Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado

On April 16, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado3 Comments

Anyone visiting Colorado should definitely make their way to Colorado Springs to visit the Garden of the Gods. The rock formations, with their vibrant reddish-orange color, are visually stunning against the back drop of Pikes Peak and the surrounding foothills. It is hard to imagine that the majestic orange sandstone rocks that are so beautiful today were once sand dunes millions of years ago when an inland sea covered the area. It is this vast geological history with all of the forces that produced the Rocky Mountains that gave birth to the rock formations that make up the Garden of the Gods.

Many people are aware that Colorado is an active area for discovering dinosaur fossils, but most people don’t associate that with the Garden of the Gods. The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center opened an exhibit in 2008 to celebrate the discovery of a new species of dinosaur based on fossils that were found in the park. The discovery actually occurred in 1878, but the fossil was misidentified as a Camptosaurus and it wasn’t until 2006 that it was reexamined and determined to be a new genus and species.

The park offers great activities for people of all ages. There are hiking trails, nature walks, Jeep and Segway tours, rock climbing, or even bird watching as there are many species of birds that make the rocks their home. Rock Ledge Ranch, located within the park, is also worth a visit as it provides a glimpse into the early settlers and native inhabitants of the Pikes Peak region. Whether capturing images with a camera or a canvas, Mother Nature has made sure that there is plenty of picture perfect opportunities.

Not surprisingly, over time people have given names to many of the formations within the park. Some are obvious such as Balanced Rock. Others are more imaginative, such as Three Graces, The Cathedral Spires, Getaway Rock, or Steamboat Rock. None is probably as famous as the Kissing Camels, which is an often debated conversation amongst the visiting tourists as to whether they really look like camels. With or without names, each of the different rock formations is inspiring to realize that time, weather, and geological upheaval could reveal something so amazing and beautiful.

Fittingly enough, the park got its name from a couple of surveyors who were exploring the local area. When they came across the park and its natural beauty, M. S. Beach, for whom the story is attributed, stated that it would “be a capital place for a beer garden”. The other surveyor, named Rufus Cable, replied “Beer Garden! Why it is a fit place for the Gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods”. The name stuck and after a long day hiking and climbing in the park, a beer is the perfect complement to a day outdoors.

Obviously there are other attractions in the Colorado Springs area that are all worth a visit as well. Places like the Cave of the Winds, Pikes Peak Scenic Highway, the Cog Railway to the summit of Pikes Peak, Seven Falls, or the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, just to name a few. But a visit to Garden of the Gods is on the top of our list of sites that need to be seen, not just in Colorado Springs, but in the whole state.

Going to Extremes

On April 7, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Travel Tips3 Comments

There are so many beautiful places throughout the world, but it isn’t always easy to reach them. Some of these locations are easily accessible, but others require an effort to reach. Whether it is hiking up a mountain, taking a canoe into the jungle, or just visiting a remote location, the scenery that you see can be quite rewarding. We have been fortunate to see a variety of different scenery throughout the years and look forward to seeing more in the future.

There are so many different types of scenery in various parts of the world due to the various climates and geological forces that exist. From rainforests, arctic tundra, tropical islands, vast deserts, and dramatic canyons, each has its own charm as well as its own challenge to seeing their natural beauty. Sometimes you can find these amazing scenes near where you live today and other require traveling to a far off country. Regardless of where we travel, we always look for opportunities to find one of those places that can’t be found anywhere else.

Hikers Heading Up an Exposed Rock Face in Utah

Even though we’ve gone to some extreme locations, we are not ones who take incredible risks to see these beautiful places. You don’t need to climb up the side of a mountain with ropes, cross a desert on a camel, or bobsled through the arctic to see the scenery that the world has to offer. We certainly don’t go to those types of extremes. Even the time of year can change the way that a place looks, so seeing it in different seasons can also effect your perception of it as well. How far are you willing to go to find the places that aren’t like anything that you’ve ever seen before?

View of the Quilotoa Caldera and Lagoon in Ecuador

Beautiful Scenery from a Mountain Peak in Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam

Mount Falcon Park in Colorado

On March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Hiking5 Comments

A while ago, we decided to head up to go hiking near Morrison, Colorado, which is a small town just outside of Denver. It is the home of the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, but we were there to get up into the mountains and enjoy some of the last days of summer. Any trail that is close to Denver is always likely to be crowded with hikers and mountain bikers and this was definitely the case at Mount Falcon Park. We decided to avoid the main trail, Castle Trail, which was packed with families, and take Parmalee Trail instead. It turned out to be a wise decision as we ended up having the trail almost all to ourselves.

It was a beautiful day and the air was cool enough to make hiking thoroughly enjoyable. As with almost any hike in the mountains, there were gorgeous views and the wildflowers were still in bloom. The trail itself was steep at times, which is probably one of the reasons that there were fewer people on it, but not steep enough to be difficult. This happened to be one of the last hikes before the cooler, autumn weather arrived and it turned out to be a perfect hike to end the summer season with.

We don’t usually head north to go hiking, mostly because of the crowds, but we were glad that we decided to give this trail a chance. We use an app call AllTrails (or you can go to their website, alltrails.com) to find different trails to go hiking on. We have had many guide books over the years, but in this digital age it is easier to use the app, which also has ratings and comments from other hikers. In a sense, it is like TripAdvisor for hikers. However we find the trails, it is nice to find new trails like the ones at Mount Falcon Park, to go hiking on.