Yet Another Noteworthy Destination In Colorado
As if there were not enough sights in Colorado to visit, recently I stumbled upon another. Known as the Garden Of The Gods, this place got its namesake in 1859 from two surveyors from nearby Colorado City who happened to stumble upon the rock formations while exploring the area. As is too often the case, namesake goes to the first white guy to brag about something he discovered, instead of the locals who all-too-often have known of the existence of that place/species for 1,000+ years... Anyway, I digress...
The beauty of this place -- well, besides the obvious natural beauty -- is the this park has always been, and will always be, 100% free to the public. The park itself consists of a few main roads looping around the red rocks with numerous scenic overlooks and photo spots, as well as trails for hiking, biking, and even horseback riding. There are even Segway tours run by the nearby Garden Of The Gods Visitor & Nature Center, located just a few hundred yards down the road from the entrance to the park.
Once you have had your fix of the free views and explored all you can around the park, I recommend following it up with a brief visit by the Garden Of The Gods Visitor & Nature Center. Just like any other national park souvenir shop, this place has it all. From historical items, local gems, books, artwork, clothes, postcards, local floral, and anything and everything else you would expect to find, this place has it.
Not only that, but they offer also provide a wealth of information about Colorado, the Garden Of The Gods history, and of course the nearby Pike's Peak. Additional knowledge can be gained by watching (and that means paying) for the visitor center's information movies, which run on a loop every 15 minutes in the "movie theater."
