Vacation, Part II: Springin' to the Springs

(See our trip to Albuquerque here!)

We made it to Colorado Springs just in time for dinner. I couldn't wait to try Coquette's, a fully gluten-free restaurant. They make all their own flour blends from scratch and even supply Whole Foods with GF prodcuts. We all know what a bummer Sunday travels are -- after all, Chick-fil-A is closed! Well, friends, not a single place was open on I-25 through those little NM and CO towns. A cuppa joe was nowhere to be found! I may or may not have been staring at Yelp, salivating over the menu at Coquette's. Bonus: I knew just what I wanted when we arrived!

Appetizer: Truffled French Fries with homemade dill dipping sauce

Jess entrée: Monte Cristo crêpe (ham, swiss, strawberry preserves) with side salad (in-house basil vinaigrette!)

Ty entrée: Cuban Sandwich with side salad

It's not every day you get GF crêpes! 

We stayed in Colorado Springs, just on the border into Manitou Springs. Our location ended up being perfect, as we had easy access both to Pike's Peak and the downtown Co Springs area (5-10 minutes either direction). The breakfast at the hotel was basically bread, bread, and more bread. I had the gluten-free options of banana or boiled egg both mornings. Thank goodness I had come prepared with my own snacks and a list of local juice bars to try! We stayed two nights with a dog for exactly $100, so I really can't complain!

Monday morning we set off to hike the infamous Barr Trail at Pike's Peak. No, not all 11.8 miles one way! We parked at the trailhead in Manitou Springs (elevation 6,320 feet) and began our steep hike. We hiked the two-mile ascent and then ran down the return trip. The average grade of this hike is 11.2%! I don't know the exact stats on our four-mile trip, but it was tough! Let's just say I was thanking my little stars I wasn't crazy enough to sign up for the Pike's Peak Marathon!

Ty stuck his hand in a cactus while taking the above photo.

Extreme photo-taking!

Brooklyn did great! She carried our snacks and waters like a champ! We had one unpleasant incident with another dog (off-leash) corning us and starting a scuffle. I have no problem with other dogs -- even off-leash when they're well-behaved -- but I have a bone to pick with clueless owners who just assume their dog is friendly and will listen in a high-distraction situation. Neither dog was hurt, but it definitely fueled a lot of fear in Brooklyn, as we noticed on later hikes.

On the run!

Priceless view!

After some post-run refuel from Nourish juice and smoothie bar (I had a Lean and Lovely, Ty had a Chocolate River), we hit the road for a quick trip to Whit's End. I grew up listening to Adventures in Odyssey (let's be honest, I still listen), so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Whit's End while we were in town!

I sent about twenty pictures to my friend, Sia, and she geeked out along with me!

The lady at the front told me the best way to get to Whit's End was down the hall, up the stairs, and down the three-story slide. I didn't argue, but I was about 15 years older than everyone else in the slide line...

The employee at the bottom of the slide was a little surprised when I came down. I have no regrets.

All the theming was so well done! It's all in the details!

Soda Fountain!

Neither Ty nor I ever really suffered from altitude sickness, but we were both incredibly tired Monday afternoon. We listened to our bodies and just lounged around the hotel and ordered Chipotle take-out for dinner. Eventually we ventured out for an ice-cream run at Josh and John's Natural Ice Cream, a Colorado Springs staple. I had the best ice cream sundae of my life! 

Lots of GF flavors!

On Tuesday, we had one item of business in Colorado Springs before heading to Ridgway. We left early to fish and run at Crystal Creek Reservoir, which is located on Pike's Peak. The reservoir sits at 9,230 feet, and we drove through parts closer to 10,000.

The reservoir had a few running trails marked, but the majority of our run was on undeveloped trails through woods. I was grateful for the giant lake, because it kept me from getting lost!

This was one of the most gorgeous runs I have ever been on, but I really felt the altitude! I've never had a more difficult time running three miles! I don't think it phased Brooklyn at all. She was in Weimaraner Heaven.

Out of breath at nearly 10,000 feet!

So peaceful!

My fisherman!

After our gorgeous morning, we packed up at the hotel and hit the road to Ridgway. We really enjoyed our time in Colorado Springs. It was not originally on our itinerary, but we added it when we realized we had some extra cushion time between Albuquerque and Ridgway. It ended up being the perfect amount of time and change of scenery. Colorado and Manitou Springs are very unique cities. It seemed they were flocked with fitness fiends (the Olympic training center is in Co Springs) and hiker hippies. We saw a large number of tourists, homeless, and hitchhikers, though in actuality they may have been "homeless" by choice. Wanderlust is a very real thing in Colorado Springs! It's a tourist hotspot and must-see, for good reason -- the sights are breathtaking! Gorgeousness notwithstanding, we were ready for Ridgway, Population 932. Stay tuned!