good-times-rollin

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Narrow, Twisty and Fun!

Garden of the Gods RVC Outdoor Destinations
Colorado Springs, CO
July 6, 2014

Narrow, twisty and fun...Schubarth Loop is all that and more.

Not far from Colorado Springs it's a great moderate 4X4 trail in the Pike National Forest.

From Hwy 24, to get to the main trail, you first travel thru a meadow with private roads and land on both sides.

Its quite beautiful and peaceful...

We also passed thru an aspen regeneration area monitored by the Air Force Natural Resources Dept. These quaking aspen need full sunlight to thrive so logging trucks have cleared areas (mimicking natural disasters like fire, windstorms and other disturbances) for seedlings to grow. The areas are fenced in to keep deer and elk out, but fences will be removed as the trees mature. I'm not sure how many acres were cleared in 2000 and 2002, but the sign states that there are as many as 13,000 new seedlings per acre.

Narrow was fun...lots of "woohoo"s here.

Ronnie, Carol and Shannon squeezing thru the rocks.

Twisty was fun too...tummy tickles here!

Jade twists thru the turns.

Air Force Academy from the overlook

The views were impressive at the overlook.

We found some areas had washed and had deep ruts. Even that adds a bit of excitement!

The rocks...huge outcroppings all along the way.

Rocks make a nice backdrop.

I had my first "up close" with a Columbine on this trail. What a beauty...

And our only wildlife for the day...

Turkey Vultures

We thought this was a great 13.7 mile loop. It is family and pet friendly with lots of places to stop for pictures, climbing, or for a picnic.

Shannon and Cooper...

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Colorado Springs is expecting thunderstorms and much cooler temps in the next few days. We are hoping to get a couple more hikes and maybe another trail ride in this week. Think sunshine!

So until next time,

happy trails!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Enjoying Garden of the Gods Park

Garden of the Gods RVC Outdoor Destinations
Colorado Springs, CO
July 12, 2014

When trying to decide on a place to stay in Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods RVC Outdoor Destinations was at the top of the list. Why? Well, we have stayed at RVC Outdoor Destinations in Freeport, FL, Carrabelle Beach, FL and Pine Mountain, GA and enjoyed all three. So giving Garden of the Gods a try was really a no brainer. GotGs RV Resort was purchased by RVC Outdoor Destinations in 2012. It is undergoing a transformation. Some things have been a disappointment for us like the close proximity of sites on the "C" row where we are and we think some fresh gravel would help make it look and feel nicer. There are some sections in this park of 173 sites plus lots of tent camping and lodges, that are new...like the executive sites. But they are not for monthly stays. The pools (2) are new and the laundry rooms (2) are big and up to date. There are lots and LOTS of families here on vacation as there are not any other nicer places to stay here in Colorado Springs. We have checked! The cottonwood trees here are huge...so huge in fact for the first time in 2 years, we have had to use our tailgater for satellite reception. But we are not complaining about that as we do love the shade...lots of shade! The absolute best thing about Garden of the Gods RVC Outdoor Destinations is the location. Historic Manitou Springs is just a short walk (or bike ride) on the Midland Trail if you turn right out of the park and Historic Downtown Co Springs is the same if you go left out of the park. Both have lots of cute boutiques and offer a variety of restaurants for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Also, my favorite is that Garden of the Gods Park is only 5 minutes away by car. We have enjoyed lots of walks/hikes there. After having spent time in Utah, I wasn't sure if Garden of the Gods would have any appeal. I was pleasantly surprised. There are sidewalks as well as lots of trails to choose from.

Our first morning there and first sighting of wildlife!