The Manitou Indian

Did you ever wonder why so many Colorado cities have the word springs in their name? There's Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Pagosa Springs... it's because of the water! Manitou Springs once had a thriving economy based on the natural mineral springs that the Indians considered sacred. This sculpture of an Indian sits outside the building on the west end of town that was once a bottling plant for Manitou Water. I see the flow of water has ceased flowing from the vessel in his hands, and the building is long-abandoned. But Manitou has a wealth of active little fountains scattered here and there, so if you want to sample its famous water all you have to do is take a little stroll around its picturesque downtown.

The Albany

The Albany Hotel, on Tejon Street, is a Colorado Springs institution. It's been there as long as I can remember. This is what you would call a residential hotel -- people rent rooms by the week or month, and for the most part its residents are somewhat marginalized. The building is probably over a hundred years old by now. I've only ever been in it once, years ago, and for the life of me I can't remember why I was in there, but I do vaguely remember a long hallway with lots of doors leading off of it.

This eagle sculpture has adorned the facade over the Albany's entrance for the last few years. Earlier tonight Pat and I walked under it, and Pat suggested that I get a picture. I like it. Very dramatic!

Untitled

A shop window in Manitou Springs last weekend. Manitou is a busy place this time of year -- tourists everywhere.

Cherry Creek

Last week I was in Denver to meet with a bride. We had our little get together in Cherry Creek, a district in Denver that's known for its great shopping. If you like high end shopping, this is the place for you. There's a mall with stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany and Nordstrom; and several blocks of amazing boutiques, spas, restaurants, chic hotels, galleries and cafes. It's most definitely a posh place to hang out (and you can probably imagine the homes in this neighborhood). I captured this drift of echinaceas on Detroit Street as I left. They look pretty in the late afternoon sunshine.

Bus loading zone

The other day I helped my friend Angie drop her son Teddy (or Ted, as he must now be called) at the bus station to go to St. Louis. It was Ted's first solo trip by bus. At 15, this is a big adventure for him! Of course Angie was anxiously pestering him about every detail: "Did you bring your phone? Did you pack enough socks? Where's your ticket?" I found it comical and touching all at once, and of course Teddy -- ahem, Ted -- was trying to act nonchalant, but I think deep down he was a little nervous. By now he's reached his destination, and before long he'll be on another Greyhound heading home. He'll look back on this trip fondly some day :o)

Dinner with a friend

My friend Jenn and I had dinner at Undici in Denver the other night (actually it's in Englewood, but let's not split hairs). Here's a picture of Jenn's delicious looking caprese salad. I think I'll order this next time!

Truck -vs- building

Here's the damage to Westside Boot and Shoe Repair after being hit by a truck over the July 4th weekend. Holy macaroni! Apparently the driver (who was drunk) was westbound on Colorado and jumped the curb, hitting a bus stop and ricocheting across the street, then skidding across the parking lot and into the building. It must have been pretty spectacular! The truck must surely be totalled, so even if the idiot driver doesn't pay for his crime in a court of law he'll feel it pretty acutely in his pocketbook. I'm just glad he didn't kill anybody with his drunken shenanigans.

Moral of the story: don't drink and drive!

Westside Boot & Shoe Repair

The iconic signage of Westside Boot and Shoe repair, a familiar sight in Colorado Springs for over 30 years. Alas, Westside Boot had a run in with a drunk driver in a big truck over the 4th of July weekend. I'll show you the result of this truck -vs- building throwdown in tomorrow's post.

Untitled

A pretty view of Manitou Lake, looking westward from the footbridge.

Untitled

A footbridge spanning the east side of Manitou Lake.

Manitou Lake

A pretty view of Manitou Lake, looking eastward toward Pikes Peak in the distance.

A quiet pastime

Pat and I came across this old fellow fishing at Manitou Lake the other day. I don't know if he caught any fish, but he looks like he's truly enjoying his quiet pastime.

Beware of the natives!

Native fauna, that is. Here's Pat standing by a sign in front of Manitou Lake, a few miles north of Woodland Park. The sign reads, "ATTENTION RESIDENTS! Mountain Lion Activity In This Area!" It also gives instructions in case you do happen to come across one, including, "Stop. Do not run. Stay calm." Ummm, stay calm? I think that would be a little difficult! Thank goodness I had my hunky boyfriend there to protect me from mountain lions!

(P.S. Sorry I've been away from the blog for a few days, gentle readers. It's wedding season and things are a bit crazy. I've got a few more nice pictures from Manitou Lake to share with you over the next few days.)

The Garden of the Gods

July 4th was a beautiful day! Here's the Garden of the Gods around 4:00PM. I think it looks especially gorgeous in late afternoon light.

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame

Another image from our July 4th jaunt: if you've lived in Colorado Springs for any length of time, you're familiar with this enormous statue. It sits in front of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, and any time you drive on I-25 near the Rockrimmon exit, you'll pass it by. The man on the horse is Casey Tibbs. Funny, I've lived here forever and I've never toured this museum, although I did shoot a wedding there once. One of these days I'll have to spend an afternoon at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame learning more about rodeo and its heroes.

The Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial

The Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial sits in Memorial Park, just a few blocks from my house. I've never really taken the time to explore it, so Pat and I thought it would be a good subject for our America-themed series. Yesterday (July 4th) we spent a few minutes hanging out there and learning about it. This particular statue entitled "Somewhere, Every Day" is the centerpiece of the memorial. It depicts a fire fighter descending a ladder holding an infant.

Every year there is a big memorial service here that draws people from all over the US and Canada, honoring their fallen loved ones. There are usually thousands in attendance. It's quite an event. This year's service will be held on September 11th. I'll try and get a photo of it for the blog.

And on a personal note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANET! We love you!

Happy Independence Day!

Today was July 4th, Independence Day for us Americans. Pat and I took a little tour around the area to grab photos with a distinctly American theme. Here's the U.S. flag and the Colorado flag flying high! More America-themed photos to come over the next couple of days... Hope everyone had a great Fourth!