Our excitement has waned significantly since our trip down the mountain but we are thankful for that and finding more ways to enjoy our stay in Colorado.

Today, we visited the town of Manitou Springs, at the base of Pike’s Peak.  It is a cute little town, filled with shops of all kinds and adorable storefronts.  It reminded me a little of River Falls, Wisconsin except that it was surrounded by mountains.  And of course, there’s the spring.

The water coming from it is fresh and tasty.  It seems slightly carbonated, like sparkling water.  I am sure it is an acquired taste but I seem to already have acquired it.  There are little fountains all over town where you can drink and collect the spring water.

We spent some time checking out the shops and playing games in the old arcade.  The arcade is huge, a series of indoor and outdoor areas all connected that have games ranging from 1 cent to 1 dollar.  It was fun to see all the old games that are still maintained and in working condition.

It was fun walking around town even though it was a little chilly.

When we got home, we checked on the outcome of our first true batch of soap.  It is uncolored with a light rose scent.

A little rough but once it cures, it seems like it will be a successful batch.  We tried a new process and this one seems to have worked out nicely!

We are very excited that this endeavor succeeded because it is our first step towards our new business making things we enjoy!  We have started making soaps, lotions, bath scrubs, chapstick, and jewelry and will eventually market them for sale once we get more proficient at it.  It has been a fun adventure so far and we look forward to more of it!