Cross-Country Trip Day 6 part 2 - from snowy Colorado

We had a late start this morning and ended up not doing any of the sightseeing in Colorado Springs that we'd planned to do. We did end up going into Manitou Springs - just at the base of Pikes Peak. Manitou Springs is a great town - with a great "main street" to walk around. We stopped to get some lunch and did some shopping. When we went into the candy store we ended up talking to the owner - who has a condo in Roanoke, VA and is planning to buy a house in Salem, VA (my hometown for those who don't konw)! What a small world we live in! We left Manitou Springs and started our trek through the Rocky Mountains toward Cortez. We saw a LOT of snow - though we never ran into any storms. The scenery was unbelievable! I never thought I'd get to see the Rockies in winter. I'm SO glad I had the opportunity! It was breathtakingly beautiful! I took lots and lots of pictures - but I'm sure they won't do justice to the sites we saw. As the sun set across the mountains I felt so totally amazed. Words could not describe just how awesome it was. It has been a very LONG drive over and around and through the mountains. We just stopped for dinner at a little restaurant near Hooper, CO. For a little dive it was quite nice. The people were very friendly and the food was great! Now we're back on the road for another 118 miles. Luckily tomorrow is a short drive, so we can again sleep in and take it easy in the AM. Good night for now.