ajcjmom 8 Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 I thought I would share our Labor Day Weekend adventures. The US Air Force Academy - USAFA, has Parent's Weekend every Labor Day weekend. This is our second year. The weekend is geared to parents of 4th class Cadets(Freshman). They get to see what their children have spent all summer doing. For the rest of us, it is a chance to spend time with our Cadets.Our youngest son, CJ, is a Sophomore at USAFA. DH and I got early, 5am, on Thursday August 30. Drove to Kississimmee to pick up Dad and then on to Orlando Airport. Dad was keeping our car for the weekend. We were up and flying by 10am. We flew Frontier Airlines for the first time and it was not bad for a discount airline. It was a non-stop flight and we arrived in Denver by 11:30am.We saved money this trip by staying with friends in Denver. So said friends picked us up and we headed to get the rental car. We got our car and the headed downtown Denver to run errands with our friend Dawn. A little background about our friends. Dirk and Dawn have been married almost 7 years. They moved to Denver for his work about 4 years ago. They live in a 3 level house, 2 stories with a basement. The basement is basically the critter level. They have 5 cats and a room filled with tanks of snakes and lizards. On the main level they have 2 fish tanks and a crab tank. Needless to say I stayed out of the basement!Leaving the airportBuilding DowntownDH was taking the pictures as I was driving. The next few are of the Denver Mint.Some Diner - He liked the signBroncos Stadium - Sports Authority Field at Mile HighI will have a few more later in the report.Leaving DowntownIf anyone watches Man vs Food, this was featured a few years ago. Our first trip out to Denver we ate here. It is a Mexican food place.Some church on Federal Ave.That is all the photos from Thursday. We spent the rest of the night relaxing and catching up with our friends. DH did not make it up to bed till about 2am, so he did the math and he figures he was up 23 hours that first day.Coming up - Friday, Aug. 31st - Our first day at USAFA Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 Cool! My sister went to parent's weekend out there several years ago when my niece was a cadet. Beautiful pictures. Can't wait for your pics of the academy. What a gorgeous campus! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PureTcrazy...rita 380 Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 I like that you pay attention to Food TV to scope out places to eat! I would love to take a trip to all of Guy's diners, drive ins and dives! Looking forward to more! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AC in A2......Aaron 693 Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 I'm in! you must be very proud! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajcjmom 8 Posted September 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2012 Cool! My sister went to parent's weekend out there several years ago when my niece was a cadet. Beautiful pictures. Can't wait for your pics of the academy. What a gorgeous campus!Yes it is a beautiful campus.I like that you pay attention to Food TV to scope out places to eat! I would love to take a trip to all of Guy's diners, drive ins and dives! Looking forward to more!It was a nice place and the food was good. I did look up places Guy had eaten around the are but we did not make it to any of them.I'm in! you must be very proud!DH and I are very proud. The Cadets go through a lot and this year will be his hardest as far as academics. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajcjmom 8 Posted September 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2012 Friday - August 31stFriday is the big day that parent get to see their Cadets. There is a long list of events.The main things for us were the Cadet Wing Parade and then going to one of CJ's classes.Landed just before the parade startedThe following pictures are of the Cadets marching on the field.After the bands plays they fire the cannon and then the mad dash on the field to find your Cadet.With cell phones it makes it some what easy, but when you are in a sea of blue it takes a few minutes. We did see a lady with a bright pink umbrella and I think for next year we will have one.We found him!He is such a poser!Proud Parents! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64 Posted September 14, 2012 Report Share Posted September 14, 2012 Following along, neat to see places I have never been to. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted September 14, 2012 Report Share Posted September 14, 2012 Awesome pics! You SHOULD be proud!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fladogfan aka Gretchen 259 Posted September 14, 2012 Report Share Posted September 14, 2012 I'm in...what a cutie! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajcjmom 8 Posted September 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2012 I'm in...what a cutie!Thanks. This picture is of CJ with his brother AJ and AJ's wife. This was taken in May of this year.I will brag a little and say I have 2 handsome young men. CJ is on the right. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alexwyattmommy 181 Posted September 14, 2012 Report Share Posted September 14, 2012 Yes you do, have two very handsome young men.I love the poser photo. My son is going to want his jacket when he sees it. It has his name on it. =)Looking forward to seeing and hearing more. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted September 14, 2012 Report Share Posted September 14, 2012 Thanks for sharing the photos.You have a lot to be proud of there, mom.Congratulations.My brother graduated from Annapolis. He has had a long career as a Naval Officer and has been all over the world. When I meet his fellow classmates, it makes me proud to be an American. Our service academies do a great job turning out excellent young men and ladies.I hope there's more.TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajcjmom 8 Posted September 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 Thanks for sharing the photos.You have a lot to be proud of there, mom.Congratulations.My brother graduated from Annapolis. He has had a long career as a Naval Officer and has been all over the world. When I meet his fellow classmates, it makes me proud to be an American.Our service academies do a great job turning out excellent young men and ladies.I hope there's more.TCDThanks and more is on the way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajcjmom 8 Posted September 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 We left off by finding CJ. We learned from our last visit that everything is uphill at the Academy! So we head up to the main campus. It is lunch time.CJ's dorm Vandenberg Hall. The bottom level has a student bookstore, barber shop and a few other things.The freshman have to eat lunch in Mitchell Hall, so the rest of the squadrons have cookouts. We waited for the line to die down so CJ showed us around. The last year he was there he was in the other dorm, Sijan Hall.His room.T-shirt in the bookstore. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajcjmom 8 Posted September 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 More photos. The campus is set up around a Terrazzo. It is also a cadet only area. Parents have to be escorted by their cadet at all times.Fountain in the TerrazzoLooking towards the Chapel. The Chapel is a public area.Chapel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SCTigerCock 171 Posted September 17, 2012 Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 Awesome pics!Congrats to your soon. And to you for raising him!!!So how bad is the area around there due to this summer's fires? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted September 17, 2012 Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 I am not a fan of what is called Modern Architecture, but I have always liked the Air Force Academy chapel.TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajcjmom 8 Posted September 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 Awesome pics!Congrats to your soon. And to you for raising him!!!So how bad is the area around there due to this summer's fires?Thanks.It was really hazy while we were there, so it was hard to see the burn area just south of the Academy. Everything was really brown, except for around the central buildings of the Academy. They have kept those watered and green looking.We spent most of our free time up in Denver and even up there things were brown and dusty. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajcjmom 8 Posted September 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 Well after lunch CJ had CQ Duty (sitting at the Squadron Desk) and then he had 1 class that afternoon. So DH and I headed over to Arnold Hall and then up to the Visitor's Center.During Parent's Weekend, the parent's clubs from different states have tables set up in Arnold Hall and are selling stuff. We bought a couple of squadron pins and a few other things. There is a theater, Subway, Godfather's Pizza and the ballroom in Arnold Hall.Inside Arnold HallSomeone from the wood shop had made this.Display CaseThe walk to the visitor's center is 1/3 mile uphill. I realize it is time to get back to the gym. Scenes from the walk.This next pic is a statue in front of Arnold Hall. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajcjmom 8 Posted September 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 Here are a couple photo's of inside the Chapel.There are 2 floors with different chapels for several different religions.Well we made our purchases from the gift shop and then received a call from CJ, he had the time of his class wrong. We told him we could not make the hike back down in time. We met him later at Arnold Hall.From there we headed back to Denver.Next up - Football Saturday Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fladogfan aka Gretchen 259 Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 I wondered what it was like inside the chapel, so pretty. Like the fact of several chapels. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted September 26, 2012 Report Share Posted September 26, 2012 Great pics! I too have always liked that chapel. Saw it in person once, but not the inside. Very nice. I know it is exceptionally dry now, but I have never been to Denver when it wasn't brown. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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