We left home at 2:25; Dad is driving, and we picked up the Asmans. We got to Newark International at 3:20, where we met the contingent. The contingent is going out on two flights, our crew is on the second. We did not get to check our bags until 4:45. After our bags were checked, we were allowed to wander around until 5:15, and then got to Gate 11 (in Terminal A) at 5:20. The plane is a 737, and we boarded at 5:55. I have a rather uncomfortable middle seat. After a long wait on the ground, we finally took off at 7:07. We were served some form of chicken (we think it was supposed to be Teriyaki) for dinner. It wasn’t very good. On final to Denver, we hit some bad wind sheer and dropped off quite a bit. There was some lightning off the right wing as well. We landed at 8:50 MDT, 10:50 EDT. We claimed our bags and boarded the buses at 9:45, The bus company is "Ramblin’ Express." We watched part of a movie on our way to Colorado Springs. We arrived at the National Guard Armory at 11:20, but there was no one to let us in. Someone finally showed up at 12:40. We are sleeping on the cement floor of a garage. The lights went out at 1:05, but we had inconsiderate neighbors that did not be quiet until after 2:00.

They woke us up at 5:00 by turning on the lights. We boarded the buses at 5:45. It was a cloudy day and it looked like there would be rain. We ate breakfast at the Best Western Palmer house, a very short bus ride from the armory. It was buffet style, and not very good. We got back on the bus at 6:50. Itcleared up some and we passed NORAD, in Cheyenne Mountain. As we got near the rafting outfitter, we could see some of the higher mountains, some with snow. We arrived at the outfitter’s, River Runners, at 8:07 and waited. We finally got on the Arkansas River above the Royal Gorge. We ran some very good water, which was higher than normal. We ran a Class 5, a 4, and many 3’s. It was a lot of fun and quite a thrill. Along the way, I spotted a group of big horn sheep. Unfortunately, Mr. Brown, on another boat, got cut and was sent to the hospital for eleven stitches. We got off the river at 11:40, but the outfitter’s former school bus had problems, and if felt as if it would die at any time. Mr. Hughes bought photos of us in the rafts to scan and distribute. Because of a mess-up at a box lunch place, we all ate at Burger King in Cañon City. We arrived there at 1:00, but the other bus went in first making it so that we did not go in until 1:25. We left there at 2:15.

On the way back, we passed NORAD again and were able to see the many antennas on top, along with the entrance complex. We got to the Air Force Academy at 3:40, after passing though downtown Colorado Springs. Along the entrance way, we passed an early B-52 on display. We stopped at the visitor center and watched a fourteen minute video. Then we walked up a trail to where we could see the entire complex. We left at 5:00. We did not drive though the Garden of the Gods as had been planned, which was disappointing. Instead we went directly to the Flying W Ranch, arriving at 5:26. The place was basically a giant old-west themed shopping center, and we had two hours to kill before dinner. Dinner was a chuck-wagon style dinner with 1,300 other people Some of it was good, other parts weren’t. This was followed by a decent musical program. We left at 9:30, and got to the armory at about 9:55. Lights out was at 10:30.