Day 24-July 29, 2017-RV Repair, Laundry, Garden of the Gods, Wine
Rained most of the day and cool-high only got to 73 and then down to 60 by 6PM
We got home from the game last night about 11:15 and we were really quiet coming in because the sites are close and it was late. We noticed that the site next to us now had an RV on it. Just as we were getting into bed we heard a car pull up next door, people get out, shouting, laughing, carrying on like it was the middle of the day. A couple of little kids were playing in the road outside our site until after 12:30 being really loud. Very rude people. And we were tired, it really felt like 1:30 to us because of the time change. They finally shut up but, needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep. They left today, thank you very much. At 8AM we got a phone call from one of the RV repair men saying they’d be here in an hour. Seems the whole slide problem was caused by the awning that we just had installed a few weeks ago. They installed it in the wrong place and it was catching on the awning that goes over the slide and damaged it so much it was useless. So they took the awning over the slide off and hopefully we’ll get it replaced when we get home. At least they came early and we got the problem solved and can now get on with our day. The rest of the morning was spent doing laundry. After lunch we went to the Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame. Interesting museum with everything you ever wanted to know about rodeos from when they first started in the late 1860’s to the present day. They had a very informative video and we learned a lot such as rodeos were started in the 1860s after the civil war. There were a lot of longhorn cattle that needed to be driven across the country and the cowboys who drove them would let off steam during their down times by having contests of their skills. This eventually morphed into rodeos. Also learned that there are 2 judges in each event and that half the score is for the animal and half for the cowboy. Some animals are just as famous as the cowboys. Lots of exhibits, clowns, judges, historic and modern gear and clothes. A Hall of Champions with trophies and prizes won. Bronze statues all over the building, inside and out in the gardens and corral area. A huge statue of a cowboy in the garden and a beautiful bigger than life statue of Casey Tibbs, 9 times world champion and the horse “Necktie” in the front parking lot. An entire room devoted to ladies barrel racing and cowgirls. Was really raining when we left but it cleared up long enough for us to enjoy the Garden of the Gods. At the base of Pikes Peak where the Great Plains meet the Rockies it’s comprised of red sandstone formations with different shapes and textures. We took the 6-mile drive through beautiful vistas and rock formations with many stops along the way with trails and photo op points. You can rent a horse, Segway, bike or get on the trolley to go through it also. We stopped at the trading post, mostly a gift shop and café. Only 2 miles away is the historic town of Manitou Springs, a mix of old and new shops and tourist traps. There are 7 naturally carbonated mineral springs in Manitou Springs, two right in town below the popcorn store. Quaint little resort town with pretty painted homes scattered among old buildings all on a steep hillside. Stopped in D’Vine Winery for a glass then walked around town for a bit but it was really raining and crowded so we decided we’d try to get back another day. Only 4 miles back to the campground, it really is convenient to everything.