“Red, White, and Blue”

This is undoubtedly the most photographed scene in all of Colorado, and the one that inspired Katharine Lee Bates to pen the words “...for purple mountain majesty, above the fruited plain.” Yes, she was viewing Pike’s Peak when she was inspired to write “America the Beautiful,” which has become in effect, our second national anthem. Pike’s Peak, though not the highest mountain in Colorado, is among the most famous in the world, and can be seen all the way from Cheyenne, Wyoming, 170 miles away (and then only disappears from sight because you drive over a hill!).

Zebulon Pike, upon seeing this awesome peak, proclaimed that it was the highest mountain in the world, and that it would never be climbed! Well, Pike wasn't much of a prophet: many have climbed it, and still more have driven the unpaved road to the top, and the yearly race, “The Pike’s Peak Hill Climb” to the summit draws the greatest names in auto racing.

The rich, red sandstone bluffs here create amazing views and contrasts, and have been named the “Garden of the Gods.” A vista fit for a deity, indeed. Feast your eyes!

Pike’s Peak and the Garden of the Gods

Colorado Springs, Colorado.