Old Colorado City

Yesterday afternoon we took a little drive over to the west side of the interstate to check out a section of Colorado Springs called “Old Colorado City”.

Way back yonder, gold was discovered in this section of the country.  Prospectors hoping to get rich flocked to what eventually became Colorado.  What is today called Old Colorado City, at the base of Pikes Peak, became the first territorial capitol.  That claim to fame didn’t last long because the legislators were unhappy with their accommodations in Colorado City and after only four days moved to Denver.  So much for being the “territorial capitol”.

Today, “Old Colorado City” consists of an area about 2 blocks wide and 4 blocks long where you can get your tattoo, see into your future, and be cured of what ails you with various potions, herbal compresses, and other alternative medicines.  There are also the obligatory souvenir shops, a few eateries, and an antique shop.  Old Colorado City’s redeeming quality were the art galleries.  There were several up scale galleries featuring the work of local artists.  Very nice.

We wandered up one side of Colorado Street and down the other stopping in at several shops to browse and windowing shopping at all the others.  For a little break (and to get in out of the cold) we stepped into the French bakery for a pastry.  Yummy.

A few years later Colorado Springs sprang up a couple miles east of Old Colorado City.   The city was founded shortly after the Civil War by General Palmer.  Colorado Springs is the second largest city in the state with a population of almost a half million.

 A statue of the good General atop his horse occupies the middle of the intersection of Platte and Nevada.  This statue had become one of our primary navigation tools as we make our way around the city.

With bright blue skies and warmer temperatures this afternoon, we decided to make another visit to Garden of the Gods.  It was so much better today with fewer visitors and less traffic.  We pulled into the main parking lot and had our choice of several spaces.  We enjoyed wandering about among those towering rock formations.  I’m going to save the photos I made this afternoon for tomorrow’s post.

Tomorrow morning is my appointment with the Cardiologist.  I still have not heard from my Nashville doctor.  My shortness of breath has disappeared and I feel fine.  Just for a little test to satisfy my curiosity, I did a lap around Wal-mart this morning when we went in to pick up some milk and bread.  I zipped around as fast as I could without breaking out into a jog.  When I got back around to the blood pressure machine my blood pressure was normal.

What I expect to happen tomorrow will be that the cardiologist will ask me how I feel and I’ll say I feel fine.  Then he’ll ask if I’m still feeling short of breath and I’ll say no.  Then he’ll send me on my merry way.  End of story.  At least, that is what I’m hoping will happen.

That’s it for today. Thanks for tagging along.