Garden of the Gods, Helen Hunt Falls and Pikes Peak

And we thought women's lib didn't start until the 1960s.  Well, we were wrong.  This woman, Julia Holmes, not only was the first pioneer woman to climb Pikes Peak, she did it in bloomers.  She started the movement of the "American costume", no corset and pants or pantaloons underneath a calf length skirt.

Garden of the Gods is a formation of red sandstone outcroppings, located on the west side of Colorado Springs.  The name originated in 1859, when two surveyors were exploring the area.  One made the comment "This would be a fine place for a beer garden".  The other replied, "Beer garden.  This place is fit for the Gods, it should be called Garden of the Gods".  And the name stuck.  It is now a free, public park, given to the city of Colorado Springs by the children of Charles Elliott with the stipulation it always be made available to the people at no cost.

We didn't see any Bighorn Sheep or Elk, but we did see deer.

Brad, Sue, Max, myself and Fancy explored the area.

They have nice paths meandering throughout the sandstone outcroppings.

You can stop and watch the climbers.

We did spot this falcon sitting on top of one of the outcroppings.

About eight miles away in North Cheyenne Canyon is Helen Hunt Falls.   Named after author Helen Hunt Jackson, an activist back in the 1880s, writing about the plight of the Native American.  She met her second husband while visiting Colorado Springs, an area which we not only loved, but wished to be buried.  

Climbing up the hill behind the falls, you can look down on Colorado Springs.

Further up the hill from the falls, is the old Gold Camp Road.  Originally the route of the "Short Line" railroad from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek, it was converted to a car road in the 1920s.  In 1988, one of the tunnels collapsed and the road was closed permanently.  It is now a popular hiking and biking trail. 

There are three ways to ascend to the top of Pikes Peak:  you can take the cog railway from Manitou Springs (some of the group did this); you can hike the 13 mile Barr Trail from Manitou Springs (none of us did this); or you can drive the Pikes Peak Highway out of Cascade (which is what we did).

Although it is not the highest peak in Colorado, it is probably the most famous. It was up here that "America the Beautiful" was penned by Katherine Lee Bates in 1893.

From out here it is a long way down.

We watched the cog railway which had our friends aboard.

From one side you can look down on Colorado Springs, but if you turn around you see the mining which is going on in Cripple Creek.

Montreal, Quebec

I moved to St. Albins, only to be closer for a launching point to Montreal. The plans were to leave the RV and head to Montreal for an overnight trip. I found a kennel for Fancy, and off we went.

We started the day with a hop on/hop off bus tour.

 

This is Habitat '67, built as part of Expo '67 and designed by Moshie Safdie. Nicknamed 'Man and his World', it was visited by thousands during the expo and provided housing for many dignitaries as well. It consists of a set of modular, concrete forms, creating private homes, each with its own garden, yet interconnected with the economics and density of an apartment complex. Today it is a housing complex, owned by the tenants.

The white dome in the background is part of what was site of the Montreal Olympics.

Christ Church Cathedral along St. Catherine St. Underneath is part of the underground city and shopping complex.

Built in 1845, this opened as Morgan's Department Store. It was purchased by the Hudson Bay Company in 1960 and today operates as leading department store in downtown Montreal.

An unusual sculpture in downtown.

St. Joseph's Oratory on the hill.

The Cathedral Basilica of Mary. Built as a 1/3 replica of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome.

Notre Dame Basilica. Celine Dion was married here and is known for its lavish and beautiful interior. We did not go in as it was crowded and we did not want to pay their entrance fees. They say if you want to get married here you must get on a 3 year waiting list.

Jacque Cartier Plaza. Pedestrian traffic only, it is bordered by restaurants and art galleries. In the plaza itself are musicians, jugglers and other entertainment daily.

Ville de Montreal, the Town Hall.

The Chateau Ramezay, once a prestigious residence, and now a museum, has been continuously occupied since it was built in 1705.

A fountain next to the Town Hall.

Entertainment on the Jacque Cartier Plaza.

More entertainment. Here he is juggling fire sticks.

This church was located around the corner from where we were staying. It is now part of the university.

Sadly this old building was all boarded up and we could find no information as to when it was originally built or what it was. I even tried googling for info, but came up with nothing.

Site of the oldest church in Montreal. The original church was built of wood in the late 1600s for the sailors who came into port. It burnt and was rebuilt. The last remodeling was done in the late 1800s.

This old building is located in what is known as the Old Montreal, founded in 1642.

Finally, we are headed home after two wonderful days of exploring Montreal.