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Old 04-09-2009, 12:25 PM
 
2,437 posts, read 8,184,854 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bullitt007 View Post
We'll have to disagree on this one. There's much more to do/see at the Academy than see a small museum and a big chapel.
Like what? Not declaming you - just curious.
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Old 04-09-2009, 12:30 PM
 
2,437 posts, read 8,184,854 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DenverAztec View Post
Oh, forgot mountainous drives:
  • Roxbourough Park
  • Red Rocks Ampitheater
  • 2 hours north of Denver is Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. Trail Ridge road closed now but the base of the park is open and sure to see elk any time of the year.
  • Echo Lake, Mount Evans will be closed but the drive to Echo lake is easy and short, but nice.
  • Lookout Mountain and Buffalo Bills Grave
  • Central City/Blackhawk for gambleing
  • Boulder up Boulder Canyon to Netherdland, be sure to watch for the Boulder Falls as it might be a great looking ice chunk at the moment. If in Boulder, be sure to view the Flat Irons, if not drive up to them.
  • Idaho Springs
  • Vail is 1.5 hours from Denver and Aspen is about 4 hours.
NICELY DONE -- too bad I can;t re-rep you for that. I've seriously read many tourist guides that did not have as much detail and insight as that did.


Could you possibly DM me a copy off all that (incl. the previous post) so I can email it to myself and print it for my own future reference.
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Old 04-09-2009, 12:50 PM
 
Location: Governor's Park/Capitol Hill, Denver, CO
1,536 posts, read 6,089,411 times
Reputation: 1131
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bullitt007 View Post
We'll have to disagree on this one. There's much more to do/see at the Academy than see a small museum and a big chapel.

Silkdashocker...PM me directly if you are thinking about visiting the Academy, I'll personally see to it that your visit to the Academy is well worth your time.
Very cool if you can see more of it. Much of it had been closed since 9/11 to the public so if you have an insiders ability, go for it! Sweet offer Bullitt007!

Quote:
Originally Posted by treedonkey View Post
NICELY DONE -- too bad I can;t re-rep you for that. I've seriously read many tourist guides that did not have as much detail and insight as that did.


Could you possibly DM me a copy off all that (incl. the previous post) so I can email it to myself and print it for my own future reference.
Done!

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Old 04-10-2009, 09:33 AM
 
Location: Winfield, WV
1,946 posts, read 4,073,815 times
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Thanks Bullitt, check your inbox. I should arrive in Denver by Saturday afternoon. Will probably be touring COS on Sunday or Monday.
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Old 04-10-2009, 10:12 AM
 
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
598 posts, read 1,547,097 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by treedonkey View Post
Like what? Not declaming you - just curious.
No worries...just didn't want everyone to think that there's nothing more to do at the Academy than visit a couple of buildings.

For the casual tourist, start your visit at the Visitor's Center. Inside is a gift shop, museum, a small theater to view a presentation on cadet life and a Subway. You can spend an hour here easily. Don't forget to pick up a map at the front desk. From here, you can walk over to the Chapel via a nature trail. If you come with a group, you can reserve a time for a guided chapel tour. Other guided tours are available May-Oct at 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm and 1:30pm, Mon-Fri. If you miss out on a guided tour, there are Chapel Guides available to answer any questions you may have. Plan to spend 20-30 minutes in the chapel. It's important to point out that there are 4 chapel's to visit (under one roof)...Protestant (upper level), Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist (lower level). It is an amazing structure and is something that everyone should see at least once.

Just outside the Chapel are the Cadet Grounds where you'll see cadets going to and from class throughout the day. If you time your visit right, you'll see them form up for lunch Monday and Friday @ noon and watch them all march in to the dining facility together. (all 4,300 cadets eat lunch in 20 min). The best time to visit is on Wednesday's around 11:45am outside the chapel. This is the time to watch the weekly cadet parade and sometimes you can watch a pretty awesome fly-over! (cadets are also made available to answer questions from the general public) Of course, all of this is based on weather and other scheduling issues. Also, there are times where the cadets bring the falcons out and brief the tourists: Biography (http://www.usafa.af.mil/superintendent/pa/factsheets/falcon.htm - broken link)

From the chapel, you can visit the Honor Court (statues and plaques) and head over to Arnold Hall. Arnold Hall is the Cadet Recreation building...it has a couple of places to eat inside as well as some other interesting displays.

After that, you can head back to your car and take a driving tour of the Academy. The Field House is open to visitors and is only a few minutes away from the Visitor's Center. Inside is the basketball court, ice hockey arena and the indoor track.

From there, head to the B-52 Bomber display...you'll get some awesome photos there. You then proceed past the football stadium and proceed to the Thunderbird Overlook. From here, you may catch the Cadets in glider training or sailing down in a parachute and landing just in front of you. There are a few aircraft displays down there, most notably, the A-10. This A-10 is the only A-10 to shoot down another aircraft. (it's main role is to kill tanks) This A-10 shot down an Iraqi helicopter!

That about sums it up for the casual visitor.

For those of you that want to enjoy a more physical side to your visit, you can also do the following:
- Hike Eagle Peak...it's one of the best hikes in the area. It's directly behind the Visitor's Center...once you reach the top, the view is absolutely incredible. It oversees the Cadet Area and Colorado Springs: HAPPY TRAILS EAGLE PEAK | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs) | Find Articles at BNET

- Hike or bike Falcon Trail...Scouting Info - The Falcon Trail (http://www.usafa.af.mil/superintendent/pa/scoutinfo/FalconTrail.cfm?catname=Scouting - broken link)

- Got a road bike...you can zoom around the Academy and train at over 7,200 feet!

- Hike Stanley Canyon... HAPPY TRAILS STANLEY CANYON | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs) | Find Articles at BNET

That's about it for now...if anyone does want more info, here is another good link: United States Air Force Academy (http://www.usafa.af.mil/index.cfm?catname=Fact%20Sheets - broken link)

PM me if you have any more questions...I'd be more than happy to help you out.

Cheers!
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Old 04-10-2009, 11:02 AM
 
Location: Governor's Park/Capitol Hill, Denver, CO
1,536 posts, read 6,089,411 times
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Silkdashocker, be sure to come back after your visit and let us know what recommendations worked well for you and how your visit went. Heck post some pics if you have the time!

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Old 04-10-2009, 12:11 PM
 
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
598 posts, read 1,547,097 times
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Here's a pic I took at 12noon today of the noon meal formation. (AF Band playing in the background)

Have about 100 visitors watching the formation/march.
Attached Thumbnails
Visiting Denver and Co Spr April 11th-15th-formation.jpg  
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Old 04-16-2009, 02:40 PM
 
Location: Winfield, WV
1,946 posts, read 4,073,815 times
Reputation: 573
Just stopping by to tell you how my visit went.

On Saturday my wife and i arrived in Denver, attended the Rockies and Phillies game and had a few brews over at the Breckenridge Brew Pub in the LoDo.

Easter Sunday we decided to make a pilgrimage to COS. The weather getting bad but that didn't slow us down. We experienced lot's of snow and slow traffic coming over Monument Hill. I didn't want to bother calling Bullitt007 for a tour of the Academy with it being Easter Sunday, so we just took a self guided tour of the Air Force Academy and the Chapel. I stopped at the bookstore and purchased a AFA t-shirt.

We then headed to Garden of the God's. It was a really good time, and i took several pics on our hike. The snow actually enhanced that experience, as it made the rocks stand out even more!

The USA Olympic Training Center was closed for the holiday. Pikes Peak was expected to get around 5-9 inches of fresh snow on Sunday so we didn't even bother heading up towards the toll road. We decided to stop and get some snacks and head back to Denver.

We spent all of Monday in Boulder and driving the Flatiron Mtns. Took a tour of the Coor's facility in Golden Monday afternoon.

Tuesday was gone with the wind as we had to fly back that evening to WV.

My only regrets are not having more time to spend out there in CO. It's a really great place! For those of you who live there, consider yourselves very fortunate to be surrounded by so much natural beauty.
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Old 04-16-2009, 02:45 PM
 
121 posts, read 452,507 times
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Sounds like you had a great trip and made good use of your time.

Was Pikes Peak visible on Sunday when you were in CS? Or was it in the clouds? I think the Boulder Flatirons are the only mountain view along the Front Range that compete with the beauty of Pikes Peak.
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Old 04-16-2009, 03:54 PM
 
Location: Winfield, WV
1,946 posts, read 4,073,815 times
Reputation: 573
Pikes Peak was not visible, sadly. I was hoping to see it. I may have seen it from Denver at one point on our trip looking southwest. Would that have been possible?
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