Manitou Springs

 Many of you know Jeff's favorite cake is rainbow chip with rainbow chip frosting. I make it every year for his birthday. I decided to try out a new recipe for his coming home, a rainbow chip cookie pie.

 It was all the yummy goodness of a normal rainbow chip cake with a giant cookie crust and extra frosting... it was delicious but needless to say we both could only stomach about one piece each before going into full sugar overload. 

 On Saturday we took our friend that is visiting from Ohio to the city of Manitou Springs to walk around and grab lunch. There was an outdoor arcade for the kids so naturally Jeff had to put Johanna on the carousel, she didn't seem to mind.

 There are several water fountains throughout the town that have a continuous flow of mineral water from the springs running through the town. The waters are said to have healing powers so it is customary to take a drink while you are there for good luck and health.

 Johanna didn't taste any but she had fun running her fingers through it. I tried it however and it was nasty, tasted like carbonated egg water- yuck!

Walking with her Daddy

 Here is a picture of Williams Canyon, a 700 foot-deep gorge that drains into Manitou Springs. We got to enjoy this overlook while waiting for our tour to begin at The Cave of the Winds.  

This was the last photo we were able to take before my camera died...boo!! I am so bad with charging that thing. The cave was really neat, we went on the "Discovery Tour" which was the only kid friendly tour of the three that they offer. Johanna was having a blast walking through the different caverns; Majestic Hall, Bridal Chamber and The Silent Room to name a few. She really got a kick out of ducking through the narrow passageways like "Fat Man's Misery" don't you love the names? At one point in the tour, our guide turned off all lights so it was pitch black and silent. Johanna wasn't too sure about this part and started crying a little. I was pleasently surprised with how well she did. Caves can be slightly claustrophic, but she really enjoyed it! Maybe she will enjoy some spelunking when she's older.