Mom and Randy came to visit us in 1995, maybe six or eight months after we had moved to Colorado Springs from Scottsbluff, Nebraska. While we had visited with them in Rancho Murieta after we left California in 1990, our move to Nebraska meant that we had interrupted our custom of visiting Mom and Cindy’s family for holidays and birthdays. We Lily moved to Scottsbluff when Lily was 2, and since Abby and Wyatt were born in Nebraska, none of those grandkids would have had memories of holidays with Grandma and Grandpa, cousins, and Aunt and Uncles. So Mom and Randy’s visit was a special treat for everyone!
Pikes Peak–Whenever family visited Colorado Springs, at least when we first moved, a drive up Pikes Peak Highway was likely on the itinerary. I think they visited in May or June, and while the weather at 6000′ in the Springs was warm and sunny, the temperature at the top can be cold and the weather blizzardy. Click that Highway link for video cameras and lot’s of other tourist information and photos.
We visited the city park, Garden of the Gods, also, and I’ve found some photos of Mom and Lily at the base of Balancing Rock and Lily climbing in the Garden of the Gods hoodoos (a link to Paint Mines, outside of town). I’ll add additional pics as I find them.
Randy wanted to visit the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, about an hour drive from Colorado Springs. The bridge was built as a tourist attraction in 1929, and Randy had visited the park as a youngster with his family. Lily, Abby and I joined Mom and Randy on this day out. As you can see from the picture of Wyatt and Abby above, Wyatt was a little young to appreciate “walking across a thousand foot deep chasm” on a 1,200′ long suspension bridge. And I can still feel the terror in my heart as I gripped my babies’ hands tightly and tried to keep them away from the bridge railings. What on earth was I thinking?
The girls had a great time with their grandparents, crossing the gorge by bridge and again by arial tram. We rode the narrow gauge train, danced to Rocky’s Revue, and wandered around taking in the attractions. Not quite Disneyland, but the girls did not seem to mind . . . and Wyatt never knew what he missed!
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