Family Matters / COME TO LIFE HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS Well-preserved landmarks and capti-vating museums offer a peek into the past, when American Indians, pioneers and fortune-seekers made our state what it is today. Chip at a real gold vein and gain an understanding of the arduous work undertaken by miners at Hidee Gold Mine in Central City; or explore the reconstructed 1840s fur-trading post frequented by famed frontiersman Kit Carson at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site near La Junta. COLORADO.com/History ADVENTURE PARKS Whimsi-cal worlds of gravity-defying ziplines, speedy alpine slides and other kid-pleasing activities await at Colorado adventure parks. Zoom down the state’s longest alpine coaster at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs; tackle an adventure course and the climbing tower at Vail’s Epic Discovery ; or soar across 10 ziplines at The Broad-moor Seven Falls’ Soaring Adventure in Colorado Springs. COLORADO.com/ AdventureParks MUSEUMS Colorado’s bounty of family-friendly museums offers hours of mind-stimulating fun. Watch scientists prepare fossils and marvel at colossal dinosaur skeletons at the Denver Mu-seum of Nature and Science ; learn how to grind corn for chickens and milk a cow at Fort Collins’ Bee Family Centennial Farm Museum ; or clamber aboard an antique fire truck at Trinidad’s Old Fire House No. 1 Children’s Museum . COLORADO.com/ Museums WINTER DIVERSIONS From tubing and ice-skating to horse-drawn sleigh rides and kid-centered ski and snowboard programs, giggle-inducing winter FAMILY MATTERS Get Your Merry Clan to These Family-Centric Spots Attractions and activities to please every family member — from tots to teens — are available around every corner in Colorado. activities can be found on and off the slopes in Colo-rado. Slide down a snowy hill on a bouncy tube, then ride the lift to the top to do it again and again in Fraser , Keystone , Vail , Copper Moun-tain and Beaver Creek ; or skate amid gorgeous winter landscapes at ice rinks all over the state. COLORADO. com/WinterRecreation AMUSEMENT PARKS Our theme parks satisfy all ages with towering waterslides and high-speed coasters for thrill-seekers and tamer rides for those who fancy moving at a slower pace. Plunge more than 200 feet at 60 miles per hour at Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park in Denver; or conquer the Christmas-themed coaster at the North Pole Home of Santa’s Workshop in Colo-rado Springs. COLORADO. com/AmusementParks CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: GOLD PAN, ISTOCKPHOTO; DENVER CHILDREN’S MUSEUM; KEYSTONE, VAIL RESORTS/DANIEL MILCHEV; ELITCH GARDENS THEME & WATER PARK; CAPTAIN ZIPLINE & THE LOST CANYON ZIPLINE TOUR; BUTTERFLY, ISTOCKPHOTO; BENT’S OLD FORT, MILES/MATT INDEN; ZOOS & ANIMAL SANCTUARIES Bears, gators and butterflies are just a few of the cool critters that inhabit Colorado’s zoos, aquariums and animal sanctuaries. Spy on black bears, mountain lions and oth-er Centennial State natives at the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Park in Pagosa Springs; feed one of the largest giraffe herds in the world at scenic Chey-enne Mountain Zoo in Colo-rado Springs or toss fish to the alligators at Colorado Gators Reptile Park in Mosca. COLORADO.com/Zoos COLORADO.COM / 69
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