The Millers Go RVing -Day 5

Day 5 was a fun day! It was a good choice to skip the Rocky Mountains and spend more time in Colorado Springs - there is so much to do there.
   We went to Manitou Springs cliff dwellings and spent about an hour walking through the ruins and Indian artifacts.

Next we drove up to Colorado Springs and visited Focus on the Family.

 As soon as we pulled in the parking lot, the men saw there was a car show in honor of Father's Day. Score! They were more interested in that than what we actually came to see. There were free doughnuts & coffee, too. A & I went inside the [air conditioned] bookstore till they had their fill.

 

We spent most of our time at Focus downstairs in the Adventures in Odyssey area.

Yours Truly is ancient enough to remember when AIO first started to air on the radio.

 One of our favorite rooms was the Narnia room.

 

 Memorabilia from AIO

The original bell that was used to record the door bell ringing at Whit's End

There was a room where kids could dress up like AIO characters

 A. sitting in Connie's director chair

We finished our time in "Odyssey" by going into Whit's Soda Shoppe

 Some of us got a WadFamChocSod.

To be completely honest, I wasn't that crazy over chocolate soda. But I highly recommend their fruit smoothies. 

We went back in the bookstore and purchased our first souvenirs of the trip. The set of AIO CDs got a lot of use the rest of the trip!

Next we drove up the Mesa Road outlook for a better view of Pike's Peak. From there we were also able to see the "Kissing Camels" in Garden of the Gods. (There was a wedding at the resort next to the outlook; the bride & groom were there taking pictures while we were there.)

 This is where we started seeing cactus & desert plants. So many of them were in bloom, too.

 Next we went to a Walmart so JS could buy a fishing license. We dropped him off at a park so he could fish while we took JR to the Airplane Restaurant.

 This has got to be the coolest restaurant ever for a flying buff like JR!!

Yes, of course, we want a booth out in the plane.

(Never mind that it is not air conditioned and its 100* outside.)

 

The host was dressed like a captain; the waitress like a flight attendant.

They encourage you to walk around and take pictures, so JR did. Lots of 'em.

The 'terminal' is full of all kinds of flying memorabilia.

After that we went back to the park where JS was fishing. He caught a trout by the time we got to the restaurant but didn't have much luck after that. It was just too hot for the fish to be biting. The rest of us were planning to hike at the park but it was too hot for that, too.

 

We grilled burgers at the picnic area in the park, then we drove down to Canon City. New Horizons was kind enough to let us park & hook at their Oasis Park for the weekend.

to be continued...