Do you find flip flops and a light jacket to be appropriate blizzard attire? Did you want nothing more than to have a television clown sing happy birthday to you when you were little? What about the Blake Street Bombers… ring a bell? If you are nodding along with any of this, you most likely grew up in Colorado and will remember these 13 things:

  1. You know why they call it Elitch “Gardens.”

Wikimedia Commons Believe it or not, the original Elitch Gardens at 38th Avenue and Tennyson Street had not only rides, but several impressive gardens as well!

  1. Halloween costumes were planned around your winter coat.

Flickr/istolethetv You know what isn’t fair? My 3-year-old has yet to experience a freezing cold Colorado Halloween that we are so accustomed to…

  1. It wasn’t unusual to have a blizzard a week or two before summer vacation…

Flickr/C.C. Chapman I will never forget having to trek through a blinding blizzard to get to my Women in Communications final at CSU.

  1. …and multiple wildfires throughout the rest of the summer.
Flickr/due_mele
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  1. You remember when Colorado got their very own baseball team.

YouTube/MLB Larry Walker + Andres Galarraga + Vinny Castilla + Dante Bichette + Ellis Burks = Squad goals.

  1. As a child, Casa Bonita was a dream…

Flickr/Cassandra Turner Daring cliff divers, Black Bart’s Cave, an arcade… what’s not to love?

  1. …but now, it is an absolute nightmare.

Flickr/Melinda Stomach-turning food, unbearable humidity, and hour long lines to get your food… what is there to love?

  1. Growing up, there was nothing you wanted more than to have Blinky sing happy birthday to YOU.

YouTube/SHANNONANDROD “Happy Birth… day… to… you!”

  1. If your parents weren’t farmers, you were related to somebody who was.

Flickr/Ranchita Vida For me, it was my grandpa, uncle, and other family members in Eastern Colorado, and they were some of the hardest working people I knew!

  1. You’ve seen the REAL North Pole.

Flickr/ptjoe12000 Not to brag or anything, but you also sat on the REAL Santa’s lap!

  1. If temperatures dipped below 25 degrees, you may have put on a jacket or coat.

Flickr/Art Jessen The keyword being MAY (and it was probably more of a windbreaker than a coat)…

  1. When 4th of July weekend rolled around, you would take a little trip to Wyoming with your crazy uncle to get the good fireworks.

Flickr/Chelsea Nesvig R.I.P. Crazy Uncle Joe…

  1. Finally, you learned about Alferd Packer in elementary school and half understand why he did what he did to survive.

Wikimedia Commons “He ate WHAT now?!”

For even more childhood nostalgia, check out these 15 Undeniable Childhood Memories Everyone In Colorado Has.

Wikimedia Commons

Believe it or not, the original Elitch Gardens at 38th Avenue and Tennyson Street had not only rides, but several impressive gardens as well!

Flickr/istolethetv

You know what isn’t fair? My 3-year-old has yet to experience a freezing cold Colorado Halloween that we are so accustomed to…

Flickr/C.C. Chapman

I will never forget having to trek through a blinding blizzard to get to my Women in Communications final at CSU.

Flickr/due_mele

(

YouTube/MLB

Larry Walker + Andres Galarraga + Vinny Castilla + Dante Bichette + Ellis Burks = Squad goals.

Flickr/Cassandra Turner

Daring cliff divers, Black Bart’s Cave, an arcade… what’s not to love?

Flickr/Melinda

Stomach-turning food, unbearable humidity, and hour long lines to get your food… what is there to love?

YouTube/SHANNONANDROD

“Happy Birth… day… to… you!”

Flickr/Ranchita Vida

For me, it was my grandpa, uncle, and other family members in Eastern Colorado, and they were some of the hardest working people I knew!

Flickr/ptjoe12000

Not to brag or anything, but you also sat on the REAL Santa’s lap!

Flickr/Art Jessen

The keyword being MAY (and it was probably more of a windbreaker than a coat)…

Flickr/Chelsea Nesvig

R.I.P. Crazy Uncle Joe…

Wikimedia Commons

“He ate WHAT now?!”

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