Garden of the Gods

 Just outside of Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs lay the city park of, Garden of the Gods.  It is a beautiful place of stark rock formations of white and dark red rock structures.

A leisurely drive twists around the various formations.  Lots of pull outs for photo opportunities and bus loads of stupid people whom believe that their knee caps are immune to bumper impacts!  Yeah, they will walk right out in front of you!  Literally, right out in front of a moving car when no ability to even react exists!
So, drive mighty careful if you go there!

There is a trading post on the Manitou Springs side of the park.   Not a bad selection of quick food is on the menu - nothing to write home about either.  A large gift store and I scored a nice Indian pot in their historical section.  Also small touristy gifts for the grand kids.

I stayed in Manitou Springs at a place called the Pike's Peak Inn - it was the nicest place I stayed on the trip - and the cheapest!  It is owned by a Polish woman and her American husband.  She was a hoot, I only saw him in passing. Although Manitou has a nice place to stay, well, eating is a bit of a problem!  I have not found a place I would even consider going back to ...