Sunday, June 12, 2022
Knoxville to Colorado Springs
We arrived in Denver, Colorado, just after 3:00 p.m. via a non-stop flight on no-frills Allegiant Airlines, with only a 20-minute delay. Winning!
With no checked baggage, we immediately shuttled over to Alamo Rent a Car. We were able to skip the counter and proceed straight to the lot, where we could choose from any available vehicle in our reserved class.
Renting a pickup was MUCH cheaper than an SUV and offered more ground clearance than a car. It took us half an hour of excruciating comparison to choose a shiny, low-mileage 2022 Nissan Frontier we affectionately nicknamed “Big Red.” It was even a 4x4, though surely that wouldn't be necessary...
Big Red
From Denver, we drove an hour and a half south to the state's second most populous city, Colorado Springs, on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains at 6,000 feet. We reached our hotel by 7:00, with just enough daylight left to head back out and catch some views before sunset.
Moonrise over Colorado Springs
We drove through the western edge of Garden of the Gods Park and then up into the mountains via Rampart Road. Having left our 800-foot-elevation home just this morning, we could definitely feel the altitude when we got out of the truck at 9,500 feet and hiked up a small rise to an overlook, where we enjoyed the view of Pikes Peak and watched the lights come on in Colorado Springs far below.
Nightfall
Back in town, we hit the local Safeway, where we bought a cheap cooler and stocked up on some beer and other necessities. It was getting late by the time we returned to our hotel, so we microwaved a meal in the room before hitting the hay.
Lodging: Rainbow Lodge in Colorado Springs, right on the edge of Manitou Springs. An older motel, but clean and well kept, and only 10 minutes from Garden of the Gods. The king room was large and comfortable.
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