Mary, Ed, Dylan, and Sarah by the water wheel at downtown Estes Park
Now we’re safely ensconced at the WorldMark resort, where in the past I’ve had great luck blogging. However, it seems that our condo is in the one building where the Internet connection is down. I can get free wi-fi in the guest lobby, but I hate to spend so much time physically separated from my family. It’s so nice to blog in the same room while they’re watching TV or whatever.
Still, here I am in the lobby, attaching photos to the last blog and composing this one!
So, about our family vacation so far:
Day One, Friday: On the Road
Chimney Rock seen in the distance
Our trip out of Arizona, through New Mexico, and into Colorado was a lovely drive through some amazing scenery, especially after we entered the Rocky Mountains.
A bereaved doe on the side of the road
We also experienced some heartbreak when we saw a doe on the side of the road. She was skittish as cars slowed to look at her, yet she wouldn't run away because she was waiting for her fawn, who had tragically been hit by a car and was never going to follow its mother again. So sad.
Sarah, age 20, symbolically straddles the Continental Divide
We climbed higher and higher until we reached the Continental Divide, which basically follows the spine of the Rockies across the continent, north to south.
The Continental Divide Trail
Finally, just before dark we reached our lodge in South Fork and settled in for the night.
Day Two, Saturday: Almost There
We woke on Saturday morning to find we had a flat tire, so our first order of business was to find a tire repair business. Then we drove awhile before stopping for brunch.
Jacob (age 19) and Mom wait for the tire to be repaired.
It was 3:30 when we reached our first destination of the day, the home of our friends Chris and Donna in Pine, Colorado. Jacob and their son Adam have been friends since 4th grade. Adam moved to Colorado when the boys were in 8th grade, but they’ve kept in touch over the years. When Jacob told me he wanted to spend a week with Adam after he graduated from high school, we decided to plan our 2010 family vacation in Colorado.
Chris, Adam, Donna, and Jacob see us off.
We enjoyed a nice long visit and a wonderful home-cooked dinner with Chris and Donna before getting back on the road at 7:00. We left Jacob with them for the week, so he isn’t with us for the rest of our vacation.
A deer near Chris and Donna's house
What a beautiful town Pine is! After we left Chris and Donna's home, we hadn't gone even a mile before we saw 2 does and 2 bucks!
It was 9:30 p.m. when we finally arrived at our second destination, the home of Ed's mom in Carr, Colorado. We settled in there to spend the night.
Day Three, Sunday: The Arrival
On Sunday we got up and prepared for church. Along with Ed's mom, Caryl, we attended Ed's old ward in Cheyenne, the Frontier Ward. After church, we returned to Caryl's house for a pizza lunch before moving on to our final destination, the WorldMark Estes Park resort.
It was about 6:00 p.m. when we arrived at the resort and checked into our condo. As usual, we had a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom condo with a full kitchen and laundry room. It's a bit smaller than the WorldMark condos we've stayed at in the past, but it will be our pleasant little home for the next week.
We took a short walk around the grounds as dusk was falling, and then we spent the remainder of the evening relaxing in the condo.
Day Four, Monday: Estes Park
I loved sleeping in on Monday morning! We didn't get up until after 9:00. Other than doing some laundry, we puttered around the condo until almost noon. Then we did a little bit of shopping at Safeway before going to explore the Estes Park's quaint little downtown area.
Most of the little shops were, of course, gift and souvenir shops. It was fun to explore many of the unique items for sale there. We were sure to purchase our usual tee-shirts to help us remember our vacation of summer 2010. We also enjoyed lunch at Bob and Tony's Pizza, where Ed remembered eating with his mom when he took her there last year for a Meals on Wheels convention (she's a volunteer with the organization).
The Big Thompson River flows past our condo and also winds through the downtown area. We paused there for awhile to enjoy the sound of the rushing waters and the cool air. I would love to have a home located on the banks of a small river like this!
Day Five, Tuesday: Cheyenne
Today we took care of some business. We drove into Cheyenne (about 2 hours from Estes Park) and finished cleaning Ed's old apartment so his landlords can think about moving someone else in.
Once that task was complete, we stopped by the home of Ed's friends, Kelcey and Cindy, to visit for a couple of hours. We had a fun visit and then returned to Estes Park around 7:00. After Ed served us a dinner of tacos and salad, he decided on a quiet evening in the condo while the kids walked to down to the pool and I headed here to the lobby to blog.
Can it be? Am I really, truly, finally caught up on my vacation blogging?! Yes, I am! Who knows? Maybe tomorrow I can actually blog about tomorrow!
On Sunday we got up and prepared for church. Along with Ed's mom, Caryl, we attended Ed's old ward in Cheyenne, the Frontier Ward. After church, we returned to Caryl's house for a pizza lunch before moving on to our final destination, the WorldMark Estes Park resort.
Sarah and Dylan pose on the steps to our upstairs condo.
It was about 6:00 p.m. when we arrived at the resort and checked into our condo. As usual, we had a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom condo with a full kitchen and laundry room. It's a bit smaller than the WorldMark condos we've stayed at in the past, but it will be our pleasant little home for the next week.
The living room of our condo
We took a short walk around the grounds as dusk was falling, and then we spent the remainder of the evening relaxing in the condo.
Day Four, Monday: Estes Park
Downtown Estes Park
I loved sleeping in on Monday morning! We didn't get up until after 9:00. Other than doing some laundry, we puttered around the condo until almost noon. Then we did a little bit of shopping at Safeway before going to explore the Estes Park's quaint little downtown area.
Dylan, Sarah, and Ed resting between shops.
Most of the little shops were, of course, gift and souvenir shops. It was fun to explore many of the unique items for sale there. We were sure to purchase our usual tee-shirts to help us remember our vacation of summer 2010. We also enjoyed lunch at Bob and Tony's Pizza, where Ed remembered eating with his mom when he took her there last year for a Meals on Wheels convention (she's a volunteer with the organization).
Sarah meets up with Bob and Tony!
Dylan and Ed play pool at the pizza joint.
The Big Thompson River flows past our condo and also winds through the downtown area. We paused there for awhile to enjoy the sound of the rushing waters and the cool air. I would love to have a home located on the banks of a small river like this!
The river flows through downtown.
Dylan and Sarah test the water.
Day Five, Tuesday: Cheyenne
Today we took care of some business. We drove into Cheyenne (about 2 hours from Estes Park) and finished cleaning Ed's old apartment so his landlords can think about moving someone else in.
Ed shows Sarah how to tickle the ivories at Kelcey's house. I didn't know I married a piano man!
Once that task was complete, we stopped by the home of Ed's friends, Kelcey and Cindy, to visit for a couple of hours. We had a fun visit and then returned to Estes Park around 7:00. After Ed served us a dinner of tacos and salad, he decided on a quiet evening in the condo while the kids walked to down to the pool and I headed here to the lobby to blog.
Dylan checks his Facebook page at Kelcey's house while we visit.
Can it be? Am I really, truly, finally caught up on my vacation blogging?! Yes, I am! Who knows? Maybe tomorrow I can actually blog about tomorrow!
1 comment:
As I read this the other day I kept thinking about your last summer's vacation...Amazing how life turns out!
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