Oh wow - we just wrapped up our big summer vacation to Colorado and boy was it wonderful! Mom and dad had been planning this trip for a few years and we finally got to take it. Us boys didn't know what we were in for until the sun rose each day and we saw where we ended up. We based out of Breckenridge and it ended up being a beautiful place!
So put your seat belts on and we'll share our vacation in pictures . . . lots and lots of pictures. The first picture will give it all away for you!
Our first night at the condo provided us with some uninterrupted swimming time. We put our summer swimming lessons to practice and loved playing in the water.
We each did a little flying while we were in the pool. Thanks dad!
Then on Saturday morning we got up early and headed a few miles north to the Georgetown Loop Railroad.
This is an old steamie that goes across a very old trestle bridge.
Here we are with the conductor.
Heading back across the bridge.
This is a Shay engine and it was so much fun to watch it and listen to it.
Here we are watching the next train go over the bridge. We love this train - we've been on this one before back when Sam was a tiny baby. It was as great as we remembered.
For dinner that night we ended up back in Breckenridge at the Bubba Gump Shrimp place - we fell in love with this place! Mmmm, mmmm, good! Here we are posing as Forrest.
And that's all I've got to say about that! (Alert - movie quote that I have now adopted.)
The next morning we got up really, really early and headed south through some of the most gorgeous mountains and meadows we've ever seen. We ended up at the Royal Gorge Railroad for a morning ride.
We got to ride in the dome car and had breakfast served to us. It was the best!
After breakfast, we headed out to the open cars to really enjoy the scenery and narrow gorge that we were in.
The Arkansas River is what created the gorge and we followed it the whole ride.
After we finished with the Royal Gorge, we headed back north and ended up in Cripple Creek. This turned out to be our most favorite train ride of the trip. And it was our second train in one day - - how lucky are we!
This railroad is an old mining railroad and is pulled by an old narrow gauge steamie. Can you see the fire box down there - the fire gets up to 2000 degrees. We were covered in soot by the end, but it was so much fun!!!!!
This was the perfect train ride!
We spent that night in Manitou Springs and found the perfect restaurant to have dinner at.
We got up the next morning and rode the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. It is the world's highest cog train and one of only two tourist cog trains in the United States (we rode the Mount Washington cog train in New Hampshire two summers ago).
The views were amazing and we even got to see Kansas from the mountain. The open pit mine you can see in this picture is in Cripple Creek (where we were the day before).
Here we are at the summit.
It's definitely the end of the track here!
The mountains are covered in Pikes Peak granite which is this beautiful pink stone.
The only disappointing thing about this adventure was that the trains are actually diesel-electric coaches, unlike the Mount Washington train which is still pulled by the traditional type of engine. But just down the way from the station was one of the old engines that we got to see.
After a quick lunch we stopped at the Mantiou Cliff Dwellings. The best thing about these were that there were no "Don't Touch" signs and we were allowed to climb all over and touch everything.
It was so much fun! We crawled . . . .
. . . . and climbed . . . .
. . . . and peeked . . . .
. . . . and imagined what it would have been like to live here.
This was the grain silo/storage area.
And this is a three-story, nine family home.
The rain finally cleared and we were left with this beautiful view!
One last visit inside a tee pee and we headed back up to Breckenridge.
We had a down day on Tuesday and just relaxed and played at the condo. On Wednesday we headed out early again and ended up in Leadville to ride the Leadville & Southern Railroad. This was another big diesel engine and this line ran from Leadville to Denver in the old days.
Aren't these beautiful views?
We got to spend a few minutes in the caboose. Here we are up in the cab.
And after the brakeman gave us a tour, here we are at the end of the train.
What a great old engine!
We did a little fishing that night at the pond at our condo. Let's just say that the fish were not interested!
Thursday was finally the day Sam had been waiting for. Although he loved the trains, he had also fallen in love with the gondolas we could see in town. So off we went for a day up on Peak 8.
And we did it up right - we rode the Alpine slide.
And we rode the Alpine coaster. Oh my - how we love alpine coasters! Speed is great!
I got to do the climbing wall - poor Sam didn't weigh enough.
We panned for gemstones.
We flew on the bungee trampolines.
We played mini golf.
And we played in the maze.
We also went up and down the mountain several times on the gondola. So. Much. Fun!!!
What a great summer 2013 vacation!
We drove home Friday. While we love to travel, there's no place like home!
Sam Alert: Hey everyone. When dad and mom asked me what my favorite part of vacation was, the answer was "Everything"! We had such a great time!
Here I am on the Royal Gorge train.
And here are a few pictures of me at the cliff dwellings. I loved being able to climb around, climb inside, and touch everything.
Probably my most favorite thing at the cliff dwellings was grinding the corn. The parents had to drag me away from here. I was determined to make food for my family that day!
And if you're a loyal reader, you know how much I love to golf. It was even better up on top of a mountain.
And of course, the gondolas. I begged for days to take a gondola ride. It was everything I dreamed it would be.
Ah - now it's back to the real world.
And only 22 days left until school starts.
