We just got home from a week long family vacation to Colorado. We went to the Canon City area. It was a great trip and great memories were made. It was the first time for the kids to see the mountains.

 At the Pueblo Zoo...Grandma Pat gave them notebooks for the trip so they were drawing the animals.

 Porcupine.

 The Pueblo Riverwalk. They have boat rides to give you some of the history of the Pueblo Riverwalk and flood in the early 1900s.

 Tuesday we went to Bishop Castle, north of Rye, CO. This is a castle is handbuilt by Jim Bishop using stone, concrete and metal. It is an amazing and beautiful structure that shows the determination of one person.

 Amelia loves to climb, Travis doesn't love heights. So, she and I climbed to the top areas of the castle. It was memorable.

 Wednesday morning we rode the Royal Gorge Route Train through the gorge. It was a great 2 hour ride and the kids loved it. The waitress on our car comped our drinks and we think this is because Truman was flirting with her.

 After the train ride we went over to a city park near the train station to make lunch. It was right by the Arkansas River so we spent the afternoon playing in the water. It was hot most of the trip, 95 degrees, so this was a cool way to spend the afternoon.

 We spent 3 nights at the Starlite Classic Campground west of Canon City near the Royal Gorge. They have classic campers you can rent (or RV spots and tent camping spots.) We stayed in the a 1963 Shasta Airflyte camper. It was alot of fun and a new experience. Other than being hot, it was great. The nights cooled down after dark, so it wasn't too bad.

 Thursday we drove to Monarch Pass to ride the gondolas to the top of the mountain. It was the only time on the trip it was cool and we needed a jacket.

 Travis tried to explain the Continental Divide to the kids, but I don't think they understood. I just made the pose for a picture.

 Friday we headed back towards Kansas but stopped at Cave of the Winds near Colorado Springs.

 Eastern Colorado...

 And the great big welcome back to Kansas. I am going to take this up with the Governor.

 Since we had seen the Colorado Mountains, we decided to see the Kansas Mountain, Mount Sunflower.

 The kids were confused as why it's called a mountain.

 A free library...

 Marking their spots with X.

 Another Kansas attraction, the big Van Gogh Sunflower painting in Goodland.

 Then we made a visit to Atwood. We had lunch with Aunt Cynde and visited the town cemetery and Stevens Chapel. This is the post office where Dad started his postal service career.

 The Rawlins County Courthouse where Grandma Audrey worked.

 Great Grandma Clara and Great Grandpa Aaron.

 Grandpa Jim's brother Don and Aunt LaVay.

 The next two pictures are of the area of the farm where Grandma and Grandpa's house used to be and the north pasture.

 Great Grandma Clara's parents.