A Little Staycation

I don't mean to brag, but pretty much everybody wants to vacation where I live. Ok, so maybe I'm overstating things just a bit, but if you've ever been here you have to admit that we live within driving distance of some pretty cool stuff.  So when Andy and I decided that we needed to take the kids away for a little family time, we didn't have to go very far to find some pretty killer experiences.  We packed up the car and headed for Colorado Springs.

We started out with a tried-and-true favorite: the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.  I don't care how many times you hand-feed a giraffe, it never stops being incredible. 

And now they've added something even more amazing.  I got up close and personal with this gigantic beauty.  Ever read, "Water for Elephants"?  If not, you should. 

The next day we stepped back in time.  Built into the side of a mountain in Manitou Springs are the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, built hundreds of years ago by the Pueblo Anasazi. 

Ceremonial Fire Pit

Intricately built, apartment-style living quarters, so solidly and expertly constructed that you can still walk through them.  You can feel the history.  Definitely one of the coolest things we've ever experienced.

From the culturally significant, to the oh-so-cheesy, we left the dwellings and booked it over to The North Pole.  Turns out that in the off-season Santa lives in an amusement park in Colorado Springs.  Who knew.

He also has an unfortunate predilection for ugly holiday-wear.

If you can ignore the shirt, he's taking early Christmas requests.  Ava asked for a mermaid Barbie.  I'd say her chances are pretty good.

800 rides and a magic show later, our little vacation was over.  We should definitely do this again soon.