Ack! Dammit Colorado, Don't Spring Up On Me Like That!

Went to Colorado Springs for work a few weeks back. They have this big mountain there. I hiked like a madman to the top... ok, no really I drove. It's a big mountain.

No guardrails. Steep cliffs. I think driving up was the braver way to go, quite frankly. Check out this completely unnecessary sign.

After the grueling drive, they have a nice photo-op reward for us gas-pedal hiker's achievement. And I got tired of waiting for people to move out of the way of it.

As a consolation for my lack of hard work and mountaintop crowding, I went off and made it look more lonely at the top.

At the bottom of Pike's Peak is a town named Manitou Springs. They have the Cripple Creek dulcimer shop there, and my Dad plays the dulcimer so I got a few shots for him. Apparently it's a famous shop, among those who dulce.

And in Colorado Springs, they have this place called The Garden of the Gods. There's a whole buncha pretty rocks there.

I like how this one kind of looks like some sort of giant bird-man glaring down at those guys like he's contemplating whether to peck at them or not.

A shadow-self self-portrait portrait.

A regular old-fashioned self-portrait.

And it was a fun surprise to stumble across this thing there. I didn't know that's where the famous Balancing Rock is.

Another shadow-self self-portrait portrait. I may have stumbled across my latest photo obsession here.

And there's this place called the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, where some Pueblo Indians by the tribal name of Anasazi used to live. Kind of Flintstone-looking.

But this is what kills me about America. Interesting place, interesting history, would make a really neat photo. Not to mention that it might be made into a nice quiet spot in which to contemplate earlier, more primal ways of living. So what do we do? Charge you $10 to see it (and that little row of cave condos right there? That's all there is to see) and then pave right up to it and park all of your utility vehicles right in front of it, and have a gigantic and unnecessary tourist restaurant and Kokopelli blocking your view! Screw the history, we Americans love us some Kokopelli represent.

Comments

[Gary Owen Drechsel]

I dig the flying V lutes or whatever they are... ukuleles

[Its Dad]

There is a great recording of dulcimer players playing (odd isn't it?) in the Garden of the Gods... improvizational, zen-like stuff - and this shop is famous in the dulcimer world run by Bud & Donna Ford - Thanks Mike!!

[messiestobjects]

Always a pleasure... to travel for other people! Anyone want to go somewhere? Pay me to go there instead!