Garden of the Gods

On this particular day we drove around forty-five minutes from Pueblo, Colorado to Garden of the Gods, which is in Colorado Springs. We stayed the next two nights there.  I was especially excited about our visit to Garden of the Gods.  Sadly, the day ended up being cloudy, cool, and drizzly but that did not stop us from exploring.  It is a beautiful area!

 

 

 

We went straight to the visitor's center for a badge and pin.  We then spent some time looking around at the exhibits.  Ben loved all the animal displays. 

 

 

 

our family at the Garden of the Gods visitor's center 

 

Next, we drove through the rock formations and stopped along the way to climb a few of them. 

 

 

 

Balanced Rock 

 

our family "holding up" Balanced Rock 

 

 

 

 

 

enjoying the views from the top of a rock 

 

We did a lot of climbing! 

 

Garden of the Gods is free and is a must see if you are in Colorado Springs. 

 

 

a video of our time at Garden of the Gods 

 

It was still rainy when we left Garden of the Gods so that hindered our outdoor plans.  Instead, we made a visit to Bass Pro Shop.  That is always a highlight for the boys. 

 

Memorial Day flag display at Bass Pro Shop in Colorado Springs 

 

I saw this sign there and loved it! 

 

 

That evening we made our first ever visit to In-N-Out.  We loved it!  The boys had asked me to see if there were any locations in Colorado where we could eat.  Thanks to YouTube influencers, they were eager to try it.  It was a hit with our family!

 

After a rainy day we were happy to see this beautiful rainbow when we returned to our hotel that night. 

 

The next day was Cruz's 15th birthday.  We began the morning with a drive up to Pikes Peak.  I'll share about that next. 

Flying to Denver and Driving to Estes Park

In our last stateside year (2021) we visited six national parks- Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier. We made plans then to visit the four national parks in Colorado on our next stateside year (2025). In mid- May we set off on that trip.

 

We had wanted to do it in July while already in the U.S., but our summer schedule filled up quickly. Instead, we went from Guatemala. We made it a combined trip celebrating the end of the school year, successfully completing our first year of high school, Cruz’s 15th birthday, and the upcoming end of our fifth term of service.

 

To say we were excited would be a huge understatement! We were all ready for some wide open, fresh air, outdoor, scenic spaces!

 

Here's my first of many posts about our incredible family vacation trip to Colorado.  

These are the places we planned to visit on this trip. 

 

 

on the plane ready to get the adventure started 

 

We flew Guatemala City to Los Angeles.  Here is a view of SoFi Stadium as we were landing.  The boys were excited to see it. 

 

 

A view of the ocean as we took off in Los Angeles. 

 

 

Next stop, Denver!!! 

 

 

A gorgeous view of the snow covered Rocky Mountains as we flew over them. My eyes filled with tears as I looked out and saw this view.  I think I was more excited about this trip than any trip I have ever taken in my life.   

 

A rainbow in the distance as we landed in Denver 

 

It was nearly 10:00 pm when we arrived at our Denver hotel.  There was a Chick-fil-A next door but the dining room was closed.  We got our food to-go and ate it in the room.  We could not wait to enjoy that delicious chicken!!

We were up early the next morning eager to get on the road.  We had breakfast at the hotel and then set out for Wal-Mart.  We love Wal-Mart and could not wait to get there! We picked up lunch picnic supplies for the week and then drove on towards Estes Park. 

The boys loaded up and ready to go. 

 

Our first view of the mountains in the distance. 

 

We drove through Boulder and passed by the University of Colorado.  Yes, we looked around for Coach Prime, but we didn't see him. 

driving to Estes Park 

 

Once arriving in Estes Park we stopped for coffee and then headed towards the national park.  We passed by the famous Stanley Hotel on the way there. It was fun to see it in person.

 

Next I'll share about our first visit to Rocky Mountain National park.  It was a snow filled day and one we will never forget.