TomandEv: July 8, 9, 10 To Brighton, Manitou Springs and Colo. Springs, Colo.

    Drove a few miles to Ole's Bar and Grill where we knew he had about 200 animal heads mounted. There were even a giraffe's head and neck, an elephant's head and a zebra head. A large polar bear that he shot in 1969 is preserved in a glass case. I-76 was in terrible shape and we had a little rain. Later there was some work being done on the I-76 highway for a couple of blocks with a sign saying the Federal Government was putting Americans to work. We saw 4 big dairy farms - 3 within about 2 miles of each other.
    Arrived in Brighton and set up camp and then went to our friends' house for awhile before dinner. Greg and Jan and their boys, our boys' ages, camped with us many weekends every summer for several years outside of Fairbanks. The next morning they led the way to a private campground where we parked side by side. (We drove on an expressway that does not have manned toll booths anymore - a camera records your license plate number and mails a bill. Locals can set up a charge account for $50 or whatever and it is deducted from that.) That evening our son Brett, wife Sarah and his son, Jadyn (17) arrived for the weekend. As Jadyn hugged me he asked if we could play Scrabble after we bbq'd. A kid after my own heart! So, all but Tom played. Then I taught them the new card game called Blink and they all enjoyed that.
    Saturday morning we drove to Garden of the Gods - a huge area in Colo. Springs that a railroad baron donated to the City. It has rock formations not found anywhere else and miles of hiking trails. My back was out, so wasn't up to hiking a trail. Jan and Brett's family took a short one while Tom and I proceeded to Manitou Springs, walking several blocks around shops. After they all arrived we walked several blocks to have a picnic.
    We drove around the Air Force Academy grounds. We wanted to go on a cave tour (I was going to pass because there were 200 steps), but they didn't want to wait the hour wait. We went back to camp to visit, bbq and Tom played the golf card game with Brett's family.

We think people who don't know them
probably think Brett (blue) and Jadyn
are brothers instead of father and son.
Last week Brett was carded when buying
beer. The clerk said, I know you're probably
25 or so, but I have to be sure. He'll be 40
in 2 months! Brett is 6'1" and Jadyn is more like
his Uncle Mike at 6'3" already and bigger feet.