Part 1 of 4 of my Photo Diary of a visit to Colorado Springs in August 2016
I was pretty stoked to be visiting Colorado for the very first time, even though I was just there for barely a week. While I regularly visit the US, I usually stay on the coasts (California, mostly), and it was my first time to go inside, as it were. Being a lover of looking at big mountains, Colorado was the perfect first destination --- specifically, Colorado Springs.
The views while flying in were already amazing, looking down somewhere over Wyoming and, far in the distance to Canada.
Soon we arrived at our beautiful home for the week, the Garden of the Gods Club and Resort. As far as vibe and views go, this is one of the most beautiful resorts I've ever been to, with a stunning view of the Garden of the Gods.
Arriving late in the afternoon after almost 20 hours of flying, we decided to call it a day upon arriving. The next morning, I was up at sunrise to take some pictures right outside our room. The signature huge sandstone formations were in full view:
Sony A7RII, Sony FE 24-240, and Formatt Hitech Firecrest filters
The end result, a one-minute exposure (not dramatically better than the iPhone photo though hahaha)
After breakfast and errands, I walked down to explore the Garden of the Gods.
The altitude at the beginning of my walk
After first stopping by their impressive Visitor's Center and grabbing a map, I started my hike.
Highway views and a storm in the distance
Forever free to the public!
As I got closer to the towering red rocks, I saw a young boy climbing up one of the towers. How fun is that --- to have a stunning national park, hiking, and climbing gym a short drive away?
A literal rock face. When you see it... Creepy.
Walking just past this and making a left, I saw the next level up: big kids playing on the big wall. Wicked (and terrifying for my heights-fearing self)!
After walking for a few more minutes, I came upon one of the most picturesque sections of this side of the park.
Selfie time in front of the Three Graces (left) and the Cathedral Spires (right)
Pulpit Rock in the background
Pulpit Rock
From there, I hiked on a trail leading uphill to another viewpoint.
Hiking with dog!
From here, you can appreciate the Three Graces, the Cathedral Spires, and Pulpit Rock from a different perspective.
The red sansdtone of the Three Graces nestled in the green
All the red rocks! My Instagram post for that day
From there, I wanted to keep walking, but the weather was turning for the worse and I had a long walk back, so I decided to call it a day first.
The next morning, I made sure to wake up early to catch the red rocks aglow in the morning sun. The vista is downright magical in the morning light.
The morning light makes these monumental rocks in the shadow of Pike's Peak come alive
The Rocky Mountains in the soft morning light
The moon still bright at 6:30am
After breakfast, I made my way to the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, the subject of part 2 of this Photo Diary series, to be published on Tuesday!