Blue-sky day at Garden of the Gods — Colorado Springs, CO.

Exploring the nooks and crannies of Garden of the Gods — Colorado Springs, CO.

Garden of the Gods — Colorado Springs, CO.

White Rock is one of the few Garden of the Gods formations that is not red — Colorado Springs, CO.

Aylin and Murat at Balanced Rock ... Garden of the Gods — Colorado Springs, CO.

From the Visitor Center terrace at the Garden of the Gods — Colorado Springs, CO.

Aylin and mom at the Garden of the Gods visitor center — Colorado Springs, CO.

Theiophytalia kerri was discovered at the Garden of the Gods — Colorado Springs, CO.

Garden of the Gods Visitor Center — Colorado Springs, CO.

Oh so yummy food at Basil & Barley — Colorado Springs, CO.

CoSprings: Garden of the Gods

December 26, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 39 °F

After a two-day break from sightseeing with the family, we went out and about again today. And this time we actually made it to the Garden of the Gods. I had hoped for a warmer day for our GotG outing, but with a forecast for overcast or mostly cloudy skies for the rest of the week, snow over the weekend, and colder temps for the foreseeable future, we decided to visit this amazing bit of nature today. Turns out that we had a good day after all ... blue skies, with the sun keeping us plenty warm even though the high temp was only 39F (4C).

One of the most popular places to visit in Colorado, GotG was quite crowded on this day after Christmas. Lots of extended family groups out exploring. Mui lucked out with a spot in parking lot #2, which is closest to the paved trails that meander amongst the beautiful red rock formations that visitors enjoy clambering about.

After we finished walking the trail, we hopped in the car to drive the one-way road that loops through the park and then headed to the Visitor Center. It's a small VC but well done with informative exhibits that don't overwhelm the senses.

We wrapped up our day with a delicious late lunch at Basil & Barley, a pizzeria founded by a young Ligurian trained in the art of pizza-making in Naples, Italy. He learned well. We all enjoyed our selections ... those of us opting for pizza ordering the "charcoal dough" version, which is intended to neutralize heartburn. I don't know about that claim, but we all agreed that the dough seemed lighter somehow. And the desserts ... delish!Read more