Manitou "Cliff Dwellings"

Okay, so this is the first time that Mark and I have really been disappointed in anything that we have done in Colorado so far.  But boy was this a doozy.  

We have a few Colorado tour guide books and have gone online for "Things to Do in Colorado" and Manitou Cliff Dwellings kept popping up.  So on Easter Sunday, we made a picnic lunch and drove to Colorado Springs to go see them.  

Well, let's just say that this place is AWFUL!  I will let you judge for yourself based on the information taken from their brochure:

          "The Anasazi did not live in the Manitou Springs area, but lived and built their cliff dwellings in the Four Corners area, several hundred miles southwest of Manitou Springs. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings were relocated to their present location in the early 1900s, as a museum, preserve, and tourist attraction. The stones were taken from a collapsed Anasazi site near Cortez in southwest Colorado, shipped by railroad to Manitou Springs, and assembled in their present form as Anasazi-style buildings closely resembling those found in the Four Corners. The project was done with the approval and participation of well-known anthropologist Dr. Edgar Lee Hewett, and Virginia McClurg, founder of the Colorado Cliff Dwelling Association."

SERIOUSLY?!?!  It was just bricks and cement…

We are still figuring out how to use the selfie-stick effectively HA!

Drive right on up to the "authentic" Cliff Dwellings

So after spending about 4.5 minutes "touring" the "ruins" we left and went up the road to the Cave of the Winds.  Being that it was later in the day and that it was a busy Easter Sunday, we didn't take the cave tour but we will be returning for that at another time.  The owners have included zip lines across the canyon and a Ropes Course that jutted out over the edge of the canyon so there are other things to do there as well.  If nothing else, the view there is spectacular to say the least.  

Cave of the Winds 

After we left there we went to the town of Manitou Springs.  It's a very neat little town that is at the foot of Pikes Peak.  During the 1800's the town was incorporated and was advertised to be a "scenic health resort" because of the natural mineral springs that are found there.  (Tourists were told that the Ute Indians had been drinking the spring water for good health for years) There are still lots of businesses that cater to those seeking "healing" from the spring water but there's mostly one-story, adjoining, small shops, restaurants, and pubs, (and a creekside city park ) that line the main street in Manitou.  It looked like it was a very "happening" place but being that it was Easter Sunday, many of the businesses were closed so we will definitely go back and visit it again.  

Henley's 21st!!

Henley.
21?
Seriously?

I know it's hard for some of you to believe that Henley has turned 21 but for some of us, namely Mark and I, it hasn't come fast enough haha.  But seriously, I can hardly believe it myself.  It seems like just yesterday she was toddling around the house tormenting Delaney and now she's in cowboy boots taking on the world! 

Her birthday was on the last Sunday of Spring Break so she opted to go with a bunch of her friends to Possum Kingdom Lake for her week off.  They had a great time hanging by the pool, working on their tans, and going to the lake, and not doing any school work! 

At midnight on Saturday the 14th, she and her friends went to a local bar and celebrated her turning 21 like only 21-year-olds can.  Let's just leave it at that..

Henley and Peanut

Mark and I flew to Austin the following weekend to celebrate Henley's birthday with her and her friends.  We got there late on Thursday night and Delaney picked us up.  She had to work half-day on Friday and Henley had class on Friday morning so Mark and I took Delaney's dog Sir to the vet for his annual checkup while the girls were busy.  We went out to eat that night at Azul Tequila.  It has some of the best Mexican food in Austin and we ate like pigs trying to get our fill of good Mexican food while we could.  (Side note-We have not found ONE decent Mexican food restaurant in Denver as of yet) Saturday we got up and around and then had to go to the Apple Store to get Henley's keyboard fixed. Delaney had a place she wanted to take us for lunch so we ended up eating at Hopdoddy's.  

Now if anybody had ever told me that I would stand in line for an hour and a half to eat a hamburger, in very cool, rainy weather, I would have told you that you were crazy. But we did and it was delicious.  Apparently the restaurant started in Austin and has branched out...and lo and behold they have actually opened up one here in Denver in the last month or so.  It was some great food and of course we had great company too!

Henley wanted to go to Pete's Piano Bar to do her big celebration so we had reservations to go there on Saturday night.

Courtney, Henley, Katie, and Delaney

Unfortunately, her birthday always falls during the SXSW music festival in Austin.  Pete's is located on 6th Street in downtown Austin and it's a pretty rowdy place any time of the year but during SXSW it is an insane asylum.  Just getting to the club we had to make our way past 3-4 fistfights and hoards of people smashed back-to-back.  She had a great time tho and was even serenaded by the musicians at the club so she had a blast being the center of attention.  

We really had so much fun being with the girls and of course the weekend went by way too fast.  

Henley, Peanut, Delaney and Sir

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Us with the pups