Colorado ~ August 2014

Day 1 ~ Travel to CO & Capulan Volcano

On our way to Colorado, we stopped at the point where Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma meet.  It sounds kind of corny, but it was actually pretty cool!

The fastest traveling through three states ever!!

Capulan Volcano, New Mexico

While waiting to go up the volcano, there was a vendor outside the office with a stuffed hawk.  Ryan thought it was really cool.

The inside of the volcano.

Ryan under a huge piece of volcanic rock.

Brock on the Rock!

Steve and the boys at the center of the volcano.

The guys standing on a volcanic rock waterfall.

Love these boys!!!

We are standing at the top of Capulan.  The path in the back is what we traveled down to the center of the volcano (middle of the picture).

There was one plant that was FULL of ladybugs.  It had to be a breeding ground.  It was amazing to see so many.  This picture is just one tiny part of the plant.

Ryan and Brock gathered some lava rock with Capulan in the background.

Day 2 ~ Western Mining & Industry Museum and Hike to Seven Falls

We had a great time at the mining museum and we were even taught how to pan for gold.

On the tour of the museum, they had a spot for kids to dress up as miners.  Brock looks like he could get to work right now!

We think we got some gold flakes in here somewhere.

My sweet Brock bought me this beautiful purple stone necklace.

A great quick hike to Seven Falls

Day 3 ~ Helen Hunt Falls & Seven Bridges

We were now ready for a major hike!  We started at Helen Hunt Falls where we saw these beautiful hummingbirds.

Helen Hunt Falls

The boys and I on the bridge at the top of the Falls.

Lots more rock climbing and some gorgeous scenery!!

The hike to Seven Bridges was amazing.  I'm not sure that I've ever seen anything so beautiful.  I couldn't stop taking pictures of the scenery.

We made it to the seventh bridge!!!

On the way back, we saw this cool, little cave.

Day 4 ~ Molly Cathleen & Victor Mines

We took a tour of the Molly Cathleen Mine, a working mine where they still dig for gold ore.

Ryan & Brock got a little taste of what the men in the mines used to have to do.  One man would push a cart with a ton of ore through the mine for 8-10 hours a day.  The boys couldn't hardly move it at all.

They were so excited to get to ride in a mine cart.

The bell signals that are still used to this day.

Ryan in a mini mine inside a store.

We then went on a tour of the Voctor Mine.  This is how they mine for ore today.  The trucks are enormous.  Of course, Brock and Ryan had to climb on one of the tires!

On the tour, they let us climb around on one of the trucks.

That's Ryan sitting in the wheel well....HUGE machine!!!

Brock in the wheel well.

Steve looks right at home in that big rig!

Another picture of Steve in the driver's seat....shows how monsterous this thing is!

Nooooooo!!  Please don't dump that ore on me!!

I asked Steve to hold the camera for a few minutes.  This is what I get for it.

The Victor Mine...from top to bottom is 1000 ft.  Those dots on the bottom are the monsterous trucks that are pictured above.

A look at the mine.

Trucks dumping the ore to get crushed.

The O'Neal's on the big truck.

This is what mines looked like 100 years ago.

And this is what they look like today.

On our way home from the Victor Mine, we saw a double rainbow.

Day 5 ~ Garden of the Gods & Ryan Hiking

When we asked Brock what he wanted to do on our vacation, he said that he wanted to horseback ride through the Garden of the Gods...and that's what we did!  It is utterly amazing to see these enormous rocks jutting out of the earth amid the massive mountains.  It reminded me of what an awesome and powerful God we have!

The beautiful scenery of Garden of the Gods.

Ryan wanted to hike some more, so Steve took him to a ridge near our hotel.  He was so happy to have his knee brace off and get to be a little monkey again!  He loves to climb and couldn't wait to hike and climb as much as possible!

He is pointing at Pike's Peak.

We have no idea what Ryan is doing in this picture, but Steve thought it was a pretty cool rock.

Day 6 ~ Zip Lining, Royal Gorge & Pike's Peak

When I was asked what I wanted to do on our vacation, I said I'd love to go zip-lining.  With the issues I have with my back and my hip, I figured there was no telling if I'd ever have the chance to go zip-lining again.  So, we booked our zip-lining tour with Royal Gorge Zip Line Tours and off we went!!

All geared up and ready to go!

Oh, yeah!!  Ryan's ready!

Brock and I taking a break in the shade.

Our tour guide and Ryan (and some other kid!).

Off we go!!!  Ryan was first!

Brock zip-lining.

Brock's turn.

Daddy zip-lining.

GUNS UP in Colorado!!!

And me!!!

The zip-line company was only about 10 minutes from the Royal Gorge.  The bridge is still closed from the fire that damaged it a couple years ago, but we found a great spot to see it.

On our way back, we decided to go up Pike's Peak.  We hadn't really planned on it, but decided that we might as well while there.  It was breathtaking...and freezing cold!!!  It actually sleeted on us for a while!!  We didn't dress for the cold and had to get some hot chocolate while we were there...in August!!!!

Day 7 ~ Air Show, Air Force Academy, Swimming

Fortunately while we were in Colorado Springs, they had an air show featuring Steve's favorite air plane, the F-4U Corsair.  He also found this awesome restaurant, The Airplane Restaurant, that was inside this Boeing KC-97 tanker.  It was SO cool!!!

We got to sit in the cockpit and (pretend to) fly.

Ryan was really getting after it!  Thank goodness he's not a real pilot!

Our booth where we sat to eat.  We thought it was so cool, we went back for dessert after the air show!

The F-4U Corsair

After the air show, we went to the Air Force Academy.  I remember coming here when I was a kid for the Army/Air Force game.  The chapel is still a beautiful piece of architecture.

Inside the Catholic portion of the chapel.

After all our "air" fun, we went back to the hotel to swim.

Ryan is SOOOOO happy to be brace-free, he's doing flips and belly flops into the pool.

Day 8 ~ Dinosaur Museum, Leadville, Panning for Gold

From Colorado Springs, we travelled to Leadville, CO.  On the way there, we stopped at a dinosaur museum and got some silly pictures of the boys.

After the museum, on our way to Leadville, we stopped to hunt for minerals.  We found some pretty cool stuff and the boys had a blast digging!

When we arrived at our cabin, just outside of Leadville, we were in heaven.  The cabin was beautiful and the surrounding land was stunning.

This is the wood-carved pool table in the cabin.

The bar was just as cool.

We had a moose...

...and a bear watching over us.

Our view from the balcony of our cabin.  The headwaters of the Arkansas and Tennessee Rivers meet on the property.

Steve, Brock and Ryan went down to the river to pan for gold.

Our spectacular view from our cabin.

There were so many Hummingbirds around the cabin.

Day 9 ~ Mining Pyrite, Rivers, Panning for Gold

The Three Miners

Ryan broke open his geode and saw the sparkles inside.

We found an awesome place to dig for pyrite (Fool's Gold).  We found some pretty good chunks and had a lot of fun looking!!

Back at the cabin, Ryan and Brock wanted to build a fort in the woods.  The did a very good job!!  I sure was impressed!

Steve wanted to pan for gold some more...

...but the boys just wanted to play in the river.  They had a BLAST!!

And then they took a lunch break and dried off.

We ended the day on the balcony with a good beer.

Day 10 ~ Mining Pyrite, Old Saloon, Fly Fishing, Game of Pool

Today, Steve wanted to go on a mountain bike ride.  So, I took the boys into Leadville where they had a great time on the kiddie horses.

After playing and shopping, I took the boys on another pyrite digging excursion.  They found some really good stuff!

After Steve's bike ride and my shopping, we met up at the oldest building in Leadville, an old Irish saloon called the Silver Dollar Saloon.  Turns out that "Leadville's Most Notorious Con Man," Jefferson (Soapy) Smith, was a regular here.  Brock had actually seen a pieceabout Soapy on one of our favorite TV shows, Mysteries at the Museum.

This old saloon was also where Doc Holliday bartended for a while.  It's also well-known that this is where he shot his last man.  He didn't kill him, only wounded his shoulder, but that was the last man Doc shot.

This was hanging inside.  I thought it was pretty funny!

Steve and the boys sitting at the bar where Doc Holliday bartended.

Outside the Silver Dollar Saloon.

We then went back to the cabin where the owner offered to teach us how to fly fish.

I didn't think that I'd enjoy fly fishing, but I found it relaxing and fun.  I really like it a lot!

That evening we had a family game of pool.

Day 11 ~ Turquoise Lake, Continental Divide, Golfing

The cabin owners, The Holts, offered to take us on their boat to fish on Turquoise Lake.  We had such a good time and caught about 9 Rainbow Trout.

Brock reels one in!

The lake was gorgeous!

Check out that view!!

Ryan caught a few, too!

Mr. Holt showing us how to hold a fish for the camera.

Ryan and Brock both loved the Holt's dog, Rosie.

The lake was like glass.

Brock thought he was hot stuff driving the boat!

Gorgeous!!!

The catch.  Mr. Holt cleaned and cooked them for us for dinner that night.

The Holts and us by their boat.  They are a real class act.  We thoroughly enjoyed meeting them and spending time with them.

Ryan and Brock left one of our pick axes on the pyrite hill, so we had to go back and find it.  Ryan desperately wanted a picture by the entrance to this old mine.

On the way there, we saw a fox!  It crossed the road right in front of us and then made it's way up the hill.

Later, Daddy joined us for a trip to the Continental Divide. We made a quick stop on the way to get a picture of this old mine.

The O'Neal's at one point of The Continental Divide.

From there, we went to Mount Massive Golf Course: "The Highest Golf Course in North America" at over 10,000 ft. above sea level.  We didn't have time to play a round, but we did hit some range balls.

Brock made a little video for us!

On the driving range with the mountains behind us.

We went back to the cabin and the boys showed me their fort one last time.

Then we had S'mores by the outdoor fireplace with the Holts.

The following morning, we said goodbye to our cabin and to Colorado.  It was an amazing vacation and we will never forget all the beauty and fun that we had.  We sure weren't ready to leave.