In September of 2010 I went on a "Road Scholar" trip and the plan was to visit all the National Parks in Southern Colorado during the 5 day journey . The trip started and ended in Colorado Springs. One of the first stops was The Garden of the Gods outside of Colorado Springs. The weather was beautiful for the whole week of the trip and the blue skies set off the red rock country of Garden of the Gods.
Another stop in Colorado Springs was the Air Force Academy and the famous chapel on the grounds there.
Once we left Colorado Springs, out next stop was Great Sand Dunes National Park. What a great photo opportunity! It was windy and the clouds were on the move, changing the scenery of the sand dunes minute by minute.
The next day we spent at Mesa Verde National Park. There is a lot to see there and the history lesson provided by the Park Service is enlightening. The habitation of this area by Native peoples and the mystery of the abandonment of location made for a very interesting day.
Next was a ride on the Durango & Silverton narrow gauge railroad. I have to say this turned out to be a lot of fun riding along the river and seeing the golden aspen trees.
Our two final stops came the next day. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has been on my list of places to see for a long time. It is exceptional in that it is really difficult to photograph and yet a place that you want to be able to share in photos. Its landscape is like no other in Southern Colorado that we saw. I could have spent more time there.
And our final stop was Colorado National Monument. Apparently this is a location that attracts fewer visitors as the location is quite remote from other parks in the area. The road through the Monument is winding and takes your breath away at some spots.
We ended the trip back in Colorado Springs after 5 days of wonderful weather, landscapes and history lessons. Hope you enjoy this selections of photos.
