Purdue Canyon, CO

Super cool sites in Purdue Canyon.

Snow still on the mountains... the river is super cold since it's all melted snow.

Cold Cold Water!

Sometimes cold water is a shock to the booty!

Rocky Mountain national park - The sites

I would STRONGLY recommend to EVERYONE to go to see the

 Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

So beautiful!

Look at this wild beast!

Even got to see cool cars.

Rocky Mountain national park - The snow

At the highest point I could get to.

There were two roads still closed so I couldn't go everywhere in the Rocky Mountain national park.

So run into the snow? don't brake?

Not sure it's a helpful sign if you can't see it.

The snow was over 10 feet in some places.

Rocky Mountain national park - The wild animals

All these pictures were taken at the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. 

 I couldn't believe how many animals we saw up close. 

Baby Deer

Elk

Mountain goat... nah, just me!

Elk

Fort Collins - World's biggest garage sale

You can find anything at the World's biggest garage sale.

These kids are just trying to make a buck. 

Gimmicks are a great idea.

Wow! That's fast... Royal wedding stuff already in garage sales!

Luckily Mia didn't find anything she couldn't live with out!  It was nice walking out empty handed.

Sites while driving through Iowa and Nebraska

Funny town signs

Barn Quilts

Center of the USA

We missed the center of the USA on our way through Kansas the first time. 

SO we took a small side trip through Nebraska to dip down to this point in the USA. 

This is the Center of the Continental US. We will also visit the Center all 50 states when we pass it in a few weeks.  Because of our timing we got there an hour after sunset so it was super dark. But this was our time, so here are our pictures from the Center. All lit by either just the flash or with our headlights. I think Mia got some pretty good pictures all challenges considered.

Chapel at the center of the USA

Base of the Flag pole.

If you're interested in going here's a  LINK so you can get there yourself.

Nebraska

I find it interesting what states choose to put on their signs. Home of Arbor Day.... 

What I like to think of as the original Earth day.

Right over the border we saw this HUGE statue of Mary, mother of Jesus (from the Christian Bible). We'd seen huge crosses, huge statues of Jesus but never a Mary before. So it was interesting.

Just over the border.

Then we saw a great place with "junk art". It was whimsical.

Elephant

Giraffe

Going to visit a school

Mia and I have had the opportunity to visit several schools while traveling. 

It's been fun to meet all the different kids.  

This school is a "one room" school, held in a church building. 

These kids are taught at their own level and have the opportunity to interact with kids of all ages. 

There is about a dozen kids in the school this year. 

They have a wonderful opportunity for one on one help with their studies.

These kids are so sweet. They really didn't want me to go. I think they wanted to keep me in their classroom with all the other animals.

Here I am with one of the teachers.