It's over?

Wow, has it really been 4 days since I've written anything? Our days are so long that I just don't have much brain power left to write. I knew this would happen. The first week seemed to creep. The last week has flown by and now we are headed home in the morning. Granted, it will take 2 days to get there, but still. Here's the recap:

After we left Steamboat, we drove for a long time and got to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We began our time there by hanging around the town square for a short, little shootout production that was really loud. I realized not only how "western-y" Jackson is, but how touristy it is, too. It was soooo crowded and there are t-shirt shops about every 5th store. It's really cute and you can get an elk or bison burger just about anywhere you turn. However, OUR favorite part was exploring Grand Teton National Park. We went out to Jenny Lake and took a boat across that beautiful body of water and then took a short hike up to a magnificent area called Hidden Falls. It was a trickier hike than Rocky Mountain, but everyone enjoyed it this time, yes, even Maggie. It, too, was crowded, but it was so much fun. Riding the boat back made for some additional scenery that I still think about.


The next day was spent at Yellowstone, which is hard, hard, hard to do in a day. It is so big that we really did have to pick and choose what we saw. We did sit around with a bunch of other folks for about half an hour to wait on Old Faithful. It was something that I'm glad I can say that I've seen. We tried to map our route out of the park via the hot springs, the thermal pools and the areas to see wildlife. Let's just say we were 3-3. The thermal pools were some of the weirdest things I've ever seen. First of all, you can't even walk on the ground because the heat coming off the ground is so dangerous, so they've built boardwalks to walk on. Then, they are the most beautiful shades of blue and they seem to go so far down into the ground, it's crazy. Google "grand prismatic spring" and see what I mean. Walking by this one, it feels like you are in a steam room with the way it changes the air. Only God could do something like that. So weird.


As for the wildlife, I mentioned on a facebook picture that if you see a bunch of cars pulled over, grab your camera and pull over, too, because there is something out there. Unfortunately, more often than not, it was a buffalo. Oh my goodness, those buffalo are EVERYWHERE and it really became a joke because we saw so many. But heading out of the park, we were able to see a mama black bear and her cub, as well as a humongous grizzly bear. It was making its way up the hill where we all were, and it was pretty humorous to hear all the mamas saying, "Kids, back to the car...NOW!!!" We did get some good pics which I'll add to the FB group soon.


So out of Yellowstone we go headed to Billings, Montana, our 8th state on this summer adventure. We were trying to get to the interstate as soon as we could, which appeared to be via highway 212 over Beartooth Pass. Now, before I go any further with this part of the story, let me reiterate what an awesome driver my husband is on narrow, curvy, mountain roads. Let me say now that if either of our mothers had been with us last night, they would NOT have been happy with their children for taking this road. And third, praise the Lord for DVD players and tired kids because they had no idea what that road was like. We wound up this road to almost 11,000 feet above sea level. I've never been above storm clouds and lightning in a car before. Maggie looked out one time and said, "Hey can we go play in that snow?" Thankfully, there were very few cars on the road, otherwise, I'm not sure we would have both made it through at times. And finally, thanks to the Montana State Trooper (aka, our Guardian Angel), who was right behind us for the scariest parts. I've never been so happy to be going downhill in my whole life. There were lots of prayers going up during that hour or so, mostly thankful that the rain had stopped while we climbed the mountain and also that Robert was smart enough to take it slow and easy. On a positive note, it was absolutely breathtaking up there. Charles Kuralt, I have come to find out, has called that highway "the most beautiful drive in America". And he oughta know.


This morning, we left Montana to drive to Rapid City, South Dakota. A lot of you know that this part of the trip was originally "negotiable". I didn't feel the need to drive this far north and east, but Robert kept saying, "As long as we are this far...". And for the record, let me admit that I'm glad we did. We drove up there early evening and if you have never been, the moment that you come around the bend and look up there and see that monument - wow. It's so cool. We then went to an amphitheater and at 9:00 pm they start a Discovery Movie on the 4 Presidents and why they ended up on the mountain. With the monument lit, we all stood, sang the Star Spangled Banner and then the coolest part of all. The ranger called all current and past veterans to come to the stage and honor the retrieval of the flag, which was done by a Boy Scout troop. I'm getting teary just thinking about it again. How incredibly moving to see those veterans honor the flag and the dead silence as that flag was folded and put away for tomorrow. We are so lucky to have freedom in this country. It made me very aware of the price that has been paid for my freedom, both as an American and in Christ. I left there with a grateful heart.


Not a bad way to end our vacation, huh?

Peaceful, Easy Feeling

That pretty much sums up our time here in Steamboat. Our concierge (Robert) timed this portion of our trip just perfectly because we needed some time to do nothing and more importantly, spread out. We spent the day today on outdoor activities and had a great time doing new things. We rented tubes and floated a short 40-45 minutes down the Yampa River. Parker and Robert had their own tubes, but I got a figure-8 double one for me and Maggie. There were a couple of small rapids, but we never even came close to flipping. It was a fun and new thing for us all to do, and the girls enjoyed it.

After taking a 2 hour nap this afternoon with Maggie (yay!), we decided on renting bikes. There is a great path that runs along the Yampa River that we took and rode for about an hour. I was so proud of the girls for riding so long over bridges and through tunnels and up and down hills. Maggie is still a tad shaky on a 2-wheeler and did take one tumble and reinjured a skinned knee from a rug burn in a hotel room last week. Have you noticed that she is my accident-prone, things always happen to, child? Bless her heart. But she is a trooper and after I rode to get paper towels to clean her up, she got back on the bike and finished the ride. Note to self...take SOME kind of first aid item(s) on a family bike ride in a strange place.

Downtown Steamboat is a neat place full of little shops and restaurants. We are heading out in the morning to drive to Jackson Hole. It should take us about 6 hours to get there. We were going to stay here until Friday, but I think we are on the verge of missing home. We've been gone for 12 days now and we still have a lot to do. I'm looking forward to Yellowstone. I've heard so much about it and know it will be a great place, with even cooler temps than here. It's actually been pretty hot for the mountains this week - highs in the 80's. I know my Memphis friends are laughing as you have heat indices in the 100's this week. Hang in there!

Well, I just heard the washer and dryer turn off. I'm trying to get all the laundry finished so that we will have all our clothes for the rest of the trip. Thank goodness for mountain time. It's just now midnight here!

Nighty night!

Much Ado about Nothing

I can't remember the last time I have had so much fun doing nothing. We got to the cabin in Steamboat yesterday after 9 non-stop days of driving, touring, swimming, walking, riding, hiking, whatever. What a welcome sight.

After hitting the grocery store, I actually got to cook dinner for the first time in those 9+ days. Don't get me wrong, I like to eat out, but it does get pretty old after a while. We are staying in this amazing cabin that belongs to my nephew's in-laws. Now before you think "cabin", it's more of a mountain home with a full kitchen, more than one bathroom, plenty of space to spread out and a washer and dryer! It's the simple things, you know...

So, after doing 4 loads last night, having dinner around a table, we went to bed, realizing that it's more the exception to have central A/C than the rule. So, last night we slept with open windows and it was great. Then today, we stayed in pj's for a long time, went into Steamboat to have lunch, thought about going tubing, but ended up just hanging at the house all afternoon. The girls made friends with some kids a few houses down, who are ironically from Franklin, TN. Even more ironically, they used to be neighbors with another friend of mine who lives there. Such a small, small world.

Hopefully, we will be able to relax and enjoy the last half of our trip. This downtime is such a welcome relief and I think it will be just what we need to hit Jackson Hole and Yellowstone and whatever else we decide to do as we make our way back home.

I hear it's raining pretty bad back home. Looks like we picked a nice time to get away. Better run. I have to cook dinner and I'm happy about it. : )

Knowledge is Power

Well, I have learned a lot today:

* We have stayed in a LOT of Embassy Suites (especially Robert), but this one in Loveland really is the NICEST one we've ever been in.

* Robert is a great driver up a mountain on a narrow, curvy road.

* 75% of our family likes to hike and climb rocks

* Parker is NOT allergic to bee stings

and...

* When Maggie tells the guy at Fun City that she wants the sling shot bungy thing to go "really high", she doesn't mean it.

I knew we were in trouble when I saw the dude lay down flat on the trampoline to send her up. Good Lord, I almost came unglued, but she managed to bounce a few times before she had had enough. It did not go well and she said she never wants to do it "ever, ever again." I almost yelled at the guy until I realized that she told him to do it. However, in hindsight, I should have told him not to send her up regardless of what she said. Oh well. She survived and all is well. Live and learn for sure!!

But for the best part of the day...Rocky Mountain National Park is so awesome. They make it very easy to navigate with free shuttles at Park and Ride lots and there are several family-easy trails that we really had fun on. The first one was 1/2 a mile around a lake. It was beautiful. Then the second one was 1/2 mile to the lake and 1/2 a mile back. What we didn't know was that the first 1/2 was a steady uphill the entire way. Walk a little...rest...walk a little...rest...walk a little...that was how I learned about the 75% thing earlier. But once we got to the top, we had our water and granola bars and then had a very pleasant, and much quicker, I might add, trek down. If you are into hiking, it's a great place to be.

Estes Park is the city at the base of the park and it's a quaint touristy town, but was a nice place to hang for the afternoon. Once we got back to the hotel, exhausted and grumpy, I was able to get on the treadmill while Robert took the girls swimming. It felt good to sweat, but man, was it hard to catch my breath! We head to Steamboat tomorrow and it will be more like home. I can cook, relax a little and do laundry! Yay me! I think I probably have about 6 loads to do. Just like home, right???

One thing is for sure. We are having tons of fun and tons of together time. I'm so thankful that we have this amazing opportunity to take the trip. It's been great.

Nighty night!

I'm on Top of the World!!

Or at least I felt like I was today. One thing about this trip - come the end of the day, we are completely worn-out. I think the girls fall asleep in less than 5 minutes every night. I'm really looking forward to a few days in Steamboat where we can just chill and hang out for a few days. (Thanks, DeJuans!!)

Yesterday, we got up early and drove to Royal Gorge. We had looked at some brochures and decided that we may skip the actual park and do this Frontier Joe's western thing that had a little train that gave a good look at the gorge and then had a shootout and some other little rides. Well, let's just say I'm glad that we got to Frontier Joe's first because it looked like a literal ghost town that may or may not be in business next summer. DON'T go to Frontier Joe's.

We kept on driving to the actual Royal Gorge park and it was great. The girls rode an antique carousel that went about 20 mph. Then we went on what is billed as the world's steepest incline. It stayed at a 45* angle all the way down into the gorge. Someone said it dropped 1053 feet. You stand in these enclosed cars almost like an elevator and rode down really slow. At the bottom you pretty much just look at the river and try not to fall down from the wind. Going back up backward was interesting. I got the same feeling in my stomach that I did at the Eiffel Tower. Then the bridge - oh my goodness that bridge. A wooden plank, suspension bridge that cars and people can both go over, that sways in the wind and is who knows how far off the ground. Wow...But we all 4 made it over. Especially because the petting zoo that Maggie just had to visit was across the bridge. Oh, and did I mention that some of the boards have space between them where you can see all the way through them straight down?? Let's just say I kept my eyes forward. I couldn't even tell you what was below me. Once we got over to the other side, we hit the petting zoo, which Maggie said was "boring". Then she rode a burro (Parker was too tall), which she said was "boring". Then we saw a couple of cages with some bison and elk in them, which was also, you guessed it..."boring". We did see a dude riding a Longhorn bull. That was a first for me. He told us in his best cowboy voice that his name was Blizzard because he was born in a blizzard. Um - okay. I did draw the line on the aerial tram. I just can't do things where I'm dangling from a cable. And yes, I do know how a suspension bridge works.

Next we made our way to Garden of the Gods which is a big park of red rock formations. At first I didn't think it was all that, but then as we made about 4 laps around the park, we found the coolest one of all - Balancing Rock. There were all kinds of places where you could get out of your car and climb all over these rock formations. Some of them were pretty high and you could really see a lot from up there. We had a blast doing that and I discovered that Maggie has her Uncle Brian's no-fear mentality. She just took off running and wasn't worried about a thing. Parker did a good job climbing. I think she enjoyed that a lot. Actually we all did.

Today, we checked out in Colorado Springs and hit the Air Force Academy. That is a really cool place. That was a Robert stop, but I enjoyed seeing it, too. Then we made the trek to Manitou Springs en route to the cog railway to Pikes Peak. I had no idea what to expect on that, but man, what an experience. I don't know if I'd want to do it again, but I'm glad I did. The train up took about 1 1/2 hours. It's enclosed, but it does have windows that come down. To give you an idea of where we were, Manitou Springs is around 6800 feet elevation. Pikes Peak is at 14,110. Down in the town, it was around 80 degrees and we were sweating. On Pikes Peak, it was snowing and we froze. Crazy. We all 4 felt the difference in the oxygen level. Parker really felt dizzy and I just felt winded and "not right". I was afraid Maggie's ears would bother her, but she said they just popped a few times. Coming down was a lot better. It was pretty scenery along the way, but nothing like the Silverton ride. However, the view at the top was A...MA...ZING. Definitely worth doing once in your life.

Now we are in Loveland, Colorado, about 30 miles from Rocky Mountain National Park. That's our stop tomorrow. Although I realized that the Anheuser-Busch brewery is about 10 minutes away, along with the Clydesdales!! How awesome would that be? Parker asked if she could ride them, and I told her probably not. We'll see what we get done. This is a neat area and an awesome hotel. Probably one of the nicest I've ever stayed in. Guess I'm becoming a diva, too.

We've created a monster...or a couple of divas.

Apparently, the quality of this vacation depends on the type, location and amenities of our hotel. I think the girls get more excited about the hotels than what we are actually doing. "Mom!! This one has a microwave!" Um, yes, but you just saw the GRAND CANYON! "Dad! The elevator has windows!" Um, yes, but that's Pikes Peak right out there - only 14,000 feet high! We have about decided that next year we are just going to take them to different hotels around town and let that be it. Not really. I feel sure that one day they will appreciate all the things they are seeing. It is just funny.

We made it to Colorado Springs last night and it's a pretty city. We have been in regular rooms with 2 beds up until now, but here we actually have a suite with a King. The girls were all ready on the sofabed until about 4:30 am, when I woke up and there was a little person in the bed with us. I just assumed it was Maggie because Maggie always wakes up in the night. Then about 5:00 am, here comes Maggie waking me up asking where Parker is. So in the bed with us she goes. At one point I woke up and Robert is hanging off one side with Parker right up against his back and I was hanging off the other side with Maggie right up against my back. Thank goodness for that King sized bed.

Making memories, right?