| 2003 Family Trip |
| For 2003, we wanted to do a family trip to somewhere we had not been as a family and where there would be cooler temps for late August. Colorado won out over Minnesota / Wisconsin. We rented a spiffy mini-van for the drive since it makes it a lot easier to cart the kids around. We made it to Denver and spent the night with my brother Greg who lives out there. Here are several pics from our week long trip to Colorado. |
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| Day 1 |
| On the way home, we stopped at the Florrisant Fossil Beds to hike and learn about fossils there. The kids thought it was "okay", so we woudn't recommend it for young kids. Try the Mission:Wolf santuary instead. |
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| Day 2 |
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| The next day we visited the Royal Gorge / Bridge which is out in middle of nowhere. It is. But it's still fun for the kids. Do this early to ride the tram down to the bottom of the gorge with no lines. A train ride in the gorge would be fun, but we didn't do it. |
| In the afternoon, we drove to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. Penny kept asking if we were really going to something, since it too is really out in the middle of nowhere. The kids LOVED it! |
| Be prepared to hike in hot temps and sand. A prime time to visit is in June or early July when there is still runoff from the mountains keeping the river running at the base of the dunes. A Must Do & See! |
| Day 3 |
| On day 3, we did the kid's 1st hike in the mountains. We didn't want just a walking trail, but something with a little challenge to it. We found a great 3/4 mile hike up a rocky stream to remote Agnes Veil Falls. |
| The next day we did river rafting on the upper Colorado - and the kids LOVED it. Just enough safe white water to whet their appetites for the next time. Our last day, we spent a half morning at Peak 8 in Breckenridge, doing their various rides and activities for the kids. |
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| Day 4-5 |
| Day 3 |
| It was perfect for Cole, but a little too much for Clay & Kendall. Everyone had fun though, even when we had to get down fast from a mountain rain storm. Next we visited a Ghost Town, and Kendall fed some of the town residents. |
| The first day we drove to Colorado Springs and explored the Garden of the Gods and its red rocks. The kids climbed anything that looked "climbable". |