Go Around the Bend: Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and Carhenge

On top of the world at 14,115 feet.
Pike's Peak summit.

How often do you get to feel on top of the world? Well, a drive up Pikes Peak may just do the trick. We arrived at the Peak Resort in Colorado Springs, CO Friday, 5/24. We did our errands, including a stop at Costco (Hey Mike, do you have Colorado Springs on your Costco list? 😊). It was also Carole’s birthday, which called for a celebration. We ended up at Batch Slapped Brewery for truly excellent food (build your own charcuterie board) and beverages. There was a stack of board games and we pulled out a couple trivia games, which just proved that Rog knows far too many useless facts. Lol. I apologize for the lack of pictures, we were having such a good time we totally forgot!

Hanging out in the RV park with Pike's Peak in the background.

There are several ways to summit Pikes Peak, but I confess we went the easy route – drive! Honestly, that’s the only way I’m going to make it to 14,000 feet. Lol. The drive requires a timed entry ticket ($2) per vehicle and entrance fee ($15) per person. We purchased the timed entry ticket in advance online, but opted to pay the entrance fee at the gate. That way if our plans changed, we’d only be out the $2, and believe me this drive is weather dependent!

We stopped at the Crystal Lake visitor’s center on the way up and the staff strongly suggested we get back on the road and head for the top because they close the road when the winds hit 45mph and they were already at 40mph. We gladly took his advice and beat feet.

Crystal Lake

Apparently Sasquatch gets around. I thought that was a PNW thing. Lol.

Out of the frying pan and into the…freezer?? After the triple digits in Texas, it was hard to wrap our heads around the need for multiple layers, knit caps, and gloves. But I’m sure glad we did! Pikes Peak, at 14,115 is one of the tallest peaks that you can drive all the way to the summit. It was surreal to drive through the clouds and emerge at the top with brilliant blue skies and blinding white snow. We went from a balmy 75° at the campground to 37° with a howling wind. Brrrrrrrr.

Pano from the Peak.

We made it to the top!
That would be more impressive, if we had climbed. Lol.

Hello!

Clouds moving in.

Don't want to climb or drive?
You can take the Cog Railway to the top!

Going down? Skiing is another option. Lol.

The state-of-the-art Summit House Visitor Center (altitude: 14,115 feet) reopened in June 2021. The facility offers interpretive exhibits that share the history of the mountain, a large gift shop, and indoor and outdoor dining areas where visitors can enjoy a world-famous Pikes Peak donut and other delicious treats while taking in the expansive views. Speaking of the donuts, the Summit House first started cranking out donuts in 1888, when it was a weather station. Eventually, the weather station closed, but the local mayor insisted that the peak staff continue making the donuts for hikers. Because of the altitude (the air is thinner and water has a lower boiling point) the donuts require a special recipe and they are quite tasty!

The new Summit House Visitor's Center.

Remnants of the original weather station.

Summit House had lots of interesting exhibits...

...and donuts too!

Pikes Peak is known as American’s Mountain because it inspired poet Katharine Lee Bates to write the lyrics to "America the Beautiful". The view from the “purple mountain majesties” inspired the opening lines of the song, and she later remarked that “amber waves of grain” referred to the seas of grass and grain fields in Kansas that she could see from the top of Pikes Peak. On the clearest days, you can actually see five states from the summit: New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Oklahoma. That’s quite a remarkable view! I can’t say how many states we saw, but I can say the view was drop-dead gorgeous.

Is this not absolutely stunning?
I certainly understand how the view could inspire "America the Beautiful".

What is totally insane is that there is an annual motorsports race to the top! With 156 turns over a 12.42-mile course beginning at over 9,300 feet and ending at 14,115 feet above sea level, there is nothing like it. Spencer Penrose, a Colorado Springs’ resident, realized the tourist potential of Pikes Peak and in 1915 he converted the narrow carriage road into the Pikes Peak Highway. To publicize his new road, and draw visitors to his hotel in town, he devised a simple plan; run an automobile race to the summit of Pikes Peak. The Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb was first held in August 1916 and has continued for over 100 years. Halted only during WWI and WWII, it is known as the second-oldest motorsports race in America and draws competitors and fans from all over the globe. Wild, huh?

Just driving this road was challenge enough, race it? No way!

On Sunday, 5/26, we opted to do things the hard way. Rather than drive, we decided to bicycle through Garden of the Gods. It was another glorious day, perfect for a ride. We loaded up the bikes and drove to the park. It was Memorial Day weekend, and the place was mobbed! We were so glad we’d decided to bike, because the line of cars going into the park was backed up over a mile and every single parking area and turnout was full.

Garden of the Gods in front of Pikes Peak.
Do you see the line of cars going in?

Cathedral spires of red rock tower over the trees.

Garden of the Gods encompasses 1,367-acres and has been designated a National Natural Landmark. The road through the park is bike friendly and winds around many amazing rock formations including a huge balanced rock. On the bikes we were able to take our time and pull into any of the points of interest that caught our fancy. We saw rock climbers and a whole herd of bighorn sheep and then stopped at the trading post for ice cream. An excellent addition to any ride. Lol.

I love the rocks, but not to climb!

More cool formations.

The Trading Post was established in 1900.

Seeing the park by bike was certainly the best way to go!

Balanced Rock.

These guys were totally chill.

We left on Monday, 5/27, to spend one night at the Cabela’s Full Service Campground in Sidney, Nebraska. This was the location of the first Cabela's which opened in 1961. It was also where their corporate headquarters was located until the company merged with Bass Pro Shops in 2017. We were thrilled to add another state to our map! Nebraska is our third new state on this trip. Yay!

The Cabela's campground was very nice.

The original Cabela's store in Sidney, NE.

Tuesday, 5/28, was a moving day and we made a point of stopping at a really fun roadside attraction – Carhenge, Nebraska’s answer to Stonehenge. What a hoot! Carhenge consists of 39 automobiles arranged in a circle measuring about 96 feet in diameter. Arches were formed by welding automobiles on top of supporting vehicles. Carhenge was conceived by Jim Reinders as a memorial to his father. While living in England, Jim studied the structure of Stonehenge, which helped him to copy its shape, proportions, and size. The first 25 cars were erected in just six days during a Reinder family reunion and dedicated on the Summer Solstice, June 21, 1987. Additional installations by other artists have been added to the site, along with a couple of time capsules or should I say time carsules. Lol.