Leaving for Colorado this morning and staying at Palo Duro in a VRBO this evening as a midpoint.

Any recommendations for one activity in the afternoon for young kids? My girls are 2 & 4, so it can't be anything super involved.

Also any family recommendations for the Colorado Springs area? We know the basics, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Garden of the Gods, and we're staying right by Pikes Peak.

We literally have no agenda, so we're pretty open. Are there any family rafting outfits that we could float with youngsters?

Hungry Bear for breakfast in Woodland Park.
Dinosaur Museum also in Woodland Park.

Take the kiddos to the Discovery Center in Amarillo. It's indoors hands on museum. Always fun with littles!

It's going to be mid 90's today so be careful if you go hiking in Palo Duro. Make sure you stay on the shorter trails and tak lots of water. A few weeks ago they asked folks not to hike while they worked multiple search and rescue missions.

As already stated, Palo Duro canyon is a great place to hike... but not in the summer.

Driving through the canyon might still be cool. The PPHM and the discovery center would be good for kids, as well as the outdoor musical in the canyon. I think several outfitters still do a chuckwagon cowboy breakfast near there.

As for colorado springs, when our kids were young they loved that zoo. I seem to remember hand feeding giraffes. We also took them down to Canon City and rode the train through the royal gorge.

My girls were that age when we went to Colorado Springs. They loved the Cave of the Winds. Spent an afternoon in Manitou Springs & did the arcade. They loved that too.

https://www.royalgorgeroute.com/ It is one hour train ride down the Royal Gorge, then a 15 minute stop, then a 1 hour back up to the depot. Fantastic ride along the River with 800 ft walls. Don't pay for premium tickets on the vista domed cars, best views are in the open top flat cars. Sit on the River side.


https://hashtagcoloradolife.com/skyline-drive-colorado/ We did not find out about this until we left the area. Looks great.

My daughter Sarah waits tables at Mountain Shadows in Old Colorado City. Best breakfast in town.

The cog train is running again to the top of Pike's Peak. It's pretty cool.

We hiked with kids up to Devils Head Fire Lookout Hike. It's an amazing view and hike. I really enjoyed this and am so thankful we were told about it. Google it and check it out.

Go early! It's stupid hot on the trails after 11am.

How many?

For kids that age, in Colorado Springs, take them to The North Pole. It's a old school amusement park that's great for families with little kids. Bonus, the owner is an Aggie. It should be close as it's in the way to Pikes Peak.

WhoopRAB said:

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We stayed at Dove's Rest Cabin and had a herd of 30 Auodad show up at dusk.

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Yep, that's the same herd. We're at Stagecoach in Doves Rest.

Wish we could stay longer

Your catching some unusual cool weather

tmaggies said:

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Panhandle Plains Museum and watch the play in the canyon. Canyonag where are you?

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Sorry, was actually off the computer most of yesterday, imagine that.

Looks like the high points were covered.

I will add, it it's not too late, OP should drive the back road via NM 325 and NM 72 from Des Moines to Folsom to Raton, over the top of Johnson Mesa. Spectacular drive.

Daughter was a Zoomie, so lots of COS time under our belt, too. Agree with Garden of Gods, Royal Gorge Train, COS Zoo.

Would add visit to USAFA. Have your insurance card, and leave any weapons at the hotel. You can see several airplanes on sticks, watch parachute and glider ops, visit their athletic fields, field house, visitors center, and the amazing chapel. You have access to a surprising amount, once inside the gate.

You cannot visit the classrooms or dorms, but you can look over the Chapel wall and see the Terrazzo (Quad). By now, the Class of 2026 is on campus doing Basic Cadet Training. Time it right, and you can see them form up and march to chow.

When in Canon City for the Gorge, the view from the park and crossing the Royal Gorge Bridge is amazing, but pricey.

DO NOT MISS Skyline Drive in Canon City (free). There are dinosaur footprints you can see in the rock layers at one point. They are unusual, in that you see the bottom, not the top.

Some PD Canyon links from earlier threads

https://texags.com/forums/39/topics/2125220#r32210077

https://texags.com/forums/39/topics/1803079#r26190474

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/2730533

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/2249351

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/2381983

https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/2393962

https://texags.com/forums/39/topics/3029720

Chapel is closed to the public for a few years last I checked. Doing some type of restoration to it.

Fenrir said:

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Chapel is closed to the public for a few years last I checked. Doing some type of restoration to it.

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Hmmm, you are correct.

https://www.usafa.edu/visitors/self-guided-tour/

Quote:

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The Cadet Chapel is currently closed for repairs and is encased inside of an enormous box to allow construction crews to work year-round. The Chapel was originally constructed in 1962 and features 17 spires that shoot 150 feet into the sky. Designated as a National Historic Landmark, it is the most visited man-made tourist attraction in Colorado. It is an all-faith center of worship that serves the diverse spiritual needs of cadets with Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist chapels, as well as worship areas for smaller religious groups.

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If the area around the Chapel is closed, there is still an area between it and Arnold Hall, where there is a sculpture area, and you should be abler to watch the cadets at formation.

Aggie son guides for NMRA just south of Taos on your way up. Outfit is very family friendly!

The play/musical is a must see. Very cool.

Unfortunately we got in too late Saturday to do anything fun. Just dinner and crashed. This morning we drove into the park and just walked about 10 minutes down the first trail we came to before we had to hit the road for Colorado. The girls loved it and were begging to come back soon.

Also want to be clear, this was funny light in the morning from the clouds, and I am *not* in Transitions Lenses.

Arrived in Green Mountain Falls this afternoon and drove through the clouds to the house we rented. Doing the Dino museum tomorrow morning and then we'll start ticking off the rest of the list.

Since you're already up the road toward woodland park, you might consider Florissant Fossil Beds. There's also a wolf rescue up that way. Never been, but highly rated.