We spent a week visiting Dirk & Brie in the second largest city in the state of Colorado. Originally founded to be a tourist town, it has now grown to over 750,000 people. I was quite hesitant to spend a week here when originally planning the trip because of its proximity to Denver. While Colorado Springs definitely has a problem with homelessness in certain areas of the city (like where we chose to camp near the Garden of the Gods), it isn’t any worse than in eastern cities similar in size. Additionally, since cannabis is everywhere, it permeates the air all around and I still haven’t gotten use to the pungent smell.
Day 45 – Sunday – Colorado Springs arrival
We arrived at the Garden of the Gods RV Resort and set up camp. Talking to the couple in the rig beside us, we learned, they were from Charleston, SC, but have been full timing for several months now. More unusual, he grew up in Fort Mill, and his family still lives there! We also met another couple in the site above us who live in Rock Hill. In all the years we’ve been camping, this was the first time we’ve run across campers who live in our hometown and county in the campsites beside us! It felt like a York County convention in Colorado Springs!
The Zeb & Lazy Dog 🐶
After we were settled, we drove over to see Dirk & Brie’s apartment. They are living in a newly built complex on the third floor with stunning sunset views of the Southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. After touring the apartment and letting Timber sniff around, we went to eat at a very dog-friendly restaurant near their place, called Lazy Dog. They had a diverse menu, including a dog-menu for the pups 🐾 ! Timber behaved extremely well, mainly because we had also brought along a bison bone cut in half to expose the delicious bone marrow. He inhaled his beef burger dinner and then laid under the table to gnaw away, giving us plenty of time to eat, chat and catch up on the past few months.
Day 46 – Monday – Pikes Peak
Brie had to work, so Mark & Dirk decided they wanted to drive up Pikes Peak instead of riding the cog railway (originally Pikes had the apostrophe, but the U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially dropped it in 1890 to discourage possessive forms in place names).
Mark and Dirk were agreeable to stopping at the many turnouts and quirky features, such as the Big Foot sign
and the starting line for the annual Hill Climb, as well as the Crystal Reservoir Visitor Center
and the Glen Cove Inn gift shop.
We reached the fogged in summit at 14,115 feet amid snow and light hail.
During a thunder advisory to ‘shelter in place,’ we tried their famous donuts and learned Katherine Lee Bates was inspired to write the poem which would become the beloved patriotic song, ‘America the Beautiful’ during a visit in 1893 while atop Pikes Peak.
Dinner in Manitou Springs
We arranged for Brie to meet us at the campground for dinner after she finished work. We decided to walk about a block to a Mexican place near Manitou Springs called Amanda’s Fonda. It looked a little sketch on the exterior, but the staff were friendly and the entree portions generous!
Side view of Amanda’s Fonda Mexican Restaurant
Day 47 – Tuesday – Garden of the Gods
Mark and I worked part of the morning, then ran a few errands. One of our stops was to see what the hoopla surrounding Sheels was all about. We had a number of friends and family tell us we had to see at least one of its’ 16 Midwest state locations to view their indoor Farris wheel, fish tanks, and extensive gun shop. The store did not disappoint! We stayed so long walking through all the departments that we had to hurry to get Cheeto washed, swing by the grocery, and make it home in time to take Timber out.
After a snack for all three of us, we loaded up to visit the very dog-friendly city park. I suppose what Central Park is to the residents of New York City is the equivalent of what Garden of the Gods is for the residents of Colorado Springs. It is a beautiful and clean park with a Visitor’s Center, two gift shops (though technically one is outside the park grounds), many paths, trails and rock formations. We opted to download the self-guided audio tour so we could make stops as we wished. One of the more intriguing stops included a view of Cheyenne Mountain, famously known for the deep underground base: The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), responsible for protecting the skies of North America.
Afterwards we had an app and a drink at the Colorado Mountain Brewery, located in an old train roundhouse.
See our many pics below ⬇️
Day 48 – Wednesday – Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame
Timber’s day started at a Petco to get a long overdue grooming session. He was beyond shaggy, with hair in his eyes and a mangy-looking tail. He is normally a happy-go-lucky dog, but something about the entrance had him totally shut down. He forcefully tried to back away, then sat down and did not budge. Mark had to carry him through the door. However, once inside, he immediately transformed back into the lovable, friendly, goofy dog that he is. The groomer spent over four hours getting him looking adorable again!
Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame
With the Senate Democrats holding out and the government forced into a shut down, Brie was furloughed for the rest of the week. While overall not a good thing, it allowed them to spend more time with us.
I invoked the motherly rule of FFF (Forced Family Fun) to get everyone to visit the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Museum. It was the least attended and most quiet museum we’ve ever walked through. They had an incredible display of saddles and also an impressive display of belt buckles. The sections depicting Pro Rodeo Hall of Famers for bronco riders, bull riders, calf ropers, barrel racers, and more were well displayed. The museum had massive amounts of open floor space, excellent for an event rental. We found the ‘hidden’ belt buckle during our tour and selected a sticker from the gift shop for Mark to adhere to our ever-growing collection on the Yeti cooler.
Camp Dinner
We had previously arranged and meal prepped to cook dinner for Dirk and Brie at the campsite. I cooked and mashed potatoes inside while Mark sautéed a veggie mix on the Blackstone and seared Bison filets on his TEC mini-grill outside. He also toasted garlic buttered sourdough slices. We ate outside on the picnic table, with Brie wanting Timber to sit beside her on the bench. That was a hard ‘no.’ (But read on to find out where he did sit beside her…). We had a casual, enjoyable evening.
Day 49 – Thursday – The Broadmoor Seven Falls & Red Leg Brewery
With so many sight-seeing places being dog-friendly, Timber excitedly accompanied us on our outing. The Broadmoor has owned the famous natural landmark since 2014 and has made many enhancements to “The Grandest Mile of Scenery in Colorado.” One thing they have not improved is their process of reaching the entrance to the falls and the return trip. After purchasing tickets online, you drive to a designated parking area where you must wait to board one of two shuttles ferrying visitors on a 15-minute drive to the unloading area. After debarking in a small clearing, you are uncertain which way to go or what to do. Thankfully, passengers waiting to board the return shuttle pointed us in the direction we were to walk to find the path.
The views of the canyon walls along the mile winding asphalt walkway lined with scrub oak, pine, fir, spruce and juniper trees and lovely wildflowers of columbine, penstemon, asters, and sunflower made for a very picturesque afternoon. Timber loved walking in and along the creek, watching the squirrels, and checking to make sure his family was all together. He even rode the elevator with us to the Eagle’s Nest lookout. Once we reached the staircase at the base of the seven falls (named in order from top to bottom: Ramona, Feather, Bridal Veil, Shorty, Hull, Weimer and Hill), Mark graciously agreed to sit with Timber while Dirk, Brie and myself climbed the 224 steps to the top. While we had to wait for others to pass before we could continue our ascent or descent, Timber attracted plenty of attention and Mark had lots of company to keep him from getting bored as he waited on us.
Did you notice who Timber chose to sit beside on the shuttle (see first picture above)
None of the nice toilets were operational, so visitors had to wait in line at porta-potties placed at a halfway point. With empty water bottles, we had over a 30-minute wait for the return shuttle. The Broadmoor needs to do better for its visitors.
Red Leg Brewery
Dirk and Brie suggested we go to Red Leg Brewery for dinner. The place was great with lots of permanent food trucks encircling an open area with firepits, picnic tables, and various creative seating arrangements. Mark & Dirk opted for the burgers, Brie had pizza bites and chicken, and I went for the butter warmed lobster roll. The beers were edgy with flavors like Blueberry Cobbler Sour and Pumpkin Spice Cider, among traditional ales.
Day 50 – Friday – Olympic & Paralympic Museum
This museum was the only one Dirk & Brie requested.
Because Colorado Springs is home to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, the city’s nickname is “Olympic City USA.”
The museum hosts one of only two collections in the world of the most Olympic torches and the most Bronze, Silver & Gold Olympic medals on display.
Sam the Eagle
Sam the Eagle played an integral role in the success of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Famed Disney artist Bob Moore, known for his work on Fantasia, Bambi, and Dumbo, along with his team of 30 artists, took on the daunting task of designing a cartoonish and friendly mascot that would represent the strength and power of the United States. Additionally, their design subtly paid tribute to the bronze eagle of the ancient Olympic Games which stood at the finish line of the stadium race.
Wall of Wheaties
The iconic orange Wheaties cereal box began featuring Olympic athletes as ‘Breakfast of Champions’ in 1935. Since then, Olympians and Paralympians from all different sports have been honored. The Wheaties box remains a major icon/iconic symbol of the cultural impact of the Olympic and Paralympics. The Museum’s collection of Wheaties boxes offers a ‘name the athlete and sport’ guessing game as part of the display.
Wall of Wheaties
Athlete Training Lab
We all four competed in the six dynamic interactive sports stations challenging our speed, accuracy, reaction time, and concentration. Results are loaded into your personal feedback digital locker accessible via email. Needless to say, none of us are Olympic contenders!
Scoreboard of the 1980 Gold Medal US Hockey win against Russia
Day 51 – Saturday – Royal Gorge Route Railroad
Dirk & Brie had already walked across the world-famous Royal Gorge Bridge spanning over the Arkansas River, the highest suspension bridge in America at 956 feet. They wanted to do another activity in the Royal Gorge. The season was ending for White Water rafting, so we chose the dome-topped evening railway ride with dinner and laser show aboard the Royal George Route Railroad.
Our wait staff was exceptional and the Prime rib entrees surprisingly good. We enjoyed cocktails and appetizers while everyone was boarding. Ate dinner, enjoyed the light show and then finished dessert right before pulling back into the historic Santa Fe Depot.
Creepy Encounter
Although the 1000-foot granite cliffs were dramatic and the nostalgic train ride reminded one of a more simpler time, the most adrenaline-shock of the night was on our ride back home.
After a small crest on the dark two-lane road, suddenly appearing in the middle of the lane was a guy – just standing there, almost zombie-like. Mark took a hard right swerve to avoid hitting him. We were all speechless. It was surreal. We all second guessed what we had just seen and missed. I was most thankful for Mark and his years of racing experience honing his driving reflexes. Brie was impressed with his driving skills. If we all four had not experienced it, no one would (could) believe us. The car behind us followed our swerve and flashed his lights to also avoid hitting the guy. We were in the middle of nowhere… where did he come from… what drugs was he high on… where did he go… did he make it to live another day?
After arriving back at the campground, we all said goodbyes with hugs and kisses. The next morning Mark and I were heading out early for our drive to Texas.
Day 52 – Sunday – Bar Z Winery
We had a six-hour drive from Colorado Springs to our overnight stop just outside Amarillo, TX. We booked an RV Overnights stay at Bar Z Winery.
I loved their tagline: Gently Hearding Grapes into a Bottle. After parking in a wide-open field, we took Timber with us to their tasting room. Mark tried a glass of their white, I had a glass of their Cab and Timber had a bowl of water. We also ordered their appetizer, ‘charcuterie in a cup.’ For the pricey sum of $15, we received a paper cup with one toothpick full of grapes, one toothpick full of Salami and Pepperoni, and one toothpick full of Colby Jack cheese squares and four butter crackers in the bottom. After a polite amount of time, we left and went back to the rig, where I made Mexican Chicken Soup with supplies I had on hand.
We were surprised to see the number of campers roll in as the evening progressed. In the end, there were a dozen campers, vans, Fifth Wheels, and RVs in the field.
Next Stops:
Wichita Fall – Overnight
Waco – Two Nights — including a day at Round Top
Galveston – Six Nights — AIM Rally
San Antonio – Two Nights — Riverwalk
Kerrville – Two Weeks– Two Campgrounds — DRV Rally, Time with Alaska friends
Masters of RVing Adventures 
Leave a reply to Natalie Haywood Cancel reply