Wild West Adventures

We headed  back into Wyoming to Fort Kearny State Historic Site.  There was nobody there but us when we arrived.  We toured the recreation of the fort wall, the original was burned down by the Natives when it was abandoned.  It was fun to look out over the plains through the guard tower and through the fort windows. 

We stopped at Independence Rock, a famous landmark on the plains.  This granite rock is huge, and covered with names and dates from the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, The Pony Express, Fur Trappers, Father De Smet, and even more.  Some of the names are carved into the rock, and others are painted with axle grease.

We also stopped for a look at Devil's Gate, another well known landmark.

A ways down the road, we spotted a herd of antelope grazing near the road, bringing to mind the song "Home on the Range".

 We headed to Rawlins, and went to the Wyoming Frontier Prison.  We had a guided tour of the prison and heard many stories of the prisoners.  There was also a gallows and gas chamber.  The original cells were tiny and cramped. 

From there we headed to the Saratoga Hobo Pool.  We took a dip in the hot springs mineral pool for free.  The water was hot and bubbly and the soak felt really good.  The pool had a rocky, natural  bottom.

From there we headed south to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to spend the night.  We spent the morning at the Garden of the Gods Park.  It was full of red rock formations, with green plants, blue skies, and wind blown white clouds.  With snow capped Pikes Peak overlooking it all, it was magnificent.

From there we went to the US Air Force Academy.  We drove through the campus to the Visitor Center.  There we saw displays about the cadets and their curriculum.  They also had information about the history of the school and the air force.  We also hiked to the famous chapel designed to look like jets standing in a row.

Today we went up to Denver and rode the Platte River trolley along the river.  It was the opening weekend, so the ride was free!  The trolley was an open air model, and the weather was nice, so it was a great ride. We got to see the stadium of the Denver Broncos, and the city skyline.

We spent the afternoon at the Denver Art Museum.  It was a huge complex with many floors, and a wide variety of art. 

Afterwards, we got a much needed car wash and relaxed.

We had dinner reservations at The Buckhorn Exchange, "Denver's oldest restaurant".  We got Elk and Quail dinners with garlic mashed potatoes, Saratoga chips, navy bean and ham soup, and garden salad. Then we splurged and had cheesecake for dessert!