And we’re off … The Poynter Institute’s Teachapalooza VIII launched this morning with a record 106 teachers in the room. It’s a high-energy weekend of learning, laughing, challenging and debating.

Also, prizes get thrown around.

After eight days of high-altitude, low humidity life, I am headed to one of the most magical placed – The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the most comically named educators conference, Teachapalooza.

It’s just as hot there but with a lot more oxygen and humidity, I could use a little of both.

We wrapped up the field reporting early this afternoon, this was much more of a challenge than we had anticipated.

We did two final things, one was an official tour of the U.S. Olympic Training Center where we had been staying and then we took the kids up to Manitou Springs to play tourists.

(Yes, she flipped it.)

The U.S. Air Force Academy, from the small portion I’ve been able to see, has some very nice modernist architecture. And a lot of birds.

The kids, though … only one short day left on base.

We snuck the kids up Pikes Peak this morning. We were initially told we’d only be able to drive ti mile seven, then pick up a shuttle. But we made it to mile 16, which is the end of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, so I feel pretty good about that.

And we ate donuts made at more than 14,000 feet above sea level. I’d go back for those.

We stopped to get some chocolate goodies for my colleague’s birthday on the way to the academy and spotted a future work opportunity.

The light out here is different, sharper, perhaps due to the altitude and lack of moisture. Or maybe it’s the lack of oxygen.