Woodland Park, Christmastime 2013

I was up in Woodland Park, Colorado a few days before Christmas, so I took some pictures. It has been a cold winter so far, and while there isn't much snow at the lower elevations, Woodland Park is quite a bit higher than Colorado Springs and has plenty of snow.

It is a very pretty town in the winter, not so much in the summer. Strangely, there is no skiing anywhere nearby. You have to drive an hour to Copper Mountain for the nearest good powder, and the fancy resorts are a rough drive through the mountains to the north.

The Woodland Park Dinosaur Center is a favorite with kids

You never think of dinosaurs with snow on them!

Everyone ignores clouds in the mountains, but they are really cool

The sun sets early in the mountains

Cave of the Winds and Manitou Springs, Christmas 2013

Here are some pictures from the Cave of the Winds a couple of days before Christmas, 2013.

Cave of the Winds is perched high above a valley and Colorado Springs. It looks out over Manitou Springs. It is quite scenic, and has been a prime tourist destination for well over 100 years.

This is my favorite in this batch, with Manitou Springs nestled under the mountains

A blurry look back at my destination

Wild Fox

I was up in Woodland Park, Colorado, which is a mountain community in the Front Range, a couple of days before Christmas. While Santa's Workshop is nearby, I didn't see the kindly old gent, but I did see this fine fellow.

Needless to say, these fellows don't like to sit around to have their picture taken. They are NOT tame and they do NOT approach you. They see you and the run. Thus, while they are all around, it is difficult to get good pictures of them.

These are about as good as I could get. Hope you enjoy them.