Visit to James in Colorado Springs

We went to visit James in Colorado Springs on June 29 through July 1st. What a beautiful place!

First we went to the Garden of the Gods which is gorgeous rock formations and isn't very far from town. There is a visitor's center and walking paths to see the formations. I had a great time imagining animals and things in the formations. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our time there. In the evening we went to the single's family home evening and enjoyed a Mexican buffet. I helped James to make a taco salad. The lesson was nice and the food good. We met some of his friends in the branch, his roommate, and his girlfriend Natasha. She is a very nice girl and we enjoyed being with her.

The next day we visited the zoo. It was an amazing zoo----we went early in the morning and saw a lot of animals out and about. Their giraffe area was just great. I have always had a "thing" for giraffes and they are always my favorite animal in zoos. There were about 15 giraffes, babies, moms, a dad, and you could feed and pet them. We saw a little baby kangaroo and it was an albino and we were able to watch them feed it and we could pet it.

In the afternoon we went on a cog train to the top of Pike's Peak. The narrator told us a little history about the train, the mountain, and the area around Colorado Springs. The scenery was exquisite. Dad especially liked this ride and still talks about it. That evening James and Natasha went to Institute and Dad and I stayed home an watched a movie-----we rarely do that. It was a good movie and a treat. James was nice enough to let us sleep in his wonderful bed---thanks James.

The next day we went to the air museum at Peterson Air Force Base. We went through some of the airplanes and the museum and learned a lot about the defense systems that were used a few years ago. Then we went to the Chapel at the Air Force Academy. It was a very unique and interesting building. We were busy every minute.


Dad and James in the Garden of the Gods. The man who owned the property donated it to the City of Colorado Springs as long as they never charged for entrance, so it is free to the public.

Dad and I with the Garden in the background. This was at an overlook.

The rocks were huge and we really were awed at their size and their beauty. There were red rocks and white rocks standing right together, which surprised us.

This was right before I petted the giraffe. They were so healthy and beautiful.

James and Natasha at the zoo overlooking Colorado Springs in the distance.

This is the cog train just as we were embarking. We all got just a little motion sick----but loved every minute of the ride.


This picture was taken at the summit. Just about the time we got there, it started to snow and was really cold. We had to all go inside the building because there was lightening and thunder. We had some hot chocolate and donuts.
Thanks James for taking time off work---and showing us such a great time! and taking us to Denver when our flight was cancelled!!!