Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20190401001525/@comment-29709319-20190412013127

National Themes For April 12th: National Big Wind Day, National Licorice Day, National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, National Day of Silence, National Teach Children To Save Day, and 💜National Colorado Day💜.

💨National Big Wind Day commemorates the recording of the highest natural wind gust measured on the Earth’s surface. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934, the Mount Washington Observatory recorded winds at 231 miles per hour. Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft, and it is the most prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River.

🍭National Licorice Day! This day was created to celebrate black licorice, its history, health benefits and world renown. Black licorice comes in twists, stem shaped candies, licorice ropes, jelly beans, jewels and many others. Licorice International founded National Licorice Day in 2004.

🧀🍞National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day! Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are among one of the top comfort foods in the United States. According to food historians, cooked bread and cheese is an ancient food, enjoyed across the world in many cultures. The United States modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich originated in the 1920s when inexpensive sliced bread and American cheese became easily available. Originally it was made as an open-faced sandwich. United States government cookbooks describe Navy cooks broiling “American cheese filling sandwiches” during World War II. Grilled cheese sandwiches are versatile with the ability to mix and match cheeses, bread, and seasonings. Adding sauteed vegetables or herb-infused oils can elevate this simple comfort food to a whole other level.

🙉🙊National Day of Silence is a student-led movement to protest bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students and those who support them. Participating students take a day-long vow of silence. As part of a class assignment on non-violent protests, University of Virginia students organized the first Day of Silence in 1996. Since then, National Day of Silence has been observed each year in April. Students are encouraged to gain permission from their school before organizing an event for National Day of Silence.

👫💰National Teach Children to Save Day! Bankers across the country volunteer every year to teach children to save. Developing these habits at a young age creates a foundation for a lifetime of saving. Sponsored by the American Bankers Association, National Teach Children To Save Day has been helping young people since 1997 when the program started.

🇺🇸Colorado was named for the Colorado River, which early Spanish explorers named the Río Colorado for the ruddy silt the river carried from the mountains. It is the 8th most extensive and 21st most populous U.S. state. Denver is the capital and most populous city of Colorado. Residents of the state are known as Coloradans. Colorado's Nickname: The Centennial State, Colo, Motto: Nothing without providence, State song(s): "Where the Columbines Grow" and "Rocky Mountain High". Colorado's Highest point is Mount Elbert in Lake County at 14,440 ft (4401.2 m). It's Lowest point is Arikaree River at the Kansas border at 3,317 ft (1011 m). Living insignia; Amphibian: 🦎Western Tiger Salamander, Bird: 🕊Lark Bunting, Cactus: 🌵Claret Cup Cactus, Fish: 🐟Greenback Cutthroat Trout, Flower: 🌸Rocky Mountain Columbine, Grass: 🌾Blue grama grass, Insect: 🦋Colorado Hairstreak, Mammal: 🐏Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Pet: Colorado shelter pets, Reptile: 🐢Western Painted Turtle, and Tree: 🌲Colorado Blue Spruce. Inanimate insignia; Colors: Blue, Red, Yellow, White, Dinosaur: Stegosaurus, Folk dance: Square dance, Fossil: Stegosaurus, Gemstone: Aquamarine, Mineral: Rhodochrosite, Rock: Yule Marble, Ship: USS Colorado (SSN-788), Slogan: Colorful Colorado, Soil: Seitz, Sport: Pack burro racing, and Tartan: Colorado State Tartan. Colorado is notable for its diverse geography, which includes alpine mountains, high plains, deserts with huge sand dunes, and deep canyons. Colorado is the only U.S. state that lies entirely above 1,000 meters elevation. The summit of Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet (4,401.2 m) elevation in Lake County is the highest point in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains of North America. A little less than half of Colorado is flat and rolling land. Eastern Colorado is presently mainly farmland and rangeland, along with small farming villages and towns. Corn, wheat, hay, soybeans, and oats are all typical crops. The Continental Divide of the Americas extends along the crest of the Rocky Mountains. In southmost Colorado is the large San Luis Valley, where the headwaters of the Rio Grande are located. The Rocky Mountains within Colorado contain 53 peaks that are 14,000 feet (4,267 m) or higher in elevation above sea level, known as fourteeners. The climate of Colorado is more complex than states outside of the Mountain States region. Unlike most other states, southern Colorado is not always warmer than northern Colorado. Most of Colorado is made up of mountains, foothills, high plains, and desert lands. Mountains and surrounding valleys greatly affect local climate. As a general rule, with an increase in elevation comes a decrease in temperature and an increase in precipitation. Northeast, east, and southeast Colorado are mostly the high plains, while Northern Colorado is a mix of high plains, foothills, and mountains. Northwest and west Colorado are predominantly mountainous, with some desert lands mixed in. Southwest and southern Colorado are a complex mixture of desert and mountain areas. The highest ambient air temperature ever recorded in Colorado was 118°F (48°C) on July 11, 1888, at Bennett. The lowest air temperature was -61°F (-52°C) on February 1, 1985, at Maybell. Despite its mountainous terrain, Colorado is relatively quiet seismically. The U.S. National Earthquake Information Center is located in Golden. On August 22, 2011, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake occurred 9 miles (14 km) west-southwest of Trinidad. It was the second-largest earthquake in Colorado's history. A magnitude 5.7 earthquake was recorded in 1973. Colorado has recorded 525 earthquakes since 1973, a majority of which range 2 to 3.5 on the Richter scale. The region that is today the state of Colorado has been inhabited by Native Americans for more than 13,000 years. The Lindenmeier Site in Larimer County contains artifacts dating from approximately 11200 BC to 3000 BC. Colorado has been home to the Ancient Pueblo peoples, the Ute Nation, the Apache, the Comanche, the Arapaho Nation and the Cheyenne Nation. The Spanish Empire claimed Colorado as part of its New Mexico province prior to U.S. involvement in the region. The U.S. acquired a territorial claim to the eastern Rocky Mountains with the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803. In 1806, Zebulon Pike led a U.S. Army reconnaissance expedition into the disputed region. Colonel Pike and his men were arrested by Spanish cavalrymen in the San Luis Valley the following February, taken to Chihuahua, and expelled from Mexico the following July. On February 28, 1861, outgoing U.S. President James Buchanan signed an Act of Congress organizing the free Territory of Colorado. On September 14, 1864, James Huff discovered silver near Argentine Pass, the first of many silver strikes. In 1867, the Union Pacific Railroad laid its tracks west to Weir, now Julesburg, in the northeast corner of the Territory. The Union Pacific linked up with the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869, to form the First Transcontinental Railroad. The Denver Pacific Railway reached Denver in June the following year, and the Kansas Pacific arrived two months later to forge the second line across the continent. In 1872, rich veins of silver were discovered in the San Juan Mountains on the Ute Indian reservation in southwestern Colorado. The Ute people were removed from the San Juans the following year. The United States Congress passed an enabling act on March 3, 1875, specifying the requirements for the Territory of Colorado to become a state. On August 1, 1876 (four weeks after the Centennial of the United States), U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed a proclamation admitting Colorado to the Union as the 38th state and earning it the moniker "Centennial State". The discovery of a major silver lode near Leadville in 1878 triggered the Colorado Silver Boom. In 1890 gold was struck at Cripple Creek. Colorado women were granted the right to vote beginning on November 7, 1893, making Colorado the second state to grant universal suffrage and the first one by a popular vote (of Colorado men). Three warships of the U.S. Navy have been named the USS Colorado. The first USS Colorado was named for the Colorado River. The later two ships were named in honor of the state, including the battleship USS Colorado which served in World War II in the Pacific beginning in 1941. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, this USS Colorado was located at the naval base in San Diego, Calif. and hence went unscathed. Colorado has five major professional sports leagues, all based in the Denver metropolitan area. Colorado is the least populous state with a franchise in each of the major professional sports leagues. Colorado Rockies in Major League Baseball, Colorado Avalanche in National Hockey League, Denver Broncos in National Football League, Denver Nuggets in National Basketball Association, and Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer. A number of nationally known brand names have originated in Colorado factories and laboratories. From Denver came the forerunner of telecommunications giant Qwest in 1879, Samsonite luggage in 1910, Gates belts and hoses in 1911, and Russell Stover Candies in 1923. Kuner canned vegetables began in Brighton in 1864. From Golden came Coors beer in 1873, CoorsTek industrial ceramics in 1920, and Jolly Rancher candy in 1949. CF&I railroad rails, wire, nails, and pipe debuted in Pueblo in 1892. Holly Sugar was first milled from beets in Holly in 1905, and later moved its headquarters to Colorado Springs. The present-day Swift packed meat of Greeley evolved from Monfort of Colorado, Inc., established in 1930. Estes model rockets were launched in Penrose in 1958. Fort Collins has been the home of Woodward Governor Company's motor controllers (governors) since 1870, and Waterpik dental water jets and showerheads since 1962. Celestial Seasonings herbal teas have been made in Boulder since 1969. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory made its first candy in Durango in 1981. Colorado has significant hydrocarbon resources. According to the Energy Information Administration, Colorado hosts seven of the Nation's 100 largest natural gas fields, and two of its 100 largest oil fields. Uranium mining in Colorado goes back to 1872 and not counting byproduct uranium from phosphate, Colorado is considered to have the third-largest uranium reserves of any U.S. state. Colorado is currently the home of seven major military bases and installations. Colorado is home to 4 national parks, 8 national monuments, 2 national recreation areas, 2 national historic sites, 3 national historic trails, a national scenic trail, 11 national forests, 2 national grasslands, 42 national wilderness areas, 2 national conservation areas, 8 national wildlife refuges, 44 state parks, 307 state wildlife areas, and numerous other scenic, historic, and recreational areas. Things to do in Colorado! 🇺🇸1️⃣The Colorado Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum. The museum is located on 15 acres (6.1 ha) in Golden, Colorado. The museum was established in 1959 to preserve a record of Colorado's flamboyant railroad era, particularly the state's pioneering narrow gauge mountain railroads. The museum building is a replica of an 1880s-style railroad depot. Exhibits feature original photographs by pioneer photographers, as well as paintings. Locomotives and railroad cars modeled in the one inch scale by Herb Votaw are also displayed. A bay window contains a reconstructed depot telegrapher's office, complete with a working telegraph sounder. The lower level of the museum building contains an exhibition hall which features seasonal and traveling displays on railroading history. It also contains the Denver HO Model Railroad Club's "Denver and Western" operating HO and HOn3 scale model train layout that represent Colorado's rail history in miniature. The Robert W. Richardson Library houses over 10,000 rare historic photographs. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway no 683 was built in 1890 by the Baldwin locomotive works and spent much of its time, pulling coal trains in the eastern United States it was donated to the Colorado Railroad Museum in July 9th 1982. The museum has a large collection of 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge rolling stock, and provides narrow gauge train rides on special event days known as "Steam Up days". The museum also has ex-Denver and Rio Grande Western RR No. 683, a coal burning 2-8-0 consolidation built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1890, builders number 11207. It is the only surviving 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge steam locomotive from the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. All of the railroad equipment is displayed outdoors. Display tracks are complete with a rare three-way stub switch, dual gauge track and switches, and century-old switch stands. These tracks hold over 100 historic narrow and standard gauge locomotives and cars. The 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) oval of 3 ft (914 mm) gauge track is used by trains on operating days. 🚂The museum's roster contains the following notable pieces of rolling stock: Chicago Burlington & Quincy no 5629 built in 1934. / Chicago Burlington & Quincy no 5629 or Burlington Route 5629 is a 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin locomotive Works in 1934 it was at the Colorado Railroad Museum in 1972. / Rio Grande 491 / year built 1902 / Rio Grande 491 is a 2-8-2 Mikado-type Narrow Gauge steam locomotive built by the Baldwin locomotive Works in 1902. It was placed on display at the Colorado Railroad Museum in 2000. / Rio Grande 346 build in July 1881 / Denver & Rio Grande Western railroad no 346 was built in July 1881 by the Baldwin locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania does 346 has its very own class sister the locomotive number 318. / Rio Grande 318 built in 1881 / Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway no 1 built in 1891 / Rio Grande southern 20 built in 1884 / Colorado and Southern 191 built in 1892 / 🚂Diesel Locomotives: Denver & Rio Grande Western Nos. 5771 & 5762. 🚂Passenger Cars: Atchison Topeka & Sante Fe Observation Car Navajo / Chicago Burlingon & Quincy Business Car No. 96 / Colorado Midland Observation Car No. 111 / Denver & Rio Grande Western Coach No. 284 / Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway Post Office Car No. 60 / Union Pacific Coach No. 5442 / Union Pacific Diner No. 4801. 🚂Special equipment: Chicago Burlington & Quincy snow plow No. 205065 / Colorado & Southern rotary snow plow No. 99201 / Rio Grande Southern "Galloping Goose" No. 2 / Rio Grande Southern "Galloping Goose" No. 6 / Rio Grande Southern "Galloping Goose" No. 7. 2️⃣Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum! In 1994, the United States Air Force transferred Hangar 1 to a group of volunteers, who established Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, located on the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado. The Museum includes more than 182,000 square feet of hangar space and 50 iconic aircraft dating from 1939 to 1990. In 1997, the Colorado State Legislature passed House Bill 1269 that made Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum Colorado's official air and space museum, and the site of the Colorado Aviation Historical Society's Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame. Military Exhibits: ✨Vought A-7D Corsair II (No. 73-0996, "Speedwell", Colo. Air Nat'l Guard) attack fighter. ✨Douglas B-18A Bolo (No. 39-25) 1938 medium bomber based on the Douglas DC-2 airliner. ✨Martin EB-57E Canberra (No. 55-4293) electronic warfare bomber. ✨McDonnell-Douglas F-4E Phantom II (No. 66-0286, "Julie") fighter-bomber. ✨Grumman F-14A Tomcat (Bu. No. 159829) fleet defense fighter from VF-211 "NG-102". ✨North American F-100D Super Sabre (No. 56-3417) fighter-bomber. ✨Convair F-102A Delta Dagger (No. 56-0984) air defense interceptor. ✨Republic F-105D Thunderchief (No. 60-0508) fighter-bomber. ✨Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (No. 56-1710) trainer aircraft. ✨Beech UC-45 Expeditor (No. 42-37496) transport aircraft. Civilian: ✨Aviat Pitts Special sport aerobatic biplane aircraft (No. N15JB). ✨Christen Industries Christen Eagle II sport aerobatic biplane aircraft with a 230 hp Lycoming engine (No. N6LA). ✨Learjet 24 executive jet transport (No. N241JA). ✨Murray Model T homebuilt helicopter, 1st to register in Colo. (No. N7222). ✨Piper J-3-65 Cub light aircraft with Continental engine (No. N42427). Other aircraft and related exhibits: ✨Space Station Freedom command module mockup built by Martin Mariettawith CASIS' Science in Space Exhibit of the ISS. ✨Nuclear weapons collection on display. ✨The Aviator Uniform Collection Exhibit Room. ✨The Cold War Exhibit. ✨The History of Avionics Exhibit Room. ✨The Colorado Air National Guard Heritage Exhibit Room with Buckley Field and Buckley Air Force Base exhibits. ✨Rocky Mountain Airways Flight 217 Memorial. ✨MaxFlight: a 360° full-motion flight simulator. And many more! 3️⃣The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Denver Branch is second largest of three branches of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The branch which is in Denver opened on January 14, 1918. The Money Museum offers guests the opportunity to watch millions of dollars in currency be processed, lift a gold bar worth nearly $400,000 and enjoy fun, interactive exhibits while learning about the economy. They'll show you when and how the American economy began in 1775. Visitors can enjoy a 450-piece collection of coins minted under each U.S. President, on loan from the Harry S. Truman Library. Walk-ins are welcome and groups can make advance reservations. Photo ID required for visitors 18 and older. On your way out, don't forget to get your souvenir bag of shredded money. 4️⃣Bear Lake is a scenic trailhead and destination in Rocky Mountain National Park. Sitting at an elevation of 9,450 feet (2,880 m), the alpine lake rests beneath the sheer flanks of Hallett Peak and the Continental Divide. Several trails, from easy walks to strenuous hikes, start from the lake. The Bear Lake Road is open year-round, though it may temporarily close due to adverse weather conditions. An ample parking lot is provided close to the lake. The Bear Lake Road is approximately 10 miles long and starts close to the Beaver Meadows Entrance station of the Rocky Mountains National Park. The lake was formed during the ice age by a glacier. Several moraines can be found downhill of Bear Lake. The state quarter coin for Colorado, released June 14, 2006, depicts the view of Longs Peak from the north shore of Bear Lake. 5️⃣Boulder falls is a quick hike. This 100 yard hiking trail just outside Boulder, Colorado leads you into a cliff lined notch in Boulder Canyon where the creek gushes out to form one of the best waterfalls near Denver. Boulder Falls is about 70 feet high. The combination of the tight canyon, giant ponderosa pines, and the pouring waterfall makes it a great place to take explore. This may be the shortest Colorado hike you have explored; so, here are some hiking recommendations Betasso Preserve, Mt. Sanitas, or Forsythe Canyon. 6️⃣Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. The structure built by the Ancestral Puebloans is located in Mesa Verde National Park in their former homeland region. Cliff Palace was abandoned by 1300, and while debate remains as to the causes of this, some believe that a series of megadroughts interrupting food production systems is the main cause. Cliff Palace was rediscovered in 1888 by Richard Wetherill and Charlie Mason while out looking for stray cattle. Cliff Palace was constructed primarily out of sandstone, mortar and wooden beams. The sandstone was shaped using harder stones, and a mortar of soil, water and ash was used to hold everything together. "Chinking" stones were placed within the mortar to fill gaps and provide stability. Many of the walls were decorated with colored earthen plasters, which were the first to erode over time. Many visitors wonder about the relatively small size of the doorways at Cliff Palace; the explanation being that at the time the average man was under 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m), while the average woman was closer to 5 feet (1.5 m). Cliff Palace contains 23 kivas (round sunken rooms of ceremonial importance) and 150 rooms and had a population of approximately 100 people. Archaeologists believe that Cliff Palace contained more clans than the surrounding Mesa Verde communities. This belief stems from the higher ratio of rooms to kivas. A large square tower is to the right and almost reaches the cave "roof". It was in ruins by the 1800s. The National Park Service carefully restored it to its approximate height and stature, making it one of the most memorable buildings in Cliff Palace. It is the tallest structure at Mesa Verde standing at 26 feet (7.9 m) tall, with four levels. Slightly differently colored materials were used to show that it was a restoration. 7️⃣Red Rocks Park is a mountain park owned and maintained by the city of Denver as part of the Denver Mountain Parks system. The park is known for its very large red sandstone outcrops. Many of these rock formations within the park have names, from the mushroom-shaped Seat of Pluto to the inclined Cave of the Seven Ladders. The most visited rocks, around the amphitheater, are Creation Rock to the north, Ship Rock to the south, and Stage Rock to the east. The red sandstone found throughout Red Rocks Park is geologically identified as belonging to the Fountain Formation. Other Colorado examples of Fountain Formation geology include nearby Roxborough State Park, Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, and the Flatirons near Boulder. The rocks were formed about 290-296 million years ago when the Ancestral Rocky Mountains were eroded during the Pennsylvanian epoch. Later, uplift during the Laramide orogeny tilted the rocks to the angle at which they sit today. An Army expedition led by Stephen Long discovered present day Red Rocks in 1820. The park was in times far past a favored campsite of the Ute tribe for it provided natural cover from the elements. Its earliest known name was the Garden of the Angels, reputedly given to it on July 4, 1870, by Martin Van Buren Luther, a pioneer Colorado judge. It was renamed Garden of the Titans in 1906 by famed editor John Brisben Walker when he purchased the place. Known however by the folk name of Red Rocks since the area was settled, it was formally given that name when Denver acquired it in 1928. Within the park boundaries is the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a world-famous venue used since 1941. The amphitheater is an award-winning venue for concerts. Denver Mayor Ben Stapleton resisted developing the already beautiful Red Rocks but city Park Planner George Cranmer used a program developed by Franklin D Roosevelt to build an amphitheater. Ultimately, the Amphitheater was designed by Burnam Hoyt within the area between two massive slabs of Red stone (Ship Rock and Creation Rock). After being awarded Pollstar magazine's Best Small Outdoor Venue for the 11th time, the popular magazine named the award after the venue taking it out of the running. Red Rocks Park was also the site of the Start and Finish line of The Amazing Race 9 which aired in the spring of 2006. The park along with Mount Morrison Civilian Conservation Corps Camp were added to the National Historic Landmarks program in 2015. 8️⃣Rattlesnake Canyon is a scenic area within the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness which in turn forms the core of the Bureau of Land Management administered McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area in west central Colorado. The canyon contains nine natural arches, the second highest concentration of such arches in the United States. Access to the canyon is either by a strenuous seven mile hike from the Pollack Bench trailhead or by the Black Ridge access roads. The latter are reached via the adjacent Colorado National Monument. These dirt roads are open seasonally and should only be attempted in a high ground clearance four wheel drive vehicle under dry conditions due to steep, rocky grades. The arches loop trail descends and then circumnavigates a bench into the canyon. It passes six arches before arriving at Cedar Tree Arch. A slightly tricky ascent on steep sandstone slopes and moqui steps leads to the top of the canyon and a trail spur that completes the circuit. Notable features: 🍃Cedar Tree Arch (also known as Rainbow Arch) has a span of 76 feet and an opening height of 43 feet. 🍃East Rim Arch (also known as Akiti Arch or Centennial Arch) has a span of 40 feet and an opening height of 120 feet. 🍃Bridge Arch (also known as Hole-in-the-Bridge Arch) has a span of 40 feet and an opening height of 30 feet. 9️⃣Mee Canyon is a remote scenic area within the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness which in turn forms the core of the Bureau of Land Management administered McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area in west central Colorado. Limited access and primitive facilities limit visitation and help preserve the wilderness in its natural state. Mee Canyon is accessed either by boat from the Colorado River, or from a trail head near Glade Park. Arch Tower is a 375-foot-tall (114 m) Wingate Sandstone tower that contains a natural arch. This tower was first climbed in 2003. There is a 100 feet deep alcove eroded into the soft sandstone by a year-round stream. The stream flows through it around a large rubble pile in the center which has fallen in from the ceiling. 🔟Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site near La Junta! Bent's Old Fort is an 1833 fort located in Otero County in southeastern Colorado. A company owned by Charles Bent and William Bent and Ceran St. Vrain built the fort to trade with Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Plains Indians and trappers for buffalo robes. For much of its 16-year history, the fort was the only major white American permanent settlement on the Santa Fe Trail between Missouri and the Mexican settlements. It was destroyed in 1849. The area of the fort was designated a National Historic Site under the National Park Service on June 3, 1960. It was further designated a National Historic Landmark later that year on December 19, 1960. The fort was reconstructed and is open to the public. The adobe fort quickly became the center of the Bent, St. Vrain Company's expanding trade empire, which included Fort Saint Vrain to the north and Fort Adobe to the south. The primary trade was with the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians for buffalo robes. From 1833 to 1849, the fort was a stopping point along the Santa Fe Trail. It was the only permanent settlement not under the jurisdiction and control of Native Americans or Mexicans. The U.S. Army, explorers, and other travelers stopped at the fort to replenish supplies and perform needed maintenance to their wagons. The American frontiersman Kit Carson was employed as a hunter by the Bent brothers in 1841, and regularly visited the Fort. Likewise, the explorer John C. Frémont used the Fort as both a staging area and a replenishment junction, for his expeditions. During the Mexican–American War in 1846, the fort became a staging area for Colonel Stephen Watts Kearny's "Army of the West". In 1849 when a great cholera epidemic struck the Cheyenne and other Plains Indians, William Bent abandoned Bent's Fort and moved his headquarters north to Fort Saint Vrain on the South Platte. When he returned south in 1852, he relocated his trading business to his log trading post at Big Timbers, near what is now Lamar, Colorado. Later, in the fall of 1853, Bent began building a stone fort on the bluff above Big Timbers, Bent's New Fort, where he conducted his trading business until 1860. When the fort was reconstructed in 1976, its authenticity was based on the use of archaeological excavations, paintings and original sketches, diaries and other existing historical data from the period. 1️⃣1️⃣Bridal Veil Falls is a two pronged 365-foot (111 m) waterfall at the end of the box canyon overlooking Telluride, Colorado. Hiking and off-road trails pass by the falls and it has a hydroelectric power plant at its top. In winter the frozen shape of the falls forms an imposing challenge to intrepid ice climbers. The falls were opened briefly in the 1990s to ice climbers, but the area is private property so climbing has been legally prohibited since. The area around Bridal Veil Falls is subject to avalanche and controlled shelling to create controlled slides is an event popular with spectators and photographers. Reaching the top of the falls in winter can be a precarious venture, even for the experienced family that lives there. 1️⃣2️⃣Chasm Falls is a waterfall with a 25-foot (7.6 m) drop located on the Fall River in Rocky Mountain National Park. Chasm Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park. The falls bursts through a chasm in Fall River where the rock funnels its waters into a narrow gorge. It’s one of the more accessible waterfalls in RMNP, located about 100 yards off of Old Fall River Road. The only drawback is that parking fills fast. However, there are several parking and hike options. 1️⃣3️⃣Fish Creek Falls is a 283-foot-tall (86 m) waterfall located about 5 miles to the east of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in Routt National Forest. Fish Creek runs from several small lakes in the Rabbit Ears Range of Colorado. It is possible to hike all the way to the terminus of the waterfall through giant boulders and rushing water. There are two hiking trails from the parking lot at the end of Fish Creek Fall Road. One is 1/4 of a mile (400 m) and goes through several Aspen groves with the occasional Subalpine Fir. It ends at a viewing station where the entirety of the falls can be seen. The other trail goes straight down into the U-Shaped valley formed by glaciers. As it nears the bottom of the valley, one can hear the rushing sound of water over the fall. The falls provide a great place for ice climbing in the winter when 300+ inches of snow (7.6 m) fall on the mountains east of Steamboat Springs. 1️⃣4️⃣Cripple Creek District Museum. Located in Cripple Creek, Colorado. A collection of artifacts, rare photos, mining memorabilia, and mineral displays......including GOLD! See old mining cabins and Victorian living quarters. Also on display, the Pinnacle headframe, western firearms, a 3-D engineering map of an underground gold mine and so much more. Since 1953, the Cripple Creek District Museum has worked to preserve the history of Cripple Creek. Visitors can browse through a number of historic buildings, including the 1893 Colorado Trading & Transfer Building, the 1895 Midland Terminal Railroad Depot and a turn-of-the-century Assay Office. A self-guided tour of the museum includes exhibits of railroad history, mining memorabilia, maps, paintings, glass and china, children’s items, furnishings, a photograph gallery, Indian artifacts, mineral displays, two turn-of-the-century cabins and two Victorian apartments. One cabin belonged to French Blanche Le Coq and has been furnished to be historically accurate. The second cabin has been furnished to represent the living space of a miner during the gold rush days. 1️⃣5️⃣Western Museum of Mining & Industry is a museum in Colorado Springs, dedicated to the mining history and industrial technology of the western United States. The museum was founded in 1970, and has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1979. It is open to the public Mondays through Saturdays. Over 4,000 artifacts are on display at the 27-acre indoor/outdoor exhibit site; which includes a ten-stamp ore mill, a steam shovel, live burros, a multi-purpose center with exhibits, a theater, and a 5,000-volume research library. Some of the pneumatic machines are connected to compressed air so that they can be viewed in actual operation. The museum also includes a recreation of an old assay office and scale models of mines and mills. Museum Ground: Blacksmith Demo Shop is a large shop where visitors can learn about the processes of blacksmithing and its role as it pertains to the mining industry. Live demonstrations offer visitors an up-close look at how steel can be melted down and fashioned into various types of tools. Mine Reclamation Exhibit Mine: Mine reclamation is the process of restoring mined lands back to productive use after mining has occurred. Today, reclamation is an essential part of the mining process. From wildlife habitat to water quality, environmental science is integral to mine reclamation. This exhibit provides an interdisciplinary learning experience by exploring environmental issues of mine reclamation such as preventing water contamination, the relationships between soil, slope, and vegetation; and how the Preble’s mouse is linked to the ecosystem of the Front Range. Stamp Mill; This 10-stamp mill was carefully reproduced in 1978 by the museum’s staff using 19th century construction methods. Many of the machines on display are from the Yellow Jacket Mill that was located in Montezuma, Colorado. 1️⃣6️⃣The Denver Botanic Gardens is a public garden located in the Cheesman Park. The 23-acre (93,000 m2) park contains a conservatory, a variety of theme gardens and a sunken amphitheater, which hosts various concerts in the summer. There are three diverse locations that are part of the Denver Botanic Gardens as a whole. The main location, and the formal garden, is the York Street location in east-central Denver. Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield (near Chatfield State Park) features natural meadow and riparian areas, as well as a historic farm and homestead. Mt. Goliath, on the route to Mount Evans, is an alpine wildflower garden (along hiking trails). The Gardens features North America's largest collection of plants from cold temperate climates around the world, as well as 7 diverse gardens that mostly include plants from Colorado and neighboring states. The world's first Xeriscape Demonstration Garden was created at the Gardens in 1986, and 2 years later its name was changed to Dryland Mesa. It was based on the "7 Principles" of Xeriscape, and includes drought-tolerant plants from the arid West and Mediterranean areas. The Japanese Garden is called Shofu-en—the Garden of Wind and Pines. The York Street location of the Botanic Gardens opened Denver's 1st publicly accessible green roof. 1️⃣7️⃣Fort Garland was once commanded by legendary frontiersman Kit Carson and had a garrison of over 100 men who served to protect the earliest settlers in the San Luis Valley. Tour original adobe buildings on the grounds and view exhibits on how the fort was saved and preserved. There is also the Infantry and cavalry barracks exhibits, an exhibit on the Buffalo Soldiers and the historic dioramas. Other exhibits include: 🌵Civil War in the West; This exhibit highlights the Battle of Glorieta Pass—a decisive but little-known Civil War battle that halted the Confederate advance to the Colorado gold regions. 🌵Saving the Fort; Saving the Fort celebrates the history and preservation of this site and displays the work of the Fort Garland Historical Fair Association. 🌵Buffalo Soldiers West; This exhibit focuses on the opportunities black soldiers found in the military, and the controversies that surrounded them, during the Plains Indian Wars period from 1866 through 1891. After the Civil War, many black soldiers eagerly responded to the government’s call for troops to help create permanent settlements in the West. Segregated black units were formed and over 10,000 black soldiers moved west to help create a new way of life they hoped their people would be able to share. The 9th cavalry of the U. S. Army was garrisoned at Fort Garland. The exhibit contains rare historic photographs of the Buffalo Soldiers in combat, on patrol, in the barracks, at work, and at rest. Also on view are fascinating artifacts including everyday items used by the Buffalo Soldiers. 🌵The Four Careers of Kit Carson; This exhibit follows the varied careers of the legendary Kit Carson—commandant of Fort Garland from 1866 to 1867. This exhibit explores the life of the man, his family, and the people who influenced him. Carson ventured throughout the Southwest and West as a scout, government courier, Indian agent, and soldier. Today you are invited to walk the parade ground of the fort and tour the adobe buildings, which feature a re-creation of the commandant's quarters during Kit Carson's time. Rich in military history, Fort Garland also highlights the folk art and culture of the Hispanic community in southern Colorado. Fort Garland was built after Fort Massachusetts proved vulnerable. 1️⃣8️⃣The Morrison Natural History Museum is a natural history museum located in Morrison, Colorado. The exhibits include several dinosaur fossils that were found nearby. Hands-on exhibits are designed to appeal to both children and adults, scientists and non-scientists. The Museum opened in 1989 and has been operated by the Town of Morrison since 1995. Financial support comes from visitor’s admission fees, gift shop sales, grants, and private donations. Exhibits: On the lower level, the Museum houses exhibits devoted to local paleontology and Jurassic fossils. On the upper level, exhibits focus on Cretaceous and Cenozoic fossils. A rock garden and fossil dig pit are found outside the building. Notable displays include skulls of Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and Tylosaurus, remains of skeletons of Stegosaurus and Pteranodon, and infant dinosaur tracks. Live reptiles and amphibians are also on display. The Museum includes a paleontology lab where fossils are prepared for exhibits and scientific research. 1️⃣9️⃣Ghost Town Museum was created in 1954 to preserve a piece of Colorado’s Wild West heritage. The museum is housed inside a historic stone structure. In 1899, the Colorado Midland Railroad constructed it as a maintenance building for the steam locomotives that hauled gold ore to the Golden Cycle Mill. The Roundhouse next door and the Ghost Town Museum are all that remain of the operations of the Golden Cycle Company, which closed the facilities in 1949. In 1858, the cry “Pikes Peak or bust!” opened the Colorado territory to the gold prospector. Towns sprang up overnight and by the 1860s and 1870s people filled the West. Small encampments became small towns, and small cities along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains provided a central location for supplies and services. Once mines were emptied of their treasures, many towns were abandoned to become “ghost towns.” Today almost nothing remains of those exciting days of the old west – a scattered pile of lumber, a tumbled pile of rocks, an occasional wagon wheel, or a piece of equipment. Ghost Town Museum evolved from a desire to preserve this era. Their “town” is an indoor collection of the very structures that were left to decay around the Pikes Peak region, all looking much as they would have 100 years ago. The authentic artifacts were rescued from the Pikes Peak region as well. Ghost Town Museum serves as a permanent example of Colorado’s Wild West towns. There are many hands-on activities for the young and old: Crank a butter churn. Operate an old-time arcade or nickelodeon. See a short film on the gold mining era. Pan for real gold in the seasonal panning areas or sip an old-fashioned sarsaparilla. The museum is handicap accessible. 2️⃣0️⃣The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a zoological park located southwest Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Cheyenne Mountain. At an elevation of 6,800 feet (2,100 m) above sea level it is the highest zoo in America. The zoo covers 140 acres, 40 of which are in use. The zoo houses more than 750 animals, representing nearly 150 different species, with more than 30 endangered species. The zoo was ranked the #4 best zoo in North America in 2018 by USA Today. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. C.M.Z. is known for its large and prolific giraffe herd. Two hundred giraffes have been born at the zoo since 1954. When Dobby the giraffe was born at the Denver Zoo in 2017 without the necessary antibodies for survival, Cheyenne Mountain sent banked giraffe plasma from their herd to Denver. The subsequent blood transfusion was successful and Dobby survived. Exhibits include; ☘️African Rift Valley is an African savanna themed exhibit containing African crowned cranes, African lions, African spurred tortoises, cattle egrets, Colobus monkeys, Grant's zebra, griffon vultures, helmeted guineafowl, meerkats, okapis, red river hogs, reticulated giraffe, and rock hyrax. ☘️Encounter Africa exhibit is home to African cape porcupines, African elephants, black rhinoceros, and meerkats. ☘️Australia Walkabout: This exhibit contains a walk-through red-necked wallaby yard, a budgie aviary, emus, American alligators, shelducks, White's tree frogs, Matschie’s tree kangaroo, and other species. ☘️Scutes Family Gallery contains over 40 species of reptiles including Burmese pythons, lizards, snakes, tortoises and turtles. The name refers to the scutes, or scales that are on most reptiles. ☘️Bear Grottos: Asiatic black bears and Spectacled bears. ☘️The Loft: An educational exhibit building that houses American beavers, black-footed ferrets, chinchillas, eclectus parrots, lizards, prairie dogs, ravens, skunks, snakes, three-banded armadillos, tortoises, and Wyoming toads. ☘️Monkey Pavilion: Exhibits small primate species including lar gibbons, white-cheeked gibbons, ring-tailed lemurs, Geoffroy's marmosets, Hoffman's two-toed sloths, black howler monkeys, black mangabeys, black and white ruffed lemurs, brown-nosed coatis, white-nosed coatis, Goeldi's monkeys, and Wolf's guenons. ☘️Tapir Exhibit opened in 2015. Cheyenne Mountain and the Los Angeles Zoo are the only two zoos in the United States to exhibit mountain tapirs. ☘️My Big Backyard: Has Chickens, rabbits, koi, amphibians, tortoises, and invertebrates. ☘️Asian Highlands exhibits Amur tigers, Amur leopards, snow leopards, and Pallas' cats in naturalistic habitats on the zoo's mountain side. ☘️Rocky Mountain Wild: Houses bald eagles, Canada lynx, Greenback cutthroat trout, grizzly bears, Merganser ducks, Mexican gray wolves, moose, mountain lions, North American porcupines, North American river otters, rainbow trout, and Rio Grande turkeys. ☘️Primate World contains apes, Sumatran Orangutans, Bornean Orangutans, Western lowland gorillas, siamangs, and naked mole rats. ☘️Rocky Cliffs: Rocky Mountain goats. ☘️Making Waves: This new exhibit is under construction and will house Nile hippopotamuses, African penguins and other species. The exhibit is planned to open in 2019. The zoo breeds endangered animals such as black-footed ferrets, Wyoming toads, mountain tapirs and Mexican gray wolves. The zoo participates in over 30 Species Survival Plan programs. The Zoo financially supports several programs including the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation project along with the Houston Zoo, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, and Zoo New England to release endangered amphibian species back to the wild. 🍀Mountaineer Sky Ride: an open-air, ski lift style ride above the Rocky Mountain goat, grizzly bear and Amur tiger exhibits. 2️⃣1️⃣Miramont Castle is a museum located in Manitou Springs, Colorado. The Castle was originally built in 1895 as a private home for Father Jean Baptist Francolon, a French-born Catholic priest. Construction was completed in 1896. The castle is an architectural example of the Victorian Era. In 1976 Miramont Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places due to its significant historic heritage and architectural variety. Sisters of Mercy operated Montcalm Sanitarium at Miramont, sharing the property with Francolon. Popular folklore has it that the castle is haunted with various apparitions and unexplained phenomenon as reported by visitors and staff. The house is now a Victorian-era historic house museum that is owned and operated by the Manitou Springs Historical Society. Visitors can tour 42 furnished rooms and gardens. The site also features a tea room and gift shop. 2️⃣2️⃣The Denver Art Museum — DAM is an art museum located in the Civic Center of Denver, Colorado. The museum is one of the largest art museums between the West Coast and Chicago. It is known for its collection of American Indian art, and its other collections of more than 70,000 diverse works from across the centuries and world. The museum's origins can be traced back to 1893. The museum has nine curatorial departments: Architecture, Design and Graphics; Asian Art; Modern and Contemporary; Native Arts (African, American Indian and Oceanic); New World (pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial); Painting and Sculpture (European and American); Photography; Western Art; and Textile Art and Fashion. 🎍Architecture, Design, and Graphics: The Denver Art Museum's Architecture, Design and Graphics department was founded in 1990. The collection has developed concentrations in areas including Italian design from the 1960s and 1970s, American graphic design from the 1950s to the present day, post-World War II furniture and product design in America and western Europe and contemporary western European and Japanese design. Today, the collection consists of more than 12,000 objects dating from the sixteenth century to the present. The collection also includes the AIGA Design Archives. 🎍Asian Art: The museum's Asian art collection includes galleries devoted to the arts of India, China, Japan and Southwestern Asia, Tibet, Nepal and Southeast Asia. The collection spans a period from the fourth millennium B.C. to the present. 🎍Modern and Contemporary Art: The DAM's Modern and Contemporary Art collection encompasses over 12,500 works made since 1900, as well as 33 paintings, drawings and collages. The collection also holds representative works from the major post-war art movements, including abstract expressionism, minimalism, pop art, conceptual art and contemporary realism. The department includes the Herbert Bayer Collection and Archive, containing more than 8000 objects. 🎍Native Arts: The Denver Art Museum was one of the first museums in the United States to collect American Indian art. Over the past century the collection has grown to encyclopedic proportions and now contains nearly 20,000 art objects. DAM's Native Arts department includes the arts of the indigenous peoples of Africa, North America and Oceania. The African art collection consists of approximately 1000 objects, and focuses on the diverse artistic traditions of Africa, including rare works in sculpture, textiles, jewelry, painting, printmaking and drawings. The museum's American Indian art collection represents works of nearly every tribe across North America. The collection contains nearly 20,000 art objects, including ancient puebloan ceramics, 19th-century Arapaho beaded garments and contemporary glasswork. The Oceanic art collection includes more than 1000 pieces representing art forms from all major island groups in the South Pacific region and the geographic regions of Melanesia and Polynesia. Historic monumental sculpture, bark cloth, wood carvings and the work of contemporary artists. 🎍New World Collection: The New World department, established in 1968, brings together pre-Columbian (before 1492) and Spanish Colonial objects from Latin America. The combined collections cover a time span from about 1200 B.C. to present day. The Jan and Frederick Mayer Galleries of Pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial Art were first installed in 1993. Included are pre-Columbian works in ceramic, stone, gold, jade and textiles. From the Spanish Colonial Period, the collection includes paintings, sculpture, furniture, silver and decorative arts. 🎍Painting and Sculpture: The Painting and Sculpture department oversees a collection of more than 3000 European and American paintings, sculptures and prints. The European collection represents works created before 1900, and the American collection represents all major periods in American art before 1945. There are British paintings, drawings and medieval works of art, and a collection of predominantly French 18th- and 19th-century drawings on long-term loan by a private collector. 🎍Photography: The DAM established a dedicated curatorial department to photography in 2008. The department's collection includes numerous 19th-century works, notably of the American West, as well as holdings of European and American modernist photography. 🎍Textile Art: The DAM's Textile Art and Fashion department features a collection of over 5000 objects from around the world that range from archeological textiles to contemporary works of art in fiber. An internationally recognized collection of more than 300 American quilts are included in the department's holdings, as well as the Julia Wolf Glasser collection of 18th- and 19th-century samplers, the Charlotte Hill Grant Collection of Chinese textiles and ecclesiastical vestments and textiles from the Renaissance to the 1900s. 🎍Western American Art: The DAM has collected and exhibited western American art since the 1950s. In 2001, the museum received a gift of western paintings and bronzes (700 objects) allowing it to establish the institute of western American art. The institute is organized to support the study, collection, preservation and exhibition of art created about the American West, its people, its history and its landscape. 2️⃣3️⃣The Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus is located in downtown Denver. The 46,902 square foot building is located on a 9-acre campus and has 20 exhibits. The Museum focuses on early childhood education, serving children newborn through age eight and their caregivers through interactive exhibits and educational programming. Its core early learning focus areas include: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Health and Wellness, 21st Century Skills, Literacy and the Arts. The Museum is a member of the Association of Children’s Museums. The Museum was founded in June 1973 in a traveling bus. In 1975 the Museum moved into a renovated building on Bannock Street and then moved to its current location along the South Platte River in 1984. In 2015, the Museum was made Early Childhood Education Zone’s list of top 25 children’s museums in the United States, coming in at number 11. The Museum has accommodations for visitors with disabilities, including scheduled time for children with disabilities and their families to visit the Museum in a quiet environment. Museum admission during these times is limited and exhibit lights and sounds are turned down. Based on this understanding of play and child development, the Museum includes educational programming and exhibits to allow for open-ended play. Additionally, the Museum recognizes the importance of the roles of parents and caregivers in a child’s development and designs exhibit spaces to include adult engagement. The Museum's exhibits focus on STEM, Health and Wellness, 21st Century Skills, Literacy and the Arts. Permanent exhibits; 🍀Altitude is an indoor 3½ story climber. The climber houses a retired mountain gondola from Keystone, CO and a swaying monkey bridge. At the bottom of the climber is Box Canyon, a climber for younger children. 🍀The Art Studio includes activities using clay, paint and other media. 🍀Assembly Plant has real tools and work benches to assemble projects made of recycled materials donated by people in the community. Blueprints of suggested projects are available. 🍀Big Backyard includes costumes of Colorado’s animals and insects as well as large-scale models of their homes and food sources. 🍀Bubbles consists of bubble-making devices to teach about evaporation and water vapor. 🍀Center for the Young Child includes experiences for children three and under and houses The Nest, a low-sensory studio. 🍀Energy includes activities focused on energy sources such as wind, solar and fossil fuels. Components of the exhibit include a solar energy station, hot air balloon launch, rocket launch and an air cannon. 🍀Fire Station No. 1 includes a retired fire truck and a 911 call center. 🍀Joy Park: An Outdoor Adventure is a 30,000 sq ft outdoor exhibit that contains various activity spaces that were designed in collaboration with Denver Parks and Recreation. 🍀Kinetics! is a physics exhibit that features a tube system and balls that demonstrate motion and kinetic energy. 🍀My Market consists of a fresh produce market and kitchen to emphasize local food and the farm-to-table process. 🍀The Teaching Kitchen includes daily programming centered on health food recipes. 🍀Village of Healthy Smiles is for children three and under and includes a dental chair other dental health activities. It is also home to three willow Tooth Mice created by British sculptor Julieann Worrall Hood. 🍀Water is a 2,220 square foot exhibit that features activities based on an urban water system. 2️⃣4️⃣The Broadmoor Seven Falls is a series of seven cascading waterfalls of South Cheyenne Creek in South Cheyenne Cañon, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Trails from the top of the falls lead to Midnight Falls, near the headwaters of South Cheyenne Creek, and Inspiration Point. I'm 2015 The Broadmoor resort bought Seven Falls after it had been owned and operated by families since the 1880s. Seven Falls is located in Colorado Springs along the Front Range. It is in a natural box canyon in South Cheyenne Cañon. The entrance to South Cheyenne Cañon is about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southwest of downtown Colorado Springs on Cheyenne Boulevard. The South Cheyenne Cañon road to Seven Falls has been called "The Grandest Mile of Scenery" in Colorado. The falls are located in a 1,000 feet (300 m) granite canyon. Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, Juniper, and Blue Spruce are found in the Seven Falls park. The sum of the height of the seven falls is 181 feet (55 m) and there are a total of 224 steps on the staircase from the base of the falls to the peak. There is a wheel-chair accessible elevator—that bypasses 185 of the 224 steps—to the Eagle's Nest observation platform. 2️⃣5️⃣Helen Hunt Falls is a waterfall located on Cheyenne Creek in the North Cheyenne Cañon Park of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The falls are named in honor of Helen Maria Hunt Jackson (October 15, 1830–August 12, 1885), a United States poet and writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Native Americans by the U.S. government. She died in San Francisco, California in 1885 and was later buried in Colorado Springs. The falls are located on North Cheyenne Creek immediately off of North Cheyenne Canyon Road in the North Cheyenne Canyon Park. There is parking for about 30 vehicles at the falls and it becomes crowded early during summer months when visits to the canyon are popular among locals and tourists. The Columbine Trail, which starts at the entrance of the Park by the Starsmore Visitor and Nature Center, terminates at Helen Hunt Falls. Visitors can hike a short distance of about 2/3 of a mile up a moderately steep trail above Helen Hunt Falls to reach Silver Cascade Falls. 2️⃣6️⃣Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is an American national park that conserves an area of large sand dunes up to 750 feet (229 m) tall on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley, located in the Sangre de Cristo Range, in south-central Colorado. The park encompasses 107,342 acres (167.7 sq mi; 434.4 km2) while the preserve protects an additional 41,686 acres (65.1 sq mi; 168.7 km2) for a total of 149,028 acres (232.9 sq mi; 603.1 km2). The park contains the tallest sand dunes in North America. The dunes cover an area of about 30 sq mi (78 km2) and are estimated to contain over 1.2 cubic miles (5 billion cubic metres) of sand. Sediments from the surrounding mountains filled the valley over geologic time periods. The four primary components of the Great Sand Dunes system are the mountain watershed, the dunefield, the sand sheet, and the sabkha. Ecosystems within the mountain watershed include alpine tundra, subalpine forests, montane woodlands, and riparian zones. The park was first established as a national monument in 1932 to protect it from gold mining and the potential of a concrete manufacturing business. Visitors must walk across the wide and shallow Medano Creek to reach the dunes in spring and summer months. The creek typically has a peak flow from late May to early June in most years. From July through April, the creek is usually no more than a few inches deep, if there is any water at all. Hiking is permitted throughout the dunes with the warning that the sand surface temperature may reach 150°F (66°C) in summer. Sandboarding and sandsledding are popular activities, both done on specially designed equipment which can be rented just outside the park entrance or in Alamosa. Visitors with street-legal four-wheel drive vehicles may continue past the end of the park's main road to Medano Pass on 22 miles (35 km) of unpaved road, crossing the stream bed of Medano Creek nine times and traversing 4 miles (6.4 km) of deep sand. Hunting is permitted in the preserve during the months of autumn, while hunting is prohibited within national park boundaries at all times. The preserve encompasses nearly all of the mountainous areas north and east of the dunefield, up to the ridgeline of the Sangre de Cristos. 2️⃣7️⃣Eldorado Canyon State Park is located near Boulder, Colorado. The park consists of two areas, the Inner Canyon (developed area) and Crescent Meadows (undeveloped area). The park encompasses 885 acres (3.6 km2) with a variety of recreation opportunities available. Eldorado Canyon is home to one of the world's most accessible and comprehensive rock climbing areas. This state park is open during daylight hours only. A fee is required for entry, except on Colorado Day when all state parks are free. The biggest draw to Eldorado Canyon State Park is rock climbing. Eldorado Canyon offers over 1000 technical rock climbing routes. The beauty of this canyon also engages the non-climber. Park visitors may hike or mountain bike over some of 11 miles (18 km) of picturesque trails that vary from easy to difficult and reach out to adjoining public lands outside the park. Rattlesnake Gulch Trail leads to the Crags Hotel Site and Continental Divide Overlook. Visitors may also picnic by or fish in scenic South Boulder Creek. In the winter, Eldorado offers hiking and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Snow and ice are common on roads and trails from mid-October through late April. In the summer months, snow is still possible but less common. Summer days can typically have beautiful sunny mornings and short sudden thunderstorms in the afternoon. (NOTE: Eldorado Canyon State Park Pic is a View from the climbers access trail to the Redgarden Wall a portion of which can be seen on the left. The Bastille sits across South Boulder Creek to the right.) 2️⃣8️⃣Garden of the Gods is a 1,364 acres public park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Garden of the Gods' red rock formations were created during a geological upheaval along a natural fault line millions of years ago. The Visitor and Nature Center for Garden of the Gods was opened just outside the park in 1995. The Garden of the Gods Park is popular for hiking, technical rock climbing, road and mountain biking and horseback riding. There are more than 15 miles of trails with a 1.5 mile trail running through the heart of the park that is paved and wheelchair accessible. The main trail in the park, Perkins Central Garden Trail, is a paved, wheelchair-accessible 1.1-mile trail, "through the heart of the park's largest and most scenic red rocks". Due to the steep rock formations in the park, it is an favorite destination for rock climbers. Rock climbing is permitted, with annual permits obtained at the City of Colorado Springs' website. Climbers are required to follow the "Technical Climbing Regulations and Guidelines", which includes using proper equipment, climbing in parties of two or more, and a ban on staining chalks. Precipitation makes rocks unstable and therefore climbing is not allowed when the rocks are wet or icy. There are fines for unregistered climbers and possibly rescue costs. The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center has 30 educational exhibits. A short movie, How Did Those Red Rocks Get There?, runs every 20 minutes. A portion of the proceeds from the center's privately owned store and cafe support the non-profit Garden of the Gods Foundation; the money is used for maintenance and improvements to the park. Natural history exhibits include minerals, geology, plants and local wildlife, as well as Native Americans who visited the park. Programs include nature hikes and talks, a Junior Ranger program, narrated bus tours, movies, educational programs and special programs. 2️⃣9️⃣Zapata Falls is a waterfall located in the San Luis Valley near the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on Bureau of Land Management land adjacent to Rio Grande National Forest and south of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Alamosa County, Colorado. The falls has a drop of 30-foot (9.1 m). Access to this waterfall entails a mildly steep 0.5 mi (0.80 km) hike. Viewing the falls requires fording the stream and climbing rocks. Black swifts nest near the falls, one of the few known breeding sites for this species in Colorado. 3️⃣0️⃣North Clear Creek Falls (100+ ft waterfall) a waterfall within the Rio Grande National Forest. North Clear Creek is a tributary of the Rio Grande. The waterfall flows over a deck of Nelson Mountain tuff, solidified ash from a volcano in the San Juan volcanic field that erupted about 27 million years ago. An overlook area with a parking lot and a short trail is located about a half-mile from Colorado State Highway 149 on a paved county road. Visitors can observe and photograph the waterfall from the overlook site. It features picnic tables and a vault toilet. The site is handicapped accessible and features a wheelchair-accessible trail to the top of a nearby bluff. 3️⃣1️⃣Rifle Falls State Park is a accessible and scenic Colorado State Park located northeast of Rifle, Colorado. The central feature of the 48-acre (0.19 km2) park is a triple 70-foot (21 m) waterfall flowing over a travertine dam on East Rifle Creek. Commonly seen wildlife includes mule deer, elk, coyote, and golden-mantled ground squirrel. Rainbow and brown trout can be caught in the creek. Limestone cliffs near the falls have a few small caves and three species of bats. Visitor facilities include campsites, picnic sites and 2.0 miles (3.2 km) of hiking trails. There is a short hike which leads up and around the top of the falls. The trail is fairly steep and rocky, but is only about one mile round trip. Along the way there are several caves which visitors can explore. The hike also leads to a rock ledge behind one of the falls offering a (if a little bit misty) view. 3️⃣2️⃣Fish Creek Falls Trailhead is located in the Steamboat Springs Area and managed by the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District. Enjoy a great view of the waterfalls from an wheelchair accessible overlook trail or a dirt trail can take you down to the base of the falls, and a historical bridge, which crosses Fish Creek. Area open year round, providing snow shoeing and ice climbing in the winter months. 3️⃣3️⃣Treasure Falls is a 105 feet (32 m) waterfall in the San Juan Mountains, located in the San Juan National Forest. The falls are somewhat visible from the parking lot, and a short and moderately steep hike of about 15 minutes and 300 feet (91 m) of elevation gain will bring hikers to the base of the falls, where there is a foot bridge for viewing. A switchback trail will take hikers closer to the plunge base, called the "Misty Deck" where hikers can view and feel the spray of the falls. 3️⃣4️⃣Continental Falls drops over 500 feet in a series of falls and cascades from the outflow of Lower Mohawk Lake. It is the largest waterfall around Breckenridge, tumbling through three chasms in its deeply eroded gully down its rocky face. On several switchbacks, small side trails lead to the edge of the falls for views of the white water and cliff faces. The hike to the falls is accessed from Spruce Creek Trail. It's called a "moderate" hike and dogs on a leash are allowed on this hike. Along the way, you'll experience some great mountain views as well as some old mining ruins. 3️⃣5️⃣Apache Falls: This 11-mile roundtrip hike from Rye’s Bartlett Trailhead in southern Colorado rises nearly 1,700 feet, then drops nearly 1,200 feet into the South Apache Creek Drainage. The South Apache Trail meanders deep into the San Isabel National Forest and Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness, crosses the creek twice, and dead-ends in a shadowy chasm where you are treated to Apache Falls, a horsetail waterfall pouring over a lofty ledge more than 100 feet high above the trail. If you make it a day hike, start early and pack a lunch to enjoy at the waterfall. There are plenty of flat boulders at the base where you can relax and take in the beauty of your surroundings. 3️⃣6️⃣World Figure Skating Museum & Hall of Fame is the international repository for the sport of figure skating. The only institution of its kind in the world, the Museum is dedicated exclusively to the preservation and interpretation of the history of figure skating. The greatest names in figure skating are honored in the World and U.S. Hall of Fame. Induction into the Hall of Fame is the highest honor a figure skater can achieve. ⛸History: Explore the history of figure skating from ancient to modern times, get to know the sport's most celebrated personalities, re-live skating moments through films and photographs, incomparable collection of skating costumes and much more. ⛸Science: At the museum you'll learn the intricacies of blades and edges, and discover how extraordinary athletes perform the Axel, Lutz, and Salchow jump. ⛸Art: See paintings as the artists see them and also see a work painted by skaters using their figure skates as brushes! ⛸Hall of Fame: Celebrate the individuals who have made lasting contributions to the sport. At the Hall of Fame you will find the great names of figure skating from around the world, past and present. 3️⃣7️⃣The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, present and future. It is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and run by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's (PRCA) board. It is the only museum in the world devoted exclusively to the sport of professional rodeo. Since the Hall’s opening in 1979, more than 250 people, 31 livestock and 27 rodeo committees have been inducted. More than 100 individuals are nominated each year, but only a few are selected. For a complete list of inductees, see List of ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees. The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy educates the public about rodeo, its history, and its impact on Western American culture. The Hall of Fame provides recognition to rodeo notables of the past and present, and serves as an inspiration for the future. The experience at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy gives attention to educating the visitor regarding the sport’s historical beginning and offers an explanation of what the cowboy contestants must experience to become champions. Visitors to the Hall of Fame receive an introduction to rodeo via a multi-media audio/visual presentation, then tour the following exhibits: 🐎Founders Hall recognizes individuals, firms and foundations that contributed to construction and research for the Hall of Fame. 🐎Heritage Hall displays saddles, chaps, ropes, boots, clothing and artifacts tracing the history of rodeo, and shows the evolution of the material over the past 100 years. 🐎Hall of Champions is the main hall where cowboys and cowgirls in each rodeo event are honored. In addition, stock contractors, clowns, announcers, rodeo committees, rodeo stock and other notables of the sport are honored. 🐎Rodeo Livestock Exhibit was reinstated in 2014. Every summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we are honored to house retired rodeo bucking horses. These horses are a huge attraction for our guests and help educate the public on these amazing rodeo athletes. 🐎The Outdoor Garden Exhibit is home to the Priefert Arena where team roping events, convention rodeos, and wild west shows take place during the months of May thur October. 🐎The 101 Gallery is used primarily to display Western art collections and other specially created exhibits that pertain to the sport of rodeo. Exhibits in this gallery are changed at least twice a year. 3️⃣8️⃣(Here's a few amusement parks for the kids and those who are kids at heart.) Several Colorado amusement parks have created alpine slides that zoom you down the hillside as fast as you can handle, all with amazing mountain view. 🌻Winter Park Alpine Slide: After a scenic six-minute chairlift ride, bobsled (without the snow, of course) down 3,000 feet of slide that drops more than 600 vertical feet. While you’re there, check out the resort’s mountain-bike trails, gold panning, bungee tramps, human maze, zipline, climbing wall and many other family activities. 🌻Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park: This fun park in Glenwood Springs has an alpine slide/roller coaster hybrid called, of course, the Alpine Coaster. The car is fixed to a track, so while you still control your own speed, you can shoot faster through hairpin turns and bumps without getting ejected. Once you reach the bottom, you’re pulled 1,000 feet back up to the starting point — a good time to enjoy wildflower views! 🌻Breckenridge Epic Discovery: The Breckenridge alpine coaster, Gold Runner Coaster, has elevated tracks to thrill you down 2,500 feet of mountainside (here, your car is also fixed to the track). They also have a typical alpine slide that gives you three different tracks to choose from. The park also offers a zipline, 4x4 and guided hiking tours, mini golf, scenic chairlift rides, gemstone panning, a climbing wall and other family favorites. 🌻Steamboat Springs: The Howler Alpine Slide is located at the top of Howelsen Hill and offers a cruise down 2,400 feet of banked turns, while the Outlaw Mountain Coaster at Steamboat Ski Resort is the longest coaster in North America at more than 6,280 linear feet. For more summer attractions, head over to the resort's Coca-Cola Adventure Zone for a ropes course, slingshot bungee jump, climbing wall, bounce house, mechanical bull, human gyro and spectacular views from the Mt. Werner gondola. 🌻Purgatory Resort: Alpine adventure finds kids in Durango, as well. Their Inferno Mountain Coaster winds through steep fields of wildflowers good for leisurely or speedy rides. The park also hosts a zipline, scenic chairlift rides, a mountain-bike uplift, mini golf, ropes course, water runners and much more. 🌻Copper Mountain: Located near the American Flyer lift, Copper Mountain's year-round Rocky Mountain Coaster is 5,800 feet long and descends 430 vertical feet. If you're seeking another way for youngsters to burn some energy, head over to Woodward at Copper, an action sports paradise with skate parks, Olympic-grade trampolines, foam pit jumps, indoor ski and snowboard training and more.

I got started on those waterfalls and had to force myself to stop. There's at least 80 more falls that I found. Unfortunately most of them the pics could not be copied. But some of them are well worth a look, their amazing. I know would have a hard time picking a favorite waterfall. The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy and the World Figure Skating Museum & Hall of Fame, I did not know if anyone would found interesting or not. I know I would love to see the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum. And definitely a trip to Garden of the Gods and Rattlesnake Canyon. If anyone would like the list of other waterfalls I have it.

We hit 80 degrees today. But are expecting thundstorms tonight. I hope we have no flooding like what my twin had.

Warm hugs!🐶🐶💕⛅️