After gathering everyone off the rocks at Garden of the Gods, we headed for our next adventure - Pike's Peak, and the drive to the summit - something we've always wanted to do. 

The first time we tried, we were in our old 28 ft motorhome, and even though the road up the mountain was open, it hadn't been paved yet, and was rough with potholes of melting snow. We made it up to almost 12,000' before the lack of oxygen and the steep, narrow road finally got to me, and Jan did a 30 point turn on a hairpin curve, and we went down again. 

The second time we went there, many years later, but also in spring, the road was still closed due to snow. So we were hoping the third time would be the charm! It certainly looked hopeful - it was a clear blue sky - no storms up top today.

At the ticket booth they said the road was currently open to mile 12, but it would probably open further later in the day. So we took our time making our way up to Crystal Reservoir, and stopped there to make breakfast, with the mountain rising snow-capped in the morning sun.

              "Are we going all the way up there?!?"    "I hope so!"                   

We reached mile 12 just as the orange traffic cones were being removed - the road was open! So on we went. I was excited, both at the prospect of finally going to the top, and anxious about the altitude. I'd always thought Pike's Peak was 12,000', and I've managed that for short periods several times before, but I had just learned that the mountain was actually over 14,000'.  For someone who starts to get altitude sickness at 7,000', that was quite a bit higher than expected. 

Soon we were above the tree line, but then we found ourselves in a 'traffic jam'. All the vehicles were stuck up around a hairpin curve. No one could move. Then a truck came down from the top, removed the orange traffic cones, and declared the road open to the top. So here we go!!

The road became even narrower as it switchbacked up the mountain, with 10 mph hairpin curves, and no guard rails. With drop-offs on my side, it was like looking down out of an airplane!

I tried to focus on the rock wall side and not look down out my window as we crawled our way around the hairpin curves, climbing ever higher. The road crested over the top of the ridge, and continued on the other side just below the crest of the mountain.....

At 12,000' we pulled over to take in the view. All the guys went out to take a look around. 

I was seriously light-headed - up here the oxygen level was down to just 40% - and fighting the anxiety. We considered turning back, but my sense of adventure won out and we went on....

This last part of the road had just been paved two years ago, and all the wooden stakes holding down the ground-cover were still visible.   

 Then we rounded one last curve, and suddanly we were at the top! The guys piled out, and Jan tried to get Owen and Efreet to pose on the sign, but the ledge wasn't big enough to hold them...

Highest dolls in the world.....

This post wouldn't be complete without a thank-you to Jan, for taking the dolls out and posing them for me so I could take photos out my window. The Pike's Peak Highway is the highest passenger road in the world, and I was really having major issues with the altitude. So, thank you Jan!  

Efreet and Owen thank Jan too - without him they'd never have been in any pictures to prove to people that they'd actually been up there.  After all, how many dolls get to climb mountains?

Having been to the top and knowing now where the road winds up, I could actually see it from miles away. So just for interest sake, I've tried to enlarge a section of the mountain to get a clearer view. The road switchbacks up the snowy slope on the right, surmounts the ridge to 12,000', then continues along just below the other side of the crest towards the peak on the left....

Next morning we woke to a clear blue sky without a cloud in sight. After three days of heavy storm clouds obscuring the mountain tops it was a nice change. First destination was Garden of the Gods again. It's most beautiful very early on a sunny day, as in this classic view of the red fins framing snow-covered Pike's Peak in the distance.....

We parked near the Balanced Rock, and let the kids get out and explore. 
Efreet immediately started to climb up the rocks..

   The girls were just as nimble on the rocks...               ........as Owen took pictures......

We loved the red rocks so much, they made us miss the red rocks of the US Southwest, especially Arches National Park. So we've decided we have time to add it into our trip. Yay!

After the Botanical Gardens, we left Denver and headed south to Colorado Springs. We love the Garden of the Gods with it's huge red fins and rock formations nestled at the base of the mountains. We made dinner there, and everyone had a chance to relax...and watch the sunset...

I've started the first trip album, and will be updating it daily, after some of the photos from each photography session are posted here. So for more pictures, you can check out the albums.

This past summer I discovered that the Denver Botanical Gardens was hosting a Dale Chihuly Exhibit for much of the year. I love his work. We were lucky enough to have seen his glass exhibit at the Phoenix Botanical Gardens in the spring of 2009 as we crossed the US on our road trip to California. So, even though I'm not at all a fan of navigating big cities - the Botanical Gardens are right in a residential area in downtown Denver - we just had to take advantage of the opportunity.

The drive into the city wasn't even that bad, and even though it was supposed to rain, the sun did come out for a little while - the real one, shining on the big red glass one......

The garden has very strict photography restrictions, so I only brought along Bonnie and Peach. I figured Bonnie is my little artist, so she would appreciate it most......

It was amazing seeing the glass set in amongst the flowers. 

My favourite displays in Phoenix were the 'float boats', which were gorgeous set in among the rocks and cacti there, but here in Denver they were actually set up in the water....

 I didn't manage to take many photos with the girls, as it quickly got crowded, and I'm not that comfortable taking doll photos when there's lots of people around. But they loved what they saw.

Heading into the Rockies, we decided to go the scenic route south from Laramie. It had been pouring rain all night down on the plains, and it was very cold - just above freezing - so we were expecting more snow at the higher altitudes. The plan was to weave our way through the mountains and see if the west entrance to Rocky Mountain Park was still open. We expected it wouldn't be, so wanted to take advantage of as many high mountain passes as possible, just in case. High at Cameron Pass, everything was covered with a fresh layer of snow.....

Leona took the two little ones out for a walk in the snow.....

As the road descended from Cameron Pass, we encountered vast stands of yellow aspen 
covered in snow....which added a bit of colour to an otherwise 'black and white' landscape....

As it turned out, we were right about Rocky Mountain National Park - the high mountain road was 
closed due to the snow. So we continued down out of the Rockies, towards Denver.

Driving across the US, our first destination was the Snowy Ridge Mountain Scenic Byway along the borders of Southern Wyoming and Northern Colorado. We'd taken it once before, and it's a spectacular drive high through the mountains. But as we approached, the sky darkened, and it started to rain. At the higher elevations (over 10,000') it was snowing - and not just snowing, but a veritable blizzard. Even so, Bonnie and Owen decided to brave the conditions and venture outside

It got pretty wild, and they were caked in snow in no time, so they came in and dried off, and we went on to Marie Lake. There it was just drizzling, so Peach and Bonnie went out to have a look....

We love this scenic road. It's totally untamed wilderness, and not swarming with tourists - in fact it was pretty much deserted that afternoon, and we only saw two other people actually out of their cars. I had had all kinds of plans for the dolls to be hiking in the wilderness there, but with the snow, drizzle, and then heavy rain, it just wasn't possible.........so maybe next time......

We finally got home late the other day. Everyone was so happy to see each other again! 
After all, three weeks is a long time to miss your best friends.

Of course everyone wanted to hear all about the trip. For the most part, it went very well. We drove almost 12,000 km, and saw and visited a lot of different places, including some old favourites and several brand new ones. As always, weather was an uncertainty, so some of the places we had wanted to go were not possible. Some were closed due to snow. So some of the doll adventures I had wanted to photograph never happened.

Even so, the dolls had lots of interesting adventures, and I'm busy processing the photos so we can share them.

Well, we are finally heading in the direction of home. I hope everyone back home had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! We spent yesterday exploring Carlsbad Caverns. What a place! This morning we are crossing the Texas panhandle - oil fields, and cotton fields as far as the eye can see. 

Can't wait to get home and share pictures!

(The original message I typed while away, never showed up, but when I got home and into Weebly, it was actually still there. Seems Weebly made some new 'improvements' again, so maybe that has something to do with it. Anyways, the original message is now here)

This morning,after spending two days in and around Moab Utah, we are back in Colorado heading south. After seeing the handful of red rock formations in Colorado Springs, we both wanted to visit Arches National Park in Utah, and since we had several days to spare, we decided to go.

But that was after a successful trip to the top of Pike's Peak. Thursday we woke to a clear blue sky and bright sunshine. All the storm clouds hanging over the mountains were gone, and thePike's Peak website said the road was open. So we went. At the entry station, they said the road was open to mile marker 12 , and would probably open further later in the day. So on we went, stopping for breakfast at Crystal Reservoir with the glorious mountain reflected in the lake. When we ached the ski chalet, the orange traffic cones were being gathered up - the road further was being opened up. Excited, both from the prospect of continuing on, and the anxiety of dealing with the high elevations, we followed the line-up of cars up the snow-covered hairpin curves. Before long we came across another traffic pile-up - on a high curve. But then a snowplow came down, and removed the traffic cones, and declared the road open to the top!

It's a hair-raising drive, at ten or fifteen mph on steep roads with hairpin curves, and no guard rails at all. By twelve thousand feet we pulled over to get used to the lack of oxygen. It's just 40 percent at that altitude. I was fighting panic attacks, but managed to calm down, and curiosity and a sense of adventure finally got the best of me, and on we went - right to the top, at 14,100 feet! What a view! it was like the dead of winter up there. Jan got out, along with Efreet and Owen, but I stayed nicely planted in my seat. I was too light-headed to move - other than snap a few photos from the vehicle.

Yesterday we explored Arches National Park. It' one of my very favorite places in the entire US Southwest. My doll family enjoyed it too. Leona and the girls went bike riding, Owen took the kids on a hike to an arch, and they all enjoyed the scenery very much. Sorry, but there won't be pictures until we get back home......

Well, back to the RV......time to get traveling again.......