Good Morning!

A few weeks ago I was out in Colorado Springs for work and managed to get away for some photos. I posted these at DPR as well. As fast as that place is moving and knowing that not everyone reads over there, I thought I'd add them here as well. I'll divide these up into separate replies so that you can skip some if you want.

[photo_mom]

The only night I really got to go out and eat was Wed. We went to a place called "Colorado Wines." The food was superb, but I couldn't try the wines because I was one of the drivers. Oh well, my hamburger was cooked in one of their wines and it was fantastic. The lobster bisque was SO rich it was like eating butter straight from the butter dish!

[photo_mom]

Got up at 5 AM one morning to go get some sunrise pictures. (The EXIF says 9 AM and after because I hadn't changed my cameras from Eastern Time nor set them back an hour after the time change.)

















Panorama made from a couple of the pictures:

[photo_mom]

One of the afternoons I left early to try to get up to Pikes Peak. By the time I got there they had closed the highway (3 PM). So I ventured over to Seven Falls. It was a real tourist area, but some of the scenery was pretty.


This bird didn't like me disturbing his hunt for food. He flew up into the tree and then dive bombed me!








Sunset back at the Garden of the Gods:


I took the photos for this panorama from an apartment complex parking lot. That's why some of the lights are a bit blurred. I was very worried that I would be seeing police lights at any moment! But it was the best place I could find to get a clear view of the Colorado Springs night skyline.

[photo_mom]

Friday before I had to leave, I finally made it to the Pikes Peak highway. Yes, I drove up that road in a rental car by myself. It was not one of my smarter moments. The guy at the gate told me that they had closed the road from mile marker 15 up to the top (mile marker 19). I missed seeing mile marker 15 and the next thing I knew I saw mile marker 16. People were still passing me, but I turned around because by that time I was petrified of going any further. My hands are sweating even now as I type! That road was so steep and the switchbacks so sharp that when I turned around. I just stopped and stared for a few minutes before starting back down! Then I started praying!!! At the middle point where they are supposed to check your brakes, I stopped at the gift shop. They guy there told me that the road was open all the way to the top, that they had races from the point where the pavement ends (yes at mile marker 11 it's dirt!) to the top and that some people made it in 10 minutes! Then he told me that they lose more tourists than racers and that nobody was around to check my brakes! HA!

[photo_mom]

So just before I'm leaving I finally get a decent sunset. These were taken through the airport terminal windows, some with the A*300. Nobody else was paying any attention to this spectacular light show.











Then I got an even better light show on the trip back East. The guy sitting next to me thought I was nuts trying to take a picture of these. He kept snickering. I knew the FA50 and the FA77 wouldn't let me down!







Thought this one looked like a Pacman game!

[roentarre]

wow! I am speechless. The sunset hours were just magical with the clouds in such beautiful interesting shapes

Your glasses shots were so dazzling.

Great shots!

[Scott Rylance]

Hi Tracy,
I saw these shots on DP but didn't get a chance to post a comment, when I came into work this morning I saw them on here.
Absolutley beautiful! Really great shots. I enjoyed viewing them very much. I think there is quite a few that would look great framed and hung. Thanks for posting.
Cheers.

[ericc]

Very nice, tracy. I loved them all-they bring back a lot of good memories from living there.

I'm glad I'm not the only person who takes photos from their plane seat.

Cheers

-E

[philzucker]

Hi, Tracy! What a large post - never seen so much pics of you in one thread!

Some really spectacular among those - will have a closer look later, but really am already fascinated by some of the plane shots. They sure work!

Phil

[Photo Tramp]

Hi tracy,
I wondered what happened to you, i was starting to worry. I'm glad to find out you got to colorado and I am truly facinated by the photos you brought back. I like all of the ones here. The sunsets and sunrises are so vivid and the colors just fantastic.
I really woud have loved to be shooting with you out there. I truly enjoy your work.

Good Shooting.
Cheers: David

[Ole]

Good Morning!

A few weeks ago I was out in Colorado Springs for work and managed to get away for some photos. I posted these at DPR as well. As fast as that place is moving and knowing that not everyone reads over there, I thought I'd add them here as well. I'll divide these up into separate replies so that you can skip some if you want.

Wonderful shots! Good that you made it as far as you did up Pike's Peak, your pictures from up there are great! And the sunsets and sunrises - wow!

Congratulations - you brought home a whole bunch of keepers, not just one or two!!

[photo_mom]

When I tried to break up the pictures into several posts, I didn't think about how the posts would appear in the 'Linear' mode. I'm really sorry if the pictures innundated your browser!!

Roentarre: I'm really glad you liked them so much! The sunset/clouds at the airport kept changing by the minute and it was glorious to watch. It really was a shame noone else was noticing it.

Scott: It's great you found them here and made such nice comments! I very rarely get the 'frame it' suggestion and it feels great to hear it!

Eric: Wonderful that they helped bring back memories! You were SO right about it getting dark early and chilly. That was very frustrating to get out by 5 or 5:30 and have no photo opportunities at all. Plus, all the fun places closed at about that time as well. That's when I decided some leave was in order. HA! Yep, I don't think I'll ever get tired of looking out the plane window and trying to capture that view in pictures as well. You're right, it's great to know that someone else gets the same feeling!

Phil: Thanks and again, I'm really sorry! I'm just used to doing the 'images in the following replies' thing and didn't think about the 'linear mode' making them all show up at once. Those plane photos were a leap of faith in the FA50 and FA77 lenses. I propped my elbows on the seat armrest and leaned the camera against the window in an attempt to avoid shake. They did tur out MUCH better than I expected!

David: Thanks for the concern and the lovely compliments! The colors really were that intense and breathtaking. It would have been fantastic if we could have had a get-together for that trip up the mountain. I might have even had the courage to finish the road to the top!

Ole: Thank you! Yes, I was very overwhelmed by the view from that road in places. And Garden of the Gods at sunrise was just as inspiring. I've glad that you think they're keepers! After processing all of the pictures from that trip, I'm having a hard time being objective enough to decide which ones are 'keepers' and it's nice to hear these types of comments!

[roy]

great shots. people think driving up the road to the top is scary. then they REALLY get scared going down which is always much worse. those 3000' dropoffs are a bit eye opening.... a shame you didn't make the top as the view is spectacular..

[Photo Tramp]

great shots. people think driving up the road to the top is scary. then they REALLY get scared going down which is always much worse. those 3000' dropoffs are a bit eye opening.... a shame you didn't make the top as the view is spectacular..

And Just remember Tracy, its not the fall that kills you it's the sudden stop at the bottom.

Good shooting.
Cheers: David