The South Riding RV Travels

May 18th-19th - Cave Dwellings & Garden of the Gods -

One of the sites to visit in Manitou Springs is the cave dwellings of the Anasazi Indians. I was a bit disappointed with this site which wasn't as extensive or as well explained as I expected. We hope to find other similar sites which are better presented.

There was little to see inside the actual houses which were very small. This was more of a ceremonial centre house for the leader and was also thought to have been used for burial and other ceremonies although the burials actually took place outside. Little is known about these cultures and so there is much guesswork.

The other major area of interest in Manitou Springs was a park known as the Garden of the Gods. This was a collection of rock shapes in a fairly extensive park with a good road and parking system. These sorts of stone formations are not common in this area but are to become more familiar to us as we move further west.

Most of the rocks are a red sandstone but there are outcrops of white rock which make a noticeable contrast. The sandstone is also fairly soft and thus prone to erosion. This results in fanciful shapes such as the "Kissing Camels" shown below.

We moved on from Colorado Springs to Cañon City, a road which should not be missed because of its panoramic view of the Rockies which we just could not capture on camera.

However just past Cañon City we did reach the Royal Gorge. In some ways this is quite tacky but the visit is still essential for the majestic surroundings and the significant feats of engineering displayed.

The prime feature is the gorge 2000ft below carved over millennia by the passage of water. This is a favorite stretch for rafters who can be seen below, along with the tourist trap railway line (to which we did not succumb as it was not running then).

Amongst the attractions is a small wildlife exhibit and petting zoo aimed at the young kids. This was the extent of the buffalo herd, a far cry from the hundreds of thousands which once populated these plains.

The principal claim to fame is this suspension bridge which is the highest of its type in the world. One has to admit it is an amazing achievement but I would have liked to have seen a bit more about its construction rather that the tourist traps around it.

It might also have been interesting to know why it was built because it doesn't seem to join any significant places. However it is also very long and therefore difficult to photograph hence the join in the middle.