Early Monday morning, we returned to Garden of the Gods Park to take a short hike. We were greeted by a couple of deer on the way in to the park. The weather was perfect at 8 am, so off we went on the short hike (1 mile?) to the Siamese Twins Rock.
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| beautiful rocks glowing in the early morning sun, with Pike's Peak in the background |
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| good morning! |
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| perfect temperature for hiking |
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| okay....this way! |
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| can you see Pike's Peak in the distance? |
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| sweet |
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| heading up |
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| cool rocks up ahead |
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| so cool |
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| having fun climbing among the rocks |
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| Pike's Peak behind me |
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| the Siamese Twins Rocks |
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| view of Pike's Peak through the Siamese Twins |
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| we love this stuff |
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| another view of the Siamese Twins |
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| heading back down the other side of the trail-great views |
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| an interesting trail |
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| heading back now |
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| the views are awesome |
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| what is that?? that white thing buzzing in the middle of the picture? |
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| yes, its a drone...some kids didn't want to take the hike (which is the only way to see the Siamese Twins Rock) |
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| its a new world (but kids...seriously.....take the walk!) |
After the fun, short hike, we hopped in the car and drove to Balancing Rock, which is a popular photo stop. Lots of folks having fun here on these rocks. Including us! Hahaha! Our campground is about 5 minutes from this point, so we headed back home for lunch. On the way, we passed an interesting sign/building, also near our campground. Again, its a different world. Pot (or whatever its called now) is legal in Colorado, though there are rules as to where and how much, etc. I'm not familiar with the details (recreational vs. medical), because, well...I am just not into it.
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| Balancing Rock |
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| my he-man! |
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| it really is a balancing rock! |
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| what??? |
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| not sure if this is just medical marijuana... |
After lunch, we headed out to the Olympic Training Center. What an exciting time to go, with the Olympics starting next week in Rio! Most of the athletes are either already there, or being "processed" in Houston before going to Rio. All papers, etc. for the athletes must be in order, and they do it together in a group in Houston. GOOD LUCK ATHLETES!!!!!
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| Olympic Training Center |
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| ready for the tour |
We took the 45-minute tour through the complex, with a very enthusiastic tour guide. He was great! Some of the training that goes on here is shooting, wrestling, swimming, gymnastics, pentathletes, and more. Paralympians train here as well. We went into several buildings, starting with the Shooting Center. I am not too familiar with these competitions, but we saw the shooting range where the athletes train. We saw one guy who was competing in short-range, where the bulls-eye is as big as the period at the end of this sentence. They do not use ammo, but rather laser guns. I may have my facts wrong, but it was interesting to see and so inspiring to see an athlete up close. I will be sure to watch for him in the Olympics!
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| part of the campus |
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| just awesome to walk on this campus (you have to be with the tour guide!) |
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| the Shooting Center |
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| an Olympic athlete!! |
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| Good Luck!!!! |
As our tour group headed out across the campus, we passed another athlete training. This fellow was from another country (?) and was heading to Rio soon to compete in the Pentathlon. He had a big smile on his face as he passed us. You could just feel the excitement and anticipation of the upcoming Olympic Games. Really.....we wish them ALL the best....after years of training! WOW!
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| another Olympic athlete |
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| fun artwork too |
We also headed into the wrestling area, which was cool. There are not too many wrestlers from the U.S. that have made it to the Olympics lately, so there is a rumor (according to the tour guide) that this building may be used for something else.
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| our tour guide was the best! |
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| wrestling arena |
Then, on to my favorite areas....the living quarters for the athletes, as well as their dining room. We found it very interesting that the athletes usually stay at the Olympic Training Center for 3-6 years! It is totally free for the athlete, if they are accepted to train there. We were also very impressed with the medical facility and the analyses and treatment that can be performed on these guys when they have injuries. Apparently, it is not only difficult to get into the Olympic Training Center as an athlete, but also as a trainer or medical professional. This campus has the best of the best, in all respects!
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| swimming royalty |
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| the dining hall on the left, the dorms on the right |
My absolute favorite....and such a thrill for me....was to see the Olympic training pool. Ahhh! Michael Phelps was just here for about 3 months, with his coach, but is now in Rio. Not sure who is in the pool now, but the Olympic swim team has already left for Rio.
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| what an awesome pool! |
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| not sure who is swimming here...the Olympic Swim Team is in Rio (or on their way) |
There are inspiring posters, and pictures just everywhere. The whole place was inspiring to me. We next headed into the gymnasts building....which was enormous. The bleachers come out and seat 2000, if you can imagine. The Olympic gymnastic team just had an exhibition a few weeks ago, and the tour guide told us there were 2000 people attending. Too bad we missed that.
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| the oldest athlete (55) from the U.S. competing in the Olympics |
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| Paralympic training goes on here too |
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| inspiring sayings everywhere |
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| I have to GET to the gym! That's my real problem! |
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| the gymnasts practice here |
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| this gym is huge |
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| I didn't see the balance beam anywhere |
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| more inspiration |
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| the bleachers on either side of the gym come out and seat 2000! |
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| fencing here in this gym too |
One of our last stops was the "gym", where ALL the athletes train, regardless of their sport. What an amazing gym. (Chris....you'd love this!). The weights and machines are all downstairs, and there is an upper running track...which you can see. Its so wide open, bright and cheerful. Pike's Peak is visible from the windows (couldn't capture that in my pics due to the lighting).
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| beautiful campus |
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| the gym....ALL the athletes come here...no matter what their sport |
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| working hard |
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| running track upstairs, and a view of Pike's Peak out those huge windows |
As we ended our tour, our guide showed us the torch located on top of the building. It will be lit Aug 5th, and remain burning throughout the Olympics. There will also be a big celebration in the center of Colorado Springs, open to the public, where another torch will be lit by a (former) Olympian, and lots of celebration and excitement is promised for that event.
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| the torch will be lit Aug 5th |
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| so much excitement here...you can feel it |
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| beautiful little spot |
It was a very inspiring place to be, especially right before the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio!!
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| our in front of the Visitor Center |
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| just beautiful |
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| what a great sculpture....really captures the emotions of winning! |
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| who will stand here?? |
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| great tour |
Our ride back home was along the Rockies, with great views of Pike's Peak. Again, we spotted another place for weed...pot...or whatever its called now. Times are changing! Happy hour by the gram!
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| heading home along the base of the Rockies |
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| What does that say? Happy Hour $5 grams?? Its a different world! |
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