Forts, Fossils, and Rock Formations

We made it to Colorado!

Guys! Colorado is state number forty-nine for us!!

We spent two weeks in the Colorado Springs area and tried to squish as much as we could in.

Y’all know forts are kind of our jam…so it won’t be a surprise when I tell you that one of our first stops in Colorado was Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site. Fur trader brothers Charles and William Bent along with their partner Ceran St. Vrain established a place for trading opportunities.

Bent’s Old Fort opened in 1833 and was one of the main centers of fur trade along the Santa Fe Trail. The fort prospered for 16 years until the region’s beavers and buffalo herds started to disappear. Bent’s Old Fort was the only place between Missouri and Santa Fe for travelers to replenish their supplies and make repairs. It was a safe haven for travelers making the long trip.

Some seasons, the population of the fort could swell upward of 200 people. Most of the rooms at the fort were used for necessary crafts like blacksmiths, carpenters, doctors, warehouses, and kitchens. The few rooms dedicated to living quarters were available to company employees and sometimes important guests.

Around 1846 the fort was no longer used just for trading. Because the Bents were known peacemakers with the region’s tribes, Bent’s Old Fort turned into the headquarters for the Upper Platte and Upper Arkansas Indian Agency.

 At Bent’s Old Fort, we learned several things. One of the coolest things we learned is that they used scraps of fur to line the windows to help weather proof. In hind-sight, this is a ridiculously obvious and simple solution, but one I hadn’t thought of. We also learned that forts employed cats. It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Forts are full of supplies like food and furs that need to be protected from not only raiders and thieves but also from mice. When they were excavating the original Bent’s Old Fort they found graves for the working cats. We’ve been to…well…quite a few forts and at every single fort we learn something new. Some new small detail about life during that time period.

In the middle of a prairie, not far from Colorado Springs you’ll find Paint Mines Interpretive Park. It’s only about half an hour from Colorado Springs, but it feels like you’re on a completely different planet! Native Americans have used the colorful clay in this area for their pots for over 4,000 years. The kaleidoscope of colors is due to the different amounts of iron oxide in the clay. We found colors ranging from bright yellows and oranges to pinks and purples to a whole range of grays. There were a few different hiking trails to get to the paint pots. We parked at the closest one and only hiked about half a mile to get to the park. It was a fun way to spend a couple of hours!

We love visiting National Park Units. Love it! So when we found Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument we added it to our list of must-sees while we were in the Colorado Springs area. The boys earned another Junior Ranger badge while we were there. The Rangers got a kick out of seeing all of the badges. It’s fun to watch the Rangers with the boys. The boys still don’t really get it…the attention. They love the learning and exploring that comes with each badge and each park. They’re not collecting the badges for attention.

The thousands of detailed fossils that have been found at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument tell the story of a prehistoric Colorado. This area used to be under a large shallow lake millions of years ago. There was also a very active volcano about fifteen miles away. The combination of all of these elements made the perfect area for making fossils.

We spent weeks exploring the giant sequoias and redwoods along the Northern California coast. We saw them in the form of pine cones and saplings all the way to huge 3000 year old trees. At Florissant Fossil Beds NM we saw huge sequoia petrified stumps. The largest stump is forty-one feet in circumference. It was really something seeing these magnificent trees from the beginning of their lives to end.

Lets talk foodies! Colorado Springs isn’t lacking in foodie spots. Check out this burger! And Guys…Jamaican food… So…good! We actually have plans to go back to the Colorado Springs area next year and this Jamaican place will definitely be a place we will revisit!

There weren’t very many pretties around the Colorado Springs area while we were there. It was late summer/early fall when we were there so the flowers were mainly gone, but I did find these purple pretties!

Stay tuned for the rest of our Colorado Springs adventures!

See y’all down the road!

#westernloop2018