First Stop was an early morning visit to Pikes Peak State Park in Iowa, overlooking the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. I grew up in the shadow of this park, with many visits over the years. Now it was time to seek the top of the other eminence memorializing 19th century explorer Zebulon Pike.

I always enjoy watching the hummingbirds at Pikes Peak and many other parks. Stay tuned for a hummingbird story later in this adventure.

The end of day one brought me to Lincoln, Nebraska, where I checked in on the house where we lived back in the 80s. Still looks basically the same.

I also got a chance to connect with Syl and Ina, friends from long ago, who took in a young radio reporter, new to Lincoln, for a few months until his family could join him. The Runza is a delicious local delicacy.

Nebraska is a long drive with lots to see. Day 2 began with a stop at the Pony Express Station in Gothenburg. The Pony Express grabbed my imagination as a young boy.

On down the road, another stop at the Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard in North Platte, the world’s largest rail yard.

“This is where America’s Trains get on the right track.” 10,000 rail cars are handled each day, sorted onto the right track and the right train to reach its destination. It would be fun to stay at the Golden Spike tower and watch trains all day but more adventures are calling.

As I crossed into Colorado, I stopped for lunch with a tumbleweed.

After negotiating rush hour traffic in Denver, Pikes Peak soon hove into view as I neared Colorado Springs.

In Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak looms over another dramatic natural feature in the landscape, The Garden of the Gods.

So an evening stroll through the garden seemed in order.

Lots of interesting rocks. This formation is called The Siamese Twins.

And, of course, Balanced Rock.

There are several ways to get to the peak of Pikes Peak. I took the tram.

That altitude warning in the last photo: yeah, you can really feel it. It’s a way high mountain.

You can see a long ways. On a clearer day, even further. Is that the curvature of the earth in the far distance?

Even at the top of this high mountain, there’s someone who wants to get higher, for some reason.

In the middle of June, a snowball fight. On the way down, a nice chat with Derek, from Utah, who was visiting a water park in the area with his two sons.

From Colorado Springs I drove through long miles of stunning vistas, with several ranges of the Rocky Mountains to navigate.

…and finally reached my camping spot for the night. Tomorrow the adventure continues.