A classic view of Pike's Peak as seen from Pike's Peak and Tejon Streets in downtown Colorado Springs, the morning of 9 June 2007.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Pike's Peak - Summit Panorama 1
View from the top of Pike's Peak the morning of Saturday 9 June 2007.
Pike's Peak - Buddy and Bertie at the Summit
My teddy bears, Buddy and Bertie, enjoy the view at 14,110 feet.
Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway
Railroad engine once used to pull cars to the top of Pike's Peak, now located next to the cog railway station in Manitou Springs.Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Manitou Springs - Pano 1
Manitou Springs, CO, at the foot of Pikes Peak. Photos taken 9 June 2007. This is a view of Manitou Avenue, the main street. I wanted to combine it with the following Pano, but it was too big to upload.
Manitou - Pano 2
Manitou Avenue, with motorcycles in the foreground and the historic Barker House in the background on the left. For some reason, an entire pack of motorcyclists converged on Manitou the day I was there. My friends tell me it's a favorite meeting place for bikers all over the country -- not Sturgis, but very popular.
Manitou Springs - Bridge Next to Penny Arcade
Cold mountain streams, descending from the snow melt on Pike's Peak, once made Manitou Springs a popular summer resort where one could take the "water cure" by drinking mineral waters, which also bubble up from beneath the ground. Seen in the background is the Manitou Penny Arcade, built over a stream and near the mineral fountains.
The sound of water constantly falling and flowing does indeed give the place a cool and magical spirit -- one can understand why the native tribes called it "Manitou." Like the ancient Celts, the Utes and Cheyenne recognized wells as sacred places, where the energy of the earth rises and gives life.
In the summer, the reason for gathering here was even more practical -- travelling up the side of Pike's Peak was a form of natural air conditioning. As one climbs toward timberline, the temperature drops dramatically, and the snow cap on top rarely melts completely. It was the only real ice cream parlor for hundreds of miles around!
Manitou Springs - Manitou Avenue Looking NW
This is Manitou Avenue, the main strip in downtown Manitou Springs, CO, looking northwest toward the foot of Pike's Peak. Note the billboard in the distance, advertising Santa Claus' North Pole (a local tourist attraction, open all year round). This photo was taken in early June.
Manitou Springs - Barker House
Manitou Springs became a popular summer resort as early as 1877, and the Historic Barker House (seen in the background of this photo) has been around since 1881. People used to stay there while taking the "water cure" at the nearby mineral springs. Today, the Barker House is an apartment complex for senior living, with some bistros and shops on the first floor.See: http://www.experiencecoloradosprings.com/travel.asp?pageid=17%7C57%7C113%7C158
Manitou Springs - Manitou Avenue 2
Examples of gentrified and recently refurbished shops lining Manitou Avenue ("downtown" Manitou) at about the 800 block. This is looking southeastwards, away from the mountains. When followed in this direction, Manitou Avenue leads to Old Colorado City, the west side of Colorado Springs.
The building in the background is the Historic Barker House, now the home of PJ's Bistro, at 819 Manitou Ave. See the dining guide: http://www.manitousprings.org/dining.htm
Manitou Springs - The Thymekeeper 2
Located at 2 Ruxton Avenue, the intersection of Ruxton and Manitou Avenue, this small gift shop embodies the Earth Magick-Pagan-Hippy Boutique culture of the town, which has long been a favorite hiding place for refugees from the 1960s. Thymekeeper has its own website:
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Manitou Springs - Patsy's Salt Water Taffy
The following photographs were taken on the afternoon of June 9, 2007, after a trip to the summit of Pike's Peak on the cog railway, which begins in Manitou Springs. Having disembarked from the train, I walked into Manitou and made a bee-line for the Penny Arcade, one of my favorite places on earth. I remember the arcade fondly from my childhood. Many of the places, rides and games shown here have not changed in the past 30 years! It is a timeless and magical place.
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