Go out, explore local surroundings

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Marty Anderson
  • 90th Missile Wing command chief
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  After returning from a great fishing and camping weekend at Estes State Park, Colo., I realized that there is not enough time this summer to get out and do all of the things I want to experience while stationed here.

I was explaining my nice, relaxing weekend to Staff Sgt. Patricia VanBeek, my new assistant, and she expressed to me a lot of Airmen complain about having nothing to do here.

She started to list the following things that Airmen can do to fight boredom.

Here on base, there is the Fall Hall Community Center with an indoor rock-climbing wall, laser-tag, gaming center, air hockey, internet connection and a paint ball field as well as a variety of sponsored events. Also the community activity center has a tickets and tours office. They offer discounted tickets to everything from Water World and the Denver Zoo to Disneyland.

Taco John's Event Center offers roller skating, putt-putt golf, laser tag and an arcade. Down the road about 45 minutes is the college town Fort Collins, Colo. Great shopping, eating and entertainment venues are all available.

Further down the road, you will find Denver. Rockies baseball games have already started up, and later in the year, football season with the Denver Broncos begins. Even if you're not a fan, chances are they will be playing a team you are a fan of at some point during the pre- or regular season.

For those who enjoy the outdoors, outdoor recreation has everything you need to enjoy the great outdoors. Wyoming and Colorado offer some of the most beautiful and rugged countryside in the nation. There are rocky outcrops at Vedauwoo, Wyo., - about 30 miles west of Gate 2 on Happy Jack Road - and awesome snowboarding and natural geysers offered by the Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park regions, just to name a few.

Wyoming's landscape varies widely and truly offers something for everyone. You can swim in hot mineral pools in Thermopolis, Wyo. Down south, in Colorado, you can hike or drive in the world-famous Colorado Rocky Mountains. Estes Park, is a great stop on your way to Rocky Mountain National Park and is home to the same Stanley Hotel that inspired Stephen King's "The Shining."

It is also home to great shopping and a large Elk population. See endangered big-horn sheep in Rocky Mountain National Park, and enjoy some great hiking on trails that range from easy to very strenuous. The places listed here are just the tip of the iceberg.

Whether you have a day off, a long break or a long weekend, get out. Go explore, and use the resources offered to you to find something enjoyable to spend time with family and friends. Remember, we want you to have fun, but we also expect you to be safe. If you decide to drive to Yellowstone, Wyo., or up to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, switch drivers frequently and take rest breaks. Wear personal protective equipment whenever required, and use your common sense. Quit making excuses, and get out and enjoy the area where you are stationed.