Colorado>Moab and beyond.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,759
Likes: 0
From: Sacramento, CA
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 304
Likes: 2
From: Texas
Ok. I finally got some of the pics we took uploaded. There were nearly 8GB of photos.
(The wife and kids love to push buttons.)
Anyway, we started off in SE TX and went up into the Texas panhandle. We stopped in Amarillo for the night after 12 hours of uneventful driving. Nothing major planned there so we got up early and headed to Canon City, CO. The wife wanted to see the Royal Gorge and visit the sites so we stayed 3 days there.
Kids playing in the train station before boarding the Royal Gorge Rail. We like trains.
The actual train itself.
Some pics from the train ride. It is a very breathtaking experience for a "flat lander" like me.
You really do ride right on the edge of the river.
This is looking down from our seats. Notice the line running along the other side of the river. That is a wooden aquaduct that used to transfer clean water from up stream. It was built back in the late 1800s when the city was first established. It goes on for miles and most of it is gone because of erosion.
A shot of the suspension bridge from below.
The next day we jumped into the Jeep and headed over the check out the Gorge from the topside. There is a nice amusement park that isn't too expensive located at the top of the Gorge on both sides. There are some kiddy rides as well as some really cool adult rides too. One of them is a mine railway that brings you straight down the side of the gorge to the river below. It's set on a really steep angle and the people are almost standing on top of each other. This what it looks like while riding that.
I stuck my camera out the cage about half way down for this one.
A pic looking up the tracks.
We also took a trip across the gorge on a cable gondola. I don't know if I was one of the braver ones or one of the chickens but, my legs felt wobbly when looking down from those heights.
Out the window of the gondola as soon as we broke over the edge.
Looking down from the middle.
Looking south from the middle.
Once we got to the other side we did a few activities that didn't invlove heights.
Buckboard wagon ride.
Panning for gold.
My 7 year old became part of the show.
We also played dress up for one of those antique looking pictures.
It was time to get back to the other side so we decided to walk the bridge.
For a hefty fee, you can drive across it. We chose not to but other people were.... and it makes it interesting for those walking since it shakes and wobbles.
There is a flag for each state on the bridge. Of course we had to take a pic with the best one.
A peak through the wooden slats at the water below.
A little bridge humor.
On the way back to the hotel we decided to take a detour and hit a scenic road called Skyline Drive. It's a one way, extremely narrow paved road that overlooks Canon City. I didn't get any pics since my wife wouldn't let me stop and pull out the camera. She was terrified of the drop offs on each side. Little did she know the rest of our vacation was going to be spent hanging off cliffs just like that and worse.
(The wife and kids love to push buttons.)Anyway, we started off in SE TX and went up into the Texas panhandle. We stopped in Amarillo for the night after 12 hours of uneventful driving. Nothing major planned there so we got up early and headed to Canon City, CO. The wife wanted to see the Royal Gorge and visit the sites so we stayed 3 days there.
Kids playing in the train station before boarding the Royal Gorge Rail. We like trains.
The actual train itself.
Some pics from the train ride. It is a very breathtaking experience for a "flat lander" like me.
You really do ride right on the edge of the river.
This is looking down from our seats. Notice the line running along the other side of the river. That is a wooden aquaduct that used to transfer clean water from up stream. It was built back in the late 1800s when the city was first established. It goes on for miles and most of it is gone because of erosion.A shot of the suspension bridge from below.
The next day we jumped into the Jeep and headed over the check out the Gorge from the topside. There is a nice amusement park that isn't too expensive located at the top of the Gorge on both sides. There are some kiddy rides as well as some really cool adult rides too. One of them is a mine railway that brings you straight down the side of the gorge to the river below. It's set on a really steep angle and the people are almost standing on top of each other. This what it looks like while riding that.
I stuck my camera out the cage about half way down for this one.
A pic looking up the tracks.
We also took a trip across the gorge on a cable gondola. I don't know if I was one of the braver ones or one of the chickens but, my legs felt wobbly when looking down from those heights.
Out the window of the gondola as soon as we broke over the edge.
Looking down from the middle.
Looking south from the middle.
Once we got to the other side we did a few activities that didn't invlove heights.
Buckboard wagon ride.
Panning for gold.
My 7 year old became part of the show.
We also played dress up for one of those antique looking pictures.
It was time to get back to the other side so we decided to walk the bridge.
For a hefty fee, you can drive across it. We chose not to but other people were.... and it makes it interesting for those walking since it shakes and wobbles.
There is a flag for each state on the bridge. Of course we had to take a pic with the best one.
A peak through the wooden slats at the water below.
A little bridge humor.
On the way back to the hotel we decided to take a detour and hit a scenic road called Skyline Drive. It's a one way, extremely narrow paved road that overlooks Canon City. I didn't get any pics since my wife wouldn't let me stop and pull out the camera. She was terrified of the drop offs on each side. Little did she know the rest of our vacation was going to be spent hanging off cliffs just like that and worse.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 465
Likes: 0
From: Ormond Beach, FL
WOW! And thanks for sharing your pics!!! Living in Florida I love so much seeing really cool Jeeping trips and the fact that your family loves it too, that is AWESOME!!! Travel safe and keep of the pics!!! 
Ben
Ben
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 304
Likes: 2
From: Texas
The next day we decided to jaunt over to Pike's Peak since I am a rally nut and couldn't resist checking out the course those crazies race up. I've seen it on TV but, could never imagine the enormous risks these guys take until I saw for myself. I didn't like doing any more than the speed limit. The wife didn't want me to even do that. Those racers must have huge iron balls.
Anyway, we decided to go to Pike's Peak and figured we should make the trip over there as exciting as we could so we took Phantom Canyon, one of the Colorado Scenic Byways from Canon City to Colorado Springs. It was a very nice dirt road that had primative camping spots along the way.
A couple pics from that.
Heading up to Pike's Peak.
And since this is a Jeep forum, I better put some Jeep pics in for good measure.
It started snowing and blowing really hard for about half an hour. The snow didn't stick because it was moving so fast. It was actually blowing UP the side of the mountain.
On the way down.
Pike's Peak was fun. But it can be done in a mini van if you wanted. I was ready to head further west and start putting this new Jeep through some trials. So we packed up and headed over Monarch pass in the middle of the night. Wasn't much fun since there was nothing but pitch blackness and deer to look at. It's damn steep too! Pulling a trailer over some of those highways isn't the same as towing down the interstate.
But we had reservations in Ouray and planned on keeping them.
More to come.
I've seen it on TV but, could never imagine the enormous risks these guys take until I saw for myself. I didn't like doing any more than the speed limit. The wife didn't want me to even do that. Those racers must have huge iron balls.Anyway, we decided to go to Pike's Peak and figured we should make the trip over there as exciting as we could so we took Phantom Canyon, one of the Colorado Scenic Byways from Canon City to Colorado Springs. It was a very nice dirt road that had primative camping spots along the way.
A couple pics from that.
Heading up to Pike's Peak.
And since this is a Jeep forum, I better put some Jeep pics in for good measure.
It started snowing and blowing really hard for about half an hour. The snow didn't stick because it was moving so fast. It was actually blowing UP the side of the mountain.
On the way down.
Pike's Peak was fun. But it can be done in a mini van if you wanted. I was ready to head further west and start putting this new Jeep through some trials. So we packed up and headed over Monarch pass in the middle of the night. Wasn't much fun since there was nothing but pitch blackness and deer to look at. It's damn steep too! Pulling a trailer over some of those highways isn't the same as towing down the interstate.
But we had reservations in Ouray and planned on keeping them. More to come.
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 304
Likes: 2
From: Texas
Once in Ouray, we checked in and got some shuteye. I personally get a kick out of waking up in a new town totally oblivious to the surroundings. It's sorta like Dorothy waking up in Oz.
When I finally got up( I was the first) I looked out our balcony to find this and an awesome view of the mountain sides. It was a good feeling to see such beauty. I knew I was going to like this town.
After getting familiar with our surroundings, we met up with these two old dudes. Roger and Marvin have been wheeling the Colorado area since 1972. Every year when the snow melts enough to allow the dozers over the passes, you'll see Roger and Marvin following behind shortly. They took us under their wing and let us tag along. Like many old dudes, these guys have "been there, done that". And what they lack in youth and speed, they surely make up for with knowledge and skill.
Gotta go for now. Will continue soon.
When I finally got up( I was the first) I looked out our balcony to find this and an awesome view of the mountain sides. It was a good feeling to see such beauty. I knew I was going to like this town.After getting familiar with our surroundings, we met up with these two old dudes. Roger and Marvin have been wheeling the Colorado area since 1972. Every year when the snow melts enough to allow the dozers over the passes, you'll see Roger and Marvin following behind shortly. They took us under their wing and let us tag along. Like many old dudes, these guys have "been there, done that". And what they lack in youth and speed, they surely make up for with knowledge and skill.
Gotta go for now. Will continue soon.
Last edited by owtcast; Jun 25, 2009 at 06:14 PM.
