Day 2 we headed into the small town of Cripple Creek for a train ride on a steam train around the edge of town. We learned some about the town and mining in Colorado while the boys just enjoyed being on a train. After the train ride we headed back in to the mountains for a picnic lunch and a hike to The Craigs. It was a 5ish mile round trip hike which went up most of the way to the rocky outcroppings known as The Craigs. Of course, the boys got tired so Matt and I ended up carrying all three kids for the last half of the hike up. That was a bit of a challenge, but we made it and enjoyed the views (and a snack of course) before heading back down. Night two in the cabin brought stargazing for Matt and Micah (Ezra said he was too tired and just wanted to go to bed) which was beautiful being so far away from much of anything. We could see the Milky Way, shooting stars, lots of airplanes and satellites, and Matt and Micah even saw the international space station go by.
It was time to go home on Day 3, but we decided to drive home along a scenic canyon backcountry road called Shelf Rd. It was a gorgeous drive. We stopped at Red Rock Park outside Canyon City for a picnic lunch and to look around, but the heat quickly sent us packing (it was like an oven among the red rocks) and we finished the drive home. It was a fun trip and it was nice to see more of the state we now call home!