Second Anniversary Trip: Salida and Manitou Springs

“One main factor in the upward trend of animal life has been the power of wandering.”

~Alfred North Whitehead

Steve and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary last weekend by taking a trip to Salida and Manitou Springs (both Colorado towns). We were accompanied by Peanut Butter and Loki, our friends' cockapoo who we are dogsitting. Though PB is a bit of a queasy traveller, she had a great time and Loki eased her nerves by offering up an ear to chew on now and again. PB gladly accepted.

Both Salida and Manitou Springs can be described as art communities. Salida is a mountain town located about two and one half hours west of Colorado Springs. According to a local artist, it was a derelict, boarded up town that was revived in the 1990s by a group of artists who decided to move in and get it going again. So far, it has worked; it's a great little town that is still affordable to normal people despite a mountain location. I suspect that it may retain its character because it is a bit more out of the way than other mountain communities.

Manitou Springs is located in the foothills just a few miles from downtown Colorado Springs and back dropped by Pikes Peak. Manitou Springs is both quirky and touristy with a strong arts presence as well as an old fashioned open air arcade and a number of mineral drinking springs.

Read on in the captions below.

Peanut Butter

Loki

Steve and Peebs

We spotted this taxodermy specimen at a real shoot-'em-up cowboy gas station in Fairplay, CO.

Steve and Peanut Butter in front of Colorado's Collegiate Range. Princeton is the big mountain - wonder where that explorer went to school?.

Steve's three ladies with Collegiate Range in background.


SALIDA

I love this multi-era mural. Guess what the "S" on the side of the mountain stands for.

Art about town. Loki was barking at some of the animal statues - too real for comfort.




MANITOU SPRINGS



One of several drinking water springs. These were. . . zesty and each is slightly different because of the path that the water travels through the rocks. If you zoom in on the plaque on the right, you can see the mineral content. Springs like these made Manitou Springs a favorite amongst those recovering from TB and other ailments once upon a time.

Tast testing.

Steve thought this one was a little bland.

Loki rides the elephant at the old arcade.

Going in to Cave of the Winds. My camera battery died, so I can't offer you better shots. Cave of the Winds is a limestone network of caves featuring fun cave geology like stalactites, stalagmites, cave bacon, and cave popcorn.

A most excellent 2nd anniversary it was!