December 13, 2013 by coloradotravelingducks

Bass Pro Shop

More sporting supplies, more mounted animals and more fudge. Life is really good for us. Last time we went to Cabelas sport store. Cabelas is new in Denver. Now we are talking about Bass Pro. Bass Pro has been in Denver a few years and we love this store.

Bass Pro has all the normal sporting supplies required to be a top sporting goods outfitter.

Love this entrance and welcome greeting

They have so much fishing gear and so much hunting equipment. Here I am with many duck decoys.

I am with all these duck decoys

Bass Pro also has guns, ammunition, a special gunroom and a gunsmith. But one of the best things, besides the restaurant is more wonderful fudge. Fabulous!

Let’s see what we found. Furniture, such as these lamps, made for the sportsman.

Clever lamps

Also for the ice fisherman, place these shelters on the ice for your comfort and protection.

Comfort on the ice

This stuffed bear looks so alive and ready to pounce.

Slightly frightened

This is new. Bass Pro has a great aquarium by the elevators, and now a pond with these live ducks. The sign said they are Ruddy Ducks and as they are new to Bass Pro they are a little frightened.

Ruddy ducks behind me

More duck relatives in Denver!

My Alaska cousin and I spotted great toys. The ATV would be so much fun in the mountains.

An ATV would be so much fun

But the humans said no. Then we found the boats. We learned to love boats in the Caribbean.

So many boats at Bass Pro

But again, the humans said no. Now we do feel like human kids. But, since the humans do take us places we are very happy ducks.

Enter this store

Before enjoying the great outdoors, visit Bass Pro or any of our exceptional sporting stores. For more information about Bass Pro look at http://www.BassPro.com

December 11, 2013 by coloradotravelingducks

Cabelas in Denver

Zeb the Duck here. We went shopping. Cabelas, a famous outdoor and sporting supply store says they are the world’s foremost outfitter.

Cabelas in Denver area

Cabelas opened two stores in the Denver area in August. When my Alaska uncle and my Alaska cousin came to visit, we went to Cabelas.

The first things we noticed were all the mounted animals on display. They look so real.

Great wildlife display

In the store aisles we saw lots of camping gear and of items to reduce or eliminate mosquitos. These mosquito swatters looked really interesting to us.

Goodbye mosquitos

They have lots of clothes, so many fishing lures and fishing poles. I had no idea so many kinds even existed.

We saw the area with bows and arrows.

Try before purchasing

This archery section even has an archery range so you can try your bow before you buy it. What a great idea.

We checked the gun area and ammunition. They had a lot of ammunition, but not the kind we use. We still have some, but we will look again next time. Cabelas has a gun library.

Place for rare guns

This is where the rare and more expensive guns are kept. A very interesting room.

This guy looks so real.

Scares us

We stayed close to mom and Alaska uncle. We are Colorado Traveling Ducks, not Duck appetizers.

The Front Range Café inside Cabelas is a great place. Smells good, too.

Love the fresh fudge

We bought fresh fudge. The lady said the fudge is made in the store each day. We ate some as soon as we got home. It is delicious!

My Alaska cousin and I liked Cabelas. It has so many different things. We didn’t tell you about everything; there is so much. Our humans like Cabelas also. If you are interested in outdoor equipment or just want to see lots of interesting stuff, we think you will like Cabelas.

We love polar bears

For more information visit www.cabelas.com

Tomorrow you will see another of Denver’s premier sporting stores. We will visit Bass Pro Shop.

November 28, 2013 by coloradotravelingducks

Happy Thanksgiving

As the sun rises on this day, we are very grateful.

Sunrise in Denver

It was 1888 the last time Hanukkah and Thanksgiving came at the same time. According to the Denver Post the two holidays will not be celebrated at the same time for another 79,043 years. Wow!! Hanukkah began Wednesday evening at sunset and will be celebrated for eight evenings. Just thought you might want to know.

On Thanksgiving and every day we want to take time to remember all we have to be thankful for. Among our blessings we give thanks for living in the United States of America. We are thankful for the freedom to pursue and achieve our dreams and ambitions. We thank all those that protect our freedoms.

We are thankful for our family and friends. We are thankful for our food, for our homes and for all the comforts we have.

Our Alaska cousin also wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving

We, the Colorado Traveling Ducks and our family, wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

November 27, 2013 by coloradotravelingducks

The Buckhorn Exchange

So much history occurred at Denver’s Buckhorn Exchange. We go there for excellent exotic food and old time atmosphere. This famous steakhouse opened for business in 1893. And it is still serving fabulous food to Denverites, visiting dignitaries and tourists. I, Zeb the Duck, my Alaska cousin, my Alaska Uncle and my mom went here for dinner. We all liked it.

The Buckhorn Exchange in Denver

The Buckhorn Exchange was opened and operated by Henry H. Zietz. Zietz, one of the most colorful figures of the Early West met Buffalo Bill Cody and became a member of the scouts.

Buffalo Bill Cody was a frequent visitor

Through Buffalo Bill, Zietz met Chief Sitting Bull who dubbed him “Shorty Scout”. The name stuck with Zietz, and he and Sitting Bull became life long friends.

President Theodore Roosevelt ate here and hired Shorty Scout to be his hunting guide. Other presidents and dignitaries also ate here. In June 1938 about 30 Indians in full battle regalia rode war ponies down Osage Street to the Buckhorn. Shorty Scout appeared and Sitting Bull’s nephew, Chief Red Cloud, presented Shorty Scout with the sword, taken by Chief Sitting Bull, from the body of General George Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. The Zietz family owns the rare sword to this day.

When you visit the Buckhorn Exchange you can keep your souvenir menu, which is newspaper about the Buckhorn Exchange. Our humans love the paper. The restaurant walls display a wonderful collection of mounted game and fowl.

The walls have wonderful displays

You will also enjoy viewing their fabulous gun collection.

Our humans each ordered the combination plate. They had a buffalo tenderloin and elk with a mixed berry chardonnay sauce. They each had a baked potato and mixed vegetables.

Elk at top of plate,then baked potato, with buffalo closest to my human. Yum!

The meat was so tender. Everything was very tasty.

Our table had a candle and we liked the candle container.

Love this candle

This, like the entire décor, is very rustic and feels Early West.

The white oak bar, made in Germany in1857 is on the second floor of the restaurant. Framed behind the bar is Colorado Liquor License No. 1. This is real history.

We are sure you will enjoy visiting and dining at the Buckhorn Exchange.

Enjoy it all

Elk

Take time to experience the history here. For more information visit www.buckhornexchange.com The restaurant and lounge is located at 1000 Osage Street in Denver, Colorado.

November 20, 2013 by coloradotravelingducks

Colorado Mills Mall

Yesterday we went to the mall. We had never been to a mall before. Wow! It is so much more than shopping.

I, Zeb the duck, my Alaska cousin, my Alaska uncle and my mom went to Colorado Mills in Lakewood, Colorado. The humans immediately headed to Cinnabons. It did smell wonderful. They got the food and drinks and we were ready to experience our first taste.

Ready to taste. Smells so good!

It was soooo good. Warm; tasting of cinnamon, sweet bread and creamy frosting. One Cinnabon has pecans. Yum! We will be asking to return here, often.

While eating, we saw the carousel.

Looks fun

Or, some humans call it a Merry Go Round. Here we are checking things.

We can ride this horse

This is fun.

Next we walked around the mall and took a ride on Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Wow! We are riding Clifford

We like this place.

While we were on Clifford, a train came down the walkway in the mall. We did not get to ride on the train because we were still on Clifford, but maybe next time.

A train in the mall. This is fantastic!

We used to think that malls would be boring for us, just watching humans shop, but this was fun. Mom said we could go to other malls soon and see the Christmas decorations and maybe see Santa Claus. She says Christmas is coming soon. It sounds like fun. Keep reading here and share our duck adventures. Tell us what you think about malls and everywhere we go. We love to hear from humans.

November 16, 2013 by coloradotravelingducks

Felines at the Denver Zoo

Denver has a wonderful zoo.

Zeb the Duck goes to the zoo

It is huge and has many animals. The zoo also has some special exhibit areas. To see and enjoy the entire zoo, we would need to spend a full day, never stopping, or see a little each day. Mom and I have a zoo membership, so we visit the zoo for an hour or more several times during the year. If you live near Denver, you would enjoy a zoo membership also.

This trip we entered and headed for the large felines. Mom and I really love the cats. They are so powerful and so graceful.

Mom’s favorite

Now that you know how we visit the zoo, let’s talk about this visit.

Entering the zoo, we watched the banded mongoose run and play.

Banded mongoose

Some hid under a gunnysack and then jumped out, then hid again.

I was at the zoo. The mongoose was playing.

In the same enclosure we watched the African crested porcupines.

African crested porcupines

They were lounging, not very active today.

Next exhibit were the dik diks. These look like baby impalas or baby deer.

Dik Dik. So little and cute.

However they are full grown. Just look like toys.

I was with mom and saw all these animals also. It was hard to get pictures of me, Zeb the Duck, with these animals. They are so big and I would not go in the cage with them. Next time at the zoo there will be more pictures of me.

Then we saw the servals. These are African felines that hunt in tall grasses in Africa. They hunt by sound rather than by sight. We saw them, but they were too close to the fence for a good photo. Then we watched the leopard.

Leopards climb trees

This feline often sits in trees for a better view, and will usually take their meal in a tree with them. The leopard then feels safe from everything, except humans. So, when on an African safari, look up to see the rare leopard.

Siberian tigers are mom’s favorites. Now I know why. They are beautiful. We saw the tiger calmly resting and waiting for dinner. Dinner arrived, and this huge feline ate, while exhibiting good table manners.

Tiger with dinner

Such grace and calmness. WOW!!

Walking to the African exhibits, we saw this cheetah. A cheetah is the fastest land animal, sprinting at 70 mph.

Cheetahs are fast!

With speed and grace this feline is a real classy animal. Never knew I would learn so much at the zoo and see such magnificent animals.

I am looking forward to our next zoo visit. Go to www.denverzoo.org to learn more. I hope to see you at the zoo on my next visit. You will enjoy your day here. I, Zeb the Duck, love the zoo.

November 9, 2013 by coloradotravelingducks

Colorado’s Butterfly Pavilion

Tropical flowers, hot humid rainforest, 1600 brightly colored butterflies and in Westminster, Colorado. This is one room at the butterfly pavilion, the one that gives the complex its name.

Zeb the duck at the Butterfly Pavilion

Strolling down the many paths we marveled at the tropical plants, hibiscus, bleeding hearts and a couple hundred more. The butterflies fly around the 7,200 square foot tropical rainforest, some land on trays of rotting fruit to feed, some fluttering among flowers

Butterfly on tropical flower

and some just soaring and gliding.

Butterfly resting

Near the exit are trays of butterfly chrysalids, filled with young butterflies waiting to emerge. The life span of butterflies is only a few weeks; so new butterflies are constantly being added. Glad I am not a butterfly.

The Crawl-A-See-Em room was unreal. In glass enclosures we saw tarantulas from many different areas of the world. They sure can hide from predators. Rosie is the good will ambassador for tarantulas at the pavilion. An employee is with Rosie at all times and you, or your child, but NOT your duck, will have the opportunity to touch Rosie the tarantula and have her placed on your hand.

Rosie the tarantuala on a young human hand

In the Water’s Edge room we touched and learned about sea stars, horseshoe crabs and other invertebrates.

Exhibit at water’s edge

These invertebrates, animals without backbones, are from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Inside the complex children, adults an ducks will enjoy Tropical Odyssey, an interactive area of educational games. This is the area where I was introduced to the hissing cockroach from Madagascar. We also learned that in the natural rainforest, only 2% of butterflies survive.

Outside the pavilion the half-mile nature trail loop

One very large grasshopper at beginning to nature trail

highlights native Colorado insects, prairie dogs, rabbits and the occasional heron, hawk and eagle.

Nature Trail and Discovery Garden

This is protected area where Colorado’s native plants and small animals and birds can be observed and enjoyed in their natural environment. There are picnic areas; so bring your lunch.

The Butterfly Pavilion is located in Westminster, Colorado and is worth seeing. Visit www.butterflies.org

October 30, 2013 by coloradotravelingducks

Halloween is sweet!!

Monday I, Zeb the Duck, showed you pictures of pumpkins, lots of pumpkins, and photos of Halloween decorations people had in their yards. This Halloween is so exciting. But I didn’t know all of it.

Mom and my Alaska uncle took my Alaska cousin and me, Zeb, trick or treating. It was so much fun. We went to houses and said “trick or treat” and the people gave us candy. Fantastic!

This is what we brought home.

Halloween is a great holiday for kids and ducks!

Wish Halloween came more than once a year!

October 28, 2013 by coloradotravelingducks

So Many Pumpkins. Halloween??

Zeb the Duck here. Things have changed. Remember I was just born this summer. Nights are cold. We have had some snow. Leaves turned colors and are falling. I saw many gold leaves; now these red leaves.

Love red leaves

But, what is with all the pumpkins?

We went to the store this week and so any pumpkins, scarecrows and ghosts in front of the building.

So many pumpkins

Just look at these.

Ghost with pumpkins??

Mom bought some pumpkins and then went back and bought some more.

Driving home, we saw lots of pumpkins on the ground.

More pumpkins

Pumpkins being sold for Halloween. Lots of pumpkins. Some are so big and then we found these that are my size.

Great! Something my size. We bought some of these, too

Some people decorate for Halloween. These are great decorations. Here is the headless horseman riding toward grave markers.

The Headless horseman still rides

Here is a carriage and it is on the roof of the house.

Halloween carriage

What is going on??

Mom says that this Thursday is Halloween. On Halloween kids, many with parents, will wear costumes and come to houses and say “Trick or Treat”. These kids will expect us to give them candy. What a great day for kids. Again, I wish I were human. I am looking forward to Halloween to see all the action. Strange human behavior, but I, Zeb the duck, like it.

October 21, 2013 by coloradotravelingducks

Colorado has an Alligator Farm

Alligators are not usually a duck’s best friends, but this was fun—and a little scary for me. North of Alamosa, Colorado, we visited the alligator and reptile farm.

Colorado Alligators!!!

I saw lizards, snakes, turtles, even an opossum, fish, and many alligators.

alligators. Friend or foe??

Why alligators in Colorado?

These guys started a fish farm raising tilapia, and needed a way to dispose of the fish waste. They brought a few alligators to be the garbage disposals. The alligators reproduced, the pubic wanted to see the alligators, so these smart guys charged people to see the alligators. Then sold food to feed the alligators. Also the alligators took care of the unwanted fish parts. And the place just keeps growing and they are still raising and selling tilapia. These are smart, and very nice, businessmen.

Soon after paying the entrance fee, my humans were holding alligators!

My Alaska uncle with an alligator!!

Large African Sulcata turtles

African turtle inside. Not alligator food

were wandering the reptile area. Hot and tropical in there. Outside alligators were in enclosed lake areas. The gators loved the alligator food tossed to them. Looked like big chunks of Purina dog food to me, but I was happy the alligators liked that food and were not looking at me as a snack.

Look but don’t eat!

Let’s talk about unusual human behavior. There was a group of girls, and a guy. This was a wedding party and the bachelorette party (Yes, the bride and attendants) came to wrestle alligators. With an employee guide, into the water a young lady goes. Drags the alligator out by his tail. Sits on the alligator, holds him under the chin and pulls his head up.

She is a very brave bride!!

My, alligators have big mouths! Was fascinating to watch, but my humans stayed with me, outside the alligator area.

An alligator movie star, Morris, was present. Morris the alligator starred in several movies made in Hollywood, including Happy Gilmore. Near Morris was the white albino alligator.

Albino alligator

This made a nice change for me. Didn’t look as threatening as all the green/black alligators. Still had a big mouth full of sharp teeth though.

Walking along paths by the alligators, we saw this colorful bird.

A bird near alligators

I thought this blog needed some of my feathered kind, so here are a few. Even a wild duck, perhaps a distant relative.

Possible cousin??

An alligator farm in Colorado is just too weird to miss.

You will want to see these alligators. Visit soon

You will enjoy the experience. I did and didn’t even come close to being their snack. Visit www.coloradogators.net for more information.

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