So here's the thing I have learned in my 4+ years about vacationing with kids, one of them is going to be sick, pissed off, bored, or want to go on that ride 101x. One of them is going to have to pee every 5 minutes, need to nurse, get sick of my singing and surely need more changes of clothes than we have. We are going to pack everything but the kitchen sink and still forget something of importance. Its still worth traveling with kids....why...because it is!
This trip started at 12:03 AM at our house with a crying Mason who had a 103 degree temp and couldn't swallow. We snuggled his hot body into our crammed bed and tried to get some shut eye hoping when we woke it would be a bad dream.
It wasn't.
At 8:00 am sharp I was on the phone with the Pediatrician getting Mason in for a Strep test. By 9:30 Matt was on his way home with a prescription of Antibiotics and a positive confirmation of strep and strict orders for no swimming that day.
By noon we were on the road and headed west.
By 12:30 Mason got really quiet and by 12:35 asked me for a bag because he was going to throw up.
Look Mason Big horn sheep...yack yack!
Roadside stop at 12:37 to clean up the fun and Mason says he feels like a million bucks. Don't we always after getting sick? So we trekked on...
Hours two to three were the best. Max cried or should I say screamed because he was over the car seat. Mason thought he might be sick again but on ward we went through winding canyons and mountain passes. To our first stop of the road trip.
Awww the healing waters of the Yampa.
But first we needed to eat. This is where Matt and I are up for parents of the year. Greasy 50's drive thru (someone had recommended the joint) and a throwing up four year old with strep. Lets do it!!!
Doesn't a greasy onion ring and hot dog sound delish?
Well he ate the bun and drank some 7-up.
He was a new kid, ready to play some putt putt.
But of course putt putt was closed so we did the next most logical thing. Disobey the doctor's orders and took them swimming. We are such rebels.
We slept well that night and were excited to wake to see Mason back to his usual self. Grandma and Papa had arrived late and we were excited for them to join us for our next adventure.
Glenwood Adventure Park. This place is thrill seeking meets the wild west and is perched 1,400-feet above Glenwood on Iron Mountain. It's supposedly owned by a Mines Alumni.
Superhero's a go!
The Gondola ride up was scenic and helped affirm my ever lasting love of Colorado.
The town of Glenwood.
Now I may not have expressed this in prior posts but my Mason boy is a thrill seeker to the core. This was his first ride of four on the Alpine Slide. The last ride Matt didn't touch the brakes.
Isn't my Dad cute too?
It was a little early in the season and very windy which means you get to go on the pint size roller coaster all by yourself like 101 times. The wind was a little much while perched on the top of this dusty mountain. A lot of the rides were closed but lucky for me the Cliffhanger was not. And lucky for me my sweet Husband wanted to go on it. Good thing I had my big girl panties on.
I stole this photo off a little search engine. I am just getting sweaty looking at this.
But the real highlight of the Adventure Park was when we found out the Gondola had been shut down due to high winds and we would be bussed down in a school bus. With wind blown hair and sand in our teeth we climbed on the school bus with 50 strangers and headed down the switch backs of Iron Mountain. Its been a long time since I have been on a school bus. I am bigger and my legs don't fit well. I also nursed a baby, something I have not done on a school bus.
While back at the lodge some weekend travelers arrived. My husband was green with envy when this bad boy pulled up and an actual family with kids got out. I was pissed because they are obviously parents of the year but its only June we can still out shine them.
There was actual turf on this back deck. To me its like house boat meets RV...pretty epic.
Dinner at the Pullman. Interesting menu, worth a stop if you are in Glenwood. Farm to table type dinning.
Local brews.
Or Martinis with one olive, shaken not stirred.
Dessert, kisses from Grandma and butterscotch pudding.
After the long day we headed to the hot springs for a full moon soak. The libations may have had some of us doing cannonballs while our voice of reason (my Mom) quietly snuggled her youngest grandson in the healing waters of the Yampa while singing "Grandma loves her baby boy" and he dozed off in the nook of her neck. Just a little memory forever etched in both of our hearts.
The real reason for this little road trip was to attend the 60 Birthday of a close friend of the family. They live in Crawford, Colorado on a ranch. About a two hour drive from Glenwood.
The drive past Mt. Sopris, through Redcliff, and over McClure Pass was breath taking. Not sure the kids felt the same.
After a quick stop at the Kraii Ranch to assemble a dip and collect the eggs from the chicken coup we were ready to go camping. Linda and Gary have property up on the Black Mesa that has been in his family since the late 1800's.
Pit stop...again! The geology in this area is impressive to say the least.
Mason was thrilled to be out of the car. Ready to get his camp on.
Making new friends with Gary and Linda's grand kids. Cade and Chloe (twins). They had a blast knocking over dead trees and going on dirt bike rides with their dad.
I love Linda and Gary's friends. Huge animal lovers, go with the flow kind of folk.
We meet some very nice people.
and fury kids too.
We camped in luxury this trip in Gary and Linda's trailer that is on the property. They are in the middle of building a cabin (forgot to get pics). Max making sure no one is getting out of control.
Some of their friends own a local winery and have a band. Love live music around a campfire. One of the gals is an auditory specialist and signed and sang most of the songs.
They had loads of instruments for the kids to get in on the action too!
The wine was flowing, the music pumping, and I finally got my big break. Singing backup. Someone forgot to get pictures! Matt totally knows that when we are old I am joining a wine drinking band and he can go fish.
Happy 60th Birthday Gary!
Dad was ready to jam too! It must be an Armstead thing because he and I were ready to sing the night away. Max not so much.
Just another Grandma loving on those sweet cheeks.
Grandma was content doing what my Mom does best being Grandma. She snuggled kids and told scary stories. She made food, bandaged boo boos, and kicked some strange lady out of our bed. That's the thing about camping with a large group of people, someone will drink too much and scamper off into your huge sleeping bag bed. That's when mamma bear nicely asks strange woman to leave and when strange woman doesn't want to Grandma bear makes her.
It was a full moon night. We all slept like babies (even the baby) and woke dreaming of our next camping trip. We might even buy a camper one of these days.
Oh ya if you are ever in Hotchkiss, Colorado you must eat at Zach's BBQ, home cooked goodness!
So all in all the road trip was a success. Full of stories and memories. We sure do love to travel (even with kids) and though far off destinations will always be fun some of the best trips are in our backyard.
