Colorado Trip Part two Day 6-10 2025 with the Travel Lady Tours Lawrenceburg, TN

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.

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.

  Engine Cumbres & Toltec RR

Ticket Collector 

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. 

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 

Day 7: Friday, August 8

Before breakfast, I walked around the hotel taking pictures. 

Breakfast was Greek yogurt and blueberry biscuits 

at Fairfield Inn, Alamosa, CO. Room 316

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. 

Standing next to Balance Rock

Hubby and Guide 

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. 

    

The Jacuzzi in our room 

Salad

Steak, Carrots, greenbeans, creamed potatoes

Salmon, carrots, greenbeans, creamed potatoes

Carrot cake 

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. 

Pikes Peak 

Pikes Peak 

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

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.

2024 May 20, 21, 29, Sites we took AVA

Ava in a Space Suite 

 2024 May 20, Monday, Trip to Space and Rocket Center 

Today, we rode to Huntsville to the Space and Rocket Center 

We took Ava, and she loves museums.

We saw Science on Orbit and Space Craze. Your mission begins here, Huntsville, Rocket City, Home of the USA's Redstone Arsenal. There were games to play, rides, a space shuttle, rockets, helicopters, planes, and pictures of every astronaut who has flown in a rocket or shuttle. There was a lot of construction, and many visitors were not allowed to enter the area.

Ava got inside one of the modules, where you had to lie down with your feet propped above your head. We looked inside "Ch-47D Chinook Helicopter. Two soldiers were guarding the shuttle(they were statues)

We saw Saturn's Brain and steering. Several school groups were present, and we met a family from Sweden.  

 

We ate lunch at Culvert in Madison.

We were going to Cracker Barrel but got caught by a train, so we turned around and went to Culvert. 

My Hubby and I shared a three-piece, hand-cut, hand-battered fried cod meal with onion rings and Coleslaw. We also have the yogurt Snickers swirl, which is the day's flavor.

We ordered a kid's chicken fingers meal with fries and a drink for Ava.

She also ordered one scoop of chocolate yogurt, but was brought the Snickers Swirl, which she would not try.

So, Hubby ate hers, and we bought her a chocolate yogurt 

They also forgot that our coleslaw was out of stock, and we had to go to the counter to get one. They were out of coleslaw 

I guess they didn't want to go back to find more

They had a new employee. Everyone was ready for bed that night. 

Ava and the Space Shuttle 

2024 May 21, today we took Ava to the Muscle Shoals Municipal Court Building, Spring Park, and the Tuscumbia Train Depot  

To see the TVA display and learn about Muscle Shoals.

We saw cicadas covering all the Crapes Myrtle trees.

Inside, I met a city worker from Muscle Shoals, and we discussed the area's history. He told me there were graves of American Indians with stone markers, and you cannot read the names. He said there were graves all over the shoals that were unclaimed and destroyed. He said I had worked here for years before I took the time to read all the history here. He said I didn't care much for history growing up, but he knew a great deal about the area. He said he and another worker had to fix the sewage off the cliffs he supervised once. Someone else went over the cliffs. He said that he found old bottles dating back to the 1800s. He gave one to him and said I am going back to collect the rest.

Upon entering the Municipal building, you will see a Chandler four or five-arched gateway leading to and inside the museum area. 

Inside the Museum, we saw Welcome to "Pathways…A Walk through the History of Muscle Shoals."

Explore these exhibits and discover a city rich in history.

See original artifacts from the real estate boom when Henry Ford said he would "employ one million workers and build a city 75 miles wide," to when Muscle Shoals was known as "The Hit Recording Capital of the World."

Muscle Shoals has become one of the most progressive cities in Alabama, a place where thousands call home.

Ava and Hubby at  Muscle Shoals Municipal Court Building

History of FAME Recording Studios and its owner, Rick Hall. 

A light pole with street signs of Wilson Dam Highway and Sheridan Avenue. 

Cases full of the History of Muscle Shoals, the first Mayor of Muscle Shoals, George Lewis McBride, and his wife, Susie. 

Pictures of President Roosevelt and Eleanor hang on the walls.  

There was a lot of information about the TVA Wilson Dam building. We walked outside, and the Crape Myrtles were covered in Cicadas. 

Ava in the Little Red Caboose 

After we left Muscle Shoals, we went to the Tuscumbia Train Depot. 

Paid five dollars each to go inside 

The curator shared the history of the depot with us.

They had the original carriage that Helen Keller rode in as a child 

We walked around outside, looking at all the train cars. 

Next, we rode to Spring Park. 

The water was turned off going to the waterfall

So there was no fresh water entering the spring 

There were a few ducks and geese in the water 

It was lunchtime, so we rode back to Florence and ate lunch at Cracker Barrel.

Ava ordered Confetti pancakes with bacon.

Ava ordered confetti pancakes with bacon and a doctor pepper to drink 

I ordered grilled chicken fingers with pinto beans, a slice of onion, cornbread, chow chow, and iced tea 

Hubby ordered steak, eggs, and hash browns with biscuits and iced tea to drink

Hubby bought two large chocolate chunk candy bars 

2024 May 29, Wednesday, McFarland Park took AVA 

Today, we rode to McFarland Park to let Ava play on the playground 

I listen to bird sounds 

We got our B12 shots and paid the utilities 

We rode to Sheffield to pick up our monthly check

We rode to Champy's for lunch

Hubby and I split a Catfish meal

Of the 4 pieces of Catfish fries, Hush Puppies, and coleslaw, I ordered 2 chicken finger meals with fries. 

We rode to Aldies for a few groceries 

Then we headed home 

Catfish, fries, slaw, onion, and Hushpuppy

Ava at Champy's