Garden of the Gods -- Are Smiling On Us

August 11, 2008
Colorado Springs, CO

We did some final sightseeing around Colorado Springs, and managed to have some incredible luck with the Range Rover at the same time.

Backing up a bit, the Range Rover came with three years of free scheduled maintenance. Since we bought it in mid-2005, it was due for the final "freebie" this summer. Accordingly, I took it in to the Land Rover dealer near Hartford while we were in Connecticut. They did the service but failed to reset the service indicator (the little "Service Engine Soon" idiot light on the dash. I could tell because every time you start the engine, the dash indicator displays the miles to go until the next service.

So, while we were driving up Pikes Peak, the "Service Engine Soon" light came on. I cursed myself for not having it fixed in CT, but figured I'd just live with it for a while. Just for grins, I checked the navigation system for the nearest dealer and - what do you know - there was one about 5 miles from where we were parked in Colorado Springs. I figured I'd give it a shot, especially when the front end started making a funny noise under acceleration on Sunday afternoon. So, first thing Monday morning, I sped over there when they opened to plead my case for a quick check and reset.

The first thing the service writer asked was if "recall on the front end had been done". Uhhh, what recall is that? Apparently, a new campaign has just begun to replace the front drive shaft and part of the differential. I saw this as a good thing, since these were the parts that failed us in the middle of Yellowstone National Park in the past. So, rather than getting a quick reset, I got a loaner and left, keeping my fingers crossed that they'd be able to finish the work in one day. As it turned out, they did the recall and reset the service indicator, and then got a "check engine" fault when they did the test drive, so they replaced a thermostat as well. Since this was all under warranty, it was a fantastic win for us, as we essentially had zero impact to our travel plans. Of course, when the warranty is up in mid-2009, who knows what will happen…

Anyway, back to the day's adventures. We used the loaner to make a quick tour of the "Garden of the Gods" city park. We'd made a quick pass through the park several days earlier, and wanted to come back when it was sunny (we finally had a sunny day!) for some pictures. The whole park (it's only a couple of square miles in size) reminded us of the "red rock" areas around Sedona in Arizona. We made the loop and got a few shots, although it was relatively difficult to avoid getting other tourists in the photos. One of the most popular features is "Balancing Rock", and you'd be amazed at how parents let their kids climb under the sides of this 30' high boulder. Click here to see some additional photos from the park.

After touring the park (about an hour, tops), we hit the highway and headed south on I-25, then west on US-50 to Cañon City, where we caught the scenic "Royal Gorge Route" train. The train follows old tracks originally laid during the mining days (passenger service started in 1879), along the path of the Arkansas River. The "Royal Gorge", as it's called, is almost 1,200' deep and relatively narrow, so it was an interesting ride. Along the rim, someone actually built an amusement park that encompasses an aerial tramway and a bridge across the chasm; we stuck with the two-hour train ride. It was pretty long for a scenic railway, with about 15 cars and three engines (two for uphill an one for the return). Apparently, they use different cars for various classes of service and meal options ("gourmet lunch included" in one car, "a la carte" in another; there are 7 classes overall).

We opted to bypass the food but upgraded to the "Vista Dome" car for a better view (and for the air conditioning!). We had reserved seats and a great view. The several "Dome" cars were originally built for the Canadian National railroad, and were used as passenger cars on route across Canada. All along the gorge, we passed river rafters fighting with Class V rapids. On the return trip, I made my way to one of the open cars (not much more than a flatbed car with some handrails) for some pictures (click here for pictures from this trip).

After the train ride, we had a leisurely drive back to Colorado Springs (about an hour), where we did most of the packing for our departure the following day.