A Trip to Remember: Day Six

Boy, did those blankets come in handy! The temperature had dropped considerably and we were all snuggled in tightly by morning! 

Once again we were packed and on the road by 8am, and Jason found a cute little spot for coffee and pastries as we left town. Let me tell you, this pumpkin spice cinnamon roll muffin was to DIE for.

We chose to take misty, foggy backroads north, avoiding the main freeway as long as possible. We saw horses and cows and a pack of antelope and one adventurous deer who glided by right in front of our car!  There were little streams popping up here and there, and the sight of fly fishermen wading in the water and casting in the early morning light made me feel like I was watching a movie.

 Jason had had his eye on the river as we headed north, and we finally found a little spot to get our toes wet...or maybe our whole bodies wet...in the Pike National Forest. As a fly fisherman tried his luck down below a small waterfall, we followed a tiny, buggy path into the forest along the river.  There was a tiny access point, and just like that, Jason and Owen were IN the river.  

The current had a light pull to it, but the water was crisp and clear.  With the forest on one side and giant walls of rocks on the other, this place was majestic.  This is what I had been hoping for in Colorado.  

The depth ranged from ankle-deep to waist-deep, but no one seemed to mind.  We were all in there, in our clothes, and loving it.  I am sure Emerson wished she wasn't wearing thick sweatpants, and I was wishing I hadn't worn jeans!

Somehow, the wading turned into swimming, and everyone took turns being pulled down the river by the current.  My job was to catch flip flops as they drifted off of feet!

We stayed and played for a long time, not wanting to leave this little piece of heaven.  

Finally, we made our way back to the van, where we stripped down and changed into dry clothes.  By this point in the trip, the van was completely trashed and unorganized.  I couldn't wait to get to my Aunt Kristi and Uncle Ron's place to clean up and regroup everything.

In the time since we had booked our trip to Colorado, another aunt and uncle, Kathy and Dennis, had also sold their home and were planning to move near The Lambs.  There was a slight delay in finding the right home near Denver, and in the meantime, they had moved in with Kristi and Ron.  So, for the time we'd be staying there, it would be the seven of us, Dennis, Kathy and their son, Ty, and Kristi, Ron, and their daughter, Taryn.  (Their other daughter, Erika, was away on a trip, and their son, Blake, was living and working in New York City.)  Oh, and I better not forget The Lamb's dog and The Wogen's two dogs.  Full house, right?  We were assured there was room for all of us, and I was looking forward to spending time with all of them-it had been too long!

And then, after more than five days on the road, we arrived in Castle Rock, Colorado at The Lamb's!  They live in a very upscale neighborhood and we felt a bit like Cousin Eddie and his eyesore-of-a-camper arriving with his family to The Griswold's!

The cousins were soooo glad to see each other!

While the adults caught up and the Colorado sign that had traveled with us for days and days finally made its way up over the fireplace, the cousins were content to just hang out and relax in a real house!

We had a delicious dinner made by Kathy and Kristi, and while we ate we decided that there would be just enough time to climb Castle Rock before it got dark.  I didn't know Castle Rock had an actual ROCK, let alone a rock you could climb! Count us in!

Castle Rock turned out to be quite amazing, and a perfect way to end this day.  We chatted and followed the trail and had the pleasure of watching a breathtaking sunset over the mountains as we climbed higher and higher.

The last little section to get to the top of Castle Rock involved climbing some pretty large rocks, and even though the climb was short, I knew Nash wouldn't be able to get up there.  So we watched the others scale the rock wall, and then we took off to explore.

Greyson and Ty were pretty proud they had made it all the way to the flag, and they were rewarded with a spectacular view of the city, surrounded by mountains.

Just as darkness was falling, the family climbed back down the rocks and we headed back down to our cars.  I thought Nash would be exhausted, but he ran the entire way down, and we had a hard time keeping up with him.  That kid is full of surprises! 

I ended the day so thankful to be with family I don't get to see nearly often enough, and a little bit jealous that they all get to live in a place so breathtakingly beautiful, where the mountains can not only be seen in every direction, but where you can be IN the mountains in just a few minutes of driving.