Sometimes I think I am the luckiest person alive. Like today when my walk was through the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs. It was pretty amazing. I was here once in the late 70's as part of a bus tour, but walking through the floor of this valley today, at the base of these enormous rock formations on a sunny afternoon, as the sun was beginning to set, was really something. I walked 1.57 miles, but it took me a while, because I took 84 pictures in the 43 minutes I was walking. Because it was Sunday, I was joined on my walk by a lot of other people, but I really didn't mind. It was still very peaceful; most people seemed as much in awe at the beauty as I was. The park belongs to the people of Colorado Springs, and is free. There are paved walkways through quite a bit of it, making it especially nice for the handicapped. I also noticed many, many trails off the main area. This would definitely be a place to return to for a few days of exploring. I got here just as the visitor center closed, so I didn't get any information, but the trail was well marked and maps were posted in several places on the trails. I'm sure glad the snow was gone by today.
The most amazing thing about all this, I think, is that if I hadn't made this commitment to walk everyday, I might miss experiences like this. Because I AM walking, I make a conscious effort to select places to walk whenever I can. When I am travelling, it gives me the opportunity to visit natural areas or city parks in other communities. Thankfully the internet helps me find these walks. Days like today just reinforce the decision I made and provide me with experiences I might not otherwise have. Outstanding day today. You can see my route here:
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/651996
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