Day 6: Thursday, August 7,
Breakfast at the Strater, where I ate blueberry biscuits and a strawberry yogurt.
Have your luggage outside your door by 6:15 A.M. because we have to catch the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, Chama, New Mexico.
We traveled through several towns in Colorado into New Mexico.
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| We saw Hot Air Balloons in the air. |
We arrived around 9:15 A.M., walked through the depot gift shop where I bought a pair of sunglasses, and spent $16.00.
Everyone boarded the train, and we boarded coach F19.
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| Engine Cumbres & Toltec RR |
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| Ticket Collector |
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| Cumbres & Toltec RR |
Everyone on the coach in front of us had to get off because the coach would not connect. They disconnected the car and replaced it with another. That one would not work, so they tried another one. We were about one hour late getting started.
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| Cumbres & Toltec RR |
Finally, we were off. We stopped midway to fill the steam engine with water. We saw a beautiful county along the way.
There was a hot buffet awaiting us when we arrived in Antonito, CO.
I ordered Brisket, mac & cheese, corn, salad, roll, and peach cobbler topped with Cool Whip.
When we finished eating, we walked to the old 1880 Historic Depot, where historic markers were telling about the history.
The train turned around and we headed back, getting off at the Cumbras Pass where a bus was waiting for us.
We headed to the Fairfield Inn in Almosa, Room 317.
The travel lady and Bryan bought several Domino's pizzas, sodas, cookies, and veggies for everyone for dinner.
After dinner, Hubby and I walked to the nearby Walmart for Mt. Dew, snacks, and a couple of T-shirts. We spent $27.28.
We are staying one night and on the road again tomorrow.
927-928 Breakfast at Strater Hotel 5:15-6:01 A.M.
929-956 Travel Pagosa, CO 8:05-8:12 A.M.
959-988 Train Depot & Ride Cumbrus and Totlec RR, Chama, NM, 8:49-10:33 A.M.
990-1041 Cumbrus & Totlec RR Antonito, Co 11:40-4:416 P.M.
Big Camera
2538-2559 Travel to Chama, NM
2569-2687 Cumbres & Toltec RR from Chama, NM
2688-2800 Cumbres & Toltec to Antonito, CO
Before breakfast, I walked around the hotel taking pictures.
Breakfast was Greek yogurt and blueberry biscuits
at Fairfield Inn, Alamosa, CO. Room 316
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| Fairfield Inn |
We loaded onto the bus around 8:00 A.M.
We rode through several towns to Manitou Springs.
We stopped at Curerno Verda Rest Area to use the restroom and walk around, taking pictures.
Around 11 A.M., we stopped at the Garden of the Gods Trading Post, where we ate lunch.
Hubby and I shared a Mushroom Swiss Bison cheeseburger with fries, and spent $20.11
I also bought a US map of Native Americans and a Huckberry Chocolate bar, spending $16.33.
I walked outside and took pictures of hummingbirds and butterflies.
We loaded back onto the bus and headed to the
Garden of the Gods Museum and Visitor Center. We toured the museum & park. Several of us walked down where we saw a deer resting and took pictures.
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| Standing next to Balance Rock |
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| Hubby and Guide |
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| Garden of the Gods Trading Post |
We loaded onto the bus, and our guide Queen joined us. She gave us information about the formations of the different rocks. We stopped so everyone could walk to the top of Balance Rock for a photo.
We made another stop where we could hike through the rocks. Took several photos. Loaded back onto the bus, we dropped our guide.
We headed to Manitou Springs to the Cliff House, room 316, where we will stay two nights.
Took a hot bath in the jacuzzi, then we went to dinner.
We enjoyed a farewell dinner of a salad, steak, salmon, creamed potatoes, green beans, carrots, and cheesecake.
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| The Jacuzzi in our room |
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| Salad |
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| Steak, Carrots, greenbeans, creamed potatoes |
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| Salmon, carrots, greenbeans, creamed potatoes |
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| Carrot cake |
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| Farewall Dinner our driver Mitch and guide Bryan |
After dinner, I walked downtown, checking out the nightlife.
Wrote in the journal and went to bed.
1042-1045 Towns of Alamosa, CO 4:17-5;28 A.M.
1053-1063 Sunrise Fairfield Inn Alamosa, CO 6:16-6:24 A.M.
1074-1104 Travel Blanca, Fort Gains, Walsenburg, CO 8:22-10:01 A.M.
1105-1121 Cerno Verde Rest Area Colorado City 9:48-10:01 A.M.
1123-1129 Travel Runyon Field, Pueblo, CO 10:36
1132-1164 Garden of the Gods Trading Post Manitou Springs 2"14-3:40 P.M.
1165-1208 Garden of the Gods Visitor Center & Museum 1:01-1:59 P.M.
1209-1282 Garden of the Gods 2:14-3:40 P.M.
1284-13553 Town of Manitou Springs 4:10-8:22 P.M
Big Camera
2805-2818 Travel Alamosa, CO
2827-2843 Travel Colorado Springs, CO
2855-2912 Garden of Gods Trading Post
2913-3010 Garden of the Gods and Museum
Day 8: Saturday, August 9,
Cliff House room # 316
Breakfast: croissant, chocolate, raspberry, blueberries & cranberry juice, yogurt, and water around 6:30
After breakfast, we rode the bus to the terminal to take the Pikes Peak Cog up the mountain at 8 A.M.
It took about an hour to travel up the mountain.
We visited the gift shop and museum.
Walked outside and took a few pictures.
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| Pikes Peak |
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| Pikes Peak |
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| Pikes Peak |
Loaded back onto the bus and rode back to the hotel.
We ate lunch at Cliff House Bar and Grill.
I ordered fish and chips.
Hubby ordered a hamburger, fries, salad, and Coke.
When we finished, we walked around the town of Manitou.
We stopped at Pikes Peak Ice cream & chocolate for a Reese's peanut butter cup waffle cone ice cream.
There were several other members of our group there.
We stopped at Mountain Man Knife Store, bought 10 postcards, and spent $6.
I came back to the hotel and took a nap.
Ate cheese and pretzels for dinner.
Walking around downtown Manitou
Worked on pictures and journal
Went to bed early.
1356-1358 Breakfast at Cliff House @6:48-7:20 A.M.
1360-1381 @ 9:52-11:54 Pikes Peak gift shop and museum
1386-1398 @12:04-12:09 traveling through Manitou
1399 @1:07 P.M. lunch@ Cliff House Bar and Grill
1400-1465 town of Manitou Springs @1:32-2:29 P.M.
3015-3053 Pikes Peak Colorado Springs, CO
3055-3128 Town of Manitou, Co
DAY 9: Sunday, August 10,
Breakfast at Cliff House, room 316
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| The Cliff House where we stayed two nights |
Peach yogurt with raspberries and blueberries, a chocolate croissant, and water.
We came back to the room and worked on the journal.
Set our luggage outside our door and walked downstairs.
Hubby went outside and talked, and I walked around the downtown area taking pictures.
Our flight is at 2:05 P.M., Flight WN557, Denver to Nashville on Southwest Airlines.
We loaded onto the bus and rode to the airport. Everyone followed our leader, who was holding the American Flag, after everyone had gone through security. We went down two sets of escalators and took the tram to our gate. Which was changed 4 times before we arrived. Gate C42
We had enough time for lunch. I ordered a mango parfait, spent $12.47, and Hubby bought a hamburger and fries at The Silver Bullet Sports Bar, paid $25.12.
We have arrived in Nashville at 5:35 P.M.
We had a bus waiting for us with a still two-hour ride home.
We dropped off the Lawrenceburg people, and the bus took the rest of us to Florence.
I ran inside Walmart for a few items, and it was dark when we headed home.
1470-1560 Town of Manitou Springs 8:19-9:39
1561-1572- Travel to Airport 10:03-10:28 A.M.
1574-1590 Southwest Flight WN557 Den-BNA 2:11-5:28 P.M.
