YMCA of the Rockies: Part 1

For Memorial Day weekend we went to Estes Park to see Rocky Mountain National Park and stay at YMCA of the Rockies - a big YMCA facility there with lots of fun activities for families.  Estes Park is about a three hour drive from Colorado Springs, so its not that far away.

We got there Friday afternoon and checked out our room (we were staying in a lodge room there) and then signed up for some activities and drove around to see things.  Then we went swimming at the pool (not pictured) and stopped by the art and crafts building just before dinner.  Here are Matthew and Anna outside arts and crafts with a very colorful elk.

The arts and crafts center was really cool.  They had crafts for older kids and younger.  They had painting, jewelery making, tie dye, ceramics, mosaics and a bunch of other things.  Anna chose to paint a unicorn statue.

 Matthew chose to paint a wooden snake.  We spent a lot of time getting the painting done just right.

 After painting we played at one of the playgrounds for a while.

 It was cold that first day but Grant still wanted to get in on the playing.

 Matthew and Anna had to pose as Outdoor Ed

 

 We looked at some animal artifacts in one of the buildings.  Matthew tries out the deer antlers.

 And Anna really liked this badger skull.

Grant was really interested in this beaver.  One of the other kids there told us it was "Justin Beaver."  Our kids didn't get the reference (Justin Bieber) but liked the name.  I tried to take a picture of Grant with the beaver later and he wasn't that into it.  I don't look that excited either, do I?

 Here we find where we are on the big map of the Rocky Mountain National Park area.

We saw LOTS of elk during our weekend.  There were lots roaming around at the YMCA.  Here is one that was hanging out with some of his buddies by our lodge.  Those guys are BIG!  More YMCA and Rocky Mountain adventures to come.