November 30, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Winter Snow in the Colorado Mountains near Denver

We had snow for Thanksgiving Day and Friday this year. There was a possibility of more snow for later Sunday. In town, we had a few inches, but it is still very cold. Sunday, Zeb the Duck, Soapy Smith Duck, and JB Duck drove a short distance from Denver to see the new snow in our nearby mountains. Ten or fifteen minutes from Denver, it was very overcast, but these trees look beautiful.

Very overcast close to Denver

Soon we saw sun breaking through on this mountain.

Colorado sun is breaking through

Here is I-70 looking west.

View of Continental Divide from I-70

This is one of our favorite views heading to the mountains. The continental divide does not have much snow yet, but it will. You can see the traffic from the mountain ski areas has not begun yet. Light traffic on I-70 is rare on weekends. A little further west, the sun is out and our bright blue Colorado sky is beautiful. *

Snowy trees and bright blue Colorado sky

These trees appeared to be decorated with snowballs, to celebrate the Christmas season.

Decorated with snowballs for the Christmas season

We really like this snowy tree, but we don’t want to sit in the cold snow very long.

Snow decorated tree

Looking down the road, winter is coming to the Colorado mountains.

Continuing down the road

Although the sun is bright, the temperature was only 20 degrees, in the sun. We were no more than 20 minutes from our home in the Denver suburbs. We hope you visit Colorado this winter. Many of our ski areas are now open for winter fun.

November 27, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Season to Remember and to Give Thanks

Remembering and Giving Thanks

November 26, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Happy Thanksgiving 2015

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Thanksgiving is time for all of us to reflect on the many things we have to be thankful for in our lives. Our family is most important for us, followed closely by appreciating the lives we are able to live in Colorado. We give thanks to all that make these blessings possible for the Colorado Traveling Ducks and the humans. Enjoy a huge dinner with family and friends today!

November 23, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Denver’s Christkindl Market with Zeb and Soapy Smith Duck

On a sunny Sunday, Zeb and Soapy Smith Duck wandered through Denver’s German Christmas Market. Walking down Denver’s Sixteenth Street Pedestrian Mall, heading toward Skyline Park, we stopped to read the blue cow by Douglas Rouse.

Denver’s Blue Cow

We love the blue cow with some facts unique to Denver. Denver has the nation’s largest city park system with more than 200 parks within city limits. And we love the 300 days of sunshine each year to enjoy them. Our airport, Denver International, is the nation’s largest at 53 square miles. Did you know that the Denver Mint is the largest producer of coins in the world? And the thirteenth step of Colorado’s State Capitol Building is exactly 5,280 feet above sea level. We are the Mile High City. Let’s enter Denver’s Christkindl.

Entrance to Denver’s Christkindl Market

There are so many venders with German or European themed items and food. We, Zeb and Soapy, want Soapy’s dog, Steve, to help us decorate this Christmas tree.

Let’s decorate this tree

Remember our Soapy Smith Duck is quite the rascal, so Zeb and Steve will watch him so he does not take ornaments off the tree and give them to strangers. We love the top picture of a pier going over the water.

We like this art

This booth had great art for sale. We were so tempted and had to try the potato pancakes, with applesauce.

Wonderful potato pancakes

We really like them. Hand carved wooden decorations were a big hit.

Wood carvings at Bethlehem Nativity

Aren’t they nice? The potato pancakes were good, but we could still eat more. Then we saw the Styria Bakery.

Stryka Bakery. Can’t pass up a good bakery

This huge pretzel with cinnamon and sugar was just what we wanted.

Cinnamon Pretzel

Delicious! Here we are near the warming tent, which also happens to be the beer garden.

Entrance to warming tent and beer garden

By the entrance we saw and recognized this statue.

The Town Musicians of Bremen

The Town Musicians of Bremen.

The musicians created by the Brothers Grimm

Inside the tent, people were enjoying the German beer.

Beer available here

We spend a little more than one hour here, but it is great. The Christkindl Market will be opened every day at 11:00 a.m. It will close at 1:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving. It usually closes at 7:00 p.m., but stays open until 9:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The market will be in Denver through December 23. We hope you will visit here on one of our many sunny days. We might even return again. This is a great place to purchase gifts, for others and for yourself.

November 20, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park with Zeb and Eider Duck

Zeb and Eider Duck are going to another Australian National Park We are going to Nitmiluk National Park. Nitmiluk National Park was formerly called Katherine Gorge National Park. First we go to Edith Falls

Beautiful Edith Falls in Nitmiluk National Park

Several humans are swimming in the water.

Swimming in Edith Falls pool

It is so refreshing. The water from the falls flows under the bridge and becomes a peaceful river.

Edith Falls feeds this serene river

Near Edith Falls, we enjoyed this grassy area.

Would be great picnic place if we had more time

Is a great picnic place

Now we are getting on a boat on the Katherine River.

On the boat to tour Katherine Gorge

Heading through the first gorge.

Boating on first gorge

Pretty steep rock walls, really sandstone walls, here.

Steep sandstone walls of gorge

People can rent canoes here also.

Canoes are available

We get out of our boat and walk toward this narrower gorge.

Walking to second gorge

Now we are on the second boat,

Riding on boat on the second gorge

cruising again. But, we are not alone here.

Big crocodile! They SAY fresh water crocodiles will not bother us. But stay clear!!

This is the famous view in Katherine Gorge.

Postcard view in Katherine Gorge

There are many postcards with this picture. Heading into a small cave,

Into the cave

we see these mud nest made by migrating birds and bats.

Mud nests on roof of cave

We dock, get off the boat, and walk along the path to where our first boat left us.

Pathway between two gorges

Back on the first boat, we are heading back to our starting point.

Enjoying boat ride in Katherine Gorge

This is a beautiful river and an incredible gorge. Some of the people that helped us today in this national park are Jawoyn, the local people. They were here first and are now the custodians of Nitmiluk National Park. We loved our cruise. We hope you go on it soon, too.

November 19, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

The Kimberley by Bus with Zeb and Eider Duck

There are two major roads through the Kimberley of Australia. This part of Australia has little or no access during The Wet, or rainy season. Flooding frequently closes the roads. We drove to Derby earlier and took a couple day tour in the Kimberley, but we wanted to see more. We took a Greyhound Bus from Broome, Western Australia, to Darwin, in the Northern Territory.

Grayhound Bus was great transportation. Large, clean windows and not crowded

We also took bus tours to Nitmiluk National Park and to Kakadu National Park. Today we will show you some of what we saw from the bus. We already showed you Derby, and our Kimberley Wild Tour. Soon we will show you parts of Nitmiluk National Park and also Kakadu National Park. Through the Kimberley, we crossed several rivers.

Beautiful rivers

We also stopped at the Ord River Roadhouse.

Ord River Roadhouse was one of our stops

Of course we needed a snack after our meal, and this satisfied us.

Perfect for out dessert

These rock cliffs were beautiful.

Rock wall

We decided to ride the Greyhound Bus because we have seen much of the world from 30,000 feet. Of course, at that altitude, we saw nothing. Also, we were the only foreign tourists on the bus, so we were able to talk to many Australian natives, many of them aboriginals. Everyone was very nice to us. Even when mom got stuck in a restroom stall. One of the beautiful young girls that sat across from us on the bus, helped her get out. Mom was very grateful for the help. Getting stuck in the bathroom was not fun and not part of our travel plans. So thank you again to that very nice girl. On another bus to Nitmiluk National Park, we stopped in the town of Adelaide River to visit the War Cemetery.

Adelaide River War Cemetery

This monument with a white cross was very nice.

Monument in War Cemetery

Many of those buried here were killed February 19, 1942 during air raids on Darwin. We loved this tree.

Great tree

Further down the road, we stopped for a break near Emerald Springs Roadhouse.

Rest stop near Emerald Springs Roadhouse. Heading to Nitmiluk National Park

Another bus to Kakadu National Park stopped for our break at Bark Hut.

A stop at Bark Hut driving to Kakadu National Park

This is where we saw an early model Toyota Landcruiser station wagon.

Modified Toyota Land Cruiser

This vehicle has been modified as a “Yard Truck” or “Push up Truck” to push, or herd, buffalo into yards and pens. The door panels were re-enforced after a man, sitting in the truck, was gored through his thigh. The buffalo horn came right through the door. There are still wild buffalo in the Northern Territory.

Native Australian Buffalo

When we drove past a buffalo herd, the humans did not have their cameras ready. We hope you experience foreign travel in a public bus. You will see so much more and we learned so much from the local people sharing the bus.

November 18, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Outside in Rain and Snow?

All creatures may not love the winter weather.

November 17, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Theodore Roosevelt National Park with Zeb and Soapy Smith Duck

We love National Parks! We are in western North Dakota on I-94. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is here.

Welcome to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota

First we stop at the Painted Canyon Overlook. This is part of the North Dakota Badlands.

Pink in the Painted Canyon

The pink shows why this is called a painted canyon. This place takes your breath away.

Painted Canyon has many moods

Don’t you just love it? Next we went to the Visitor’s Center, received our map, and drove through the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. First stop is the Little Missouri River Bottomlands.

Little Missouri River

Very pretty. The sign said these are Cottonwood trees, dark green jumpers and dwarf sagebrush.

Overlooking Little Missouri River

We ducks, like humans, enjoy seeing this beautiful, tranquil scenery. There are thousands of prairie dogs at various areas of the park.

Prairie dogs. Talking about us?

They are so cute. We do not want them in our yards, but we love to see them in parks. Oh no! This could be trouble.

Could this be trouble?

The coyote is walking among the prairie dogs. We hope it is not time for him to eat.

Coyote says to relax

Looks like he is saying, “I told you I was not hungry” Some of the road are paved, and some are not.

Quiet road in park

We are fortunate that there is very little traffic in the park now. This area is known as Beef Corral Bottom.

Beef Corral Bottom. Today we see prairie dogs, not cattle here

Years ago during the free range cattle round up, the cattle were brought here. Then the owners could check the brand and take their cattle home to prepare for sale. These buffalo are lounging by the side of the road.

Enjoying the sunny day.

We did not get out of our car here. No reason to be foolish. This is the home of the buffalo, not the home of tourists. The color of the rock varies here. Whitish in some areas.

Lighter rocks

Darker rock is other areas.

Darker rocks

We like the open lands also. The minerals in the soil effect the color of rocks. This lone buffalo stood on a hill surveying his land.

Buffalo watching us admire him

He was so still at first, we were not sure if he was real, but he did begin to turn his head and walk away. Behind the Visitor’s Center, is the Maltese Cross Ranch House.

Maltese Cross Ranch House. Theodore Roosevelt lived here summer of 1884

In September, 1883 Theodore Roosevelt part an interest in the Maltese Cross Ranch. He loved the Badlands of North and South Dakota. The following winter his wife and his mother died with hours of each other. When the weather permitted, here came back to North Dakota and lived in the Maltese Cross Ranch House. Here he was able to find peace and renewed strength of spirit and body. This ranch house was later moved to its present location in the National Park. We hope you also have beautiful sunny weather when you visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

November 16, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

North Dakota with Zeb and Soapy Smith Duck

We, the Colorado Traveling Ducks, are in North Dakota.

Welcome to North Dakota

We are driving on I-94. Our first stop is Jamestown. This is the World’s Largest Buffalo.

A really big buffalo

This buffalo is 26 feet tall, 46 feet long and weighs 60 tons. On July 24, 2010 he was named Dakota Thunder.

Dakota Thunder

We are on his foot. Dakota Thunder sure is big! This farm in North Dakota looks harvested and ready for winter.

North Dakota farm and lake

Our next stop is Steele, North Dakota where we met Sandy. Sandy is the World’s Largest Sandhill Crane. Sandy is 40 feet tall and made of steel. We are on Sandy’s foot. Can you see us?

Sandy the Sandhill Crane

The information at the kiosk says the crane is the oldest existing bird in the world. Cranes have remained unchanged for 2.5 million years. Sandy was made by James Miller. Our next stop is the capital of North Dakota. Bismarck is home to the North Dakota Heritage Center.

We are at the North Dakota Heritage Center

The building has great art. We like this train.

Train on North Dakota Heritage Center

This statue, a 12 foot tall bronze, was dedicated in 1910. It honors Sakakawea, the Indian interpreter for Lewis and Clark.

Sakakawea and her son

There are a few spellings of her name, but North Dakota uses this spelling. The statue was made by Leonard Crunelle. We like it! Nearby is this buffalo.

We are at the foot of this buffalo. Mom, careful we don’t want to get stepped on

The artist is Bennett Brien. The statue was given to the state in 1986. This is the capitol building in Bismarck, North Dakota. We like this different design for a capitol building.

North Dakota State Capitol Building

Close to the capitol we admired the statue of the Honorable John Burke.

The Honorable John Burke

In North Dakota, he was a Legislator, a Governor, and a Supreme Court Justice. In 1913 he was appointed Treasurer of the United States of America by President Woodrow Wilson. We enjoyed the autumn color on this tree in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Fall color in Bismarck, North Dakota

Here we can see that the work of the American farmer is never done.

A farmers work is never done

We think a well cared for farm is beautiful. In southern North Dakota, we liked the golden wild grass by the road and the farm in the background.

Zeb and Soapy by golden wild grass and a clear blue sky.

North Dakota was a nice place to visit. We had wonderful sunny days, but we have heard that North Dakota has severe winters. We are glad we did not see that weather. We really enjoyed our time in North Dakota. We hope you visit during nice sunny weather also.

November 11, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Happy Veteran’s Day 2015

Happy Veteran’s Day. We, the Colorado Traveling Ducks and our humans, thank all veterans for their service. You, the veterans and active military, keep our country free and we are forever grateful. All of you know a veteran or active military person. Today, please thank them. Send them a card. Call or e-mail or text to thank them. Buy them a beverage. Acknowledge their service. We thank cousin Eider Duck’s dad. He served in the U.S. Army for over 25 years.

Happy Veteran’s Day from all the Colorado Traveling Ducks

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