July 9, 2007

Today we spent the day in Colorado Springs. Our first stop was at the Air force Academy. At the visitors center we watched a short film and wandered through the exhibit area learning history about, cadet life at the academy, the grounds and past and present heroes from the Air Force. We then took a short walk to the Cadet Chapel. The unique design is as beautiful on the inside as the outside.

We were able to watch the newest group of cadets, here for Basic Cadet Training prior to classes starting in August, gather on the Terrazzo and then march to lunch.

The clouds were getting darker and it was starting to sprinkle as we headed back to the Visitors Center. On the Academy Website they warn though only a 1/3-mile walk, it is mostly up hill all the way. At 7000 feet elevation, it is also a little harder to move as quickly as we once did. We missed the heavy rain by a couple of minutes. This exercise did reinforce my commitment to losing some weight.

Next we visited the U. S. Olympic Training Complex. It is nice place to visit in down town Colorado Springs. We learned the complex is an old Air Force base. NORAD once used it prior to moving inside Cheyenne Mountain.

We had a 30-minute tour given by one of the athletes. Access into some of the areas is restricted but we could look through windows to see training in progress.

Char and I watched as a pair of sprinters readied for a quick race. I’m not sure who won.

Finally we couldn’t leave without a stop in the gift shop. We did purchase a few souvenirs, which hopefully will help support our athletes.

We then visited the Garden of the Gods. This is an impressive area of large red rocks reaching for the heavens. It was a nice afternoon to take a leisurely walk and enjoy the scenery.

We even had the opportunity to watch a climber demonstrate his skills.

As we were leaving, Richard spotted a beautiful ram on a distant hilltop and Char pointed out a mule deer along the road.

Although tired, I’m sure the others felt the same as I at the end of the day. The Air Force Academy and the Olympic Training Complex make us very proud of the men and women who protect and represent us in this chaotic world.