Team Dave's Road Trip, Day 3 - Adventures in Odyssey and Pike's Peak

This morning, we got up and were able to take advantage of the better-than-continental breakfast that our lodge provides. Full of grits and juice and chocolate soymilk and bacon and other goodies, we drove over to the Focus on the Family Welcome Center.

James was very indulgent to spend two full hours there with Daphne and me, given that he has almost zero context for any of it. He was able to go down the three-story twisty slide, which I could not since I'm pregnant. Daphne went down it twice. We were there when Whit's End opened and they both got a Wodfamchocsod; I opted for a Diet Pepsi as I had not had my caffeine fix yet, and this is an important part of my day.

We all sat in the lobby for a while as Daphne posted several pictures to an Adventures in Odyssey club online, and then we drove to Manitou Springs to the Cog Railway station for a trip up Pike's Peak. Upon our arrival, we learned that due to snow and high winds, the train wasn't cleared to go to the summit, 14,500 feet. Instead, we'd be stopping at 12,500 feet but they were also refunding a portion of our ticket prices.

We went to the store to grab snacks, having packed plenty of water, and had a great couple of hours taking in the sites with neither James nor I having to drive. The conductor offered plenty of information, varying levels of veracity, about Pike's Peak on the way up. On the way down, we chatted and were grateful that every moment brought increasing oxygen. Although we didn't reach the peak, we did get just above the timberline. Pretty impressive, especially considering that 90% of the railway's line is original from the 1890s.

The shortened train ride gave us some time to explore Manitou Springs, which is a charming town at the foot of Pike's Peak. Daphne was pretty tired, so actually asked to sleep in the van while we checked out some stores. Although it was cold, it was sunny, so the interior of the van was warm. She rested and we went to a comic book and gaming store, then went to the Manitou Brewing Company where James tried a very dark stout and I enjoyed my second caffeine fix of the day.

After that, we were able to get into our dinner reservation half an hour early as they weren't busy. We had fondue at Mona Lisa, but having snacked on the train, elected to get only the cheese and chocolate courses. For our first course, we went with a creamy Fontina mixture, and then for dessert, dark chocolate salted caramel.

We got back "home" early enough for Daphne to chat with some friends and draw while James and I played a cutthroat game of hangman, then watched Agents of SHIELD. Once again, he's asleep and it's my turn!

Pictures from today start here.