Colorado Springs and Pike’s Peak
September 23 – 26, 2016
We left Weatherford on Friday. We decided to go to Colorado Springs by way of Dodge City, Kansas. I had never been there, and it wasn't particularly out of the way. I did see an old train and where Boot Hill had been. We didn't take time to tour the museum.
We had supper, and I saw a car in the parking lot decorated not as I would have expected to see in Kansas. Maybe somebody lost a bet.
We settled into our room at Colorado Springs on Friday night. We had already purchased tickets for Saturday morning to ride the cog railway up Pike's Peak. I began to feel the effects of altitude even before boarding the train. The ticket office was about the same elevation as the top of Mount Mitchell.
I took pictures from the train and on top of the mountain. There are a couple of spots with double track so that trains can stop to let a car go by the other way.
The main fall color we saw during the trip was the yellow of the aspens. They seemed to be at their peak color through much of Colorado when we were there. We soon left all trees behind us as we ascended to the peak.
Then we rode back down. It was a beautiful ride, but I doubt people will still be singing about my trip 123 years later, as we still do about Katherine Bates' trip there.
Late in the afternoon we had time to visit the Garden of the Gods, a park in Colorado Springs.
On Sunday we attended church at First UMC in Colorado Springs. The preacher lived up to the high expectations Torrey had from his reputation. The music was good. The organ was built by Roosevelt with a case designed by George Ashdown Audsley. There are over 90 ranks of pipes. We chatted briefly with the organist after the service. He had retired from playing at the Air Force Academy Chapel after something like 30 years. We also met the pastor. He was pleased to greet two fellow Perkins graduates.
In the afternoon we visited the Air Force Academy, touring the chapel and the visitors' center.
The organ is in the gallery.
The Catholic Chapel is on a lower level. There are also Jewish and Buddhist chapels and meeting space for Muslims and others.
Nearby is a leadership center and there is an area displaying planes and sculpture.
on to Denver ->