My Colorado Travelogue

idlebrain · 7th July 2010, 07:21

Friends,
This is my second travelogue on team BHP. This is a 7-day Colorado trip made from 29th June to 6th July covering the long weekend of July 4th.

This was the plan I charted out before starting and by God's grace we (me, my wife and 2 kids (8 & 4) successfully completed the trip just as planned.

Day 1:
Fly from Atlanta to Denver - Rented Mercury Mountaineer AWD from AVIS - and drive south to Colorado Springs - visit US Airforce academy, Garden of Gods Park.
Night stay Colorado Springs

Day 2:
Pikes Peak, Royal Gorge Bridge
Night stay: Canon city

Day 3:
Great Sand Dunes National park
Night stay: Alamosa

Day 4:
Black Canyon of Gunnison
Night stay: Montrose

Day 5:
Drive up north to Rockies via Aspen
Night stay: Silverthrone

Day 6:
Rocky Mountains National Park(RMNP)
Night stay: Loveland

Day 7:
RMNP contd

Day 8: Fly back to Atlanta

Want to know what the structure below is? Stay glued..

idlebrain · 7th July 2010, 08:04

Day - 1:

Landed at Denver International Airport around 10:30am and took the shuttle to AVIS car rental. Finished the formalities and driven out with Mercury Mountaineer AWD. Headed south towards Colorado Springs.

Our first stop was US Airforce academy located at the foothills of mountains near Colorado Springs. This is the place where they train the cadets for US Airforce.

On the way to Airforce Academy

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Inside the campus

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Campus

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Stadium

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Football field

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sidd25 · 7th July 2010, 11:29

Great pics!! Do you need some special permission to visit this place?

TaureanBull · 7th July 2010, 11:34

Awesome pics. I have same question as Sidd25.

Every cadet is an...athlete/football fields. No wonder they did well in the WC 2010 mostly on athletic capabilities.

ramkya1 · 7th July 2010, 11:43

Okey....... staying glued. Now let go........

Great pictures, looking forward to see the story and pictures.

Thanks for shring.

======

idlebrain · 7th July 2010, 19:20

No, you don't need any special permissions. Parts of the academy is open for public, just drive into it. There is a check post kind of thing at entrance where an officer stops the vehicle and casually asked whether we are carrying any firearms, I said no. He then asked me to open the boot to check, which I did. He then asked go ahead.

idlebrain · 7th July 2010, 20:11

More pics

Baseball field in the front, and thinking what the structure in the back?

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Mercury Mountaineer

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visitor center

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Some exhibits inside the visitor center

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kraft.wagen · 8th July 2010, 00:19

great pics there buddy.
How was the Mountaineers performance?

1100D · 8th July 2010, 00:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by idlebrain

Friends,

Want to know what the structure below is? Stay glued..

Cadet Chapel - but still stayinh glued. Nice pics.

Interestingly when I went to Colorado, I too, took a Mercury!!

aargee · 8th July 2010, 01:12

4 guys & a huge SUV? Hope you got a good deal. Anyway, lets look into the travelogue. Its quite good to see US providing limited, controlled & sensible freedom rather than bureaucratic & endless freedom.

DSC0002 reminded me of Jerry Bruckheimer films.

idlebrain · 8th July 2010, 02:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

great pics there buddy.
How was the Mountaineers performance?

This is first time I am driving a AWD, felt it was a breeze driving on mountains especially uphills. I thoroughly enjoyed the driving.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aargee

4 guys & a huge SUV? Hope you got a good deal. Anyway, lets look into the travelogue. Its quite good to see US providing limited, controlled & sensible freedom rather than bureaucratic & endless freedom.

DSC0002 reminded me of Jerry Bruckheimer films.

I did used my corporate discount and personal damage waiver is included in the corporate agreement. So I didn't paid any extra for insurance other than rent + taxes.

Agree with your comment on freedom.

idlebrain · 8th July 2010, 03:05

Miniature version of the entire campus

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A cadet talking about Falcons

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Miniature version of the Cadet Chapel

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some more displays

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idlebrain · 8th July 2010, 10:46

1100D - you are right. Its Cadet Chapel.

The pics are below:

Approaching Cadet Chapel

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there is a free guided tour available from Visitor center, where a Cadet will walk through the campus.

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Dormitory for Cadets - public is not allowed here

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Another dormitory

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Chapel

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Chapel

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Some of the decommissioned bomber planes on display

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Inside the chapel

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TaureanBull · 8th July 2010, 10:52

Great pics! I love this Falconry stuff. Is it common hobby/sport in the academy? Never heard of it in India.

sidd25 · 8th July 2010, 11:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by idlebrain

No, you don't need any special permissions. Parts of the academy is open for public, just drive into it. There is a check post kind of thing at entrance where an officer stops the vehicle and casually asked whether we are carrying any firearms, I said no. He then asked me to open the boot to check, which I did. He then asked go ahead.

Now thats interesting, I wonder if Indian defense institutions allows general people to visit these places.

7th July 2010, 07:21	#1
idlebrain BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Atlanta, US Posts: 117 Thanked: 16 Times	My Colorado Travelogue Friends, This is my second travelogue on team BHP. This is a 7-day Colorado trip made from 29th June to 6th July covering the long weekend of July 4th. This was the plan I charted out before starting and by God's grace we (me, my wife and 2 kids (8 & 4) successfully completed the trip just as planned. Day 1: Fly from Atlanta to Denver - Rented Mercury Mountaineer AWD from AVIS - and drive south to Colorado Springs - visit US Airforce academy, Garden of Gods Park. Night stay Colorado Springs Day 2: Pikes Peak, Royal Gorge Bridge Night stay: Canon city Day 3: Great Sand Dunes National park Night stay: Alamosa Day 4: Black Canyon of Gunnison Night stay: Montrose Day 5: Drive up north to Rockies via Aspen Night stay: Silverthrone Day 6: Rocky Mountains National Park(RMNP) Night stay: Loveland Day 7: RMNP contd Day 8: Fly back to Atlanta Want to know what the structure below is? Stay glued.. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

7th July 2010, 08:04	#2
idlebrain BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Atlanta, US Posts: 117 Thanked: 16 Times	Day - 1: Landed at Denver International Airport around 10:30am and took the shuttle to AVIS car rental. Finished the formalities and driven out with Mercury Mountaineer AWD. Headed south towards Colorado Springs. Our first stop was US Airforce academy located at the foothills of mountains near Colorado Springs. This is the place where they train the cadets for US Airforce. On the way to Airforce Academy Inside the campus Campus Stadium Football field
	() Thanks

7th July 2010, 11:29	#3
sidd25 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 135 Thanked: 7 Times	Great pics!! Do you need some special permission to visit this place?
	() Thanks

7th July 2010, 11:34	#4
TaureanBull Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 1,071 Thanked: 326 Times View My Garage	Awesome pics. I have same question as Sidd25. Every cadet is an...athlete/football fields. No wonder they did well in the WC 2010 mostly on athletic capabilities.
	() Thanks

7th July 2010, 11:43	#5
ramkya1 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Palakkad, Keral Posts: 1,826 Thanked: 431 Times View My Garage	Okey....... staying glued. Now let go........ Great pictures, looking forward to see the story and pictures. Thanks for shring. ======
	() Thanks

7th July 2010, 19:20	#6
idlebrain BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Atlanta, US Posts: 117 Thanked: 16 Times	No, you don't need any special permissions. Parts of the academy is open for public, just drive into it. There is a check post kind of thing at entrance where an officer stops the vehicle and casually asked whether we are carrying any firearms, I said no. He then asked me to open the boot to check, which I did. He then asked go ahead.
	() Thanks

7th July 2010, 20:11	#7
idlebrain BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Atlanta, US Posts: 117 Thanked: 16 Times	More pics Baseball field in the front, and thinking what the structure in the back? Mercury Mountaineer visitor center Some exhibits inside the visitor center
	() Thanks

8th July 2010, 00:19	#8
kraft.wagen BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cbe <- >Ams Posts: 978 Thanked: 329 Times View My Garage	great pics there buddy. How was the Mountaineers performance?
	() Thanks

8th July 2010, 01:12	#10
aargee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: TSTN Posts: 6,236 Thanked: 9,643 Times	4 guys & a huge SUV? Hope you got a good deal. Anyway, lets look into the travelogue. Its quite good to see US providing limited, controlled & sensible freedom rather than bureaucratic & endless freedom. DSC0002 reminded me of Jerry Bruckheimer films.
	() Thanks

8th July 2010, 03:05	#12
idlebrain BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Atlanta, US Posts: 117 Thanked: 16 Times	Miniature version of the entire campus A cadet talking about Falcons Miniature version of the Cadet Chapel some more displays
	() Thanks

8th July 2010, 10:46	#13
idlebrain BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Atlanta, US Posts: 117 Thanked: 16 Times	1100D - you are right. Its Cadet Chapel. The pics are below: Approaching Cadet Chapel there is a free guided tour available from Visitor center, where a Cadet will walk through the campus. Dormitory for Cadets - public is not allowed here Another dormitory Chapel Chapel Some of the decommissioned bomber planes on display Inside the chapel
	() Thanks

8th July 2010, 10:52	#14
TaureanBull Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 1,071 Thanked: 326 Times View My Garage	Great pics! I love this Falconry stuff. Is it common hobby/sport in the academy? Never heard of it in India.
	() Thanks