The train ride

The day after the ear doctor's glorious graduation we drove down to Manitou Springs to ride the Cog Railway. I had to show my wonderful in-laws the beauty of Colorado coupled with the marvel of a National Historic Mechanical Engineering landmark!



The ear doctor was thrilled to be there.




The railway has to be REALLY steep to get up this mountain. So steep that a regular train would just slide backward on the rails. A gear is mounted to the bottom of the train and it climbs up a gear track between the rails. Just look at the angle between the car window and the horizon...at least 25 degrees!





The day we decided to go up there it was too windy at the top to go all the way. That was a real bummer. However, I was ready to turn around and go back down...my head was pounding! That elevation really takes it out of me. On the way back down I snapped this photo:

On our way back to the station the train stopped for a potty break. We got out walked around and took some pictures of Colorado at it's finest. Observe:

My awesome mother-in-law doesn't think she takes cute pictures, but boy is she wrong! Feast your eyes on the total cuteness that is this photo:

I love it.