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@ 15th Step, Denver, Colorado
Avalon begins her journey through Colorado!
15th Step, Denver, Colorado
On the 15th step of the Colorado State Capitol building, the words are engraved, “ One Mile Above Sea Level”. In 1869, students resurveyed and found the 18th step was one mile above sea level. Then in 2003, using more accurate methods, it was found that the 13th step was one mile above sea level. So, there are three markers, all proclaiming each one of the three steps is one mile above sea level.

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@ Hat And Boots, Colorado

White Daisy Egg
My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.

Hat And Boots, Colorado
The iconic symbols of the western states. There is a tradition of hanging a pair of worn-out boots on a fence post, this has a few meanings. One is to honour a departed and beloved horse, another reason is to honour a worker who has passed or moved on—the worker's boots are used in this instance. Boots on a fence, pointing toward the gate—meant that the ranch owner was home and able to accept visitors, if the boots were pointed away from the gate it meant the ranch owner was not at home.

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@ A Farrier’s Work, Colorado
"Beulah red" is the name of the marble that gives the State Capitol its distinctive colour. Cutting, polishing, and installing the marble took six years (from 1894 to 1900). All the Beulah red marble in the world went into the Capitol and it cannot be replaced at any price.
A Farrier’s Work, Colorado
Horseshoes are essential for working horses. A horse's hoof is made up of the same stuff as your nails, and it wears down as the horse walks over hard surfaces. To protect the middle part of the horse's hoof—called the frog—from injury. A shoe for a horse had to be made by heating and bending a strip of iron—now steel is used—using a hammer and anvil. The iron was hammered into shape, nail holes punched in, and even the nails—that affixed the shoe to the hoof—had to be made.

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@ Ranch Gate, Colorado
The 13th step of the capital building in Denver is exactly one mile high above sea level.
Ranch Gate, Colorado
Ranch gates were often decorated with skulls, wagon wheels, and rocks. The skull hung on a gate could be bison or cattle. Some believe it means good luck. Another reason is that the type of skull denotes the breed of cattle raised on that particular ranch. Humans have a propensity for decorating their personal areas with things that have meaning to them.

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@ Northern River Otter, Colorado
"Beulah red" is the name of the marble that gives the State Capitol its distinctive colour. Cutting, polishing, and installing the marble took six years (from 1894 to 1900). All the Beulah red marble in the world went into the Capitol and it cannot be replaced at any price.
Northern River Otter, Colorado
Otters are loved by many and seen as playful social creatures. They are excellent swimmers able to turn quickly in the water to catch fish. The Northern River Otter weighs about 9.7 kg (20 pounds), 119 cm (47 inches)in length. They can dive up to 65 feet and hold their breath for an average of 8 minutes. As comfortable on the land as in the water, the otter is an apex predator; if there are contaminants in the environment, the otter will be one of the first to show signs of a problem.

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@ Bald Eagle, Colorado
“Right, so we can go and see the Broncos, the Rockies, the Avalanche and the Nuggets all within a three-mile radius of Denver,” mused Swish, clutching the tour guide.
“Great! Er—what are these, um, things?”
“They’re sporting events, Avalon!”
“Yay! Um—for what sort of, you know, game, Swish?”
Bald Eagle, Colorado
Since 1782, the bald eagle (the old meaning of bald is white) has been the symbol of the U.S.A. The bald eagle is the only eagle native to North America, with the largest population found in Alaska and Canada. The bald eagle lives near water, preferring coastal areas as fish are their favourite food. There are bald eagles in Colorado which can be found all year long, but the numbers increase during the winter, from Oct. to May. The bald eagle breeds predominately in Canada, and many migrate south during the winter.

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@ Telluride, Colorado
“Okay, name Denver’s most famous invention, Avalon? If it helps, you had your paws wrapped firmly round one yesterday!”
“Ooh, the saddle? The lasso? The Stetson hat?”
“Nope! It was the cheeseburger! Louis Ballast of Humpty Dumpty Drive-In was awarded the trademark in 1935.”
Telluride, Colorado
Telluride has the distinction of being the place where Butch Cassidy did his first big job. Butch robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank of 24,580 dollars—in June 1889—and thus started his infamous path as a famous bank robber.

In 1875, gold was found, and the first claim was made. The town was eventually named after the ore compounds—tellurides formed of the chemical element tellurium—found in the area though not actually in Telluride.
A ski resort was completed in 1972, and the town saw population growth like in the early gold rush days, becoming a popular skiing destination. The town also holds some of the largest film festivals in Colorado.

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@ Peacock Butterfly, Denver, Colorado
The 13th step of the capital building in Denver is exactly one mile high above sea level.
Peacock Butterfly, Denver, Colorado
Though this butterfly is found in South America, you can see this and many species of butterfly in the Denver Butterfly Pavillion. Founded in 1995, the pavilion features 1,600 tropical butterflies.

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@ Vintage Colorado
“Did you know Denver is nicknamed the ‘Mile High City’, Avalon?
“Really? Why’s that, midnught?”
“Funnily enough, because it sits exactly one mile above sea level at an elevation of 5,280 feet.”
“Or 1760 yards. Pets in the olden days had to learn these things by heart, midnught!”
Vintage Colorado
Old steamer trunks, suitcases, and an iron-bound wagon wheel stand outside a vintage building in Colorado. The wooden wheel encased with a strip of iron would have made the wood last longer, but the ride would have been very bumpy, and there was always the chance that due to the wood shrinking, the wheel and the iron band would separate.

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@ Cowboy At Sunrise, Colorado
"Beulah red" is the name of the marble that gives the State Capitol its distinctive colour. Cutting, polishing, and installing the marble took six years (from 1894 to 1900). All the Beulah red marble in the world went into the Capitol and it cannot be replaced at any price.
Cowboy At Sunrise, Colorado
A cowboy is an animal herder/rancher who tends to cattle on horseback. The origins of the cowboy come from Spain. Movies and books have romanticized the idea of what a cowboy did, but the reality was a life of harshness. Protecting the herd, moving the livestock to different grazing areas, and aiding any injured cattle was necessary, as was seeing that repairs to fences were done. Unless the cowboy was near the ranch, he lived outdoors in all types of weather. Cowboys were low on the social ladder, and pay was poor. Today the lot of a cowboy has improved, but still, the work of managing a herd of cattle is done on horseback.

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@ Sunset, Lake, Colorado
Avalon and Choose a name shook paws, said “How do you do?” and posed for a souvenir photo. “Why am I always on the left?” grumbled Avalon. “Let’s change sides.”
“No,” said Choose a name. “This is my best side.”
Sunset, Lake, Colorado
Whenever mountains meet water you get the most pleasing sunsets and sunrises. So take the time to stop and enjoy.

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@ American Robin, Colorado
“Right, so we can go and see the Broncos, the Rockies, the Avalanche and the Nuggets all within a three-mile radius of Denver,” mused Bella, clutching the tour guide.
“Great! Er—what are these, um, things?”
“They’re sporting events, Avalon!”
“Yay! Um—for what sort of, you know, game, Bella?”
American Robin, Colorado
Always a delight to see, the American Robin is one of the first birds seen in spring in many parts of North America, because it spends more time in the winter roosting in trees than on lawns. For most of the United States, the robin is a year-round bird.

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@ Bent’s Old Fort, Otero, Colorado
The mountainous area of Colorado is six times the size of Switzerland and contains 9600 miles of fishing streams, 2850 lakes, and over 1000 peaks that are at least two miles high.
Bent’s Old Fort, Otero, Colorado
In 1883 in Otero County, along the Santa Fe trail, southeast Colorado, Charles and William Bent along with Ceran St. Vrain, constructed a fort in order to trade with the Cheyenne and Arapaho people and trappers.
In 1842, the brothers hired Kit Carson, a famous American frontiersman, as a hunter for the company. The fort was destroyed in 1849 by William Bent as he did not want to sell the fort to the U.S army. William did build a new fort named Bent’s New Fort, about 38 miles from the old site. The old fort was reconstructed in 1976 as a historical site of interest.

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@ Colorado Chipmunk, Colorado
The 13th step of the capital building in Denver is exactly one mile high above sea level.
Colorado Chipmunk, Colorado
The Colorado Chipmunk is a species of chipmunk found in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. This chipmunk is found in forests, alpine tundra, montane, and shrublands. The Colorado Chipmunk is the largest of the three species of chipmunk found in Colorado, and the Colorado species has dark, almost black stripes. The diet is flowers, insects, seeds, and berries.

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@ Clark’s Nutcracker, Colorado
Oh look ... you won a Frontier pet!
Clark’s Nutcracker, Colorado
This curious little bird is a Clark’s Nutcracker, so named because William Clark—of the Lewis and Clark Expedition—first observed the bird, in 1805, along the banks of the Columbia River. The scientific name for this bird means “nutcracker of the Columbia.”
This bird loves to eat whitebark pine seeds, which have more calories than chocolate. The nutcracker will store tens of thousands of seeds in caches for the winter. The Clark's Nutcracker belongs to the same family as jays, magpies, and crows; this little bird is intelligent and seemingly fearless. An interesting fact is that the male nutcracker incubates the eggs.

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@ Old Fall River Road, Colorado
“Ooh, it's just starting to get a bit cold, Avalon!” said Crocodile Beauty. “Can you hold my map and itinerary while I dig out my gloves?"
Avalon good-naturedly took charge of Crocodile Beauty's possessions while he emptied his rucksack of a 3 Musketeers chocolate bar, a Thermos flask, a pair of galoshes, a bag of caramels, a paperback novel, a bottle of mineral water, an address book, some postage stamps, biros in three different colours, a bottle opener, a couple of old bus tickets, an assortment of golden and silver moles, a hotel door key, some shopping receipts, a small torch, a bottle of multivitamins, a lottery ticket and a selection of rather battered sachets of salt, sugar and tomato ketchup before locating the gloves right at the bottom. These he donned and then Avalon helped him put everything back in his rucksack.
Old Fall River Road, Colorado
Old Fall River Road is Located in Rocky Mountain National Park. A 15.12 km (9.4 miles) narrow gravel, one-way road with many switchbacks leading up Mount Chapin’s south face. On the way up, there are waterfalls, pine forests, and Fall River Pass, 3,595 m (11,796 feet) above sea level. The speed limit on this windy road is 24.14 kph (15 miles per hour.)

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@ Lake Granby, Colorado
“Would you pass me the binoculars, Avalon?” said Maxwell. "I think that's a black-capped chickedee flitting around over there! You can tell by its black cap and bib."
"It's a cutie-pie!" said Avalon, passing Maxwell's binoculars over to him.
Lake Granby, Colorado
The third largest body of water in Colorado, and the largest storage reservoir, Lake Granby, was created in 1950 with the construction of the Granby Dam. A popular destination for fishing, the lake is stocked with rainbow trout and kokanee salmon.

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@ Western Saddle, Colorado
“Ooh, it's just starting to get a bit cold, Avalon!” said Choose a name. “Can you hold my map and itinerary while I dig out my gloves?"
Avalon good-naturedly took charge of Choose a name's possessions while she emptied her rucksack of a 3 Musketeers chocolate bar, a Thermos flask, a pair of galoshes, a bag of caramels, a paperback novel, a bottle of mineral water, an address book, some postage stamps, biros in three different colours, a bottle opener, a couple of old bus tickets, an assortment of golden and silver moles, a hotel door key, some shopping receipts, a small torch, a bottle of multivitamins, a lottery ticket and a selection of rather battered sachets of salt, sugar and tomato ketchup before locating the gloves right at the bottom. These she donned and then Avalon helped her put everything back in her rucksack.
Western Saddle, Colorado
A beautifully tooled leather saddle. A Western saddle differs from an English saddle in that the Western saddle is larger, more comfortable, and stable, meant for working or long rides. Note the blanket under the saddle. The saddle blanket helps keep the friction between the saddle and horse at a minimum; it also distributes the pressure from the saddle more evenly and helps to keep the saddle in place.

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@ Georgetown Loop Railroad, Colorado
“Did you know Denver is nicknamed the ‘Mile High City’, Avalon?
“Really? Why’s that, Grayson?”
“Funnily enough, because it sits exactly one mile above sea level at an elevation of 5,280 feet.”
“Or 1760 yards. Pets in the olden days had to learn these things by heart, Grayson!”
Georgetown Loop Railroad, Colorado
One of Colorado's first visitor attractions, it all started in 1859 with the finding of some flakes of gold in Clear Creek. The narrow gage train runs between Georgetown and Silver Plume, both mining towns, a distance of 3.2 km (2 miles), but the track runs nearly twice that.

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@ Bison Herd, Colorado
“Right, so we can go and see the Broncos, the Rockies, the Avalanche and the Nuggets all within a three-mile radius of Denver,” mused DILLIGAS, clutching the tour guide.
“Great! Er—what are these, um, things?”
“They’re sporting events, Avalon!”
“Yay! Um—for what sort of, you know, game, DILLIGAS?”
Bison Herd, Colorado
Bison once, in the tens of millions—reduced to near extinction, roamed the plains of the U.S.A. Thanks to preservation efforts—some of the first ever to preserve a species of animal—the numbers have grown to healthy size herds. Denver Parks and Recreation maintains two conservation bison herds in the Denver Mountain Parks system at Genesee Park and Daniels Park.

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@ Emerald Lake, Colorado
"Beulah red" is the name of the marble that gives the State Capitol its distinctive colour. Cutting, polishing, and installing the marble took six years (from 1894 to 1900). All the Beulah red marble in the world went into the Capitol and it cannot be replaced at any price.
Emerald Lake, Colorado
Nestled in the San Juan National Forest is Emerald Lake, one of the Alpine lakes in the Weminuche Wilderness area. The San Juan National Forest covers 1.8 million acres from high-desert mesas to alpine peaks and is located in the southwest of Colorado.

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@ Sagebrush Lizard, Colorado
Avalon and Pixie shook paws, said “How do you do?” and posed for a souvenir photo. “Why am I always on the left?” grumbled Avalon. “Let’s change sides.”
“No,” said Pixie. “This is my best side.”
Sagebrush Lizard, Colorado
Look closely; can you see it? This lizard is a Sagebrush lizard, tiny at 4.7cm to 8.9cm (1.9 to 3.5 inches) when fully grown. Usually found on or near sagebrush plants and basking in the sun on rocks and logs. The Sagebrush lizard is common and found all through the western states.

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@ Wild Mustangs, Colorado
“Would you pass me the binoculars, Avalon?” said Sophia. "I think that's a black-capped chickedee flitting around over there! You can tell by its black cap and bib."
"It's a cutie-pie!" said Avalon, passing Sophia's binoculars over to her.
Wild Mustangs, Colorado
The word mustang comes from the Spanish word “ustengo” meaning “ownerless horse,” as this particular breed of horse came from domesticated Spanish horses. With smaller stocky bodies, hard hooves, thicker legs, good stamina, and speed, the mustang is well suited to live wild and is excellent for long journeys.

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@ La Plata County, Colorado
“Right, so we can go and see the Broncos, the Rockies, the Avalanche and the Nuggets all within a three-mile radius of Denver,” mused Dahlia, clutching the tour guide.
“Great! Er—what are these, um, things?”
“They’re sporting events, Avalon!”
“Yay! Um—for what sort of, you know, game, Dahlia?”
La Plata County, Colorado
The morning sun just kisses the tops of the La Plata mountains. La Plata, meaning silver in Spanish, is a county that encompasses Durango, Bayfield, and Ignacio.

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@ Locamotive 473, Durango, Colorado
Avalon has now completed her journey through Colorado! As she prepares to go home, she receives a wonderful gift!
Old Train Engine and Coyote
Howdy! Pleased to meet ya! I have been running this engine, on this here line for years. Yup! Love this old iron horse, it has never let me down, sturdy as those mountains. If you wait just a bit I will get it all fired up and ready to take a pass through the canyon. See that basket on the front, that’s a cowcatcher. Nah, it never caught a cow, they don’t like the noise and stay far away, but it has caught a lot of those wandering tumbleweeds, get enough of those on the line and it can mess up the wheels. Are you ready to hop up here with me and go take a closer look at those mountains?

Locamotive 473, Durango, Colorado
In 1923 the locomotive 473—one of the 10 K-28 built—was delivered to work the narrow gage rails in Colorado, running between Durango and Silverton. The train still runs today, though it has been converted from coal to oil.
Avalon has enjoyed her journey through Colorado, but it is time to go home now! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also enjoy a journey through the American Frontier!