Cripple Creek, CO

We have had a fantastic rest day! It started out with no alarms (the best kind of day), and all of us naturally waking up early enough to still get a jump start on the morning. We got ready, packed up the RV and went out in search of breakfast before hitting up Garden of the Gods.

We ended up at Bonton's Cafe, a lovely little restaurant in historic Colorado City. It was gorgeous weather, and we got a shaded table on the lively patio. I tend to order eggs benedict wherever I can find them, and Bonton's obliged today.

Chris opted for the breakfast burrito. Whenever you are eating at restaurants with a southwestern edge, they will usually serve any type of burrito smothered with green chili and melted cheddar cheese. Both of our plates were excellent! And all that food held us over until dinner.




Right up the road was Garden of the Gods, and we went exploring. It was beautiful, and it's hard to even imagine the circumstances that could have led to such rock formations (in varying colors) being plopped in the middle of a green valley in Colorado. We went on a very short hike, then drove around to see the rest of it.

August loves his deluxe digs when we're hiking.
















When we were finished there we opted to skip driving up Pikes Peak (the railway tours were booked solid) and the Air Force Academy, and instead push on to Cripple Creek where to plan to stay the night and see what kind of fun we could find here. Cripple Creek's main claim to fame is that it was the site of a major gold rush back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. At the time the town's population was 25,000 and it was almost designated as the capital of Colorado in fact. Today the population is around 1,500, and tourism/casinos and a much smaller amount of mining seem to comprise most of the economy here.

Immediately upon coming into town, we decided to hop on the steam locomotive train tour. It was a nice little diversion and a good way to see the town, remnants of old mines, and an interesting currently active mine.

August had fun climbing on the train benches and interacting with the other passengers. By the time we got off of the train it was raining and hailing, but not too bad. We took that as a sign we should go find a park for the RV for the night, and try to get Auggie his much needed nap.

We aren't normally big on casinos, but we are today since they provide free shuttle service anywhere in town. We took one to stroll around town and visit The Creek Variety & Candy Shop. Everyone had told us how good it was, and we were glad we went. So many different kinds of candy, and an unbelievable selection of homemade stuff. I chose a bavarian cream chocolate, Chris got a turtle, and we got a little fudge to share. It's a good thing there's not a candy shop that delicious near where we live!

Chris is back on the road tomorrow and we are hoping he doesn't get caught in the afternoon thunderstorms that are really common at this altitude.