Colorado Day 8/1/11

Every first Monday of August is Colorado Day.  Free entrance to all the State Parks is offered and special programs are set up for families.  One such event was sponsored by The North Face, Explore Your Parks program and was held at Barr Lake State Park in Brighton, Colorado.

It was about a half hours drive for Urban and I to get there and even though we got there at 9am, it was already hot!!  


We all got goodie bags filled with fun stickers and tattoos, informational pamphlets on camping, hiking, bird watching, and other outdoorsy stuff. There were lots of protein/granola type bars to try and I actually got Urban to eat a few bites of one that I called a 'Scotcheroo'.  The bag also contained a cool aluminum water bottle that we could fill up at several water stations and a free day pass to any of Colorado's State Parks.  I can't wait to use those up!


There were about 6 stations set up for families to learn about different aspects of nature.
The first station we went to, Urban decorated a mask as an eagle.  Others were making their's owls, but my creative kid wanted to be different, and anyway, his school mascot is an eagle.

Next Urban made a seed necklace.  He filled a little plastic vile with some dirt and buried a couple of radish seeds, put some droplets of water in, then put it on a piece of yarn.  Cool idea!

We also saw pelts, skulls and poop of different types of animals, I didn't get a pic though!


Then we went to Urban's favorite station, where you could paint and decorate a walking stick!

Not knowing about this activity, Urban brought the walking stick that Scotty had given him on Urban's birthday.  After Urban had his new stick painted he let me use the one he had brought but made sure I knew I couldn't keep it.

We took a ride out to the refuge area where there are Canada Geese (don't you dare call them Canadian Geese to a true bird watcher!), Eagles, and other birds I can't remember!  

The land around this area is what I imagine the swamps of Louisiana to be like.  I was skiddish of an alligator getting us, but didn't see ANY amphibians - I was hoping to see a frog or two. 

Did I mention that it STUNK?!  There was lots of algae, good and bad types, not that I could tell the difference. Oh, and I got stung by a wasp.  

We had a great time despite the smell, heat and the sting and can't wait to visit more State Parks!