current owner is the person who built the ladders and trails that allow people to explore...

one of the lookout points is called inspriation point...up there you can see a memorial to helen hunt (a writer who later became an activist for the rights of native americans who hadn't been treated well by the government)...the lookout didn't really inspire me, but it was lovely...
after seven falls we went back to j.p.'s flat, showered and changed into dresses for our evening event...a rodeo!!! i'd never before been to a rodeo...a quintessential american activity...i think most of the events came about from the days of 'cowboys of the west'...going to a rodeo means country music, boots, cowboy hats, and large belt buckles...rodeos and the people who participate/attend regularly are a culture all their own...we saw horse riding, steer roping, barrel racing, bronc busting, etc...it was definitely a moment of: "i'm not in europe anymore!!!"...colorado springs is home to several military bases, so soldiers and airmen were honoured at various points during the event...i don't know how i feel about the treatment of animals in a rodeo, so i'm not sure i'll go again, but i am glad i saw it once...
the next morning j.p. drove me to the airport at the ridiculously early hour of 0345...the airport has free wifi:)...i wish all airports worked that way...check in was easy and quick, the security people professional...