Today was another day that we didn’t look for places in the original book. We heard there were some Thomas Moran paintings (he also did some of the pictures in the original PAPA book) at the Denver Art Museum. Outside of the museum there was a giant sculpture of a broom and dustpan!
Grayson and I getting swept up!
We drove to the art museum, and I was amazed by the architecture of the building itself. The museum didn’t seem to have a single right angle! We first looked at some Japanese wood block prints that were rather stunning in their colors and emotions. One of the most interesting prints to me was one where you could see the pattern of the wood the print was made on.
Interesting print with the patterns of the wood.
On our way to the “western art” section, we saw this really cool art feature! The walls were covered in cardboard and made some crazy and unique patterns on the wall. The light fixture was made from styrofoam, making a great way to reuse cardboard and styrofoam with art.
Cardboard designs on the walls
Then we entered the western art exhibit, full of sculptures and paintings of cowboys and Native Americans. We got to make our own postcards using stamps and colored pencils. We all made a few to send of to friends and family.
Grayson and I making postcards.
Next we crossed a bridge connecting the two buildings of the art museum. We saw some Native American totem poles, clothing, masks, and decorations on our way to see the Thomas Moran paintings.
Grayson and I below some totem poles.
When we found his paintings, we saw how detailed he was in all of his artwork, not only with the prints from the book. Afterwards, we ate lunch and drove to Manitou Springs, a small town below Pikes Peak. On the way we saw many rock formations and plateaus. We stayed in a small cozy condo behind a gift shop. Before dinner, we stopped by an arcade and played a horse racing game. I won!
Horse racing at the arcade
Then we got a miniature set of cards and some mustaches. We played with the mini cards while we were waiting for our food at a restaurant.
Playing with mini cards
After dinner we walked back to our condo and got a good nights rest.