We went to Pikes Peak yesterday. It was just over a one hour drive from the kids’ apartment to the entrance. We found out from the park ranger when purchasing our entry tickets that they don’t allow you to take infants under 4 months old to the summit. He said they’ve had to airlift several blue babies off the mountain in the past. He advised that we could go as far as the timberline at the 13 mile marker, but we elected to play it safe and stop at the Halfway Picnic Grounds at 9,930 feet.
Beth packed a cooler with lunch meat and we parked and made sandwiches. The scenery was beautiful and the picnic reminded me of childhood travels with my family when we’d picnic at interstate rest areas and within the parks we visited.
On the way back down we stopped at at the Crystal Reservoir Visitor Center and Penelope demonstrated that she can point at just about anything and her Grandmother will procure it for her (this is what Grand-parenting is all about). Penelope does seem to really appreciate her gifts. Beth put the new pink hooded sweatshirt on her and even pulled the hood over her head just prior to leaving the apartment yesterday and when we returned several hours later it was still on (hood and all). Her parents did take it off at nap time, but it was apparently not a popular decision.
Since last night was the only night Aaron will have off while we’re here we went out for dinner at Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom and had an excellent meal. Beth and I each had a calzone, Alysa and Penelope had pizza, and Aaron had Italian Nachos.