A Trip to Remember: Day Twelve

Morning came too quickly for me, but I let the kids sleep a while longer.  I mean, they looked so cozy and comfy-especially Emerson. Can you say BED HOG?

Worthington, Minnesota was eerily quiet that morning, even at 10am, so we grabbed a few quick snacks at our gas fill-up and hit the road.

I'd love to tell you that the next few hours were full of funny stories and excitement, but honestly, our drive through the middle of this state were very uneventful.  There wasn't much to look at, and the kids were quiet and slept through most of it.  Grey had taken over the role of co-pilot once Jason had headed home, but even he couldn't keep his eyes open through this boredom.

The day was bright and sunny, and I do love driving, so I turned on an audiobook and sailed over the state border and into Wisconsin.  My plan was to head to Munising, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, to camp along the shore of Lake Superior before taking in the sights around the Pictured Rocks.  When I informed the kids of this plan, the groans from each of them were almost in unison.  They had reached their limit.  I figured it would take me until about 10pm to make it to Munising, or, for a couple more hours of driving, I could get us all the way to our cabin in Gaylord, Michigan.  The vote was unanimous: GAYLORD OR BUST.  As much as I didn't want our road trip to be over, I didn't want to overextend my kids and the amount of travel they were able to tolerate.  I also thought I'd like more than a night in the U.P. and Jason and I could take the kids for a long weekend sometime and explore that, separately from this trip. 

So, I re-set the GPS, and set my sights on making it to the cabin.  I'd like to make a small note here and tell you that Emerson loves Taco Bell.  I mean, like LOVE loves it.  We hadn't seen a Taco Bell since Missouri, and I promised her that the first one I found we'd stop at.  It must've been her lucky day, because on that Tuesday of driving, we happened to stumble upon a Taco Bell at lunchtime, and AGAIN at dinnertime, and yes, she ate it twice.  I think she's a fan of Wisconsin. 

Oh, and how could I mention Wisconsin and not mention Emerson's love of cheese?!  She had saved most of her souvenir money from the trip just for this state.  When I spotted signs for a little shop that sold cheese and gifts just north of Green Bay, I knew we had to stop.  Not only did we pick out two large blocks of cheese and some horseradish for Jason, but Emerson's wish came true: She got herself a cheese hat.  Her trip was now complete.

It was just a quick stop, though, because it was already after 7pm, and we weren't even into Michigan yet.  That arrival time kept inching further and further out, and I had to keep driving.

Within an hour, we were in Michigan.  Officially back in our home state!  It was a little bittersweet, knowing our trip was almost over.  We had so much fun together on the road, and had seen so many new and interesting places, and I didn't want it to end.  It felt like real life was on hold and we were in our own little bubble. 

The sun was setting, and there was still one more picture to take.  We made it to Escanaba, nearly "in da moonlight", and found a little spot to unload for juuuuuust a couple of minutes.  The kids were all smiles, happy to be back on our home turf.

By this point, it was nearly 9pm, and I knew I still had miles to go.  We cruised along Highway 2, as it followed the coast of Lake Michigan, heading towards the Mackinaw Bridge.  I couldn't help but smile as we drove through all the little towns with their lakefront homes and cabins, all with little name signs hanging at the edges of their driveways.  "The Logan's Lakehouse", "North Country", "The UP Getaway", and "Lake Time" all reminded me of the Northern Michigan I know and love.  The last light of sunset faded quickly, and just before the darkness hit, I was on high alert.  This was deer country, and I spotted several along the sides of the road. 

And then it was dark.  And when I say dark, I mean DARK.  There's a stretch of Highway 2 that's pretty desolate even in daylight, but at night?  Freaky.  No street lights, no towns, no stop lights, not even an occasional car with headlights coming at me.  I was the only one on that road on that Tuesday night.  I prayed the deer kept their distance.  My eyes were constantly scanning for any kind of movement from the sides of the road, and Greyson and I chattered on about all the things that swim through an 11 year old's head. 

I thought that once I got closer to the big bridge, there would be more signs of life, but the only lights I saw were from the distant glow of the Mackinaw when I could catch glimpses of it through the trees.  The kids were all awake as we approached the bridge. The only time they had been over it was a couple years ago when we walked it.  In daylight.  With thousands of other people.  Crossing it in the dark, alone, in a big van pulling a camper was another experience altogether.  The good part was, since we were utterly alone, I could go as slow as I wanted and not hold anyone up.  And when I got to the scary part where instead of driving on actual road, one lane is just metal grates, I could opt for the actual paved part and avoid the feeling of tires on grates completely.  Not even Mackinaw Island had any light showing and it seemed like we were floating, looking out into darkness all around us.  Then we were coming down the other side of the bridge and entering the Lower Peninsula.  I was still expecting some traffic, but there was none, in either direction.  I still had an hour to go, and all but Greyson were sound asleep.  He and I cranked up the music and sang along to our favorite country songs to keep ourselves awake.  I was so thankful he had napped earlier in the day because those last couple of hours of driving would've been near impossible if I had had to keep myself awake! 

We had left Worthington, Minnesota at 10am, Central Standard Time, and I'm not sure where the time went, but we arrived in Gaylord, Michigan at nearly 1am, Eastern Standard Time.  The cabin is in a small and quiet neighborhood, and I am sure that the sound of our rig pulling in so late on a Tuesday night/Wednesday morning alarmed a few folks!  The kids' heads popped up as I pulled in. They grabbed only what they needed for the night and silently stumbled inside and passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillows. It  had been a long day of travel with more than 750 miles of road in 15 hours. 

The story isn't over yet, though-it's only early Wednesday morning!  We've got a few more days until it's back to reality! Stay tuned to find out what the rest of the week held for us!

A Trip to Remember: Day Eleven

I slept better than I thought I would with a squirmy six year old tucked up next to me all night.  And although we needed some extra blankets overnight, as the sun came up, the temperature rose, too.  With all the windows and doors closed up tightly, our little camper quickly turned into an oven.

We made quick work of breaking down our camp, and I have to admit I was a little sad to be leaving this beautiful place.  Back up the long road we went, with a right turn at the corner.  I slowly made my way back towards that treacherous dam, while the kids munched on donuts and muffins.  I thought that maybe it would be a little less scary to traverse in broad daylight, but boy was I wrong.  STILL SUPER SCARY!  The speed limit was probably 40MPH, but there was no way anyone was going to get me to go more than 10MPH.  Luckily, just like the night before, there was not another car to be seen, so I was able to drive as slow as I wanted, and right down the middle of the little two lane road.

Finally, we made it back to the little town of Glendo, where we once again stocked the cooler with ice and snacks.  Then it was time to say goodbye to Wyoming, with a promise that we'd one day return to give that great state some proper attention.  Today, though, we had other plans.  Today, we had someplace to be.

We headed northeast from Glendo, and soon we were in South Dakota, among the trees of the Black Hills National Forest.  Throughout this trip, we made our way through many U.S. National Parks, and every single one was amazing.  Black Hills was no exception.  The road was smooth and curvy and the landscape was breathtaking.  Huge rock formations were mixed in among trees and mountains and every turn held a new view.  This was the week before Sturgis Bike Week and there were more motorcycles on the road than passenger cars!  We continued on, excited for what was ahead.  We were making our way to Mount Rushmore.  The closer we got, the more "tourist-y" things became.  There were little shops with handmade jewelry and fudge and baked goods, cheesy restaurants, and even a place to view the mountain by helicopter.  And then we were going up again. Mount Rushmore is actually a mountain and we had to get up there!  The road was narrow and very busy and I was a little nervous to be pulling a camper up there, but I kept telling myself that if I could make it back and forth across Glendo Dam, I could do this.

Near the top, we suddenly came to a stop.  I had no idea this place would be so busy!  In all of our travels up until this point, we hadn't seen any kind of tourist traffic.  But there we were, sitting in line, waiting to pay our $10 fee to get up through the gate.  Soon enough, we made it through, and then we could see it.  There in the distance we could actually see Mount Rushmore.  There was so much traffic, it felt like we were coming into a busy airport.  Workers were lining the road, directing: cars in one direction, motorcycles in another, and vehicles with campers in yet another.  It all seemed a bit chaotic to me, but the system seemed to be working.  We were shown to a very ample and easy-to-park area and we unloaded.

I don't really know what I was expecting, but my vision was a little different than what Mount Rushmore had to offer.  After walking through some archways, there was a common area flanked by bathrooms and a gift shop on either side.  Straight ahead, there they were: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt.  And they were just like every picture I had ever seen! It was pretty cool to be standing right there, taking a picture with this masterpiece.

There is a scenic trail to get a little closer, but it was undergoing renovations when we were there, so there really wasn't anything else to do. But don't you worry-the kids made their own fun.  There was a little area filled with giant boulders, and I'm not exactly sure they were meant to be climbed on, but when the kids saw them, they couldn't resist.  They all climbed up in there like that's what we came here to do, and within minutes, other kids flocked to the area, while all of us parents stood down below, virtually helpless to our little mountain climbers.  I think the kids spent nearly thirty minutes climbing and playing and posing for pictures, and I bet they'd tell you it was cooler than any playground they had been to.

I think Owen, Emerson, and Nash enjoyed it the most, each trying to outdo the others, climbing higher and higher and to hard to reach places.  Alayna and Grey made their own fun, though, as we waited for the rest of the kids to trickle back down to us.

We made our way back to the van, with a few more glances over our shoulders at those big men looking down over us.  Then we headed back down the mountain and through the cute little tourist town of Keystone, South Dakota.

I had heard that driving through South Dakota would be the most boring part of our trip, but I would beg to differ.  This state was absolutely stunning and I enjoyed it very much.  There was so much to look at!  The landscape near Mount Rushmore was filled with mountains, that ever-so-slowly turned into foothills, that turned into rolling hills, that turned into flat farmland that stretched endlessly in every direction.  It was strange to see such flat land after being among the giants of the Rocky Mountains the last few days!

As we neared the state line, the kids once again feasted on gas station taquitos, while I found a little street taco place and they did not disappoint!

Our last vision of South Dakota was a gorgeous rose-colored sky, with the sun, looking like a ball of fire, melting into it behind us.

Earlier in the day, we decided to take a family vote.  There were two options: 1. Stop right over the state line and camp at a little place in western Minnesota, or 2. Drive until I couldn't drive anymore and crash in a cheap hotel for the night.  Option 2 was the winner, and I managed to make it to Worthington, Minnesota before calling it quits. From Glendo State Park in Wyoming, through the Black Hills National Forest to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, across the entire state to Minnesota, this had been a full day.  The kids wasted no time getting settled in our little room.  And me? I took a long shower, thankful for hot water and a spider-free bathroom.

A Trip to Remember: Day Ten

When Sunday morning arrived, I'd have to say that none of us were ready for it.  Our time in Colorado had been amazing, and definitely not long enough, but it was time to get back on the road.  We hunted and gathered and scoured the house for all of our belongings and reloaded the van and camper.  Kristi had surprised us with a huge bag of snacks for our trip.  My aunt and uncle are good at a lot of things, but they go over and above when it comes to hosting visitors and making them feel welcome.  I could go on and on about all of the special things they did for us, from meals, to nut and dairy-free snacks for Nash, to big bags of hand-me-down clothes for my girls (which they love), to a fully stocked breakfast bar in our bedroom with sparking water and juice and a variety of munchies, to a guest bed layered with quilts and fluffy blankets that made us feel like royalty, to fresh flowers on our bedside table.  I swear if they ran a bed and breakfast it would always be booked solid.  We are so thankful that they willingly let us invade their home all week!

On our way out of town, we stopped to refill our cooler with drinks and ice and fruit and other meal items, and then we were northbound.  We were headed to the Denver airport to drop Jason off.  He was lucky to have been able to take so much time off of work, but he sadly had to get back to it.  We stopped at a fun little restaurant along the way, where we sat outside and enjoyed our last little bit of time together.  By the time we got to the airport, we were all in tears. I was sad that he'd miss the rest of our trip, and a little nervous about going solo with the kids. 

And then we were really on the road again.  Colorado is so beautiful and I was trying to soak up every last bit of those mountains before they were out of sight.  I think Alayna was feeling the same, because she kept her eye on them for a long time.

We were headed home, but not directly.  We weren't in a rush to get there, and I really wanted to see Cheyenne, Wyoming.  I was not disappointed.  In my head, Cheyenne was an old-school cowboy town, and as fate would have it, we caught the tail end of "Frontier Days".  The streets were filled with horse trailers and big, old trucks, and everyone had a cowboy hat.  Alayna, my horse lover, was in her glory, and we stopped to get her a couple of souvenirs. 

And then it was time to make our way into the unknown.  We headed further north.  I had no idea how breathtakingly beautiful Wyoming would be, and I was in awe.  Jason had found us a campsite at Glendo State Park in Wyoming, and the park ranger assured us we'd be camping just a few steps from the beach.  When we came into Glendo, signs pointed us towards Sandy Beach, our campground.  The sign said 14 miles so I figured we'd be there in about twenty minutes.  What I didn't realize was that the lake covers 12,000 acres, and the park covers another 10,000 acres, and contains 21 campgrounds.  The path that led us to our campsite was barely a two lane road, with no lines, no guardrails, no signs, no lights, and no other traffic.  After driving for nearly a half an hour on a winding road that seemed to be leading nowhere, I came to the dam.  Let's remember how much I do not like heights, SHALL WE?  OK, so I'm driving in a giant van, pulling a thirty year old pop-up camper, I haven't seen another soul in thirty minutes of driving, I'm not sure if I'm even going in the right direction, and I'm supposed to drive across THIS?  I'm sure you think I'm exaggerating, but please, just LOOK at it.

It looks beautiful and HORRIFIC, right?!  But our campsite was waiting somewhere beyond this, and I really wanted to get there.  So, with sweating palms and sweating armpits and a swearing mouth, I drove ever-so-slowly across that dam.  But the treachery didn't end there-the road continued up and sharply turned back and forth as we climbed higher and higher, away from the lake.  Why were we going up?  I thought our campsite was on a beach!  I had no answers.  The only choice I had was to keep on driving.  Nearly an hour after seeing the "Sandy Beach 14 miles" sign, I saw the "Sandy Beach 1 mile" sign.  I turned left down an even narrower road and headed towards the lake once again.  The road was downhill, and ended right at the ranger's station.  We hadn't made it in time to check in, but luckily I had made a note of our campsite, remembering that she had put us on the end of a row.  I was thankful for this because now that Jason was gone, I'd be responsible for backing the camper into its spot.

 Miraculously, like some sort of hidden oasis, this campground was full of life!  Little kids rode by on bikes and waved, and families were all outside, having campfires and playing games.  It took me several tries, and lots of laughter from the kids, but I finally got that darn camper into a suitable position for the night.

This campsite didn't have hookups, meaning no electricity or running water, but we were lucky to be only about twenty yards away from the community "bathroom" and water pump.  I say bathroom lightly, as it was just a glorified port-a-potty, but it served its purpose.  Of course, Emerson took one look at the spiders in there, and decided she wouldn't need to go to the bathroom until we were back to civilization.

Once we had the camper set up and situated, we all bee-lined to the beach.  Everyone must've been back at their campsites having dinner, because we had the entire thing to ourselves.  It was just before sunset and it felt like Heaven.

I was so glad to have that crazy drive behind me, and this place could not have been any better. I parked myself in the sand and let the kids run free. 

With the whole beach and lake to ourselves, it felt like we had found a little secret that no one else knew about.  Owen, swam out until I called him back, of course, and the kids all laughed and played until the sun went down. 

That calm-as-glass lake, with those Wyoming mountains peeking at us from the west, and an unforgettable sunset made this place one-of-a-kind.  Why didn't anyone ever tell me that this state was so awesome?!  It was so worth the drive and the little detour we took north to get to it.

Back at the campsite, we hung our towels to dry, and had a dinner of soup and sandwiches and pancakes.  I am quite thankful that my kids are so low maintenance when it comes to meals and they can just make do with whatever circumstances we find ourselves in! 

At the campsite next to us, the family had a bunch of little kids and they were so loud and rambunctious and I was sure they'd be keeping me awake for a loooong time, but within ten minutes, it was lights out over there and I didn't hear another peep! 

After that, everything was still and quiet-there wasn't a sound or a speck of light anywhere in the campground  It was hard to believe that our day had started in Colorado in a bustling home full of family, and now here we were, under the stars in the Wyoming sky. 

A Trip to Remember: Day Nine

Day Nine was a bit different from the previous eight.  I guess I should tell you that this whole trip started with me registering for a 50k way back in March.  Originally, I was just going to fly to Colorado, run the race, and fly home.  Somewhere along the way, I decided that a 50k in the mountains should be smack-dab in the middle of a crazy road trip!

If you following my running blog, you've already read my story of Pikes Peak 50k.  If you missed that post a few weeks ago, maybe you'd like to read about what I did on the ninth day of our trip.  If so, click HERE!

If not, that's fine, too. You'll have to wait until the next post to read more, though.  Aside from a day in the woods for me, I have no fun stories or adventures from the family!

A Trip to Remember: Day Eight

After a jam-packed week full of adventures, we really dialed down this Friday.  While the kids slept in, the adults plus Owen decided to walk to breakfast.  It was a beautiful morning, and the short walk was filled with views of the mountains and blue skies.  We headed to a little diner that offered made-to-order smoothies, coffees, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and anything else you could dream up.  We sat out on their patio and feasted.

By the time we made it back to the house, the kids were all awake and playing happily together.  Kristi took a few of us out to a fun park near her house where buffalo sometimes gather. We didn't get to see any of those, but Nash was just happy to walk along the rocks and hang out with Dame the Doggie.

Then we decided some time at the pool was in order, so we packed lunches and drinks and snacks and piled into our big white van.  The neighborhood pool was beautiful and not overly crowded.  The adults lounged in the shade while the kids had fun on the slides and playing games in the water. 

When everyone was pooled-out, we headed back to the house to clean up.  The kids wanted to go shopping for some souvenirs, so we headed to a few shops before dinner.  After purchasing t-shirts and sweatshirts and hats and everything Colorado we could find, we walked around for a bit.  Alayna and Nash decided to be mannequins and got a few looks as they posed in the window of a store.

We gorged ourselves on pasta as we took over yet another outdoor patio, and had the pleasure of seeing another Colorado sunset.

As if all that food wasn't enough, the kids talked us into ice cream next door, where we took over the outside AND indoor seating. I'll leave it to you to spot the difference in these two photos.  Haha!

I know this wasn't the most exciting day to read about, but it was just a good day for us.  Stay tuned for Day Nine, where one EPIC adventure takes place!

A Trip to Remember: Day Seven

Back in February, Jason and I flew to Colorado with a group of people with the intent of reaching the summit of Quandary's Peak, one of Colorado's 14'ers.  It was winter.  There was ice.  And wind.  And extreme temperatures.  And 14,265 feet is really high.  It didn't end well.  If you'd like to read that story, click here.

When we found out that there was a 14'er within driving distance of Castle Rock, we knew we'd need to try to check this off our bucket list.  We needed redemption.  Mount Bierstadt was calling our names. I did a lot of research on this mountain and what we'd need for our little excursion.  Weather forecasts said that although it could be 70 or 80 degrees at the base, the elevation and wind would make the summit near 40 degrees.  We had no idea what to wear.  Reports from other climbers said that a speedy climber could make it up and down the mountain in three hours, that four to six hours was about average, and slow climbers would need longer than that.  We were in pretty good shape, but did that include climbing shape?  I didn't think so.  Oh, and one more thing.  There are storms nearly every afternoon on the mountain, often severe and out of nowhere, and it was advised that you get an early start, get up and get down, and get off the mountain before they arrive.  OK, THEN.

By 7:30am, we were parked and loaded up with gear and snacks and ready to head out.  The road leading up to Guanella Pass, our starting point, was a little bit of a nail-biter, and even though the distance wasn't too far, it took nearly an hour on the winding, climbing road. 

It was a beautiful morning, and it was hard to believe that at some point, we'd be on top of that mountain in the distance.

To start, we actually went down a tiny bit, through a large grassy field. It was quiet a beautiful and you could just barely catch sight of other climbers along the path.  About a mile in, there was a small stream crossing and Jason chuckled as he watched me clumsily cross it.

After that, the climb started.  The path was wide enough for two-way traffic, and we kept a steady pace. Looking ahead, we could see others at different points of elevation.

Soon, things got a little steeper, and we took occasional breaks to catch our  breaths, and take in the view, and to have some yummy snacks Kristi had sent with us!

Along the way, there were several "mini mountains" made of rocks, and I decided it was bad luck to pass one without each adding our own rocks to the piles.  It was just a fun little thing to do along the way, but we made sure not to miss any!

The dirt path turned to all rocks and the climb became steeper still.  It wasn't difficult, but we could definitely tell that the air was thinner up there!

And then, there was snow!  Snow in July!  It was so strange to be in 60-70 degree temperatures and be standing atop snow and ice! 

And then came the hard part.  You know that fear of heights I have?  WELL.  I was suddenly facing that fear head-on.  Just like that, the trail ended, and it was up to each individual hiker to choose their own path to the summit.  Jason seemed to be scampering among the boulders like a native, and I was moving with slow, calculated moves, sure that a loose rock would cause me to slip and fall to my death.  As we navigated the rocks and boulders and the spaces in between, others had already reached the summit and were on their way back down.  I kept telling myself that if people in their upper 70's could climb this, and little nine year old kids could climb this, I could also climb this.  I had to make it.  I was trying not to think about how I'd get back down, and was just keeping my eye on the prize!  We kept going up and up, and at points I was on all fours, being ever-so-cautious, but I was still moving.  And then, we had done it!  We were at the summit of Mount Bierstadt.  14,065 feet!  There was nothing higher surrounding us in that moment, and it was glorious!

We hung out for just a few minutes and then started our way back down across the huge rocks, to leave room for others to make their summit.  After about ten minutes of silent descent, we stopped, and I totally broke down crying.  I had made it to the top of a 14'er.  I had overcome my extreme fear of heights, and I had stood at the top, triumphant.  I told Jason to forget Blue Hole, THIS was the scariest thing I had ever done.

And then came the fun part: we got to fly down the mountain. Well, not actually fly, but while others were just slowly hiking back down, the same way they had come up, we ran.  OK, maybe we didn't run the entire time.  We did stop to take in that spectacular view one more time, and yes, we did stop to smell the flowers.  And although I don't have a photo, we did also spot a marmot lounging in the sun on a little rock ledge, just out of harm's way.  I didn't even know what a marmot was, but I do now!

All the way back down the trail, and over the little water crossing we went, once again.  It hadn't seemed like it had taken 2.5 hours to get to the top, and even though we ran quite a bit on the way down, it had taken us 1.5 hours to get to this point, and we still had a mile to go!  I had forgotten that in the very beginning we had gone downhill slightly before starting our climb up, and in this last mile, the climb out of the valley wasn't really what we needed at that point.  We were ready to be done!

Soon enough, though, we made it back to our car, where Jason had a celebratory beer waiting for him. 

It had been a nearly eight mile round trip, up and down the mountain, and had taken us about four hours and twenty minutes.  We were proud, and happy and content.

After taking the winding road back down from Guanella into the town of Georgetown, we grabbed some lunch at a local brewery.  The Brussels sprouts and Reuben sandwich were both to die for!

With our bellies full and our hearts happy, we headed back to Castle Rock to join the rest of the family.  Of course, everyone wanted to hear all about our adventure and we had a great time, each of us sharing our favorite parts.

For dinner, we headed to a local pizza place and sat outside and just enjoyed our time together.  The cousins were all getting along so well together since we had arrived, making up games to play, staying up late playing board games, and having "sleepovers" in each others' rooms,  and it was clear they had all missed each other.

We heard that later in the afternoon, after we had gotten off the mountain, a storm did roll in, and we were happy that we had gotten up and down it early enough to avoid that!  Even from Castle Rock, we could see the rain in the mountains.  It was pretty strange be sitting outside under blue skies and sunshine when we could see the dark storms just an hour away! In fact, every afternoon we were in Colorado, we saw the dark spots of rain out there.  I wonder if the Coloradans watch these storms daily, or if they just caught my attention because that's not something we get to see here in Michigan.  I was thoroughly enjoying our time in Colorado, and I think the rest of the family would agree.

Stay tuned for more adventures!

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.