To Do List
There are so many awesome places out there! Here are some of the places we would like to go.
Butterfly Pavilion is the first stand-alone, Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited non-profit invertebrate zoo in the world. The pavilion is in Bloomfield, which is about 40 minutes from Denver.
The kids have been to the pavilion on school trips. I have still not been there, but they have told me how great it is. I enjoy photographing butterflies so I’m excited about seeing what opportunities there are.
There are a variety of exhibits including pollinator place, Colorado backyard, wings of the tropics, survival, and water’s edge.
We have tickets at the end of the month through the Douglas County Libraries Adventure Pass program.
The Mesa Verde National Park is in Southwest Colorado. It is about 6.5 hours away from Colorado.
The biggest challenge (for me) is that I don’t think there is a way to get there without driving over one of the mountain passes. I’m still recovering from my last drive over a mountain pass.
The park has cliff dwellings that can be toured, 30 miles of trails, campsites, and stargazing opportunities. The park is filled with so much history!
The webpage states that the campground rarely fills up so that is an option. The campsite requires a reservation and $38 per day fee. Another option is the Far View Lodge hotel is within the park with a restaurant, balconies, and park views. The Interagency Pass is $80 per year for access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the United States.
The Paint Mines Interpretive Park in Calhan is about 750 acres with geographical formations including spires and hoodoos. The three hour round trip would be the ultimate (so far anyway).
The webpage says that visitors usually take about 2 hours on the trail. I learned that there are also low-cost guided trails on select Saturdays. The history, geology and wildlife in that area interests me.
The Pikes Peak Cog Railway in Manitou Springs is recognized as the world’s highest cog railroad.
The three hour round trip would be the ultimate (so far anyway) looking out the window experience. One of our favorite things to do is to hop in the car and just drive. Usually, I don’t get much time to look around the windows since I am driving. This would be a fun way for us to all share the view.
The railway goes up to 14,115 feet!
The Vehicle Vault in Parker caught my attention when they were opening. Despite being so close, we still haven’t been there. The museum has rare, iconic, and classic cars.
I will admit that I do not now much about cars, but I do like pretty things.
The kids are into cars and know a bit about them. I think it would be a fun day that we could do something indoors and they can teach me what they know.
They also have tours at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. We could learn some cool history and facts!
The Wild Animal Sanctuary has become known as the place that took in the Tiger Kings (Joe Exotic) animals. The sanctuary is so much more than that!
This sanctuary spans 1,214-acres of natural habitat. There are 1.5 miles of elevated walkways. There are tigers, wolves, bears, and African lions that roam freely after having been rescued and rehabilitated. There are smaller carnivores, such as bobcats, lynxes, foxes, and coyote.
The Keenesburg location is part of a network of more than 33,300-acres with three locations in Colorado and one in Texas. I believe that they are making a difference and would like to support their efforts. I would like to visit so that I can learn more and experience the animals as they are in a santuary – rather than in a zoo.