Tag Archive | Rocky Mountains

Seven Falls

Aug23

Colorado Springs, CO

040

Seven Falls is a towering waterfall located in Colorado Springs just a few miles from the Broadmoor Hotel. It is actually not “seven” falls as the name indicates – but one continuous waterfall that flows over seven granite plateaus. This beautiful waterfall is located at the end of a natural box canyon and is flanked by pink granite walls called the Pillars of Hercules that rise 1250 feet above you. The views here are quite impressive!

043

The best way to get to Seven Falls is from the Broadmoor Hotel (due to parking and GPS issues that can be a nightmare). Admission tickets can be purchased inside the hotel for $14 and then you simply catch one of their private shuttles that drops you off right at the gate. The Broadmoor shuttles run every 10-15 minutes.

From the front entrance of Seven Falls, you may choose to ride a tram up to the falls or decide to walk the one-mile hike from the base – which is what we did. It was quite a scenic adventure! This journey up to the falls is named “the grandest mile of scenery” in all of Colorado. You walk along on a comfortable, paved trail with a slight incline that leads you through some breathtaking scenery.  You are surrounded on every side by high mountains, rocky cliffs,  rock formations, dense forests, colorful wildflowers, and the icy cold South Cheyenne Creek. The hike was peaceful, beautiful, not crowded, and most enjoyable.

 

Once you arrive at Seven Falls, there is an Eagle’s Nest platform for some great viewing opportunities a short distance from the actual falls. You can take the 180 steps up or ride the elevator to the overlook. The elevator passageway has several interesting photos, exhibits and artifacts regarding the history of the falls so I highly suggest at least popping in here for a few minutes, even if you do choose to take the steps up. Whichever route you take to the Eagle’s Nest, the views of Seven Falls are pretty awesome from this vantage point. #greatphotos!

051

When you exit the Eagle’s Nest, venture on to the base of the falls and experience the power of this water up close and personal. It is loud and powerful! From this point, the “more adventurous” can hike the 224-step stairway that leads alongside the falls for a closer view of the water and take advantage of hiking trails at the top. There are two nature hike trailheads above the falls (a one-hour trail and a 1/2-hour trail) that offer different views of the falls, the canyon, and the stream that feeds the falls.

The less athletic people (me!) can find several small shops near the falls that are filled with souvenirs, snacks, apparel, jewelry and minerals for purchase to commemorate your visit here. When your sightseeing has concluded, kick back and enjoy a snack or meal at the scenic Restaurant 1858 on the property. This rustic-styled restaurant is run by The Broadmoor and offers a varied menu – everything from salads, burgers and nachos to wood-grilled steak and trout. We had a late lunch here and really enjoyed it.

As you exit Seven Falls and walk (or ride) back down towards the gate through the canyon, look up and see if you can spot any zip-line cables, rope bridges, zip-liners, or wooden platforms high on the mountain sides. The Broadmoor’s Soaring Adventures offers zip-line tours of this canyon and falls area. If you desire to balance on rope bridges, zip-line over canyons, or rappel down rock cliffs – this may be for you! My family did this course one morning during our stay in Colorado Springs and LOVED it!!

My family and I certainly enjoyed our visit to Seven Falls. The actual waterfall and this gorgeous canyon has attracted visitors for over 160 years (since 1880) and now I see why.  I hope you get a chance to visit and see it all firsthand! 

IMG_20180708_112208846

Seven Falls is currently owned and operated by The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.

 

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Jul17

Colorado Springs, CO

073

My family and I just returned from a trip to Colorado and a visit to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The zoo was absolutely spectacular!

This zoo is located 6,800 ft. above sea level and is built on the side of a forested mountain with breathtaking views. It was founded in 1926 and is the highest zoo in the nation. It has recently been voted the 4th best zoo in the United States.  There are 15 main exhibits that cover over 140 acres and house over 170 different species of animals.  Each exhibit “mirrors” natural habitats in the wild and makes you feel like you are transported around the globe. 

IMG_20180708_142323897

One of the first areas after you enter the gates will be Encounter Africa. This award-winning exhibit puts you face-to-face with a dozen or so reticulated giraffes. These gentle, long-necked animals are eye-level and you can hand-feed them zoo-provided lettuce ($2-$5 purchase). Beware the long, slimy tongues but try to enjoy all the surprised looks when lettuce-feeders are freaked out! The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has the largest giraffe herd of any zoo in the country (16 of them!) due in part to their prolific breeding program (200 births in 6 years). This was an unforgettable experience for everyone in my family.

There are a number of other animal feedings that are offered throughout the park. We happened upon the elephant feeding ($15 for an apple and carrot).  This a once-in-a-lifetime experience and great photo op! We also fed seed-encrusted, peanut butter sticks to rooms full of parakeets in the Budgie Buddies exhibit. There was another feeding exhibition we happened upon in the Rocky Mountain Wild area. A zoo attendant was illustrating what one specific grizzly bear preferred to eat (she liked meat, watermelon, and peanut butter but did not like cucumber!). These bears were HUGE and frightening! We watched as this one female bear swatted away undesirable food offered by the attendant while the other grizzly swam, ran around, and scratched itself on a dead tree.  They were pretty entertaining….but still scary as hell! 

The one experience that my family will not soon forget was our animal encounter at the Australian Walkabout. This habitat houses emus and a tree kangaroo and is located on the uppermost part of the zoo. This is a fairly steep, though gradual, walk (beware calf muscles!). The main section is a grassy, gated-off area where adult and baby wallabies hop all around you. They recline, bask in the sun, dig in the grass, take baths, sit next to you, and jump all around with no fear whatsoever. Being up close and personal with wallabies is not something I get to do everyday in Texas! We loved this!!

I was also quite impressed with the Reptile House. I have never seen such artistic and beautiful reptile enclosures – backdrops, shiny tiles, glass sculptures, etc. It was most unusual and very interesting. A few of my other highlights included seeing a baby meerkat and wallaby, taking a selfie with a giraffe, getting up close to a moose and grizzly, and stopping every now and then to catch the gorgeous views of Colorado Springs below us. It was prefect weather and made for a great day!

There is so much more to write about this zoo, but I was just impressed by how extensive the park was and how well it is constructed. I honestly do not like even calling this a “zoo” since it doesn’t have that feel to it. It is rather compact, easy to navigate, and feels more like a wildlife sanctuary.  All the animals appear to be healthy and happy – though I certainly can’t speak for them. There are none of the small, concrete enclosures with distressed, pacing animals that have always bothered me and given many zoos a bad name. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo seems to give people a real sense of a natural habitat and doesn’t simply enclose the animals in cages for viewing. My family was impressed.

I hope that you get to visit Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in the future. If you get the opportunity, I suggest you wear comfy shoes, take water and apply plenty of sunscreen. You will be glad you did!

091

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a non-profit and does not receive any local or public tax support. They participate in more than 30 Cooperative Species Survival Programs. The zoo is open 365 days a year.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Apr29

Estes Park, CO

362

Lace up your hiking boots and get ready to head to one of Mother Nature’s brightest stars – Rocky Mountain National Park. Not only is this one of my favorite places on earth, National Geographic agrees and named it “one of the best trip destinations in the world.”

Alluvial fan run-off
Sprague Lake

The park entrances are located 75 miles west of Denver and on the edge of the scenic town of Estes Park, Colorado. The drive to Estes Park has some stunning views and once inside the park, the scenery is even more breathtakingly beautiful. This vast mountain wilderness is a natural masterpiece with views of jagged peaks, high mountain lakes, waterfalls, wooded forests, grassy tundras, and 130-million-year-old glaciers. The Continental Divide runs right through the center of the park and the headwaters of the Colorado River begin here. It is a very impressive place, to say the least.

Estes Park
view from a lookout
Alluvial fan
Sprague Lake

Rocky Mountain National Park was established in 1915 and covers 415 square miles. It is one of those places that can be enjoyed by all ages and activity levels. You may choose to see the entire park while riding in the comfort of your vehicle. Drive along the Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuously paved highway in North America, to the Alpine Visitor Center (elevation 11,800 ft.) and you will feel like you are on top of the world! If you are a more active person, you can take advantage of all the hiking, rock climbing, camping, fishing and winter skiing that the park allows. There are almost 400 miles of maintained hiking trails throughout the park that go through the grassy valleys, aspen and pine forests, and around mountain lakes. Some of the more challenging trails run along rock slides, waterfalls and on up to several mountain peaks. How about a hike up to the 14,260 ft. summit of Long’s Peak? Yep, me neither!

Sprague Lake
Sprague Lake
Sprague Lake
frozen Bear Lake

I have had the opportunity to visit this park in spring, summer and fall and I must admit that each season was very unique in its own way. Early spring had many of the park roads closed due to snow and ice – but it was wonderful hiking around frozen lakes in the snow and watching locals suit up for cross county skiing and snowshoeing. It was truly a winter wonderland with pristine snow, bright blue skies and few people. Summer brought out the green grasses, new forest growth, and fields of beautiful wildflowers. The temperature was great and the streams and lakes were crystal clear and very cold from the icy snow melt. Fall was a burst of colors. The trees turned every shade of yellow, orange and red and stood out from all the green pines, spruces, and firs. Animals were more visible as they were “chowing down” and storing fat before the winter came. Each season brings something new and different to the park and I was lucky to witness the various stages.

I have many favorite memories from my visits here. I loved hiking at a couple of the lakes with my husband last April. We trudged through deep powdery snow and followed trails through the forest along the water’s edge. The weather was mild and the sky was bright blue. John Denver’s music played in my head, “the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake” could not have been more appropriate. We sat and drank it all in. On another visit the following year, we hiked over a field of granite boulders and enjoyed a picnic at the Alluvial Fan. The waterfall here was amazing! One of the best experiences I had at Rocky Mountain National Park was a late summer morning when my friend Britten Echols and I arrived early to spend the day there exploring. Our first stop was at Sprague Lake. We were immediately shocked at the sight of a nearby momma moose, a baby moose (hidden in the grass close to us) and a young male moose  – both calmly standing in the lake eating moss. It was a “pinch me” moment and certainly not something we were used to seeing everyday in Texas! We walked around this entire lake and had a great picnic lunch before heading off for an afternoon hike around Bear Lake. By the end of this magical day, we had encountered several chipmunks, mule deer, a huge rutting elk, and a whole herd of bighorn sheep. It was an unbelievable day.

elk
bighorn sheep
momma moose
moose at Sprague Lake
chipmunks
baby moose
elk in Estes Park
bighorn sheep at Sheep Lake

If you enjoy wildlife, adventure and nature – add Rocky Mountain National Park to the top of your bucket list! This whole park encompasses a breathtaking collection of mountains (most with elevations over 12,000 ft.), high tundras, gorgeous vistas, dense forests, 7 glaciers, 2 waterfalls, 147 lakes, and a treasure trove of animals. You can camp, rent a cabin, book a hotel in nearby Estes Park, or drive from the Denver area for a day trip. The park is open 365 days a year, 24 hours per day. Cost can range from $20-$70 per day, depending on the season, and I can promise the trip will be priceless!

view from a lookout
Bear Lake
Bear Lake
Vista overlook

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir

Me too, John….me too.

Please feel free to leave comments regarding this blog. I love to hear about your experiences and insights pertaining to the places I write about. I would also appreciate you subscribing to my Southern Savvy Blog so that you can continue reading about my travel and dining adventures. Thank you!