2009/02/20

Garden of the Gods

Beautiful red rocks jutting up out of the earth.



NCAR

If you're a geek like I am you would find the National Center for Atmospheric Research an interesting place. It is only a small facility, so you can factor it into your day trip to Boulder. There are also some nice hiking trails in the area.


Inauthentic Archaeology

When I was posting about the Indian Ruins I did a little reseach so I could put some links into it. I found a piece that said that they were fake, a hoax, rebuilt ruins... I couldn't believe it! So I looked further into it and found out that they were indeed inauthentic. Apparently they were ruins that were taken apart from an existing site, and rebuilt in Manitou Springs as a tourist attraction, to show people in the area how these people used to live. I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am...and miffed that they charge $10 US to see them.

Wikipedia states:
"The Anasazi peoples did not live in the Manitou Springs area, but lived and built their cliff dwellings in the Four Corners area, several hundred miles southwest of Manitou Springs. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings were built in their present location in the early 1900s, as a tourist attraction. The building stones were taken from a collapsed Anasazi site in southwest Colorado, shipped hundreds of miles to Manitou Springs, and assembled in their present form as Anasazi-style buildings, some of which are replicas of well-known buildings in Mesa Verde National Park. The project was done with the participation of well-known anthropologist Dr. Edgar Lee Hewett."

They are also mentioned in a book by an anthropologist, titled Inauthentic Archaeologies.

Funny how they don't mention this on their official website.

2009/02/17

Anasazi Ruins

The Anasazi (Ancient Ones) were cliff-dwelling Native Americans. Ancestors to Pueblo Indians, they built their homes under protective rock overhangs. This three-level building was home to six families. To the left is a grain tower.
This is a door. They were pretty small to keep out the elements.This door is t-shaped to help elderly enter.A ceremonial firepitNo, not what you think...it's a storage bin!
Pictographs...A home with reconstructed balcony
Nice view from the upper floor

View from inside one of the homes

2009/02/13

Camp Eden



On Wednesday we were taken for a tour through some of the local mountains. The day was spent driving through them with our ears popping and later we had a picnic lunch. Outside. In February. I know.

Every summer Denver congregation hosts Family Camp at Camp Eden in Golden. The view from the lodge is gorgeous! They have cabins, plus an area for RVs.




Feeding some hungry visitors at lunch.

more to follow...

2009/02/12

Boulder, and rightly named...




Can you see Stu?


Downtown Denver

When we first arrived in Colorado we stayed with the Moorlag family in Broomfield. They had two daughters who were disappointed that we didn't bring Callum. Sorry again, Michele and Chloe! The next day we met the whole congregation at church. What a wonderful group! We can't thank you all enough for making us feel welcome, and yor generous hospitality! The above pictures are of downtown Denver, where we went after visiting one of the members for coffee. There was a pretty cathedral right next door. You can see the capitol building in the next photo (gold dome). Did you know that Denver is called the "Mile-High City"? Its official elevation is exactly one mile, or 5,280 feet (1,609 m) above sea level.

2009/02/07

Fun at Gramma and Grampa's

Callum seems to be having tons of fun at Mom and Dad's. My mom emails me every day with photos and video for us. Thanks a lot, Mom! I don't have my cable to upload any photos of Colorado, so enjoy these for now, then prepare to be bombarded next Wednesday with pictures of mountains.

He liked chewing on rib bones...
Experimental self-feeding...
Chatting with Charlie
and Grampa