by Melissa Evans
The IAFF Memorial takes place annually in Colorado Springs to honor all the of the firefighters in the US and Canada who have died in the line of duty over the previous year. This year about seven hundred honor guard, pipers and drummers participated in the service attended by 6,000 people honoring 136 firefighters lost between June 2009 and June 2010.
Meg's first plane ride
Casa Bonita is supposedly a famous place mentioned on the radio and on the show South Park. It has a Mariachi band, cliff divers, shows, pinatas for kids, and an arcade. It also has all you can eat TERRIBLE food! The idea was great, the execution horrible.
The Denver Botanic Gardens were gorgeous!
This is the Asian section of the gardens. (one of my favorite parts)
Shane clued us in on all the places to go in Denver.
This is a yummy pizza place.
I had no idea how many names there would be on the memorial walls.
Chief Poleski (pipes), Wayne, and Shannon Miller (drums) at the memorial site.
They closed the main street in Colorado Springs for two nights for the pipers and drummers to play through the street. This was an informal event that drew a huge crowd, and sold a lot of alcohol!
This picture isn't very clear but, It was taken by a FF from on top of an engine on the street. In the middle you can see all the pipers and drummers with the crowd closed in all around them.
Handle bar mustaches like this were a dime a dozen!
Captain Wyatt, Wayne, Captain Ruby (retired).
They rode in a group of motorcyclists that go up every year.
Right before the memorial in his formal get- up!
Some Clark County and City of Las Vegas players.
This is a lot of the Clark County and City of Las Vegas firefighters that attended.
The street was too crowded for a stroller at night. So Meg was my little growth for a few nights. She loved it!
That's a good looking, red-mustached Scot.
Garden of the Gods
Manitou Springs
These Anasazi Cliff Dwellings built between 1100 and 1300 AD are well preserved and very interesting.
Meg was unimpressed!
