2010 Vacay: Colorado Springs, CO, Day 2

For the second day of our vacation, I planned on spending a day in historic Cripple Creek, home of folk songs and gold mines.  To my dismay, it has now become the home of casinos and casinos, so we just rode the train before heading back to Colorado Springs.

Since we crossed a time zone in our travels, we were chronically early throughout our stay.  We arrived in Cripple Creek at about 9:00, only to discover that nothing opened until 10:00.  Here is Princess posing with a bronze statue of someone as we killed time until the train left.

Dexy wanted to get on the train and go.  He did not understand why we didn't just go!  Just go!  Just get on the train and go!  It was a long hour.

Finally on the train, Dexy discovered, delightedly, that they blew the train whistle all. the. time., which meant he got to make this face and say, "What was that, Mama?" about 87 times.

Princess, less enamored of trains than her brother, was just silly.

That evening, we went to Seven Falls.  To get to this observation platform, we rode up an elevator through a mountain and came about about 100 yards from the falls.

To get to the top of the falls themselves, you have to climb 224 stairs.  I figured, no, we'll just stay on this nice, safe platform and look at it from a distance.

The chipmunks at Seven Falls (throughout the Colorado Springs area, as a matter of fact) are quite brazen and somewhat suspect in their political thinking.  I'm positive this one was wearing a Mao jacket before he knew I was there, but he took it off quickly and adopted an innocent, stereotypical pose.

We were lucky; that night at Seven Falls, there was a demonstration of Native American dance.  At the end, Princess was asked to come up with the other children in the audience (but she was the youngest one who got up, due to her belief that she is welcome to perform at any time on any stage).

Princess with one of the Native American dancers.  Those things hanging on her dress jingled.

This lady was an expert dancer and drummer and singer.  She was awesome.  I'm reasonably sure that is a different tipi from the Cliff Dwellers site, but I can't guarantee it.

Sven and Dexy coming down the enormous staircase to the top of the falls.  They made it about 2/3 of the way up, Dexy walking by himself, until Sven said, "Look at how high up we are!"  Dexy then looked down, held up his arms, and said, "I want Mommy."

Princess, on the other hand, made it all the way to the top of the falls.

Princess then took this picture of Sven.  After this, she dropped the camera.  Days 3 & 4 will be presented with pictures from our new camera.