Hi, everyone!
Ever since Grandma and Grandpa and I were at the Air Force Academy in 2019, Grandma has been working to get Uncle Bill’s memorial volleyball court repaired. The sand had small rocks in it, and nobody wanted to play serious volleyball on it anymore. There were lots of obstacles in the way! Finally, with the help of Uncle Bill’s friend Steve, the alumni organization took over the project and refilled the court with good sand last summer. The alumni organization wanted to let people know about the project. They asked Grandma and Grandpa if they would like to have a ribbon cutting ceremony, as an occasion to publicize the court.
Grandma thought that would be nice and picked a date to go out to the Academy. Then it looked like the government was going to shut down because people in Congress were fighting with each other! That shutdown would have meant no ribbon-cutting! Grandma waited until she was sure we were going before she told me about the trip. That was just four days before we went! I had to get up very early to get to the airport on time! The sun was just coming up as we left Rochester. We had a long wait in Chicago before our flight to Denver.
After we arrived in Denver, Grandpa rented a car and we drove to Colorado Springs and checked into our hotel. Then we drove partway back to Denver to have dinner with cousin Bev and her husband David. We went to a nice sushi restaurant. The vegetable tempura was yummy! It was a very long day for me and I was happy to get to bed in my special sleeping nook!
Whenever we stay at a hotel that serves a buffet breakfast, I like to help Grandma make waffles! I make sure the batter cup is full. After Grandma pours the batter in the waffle iron, I get to turn over the handle to start it cooking! I liked this waffle iron, because it had a timer counting down how long until the waffle was ready! That gave me time to check out the sausage and breakfast potatoes!
We didn’t have to be at the Academy until after lunch, so we went to Garden of the Gods in the morning. Grandma and Grandpa had been there a long time ago, but this was my first visit! We started at the Visitors Center. It was a cloudy morning, so we couldn’t see Pikes Peak.
There were lots of interesting exhibits at the Visitors Center! I liked the model of the park showing the big rock outcrops. Then I made friends with a dinosaur that was discovered in Garden of the Gods and some bisons. There’s a nice view of the Gateway rocks from the gift shop window!
From the Visitors Center, we went to the Upper Garden. First we stopped at the overlook, then we walked the paths around the Gateway rocks. There’s a little plaza where they hold barbeques and concerts! The sign there says Garden of the Gods is designated as a national landmark!
All the crevices in the big rocks made me wonder whether people try to climb them! We saw a pair of climbers getting ready to go up one rock. I decided to try climbing myself! Grandma said I did a nice job, but I wasn’t ready to be a technical climber with equipment and a permit!
After we walked around, we drove the loop roads to see more of the rock formations. Grandma was trying to find some particular ones, but the maps and signs weren’t very helpful. I liked what we did see!
After lunch, it was time to go to the Academy for the ribbon cutting ceremony. We drove to Doolittle Hall, where the alumni organization is located. I remembered my friends Pegasus and the falcon from our last trip here!
When Uncle Bill’s friends arrived, we all went over to the Cadet area, where Uncle Bill’s court is. Uncle Bill’s friends and I checked out the court. The sand is very nice! The boundary markers are a new addition! There were six big pairs of scissors waiting to cut the ribbon!
Grandma and Uncle Bill’s friends talked about Uncle Bill and why the volleyball court was a good way to remember him. Then they and Grandpa and Colonel Hank cut the ribbon! I got one of the pieces! The official photographer asked me to pose on the dedication plaque!
Colonel Hank was our guide four years ago and helped get Uncle Bill’s court restored. When Grandma said she’d never seen someone actually play on Uncle Bill’s court, two of the cadets and Colonel Hank obliged! Before we left, Grandma remembered to add the sand from Sodus Point beach at the edge of the court. Colonel Hank said it was good sand, even if it wasn’t quite the same color.
After the ceremony, Grandma and Grandpa took me to the Academy Visitors Center. I found Uncle Bill’s squadron patch in the display and made friends with another falcon. Grandma explained that the coins on the cadet dorm room bed were part of an inspection tradition. Cadets are supposed to tuck in their sheets and blankets so tight that a coin will bounce off them! The cadet chapel is under construction, so the memorial plaques there for graduates like Uncle Bill who died in the line of duty aren’t available. Instead, there are full-sized photographs of the plaques at the Visitors Center.
There’s a path from the Visitors Center to the Chapel. We walked far enough to see that the Chapel is enclosed in a big white tent while it is being restored! After that, we went to dinner at Colonel Hank’s club with Uncle Bill’s friends and their wives. There was lots of calamari appetizer left!
Friday was cloudy, but Saturday morning was clear and sunny! We could see Pikes Peak and the Academy from our hotel! Then we drove back to Denver, flew to Chicago, then got a flight back to Rochester. It was another long day!
Most of the leaves at home are still green, but some of them have started to fall. Grandma made me my first leaf pile of the season! Our holly bushes have lots of bright red berries! The enkianthus is just starting to turn fall colors.
Love,
Lion-san
Wonderful trip, Lion-San. How lovely to remember Bill that way. You must be very proud. By the way, I like your vest. It’s perfect for traveling. Lovely excursion to see the red rocks. Thank you for sharing.
LaVache and family.
Lovely postings! Bill would be proud, as am I, to be able to have helped in any small way.