Mosca, Colorado: Colorado Gators Reptile Park

"The only high-altitude alligator farm" started as a fish farm, and the gators were convenient garbage disposals. Now it's a full blown tourist attraction which also offers classes in gator wresting.

This is a neat place. It is a bit pricey but worth the trip. The people that work there are very nice, explain different things, answered our youngest 50 questions and they even let our girls pet and hold several animals!

There's way more than just gators, and the family who owns and operates it are super nice and friendly. The barriers between the visitors and the gators are pretty shabby, and the day we were there, the gators were feisty, fighting and hissing and snapping -- over 400 of them. So I wouldn't bring your dog, like another visitor said. There was a sign that said "This workplace has been accident-free for 1.5 hours."

Our kids loved holding the baby gator.

This place is definitely a must-see if you're anywhere nearby, but one important fact hasn't been mentioned: You can bring your dog! Imagine the fun as Fido comes face-to-face with one of the many tortoises that wander around the park, or sniffs uncomprehendingly at gators (through the fence, of course). I wish I'd had my chihuahua with me today; those ostriches would have given him something to think about.

A delightful stop on our way north through Colorado. We had a ball, checking out the gators, snakes, tortoises (wandering around underfoot!), and of course, the tilapia. The bio-dome was beautiful, the gators handsome. Got my picture taken with a live stapler gator, got to feed the rest of them.