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Points of Interest Page 740 Denver-Pueblo Section
through Bear Creek canyon. This drive is already mentioned, Palmer park, a series of
known as the High Drive and in panoramic rugged bluffs northeast of the city, acces-
views of mountains and plain it has few sible to automobiles and commanding mag-
equals. Broadmoor, at the foot of Cheyenne nificent views of the mountain range; Monu-
mountain, is a fashionable residence section,
ment Valley park, in the heart of the city;
noted for its many mansions and its new and several auto boulevards and numerous
$1,000,000 hotel and golf course. mountain trails.
The Garden of the Gods is a great natural Another of the famous trips by rail from
park of several hundred acres, celebrated in Colorado Springs is that by way of the Short
song and story. The immense tract is Line to Cripple Creek. In addition to its
crowded with wonderfully and fantastically scenic grandeur, it has the added interest
shaped formations of red sandstone. Two of affording a visit to the world’s greatest
large rocks form the gateway, an impressive gold camp. The Mt. Manitou scenic railway
handiwork of nature. The rocks rise to a leads from Iron Springs at Manitou to Mt.
height of 330 feet; inside are the Cathedral Manitou park.
Spires, symmetrical and standing out in bold Just west of Colorado Springs stands Pikes
relief. Other noted rock groups are: Siamese Peak, which has been the center of attraction
Twins, Toad and Toadstools, Bear and Seal, for so many years in Colorado history. On
and Gates Ajar. On the face of one of the Nov. 15, 1806, Zebulon Pike got the first
glitnpse of what he called “The Great White
rocks are carved the names of H. Hunt, A. C.
Wright, J. Hinman and others of the Law- Mountains,” which afterwards was named
Pikes Peak in honor
rence party that came to the region in 1858. of its discoverer. A
The Garden of the Gods has recently been week later his expedition reached the forks of
the river at the present site of Pueblo.
given to the city of Colorado Springs, as a After
establishing a camp, Pike and three com-
public park, by the heirs of the late Charles
panions started on the afternoon of November
Elliott Perkins. Adjoining the Garden of
21, with an idea of ascending the mountain.
the Gods is Mushroom Park, whose most Pike’s experience in judging distance in Colo-
noted formation is the Balanced Rock. Also rado was the same as every other new-
adjoining is Glen Eyrie, the vast mountain comer’s. He greatly underestimated the dis-
estate of the late Gen. Wm. J. Palmer, and tance to the peak, and after
traveling 2 l /i
his former home. This is now open to the days, he came to the summit of an inter-
public and offers a most unusual attraction. vening mountain, where
e made the follow-
A trip to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, ing entry in his journal: “Arose hungry,
through Phantom Cliff canyon and over the dry and extremely sore from the inequality
newly constructed Manitou Skyline Drive of the rocks on which we had lain
all night,
into Williams canyon, can conveniently be but was amply compensated
for toil by the
taken in connection with the drive through sublimity of the prospects below.” He ven-
the Garden of the Gods. A visit to the cliff tured the prediction that human
foot would
dwellings is highly instructive and educa- never rest on the summit
of the mountain,
tional and in connection with the picturesque but succeeding explorers found an easier
new auto drive is one of the best of the trips means of approach.
in the Pikes Peak region. Indians gave their The Peak was first ascended by Dr. Edwin
native dances at the Taos Indian Pueblo and James and three other men belonging
relics affords an Long’s expedition, on July 13 and
a museum of cliff dwellers’ to
14, 1819.
hour’s interesting study. July, 1858, gold was discovered in the South In
In Williams canyon which opens directly Platte and in the stream beds
of its tribu-
into the town of Manitou, just north of the taries. The following spring saw
Soda S'prings, are castellated limestone walls, migration of gold-seekers bound a great
to
reach
different in coloring and in structure from Pikes Peak or “bust.” This was the common
those of the other canyons of the region. name of the region
until the new territory
On the sides of the canyon, reached by car-
of Colorado was organized
in 1861. In 1873
riage over the famous Temple Drive, is the the United States government established a
Cave of the Winds.
meteorological station on the summit of Pikes
Ute Pass is the theme of many an his- Peak. In October, 1890, the Manitou & Pikes
toric or legendary tale. A well worn trail, Peak cog-wheel railway was finished, and the
nmde by the moccasined feet of Ute Indians, first passenger train made the
is said by historians to have been cut down trip to the
top on June 30, 1891. Pikes Peak
known of all American
this pass hundreds of years before Columbus is the best
mountains.
discovered America. It was through this not the highest peak in the Rockies, While
pass that the tide of gold- seekers swept eminence is due to the fact its pre-
over the range in the early days of Lead- abruptly from the plains and that it rises
ville and Aspen. Today the road has been higher than is so much
all surrounding mountains that
rebuilt by convict labor and is a part of the it affords a view of unbounded sweep and
Pikes Peak Ocean-to-Ocean highway which unusual grandeur. It is truly the “Sentinel
crosses central Colorado. Rainbow Falls is ot the Rockies.”
The Pikes Peak auto high-
about one mile above Manitou. One of the way, which is the highest automobile road in
most famous automobile roads in the Rocky the world, was opened to traffic in the sum-
mountains is the Crystal park auto road to mer of 1916.
Crystal park. The Colorado Springs Chamber
Colorado Springs boasts the most unique merce has ground of Com-
floor headquarters in the
park system in America.
It comprises in all Independence Building,
121 East Pikes Peak
2,600 acres and includes, besides the Garden avenue. It maintains a bureau
of the Gods and Northern Cheyenne canyon, of informa-
tion for automobile tourists.