Can't beat the views and the homemade ice cream

My sister's parents-in-law outdid themselves tonight! We feasted on baked potatoes and fresh steaks off the grill from their personally-owned herd of cattle, finishing off with homemade Butterfinger ice cream. Hoo boy, put a scoop right there in my bowl! 

After dinner, we drove out to Wilkerson Pass to see dusk fall. The views were absolutely gorgeous. To the west was the South Park area with the snow-capped Collegiate Peaks in the distance (Mt. Yale, Mt. Columbia, Mt. Harvard, and Mt. Princeton). To the east was the majestic Pikes Peak - the most famous mountain in the area. I understood how the early pioneers felt stirred to reach the summit, but not enough to join them on foot. Perhaps tomorrow I'll just take the train to the top...

Trying unsuccessfully to get a good panoramic shot of the west area off Wilkerson Pass.

Pikes Peak standing majestically to the east of Wilkerson Pass.

Lake George, CO

I've made it up to what my mother calls "God's country," and most of the family is here! Beautiful home in a beautiful mountain range, and homemade comfort food to boot. What more can a woman ask for? The kitchen comes with a radiant warming coil underneath the cabinets to keep the food warm, because up at these altitudes the food cools off more quickly than most. I'll have to look into why that is and report back.

Tomorrow, the plan is to visit a working gold mine and hike around bit. Looking forward to seeing more of this gorgeous area!