Day 5: School Days Drive Through Paradise

We leave the house at 8:00 every weekday morning. That doesn't mean we actually pull out of the driveway at 8:00. It just means that we have taken the first steps onto our carpeted garage steps in an effort to make it to school by 8:30, which as I previously mentioned, doesn't normally happen.

I was originally very worried about a 20-minute school commute. Basically, this means that I travel 160 miles a week just for school. But, it's not so bad. We climb the hill the back way through our neighborhood, and as we round the curve, we see this out the window:

I didn't even get out of the car for any of these pictures. In fact, I didn't stop driving for some of them. I always feel a little thrill run through me as I see this first view of Pike's Peak pictured above.

It's pretty typical for us to see a deer or two along the way, especially while we're still in our neighborhood. On today's drive, an entire herd obliged. Your welcome.

I also never tire of glimpsing Garden of the Gods . This view is from the north side, and it's definitely not the best one, but it's still pretty great. I love seeing the giant red rocks soaring into the sky. They dwarf people, but compared to the mountains they are nestled among, they look like scattered toys.

This picture is just to prove that I am really taking these photos from my car:

And, here we are entering Old Colorado City, which is a post all on it's on for another day, but I think it is just lovely with pink blossoms bobbing in the breeze, spring green leaves, and even the bare winter branches.

That's Cheyenne Mountain in the background. The zoo is ON Cheyenne Mountain. We'll talk about that another day.

The streets narrow and are cramped with cars parked along either side. The houses are small with purple doors and rainbow garlands decorating their porches. We walk Claire to her class, and sometimes we stay to play on the farm at the school, which again will have to be a post all on it's own. Other days, we simply hustle back to the car to return the way we came:

I really like that church up there on the left. It has one of my favorite blossomed trees just out front.

Driving North is when you can really see the view of Garden of the Gods that is just to die for. I don't want to mislead you, though. I did step out of the car for this shot:

Meandering through the streets the back way through our neighborhood, we climb the hill, and then climb some more, until this view of the city spreads itself before us: 

And, even though I would take the mountain view any day, there is something that kind of makes my stomach drop when we get to the top of the hill.

Another 500 feet, and Blodgett Peak is out the driver-side window. I really want to climb this with the kids this summer. Maybe Blodgett Peak will make it on this list all on it's own.

As we go, we listen to books on CD: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, My Father's Dragon, Mercy Watson, and more. The narrators' voices fill our ears with imagination while our eyes take in the beauty of this amazingly beautiful spot on earth. I could drive down the freeway, but you see why I don't, right?

I'll leave you with one last picture of Garden of the Gods to see you off. It will be the first place I take you should you choose to visit.