Stanley had an awesome time visiting his host Ms. Crystal in Denver, Colorado! We were so impressed by the photos and descriptions of Denver that now the kids are begging to go there too, haha. So, reader beware: upon reading this post, you may experience the sudden urge to head to the Rockies!
Fun Facts about Colorado:
(brought to you by G-Bug and Truth)
38th State
State Nickname: The Centennial State
(That's because it became a state on the 100th birthday of the U.S.A.!)
Capitol: Denver
State Bird: Lark Bunting
State Flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine
State Fossil: Stegosaurus
State Tree: Colorado Blue Spruce
State Animal: Rocky Mountain Longhorn Sheep
"In 1858, when gold was discovered in Colorado, hundreds of merchants, miners and settlers moved in for their stake. A year later, the city of Denver was founded; and in 1863, the U.S. government established a mint facility there. For its first 46 years, the United States Mint at Denver was only an assay office in the Clark, Gruber and Company Bank Building. Miners brought in gold dust and nuggets to be melted, assayed and cast into bars stamped with their weight and quality. In 1906, its first year in operation, the new Mint produced 167,371,035 gold and silver coins valued at $27 million. Today, the Denver Mint's output can exceed 50 million coins a day."
“I See What You Mean,” AKA the giant blue bear sculpture peeking into the Colorado Convention Center’s lobby. The 40-foot high bear, which injects a welcome sense of fun and playfulness into the convention center experience, is the creation of local artist Lawrence Argent. It was installed in 2005 and has quickly become a bona fide Mile High City icon – and a can’t-miss photo op for tourists and locals alike."
Buffalo Bill's final resting place
"William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody was born in LeClaire, Iowa in 1846. While he was still a child, his family moved to Leavenworth, Kansas. Cody left home at the young age of eleven to herd cattle and work as a driver on a wagon train, crossing the Great Plains several times. In spring of 1859 Buffalo Bill made his first trip to Colorado as part of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. He passed through the new town of Denver on his way to the gold fields near Black Hawk where he searched for gold for two months, meeting with little success. On his return to Kansas he stopped in Julesburg, Colorado, where he was recruited to ride in the Pony Express.
"He went on to fur trapping and gold mining, then joined the Pony Express in 1860. After the Civil War, Cody scouted for the Army and gained the nickname "Buffalo Bill" because of his buffalo hunting skill."
"It was August of 1859 when two surveyors started out from Denver City to begin a townsite, soon to be called Colorado City. While exploring nearby locations, they came upon a beautiful area of sandstone formations. M. S. Beach, who related this incident, suggested that it would be a "capital place for a beer garden" when the country grew up. His companion, Rufus Cable, a "young and poetic man", exclaimed, "Beer Garden! Why it is a fit place for the Gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods." It has been so called ever since.
"The park is now one of the most beautiful places to visit in Colorado. Outdoor enthusists have access to hiking, picnicking, and rock climbing. In 2011 it was voted one of the Top 10 Public Spaces in America."
Colorado is home to several national parks and hundreds of state parks, providing some of the world’s most beautiful and diverse scenery. Rocky Mountain National Park has Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the US. You can sled on sand at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. There are 54 mountains throughout the state that exceed 14,000 feet in elevation. Since Colorado has more than 300 days of sunshine a year, it’s easy to enjoy the outdoors, even if you are playing the snow.
If you love dinosaurs, Denver is the place to be. The city lies on some of the most fossil-rich land in the world, which means finding a piece of prehistoric history is as easy as walking your dog. Just ask a guy in Littleton—that’s how he found parts of a T. rex.
Dinosaur Ridge is a famous natural landmark, located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, near Morrison, Colorado. It features famous Jurassic dinosaur bones, such as Stegosaurus and Apatosaurus, discovered in 1877, and Cretaceous dinosaur footprints. Along Triceratops Trail you can stand exactly where a dinosaur stood 68 million years ago. The hiking trail is full of dinosaur footprints and other marks made by the dinosaurs when they walked through Colorado.
Thank you again, Crystal, for the amazing tour around the Mile-High City!
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