July 19: Almost Home

Waking up on the road.

It looks hot in Arenac County but it's good to be back close to home.

Max's sweaty hair do.

Day 17: "I Love Being Home"

Our 12 hour head start ended our vacation on the evening of the 17th day instead of the morning of the 18th.  It is good to be home.  As I carried Max to the door he kept saying "I love being home, Mama" over and over.  The kids were so excited to run in and play with their toys.  After about five minutes though Sophie was ready to turn on a cartoon.  I guess they missed TV too.  I have to admit that when I was turning on their bedtime cartoon I was excited to see some Deadliest Catch waiting for me on the DVR.

The ride back was uneventful but HOT!!  The generator couldn't handle running the AC for very long so we only ad a couple chances to run it.  The rest of the times we baked in the 90++ temperatures.  We did take a break at a McDonald's PlayPlace once we got through Chicago.  It was a nice chance for the kids to run around and for all of us to get some cool air.

The relief still hadn't set in when we got home around 8pm and we are still waiting for the air to cool the house down.  It was a great trip and we saw some amazing scenery and enjoyed some truly original experiences.  We are so lucky to not only be able to share the journey with the kids but with my parents as well.  I'm sure by tomorrow te kids will be having Nana and Papa withdrawals but they should e able to get their fix when we go to pick up old Zeker dog from the farm.  It will be good to have him home - those empty dog dishes just don't look right.  

Thanks for sharing our journey, it was an amazing ride with some awesome destinations.  Until our next adventure...

July 18: Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!

Scenic Byway on our way south to the train ride.

The train yard in Silver Plume.

Waiting for the ride to start.

A look ahead toward our steam engine.

Mine entrances dot the hillside.  The whole area was clear cut in its heyday.

Crossing the bridge.

Over the bridge!

Spanning the whole bridge with the train.

Sophie looking down at the river as we crossed over.

Max enjoying the ride.

Sophie enjoying the day.

Ready to make the loop and head back over the bridge to Silver Plume.

Moved the engine to the front so we were close to the noise and experience of the steam engine.

Big boy Max getting a drink as we cross the river.

Day 16: Trains and Rain

Up and at 'em early again this morning.  Headed south to Silver Plume to ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad.  Kids were excited about going on a train ride; they were less than enthused about the 2 hour ride there.  Thought the Scenic Byway would be a nice way to pass the necessity of the ride there and it would have been if Sophie hadn't been screaming about going to the potty so we take side turns and stops in little towns until we find a potty.  We get in there and she says, "I didn't really have to go potty, I just wanted to be done riding in the car."  Almost strangled her.  Tickets for the train were pre-paid for and here we were racing against the clock with all this extra drama.  Get her back in the car and on the way and Max says he has to go potty.  Fortunately, he gets right down to business when you pull his pants down so that didn't add much time.  We ended up getting to the train with a few minutes to spare, so in the end no harm was done.  I did have a talk with Sophie about fibbing though.

The train ride was neat; I especially enjoyed the narration for the first part of the ride that told a little bit of the history of the train and the towns and mines that it connects.  The kids liked the first part of the ride better because the steam engine was far at the other end so not so loud when it blew it's whistle.  When we switched over in Georgetown for the ride back and the engine was suddenly just feet away, the whistle was a little too loud for the kiddos.  Fortunately they held on until the end of the ride and we were able to avoid meltdowns in a confined space.  We headed up to Georgetown for lunch after the ride because my trusty Trip Advisor had said that The Alpine was the place to eat.  The food definitely did not disappoint - best stromboli ever and my salad was delicious but it was unbelievably slow.  

While we were eating, the rain clouds opened up.  The radar made it look like it was just one little cell that was going to be through the area by the time we got back to camp.  This was important because Sophie was VERY eager to show Nana and Papa how good she was doing swimming.  I was eager to get back out there too so that she could have one more day of practice in the environment that she felt so confident in.  Mother Nature however had different plans as that one little cell just kept rejuvenating itself and the rain kept falling.  Mom, Sophie, and I did some last minute shopping in town.  Came back to the campsite.  Still raining.  We made the decision that if we were going to sit inside and look at the camper all night, we might as well do it on the way home.  So began the rain-soaked packing of camping goods and the readying of the camper for our final departure - Destination:  Home.

I called ahead to Enterprise and they were good with me dropping off the car after hours (just leave the keys in the box).  The guys there were so nice and awesome.  If they are representative of Enterprise everywhere, I may never rent from another company.  That pretty much catches us up to where we are at now:  on the road.  It's almost 10:30 and we should be crossing into Nebraska and jumping on 80 soon.  Driving through Nebraska is sort of like Georgia though, it never ends.  Hopefully we'll be out of it by the time the sun rises.  The other big concern for the drive tomorrow is the heat.  We may have to plan a longer break in the middle of the day to get out of the hottest part of the day and help the camper (and ourselves).  I haven't checked the weather yet but I'm hoping that the heat wave is on its way out of Au Gres - I really could do without coming home that!  I am looking forward to my own bed though.  The thought of it just brought a smile to my face.  I should wrap this up - I'm supposed to be keeping Tom company on his drive and I'm busy talking to my blog instead of him.  

The other unfortunate news about leaving early is that I didn't get a chance to organize my pictures tonight so I imagine I'll have a late night at home on Saturday as well finalizing the blog.  I know it will be worth it in the long run though.

July 17: Swim Time at Jellystone

On the way to the pool.

Swim time!

Max testing the water.

Practicing her form before she ditches her floaties.

Sophie in mid-jump.

Max just chillin'.

Brother & Sister Time!

Giggle time with Daddy.

My big girl SWIMMING!

Underwater too!!

Max enjoyed some drive time while Sophie was honing her swimming skills.

"Cheese" grin.

July 17: Bear Lake

Junior Ranger Sophie showing off her badges.

Checking out the map before our walk.

Beautiful hike for our last day in the national park.

Mike in the mountains...Sophie thinking.

Reflecting...

...again.

The most common wildlife we have seen.

Mom waiting ahead of us on the trail.

Our Junior Ranger enjoying our last hike.

Mountain Man Tom.

Me in the mountains.

Mountain Mike.

The boys having some fun.

Love me some flowers.

One more reflection while we reflect on our vacation during our last stroll in Rocky Mountain.

Enjoying a water view.

Sophie loved finding rocks to through in the lake.

Mike and Max found a cozy little space to take a break.

Sophie taking Max to wait for the bus.

Day 15: Kick Kick, Paddle Paddle

Sophie learned to swim today!  Other cool things happened that I'll get to in a bit, but the coolest of all is that Sophie is on her way to becoming our little swimmer!  Yesterday in the pool she would try to swim but couldn't commit to lifting her other foot off the ground to really get going.  Today, Tom had that magic advice of just telling her to swim underwater so that's how she started.  Then after doing that, he had her just pick her head up.  It gave her the confidence to go ahead and get both feet off the ground and away she went.  I was in the arcade (crushing the pinball game...I won more games than I paid for...still want a pinball machine for my house) when Tom came back with the kids and Sophie said she was swimming.  I said, "OK, let's go show me" thinking that she was just "swimming" again but no way, she was really doing it all by herself.  I know, I'm really going on and on here, but it was very exciting for us!

So let's backtrack a little bit.  First off, kudos to me for blogging every day.  I definitely don't feel like it at night (and that's why I've been putting off pictures too but I really should do those tomorrow) but I know I'll be so happy down the road when I can look back and remember this trip.  Back to the daily recording of memories.  We got everyone up and out of the camper today around 8:00 am for a hike/walk around Bear Lake in RMNP.  We had to leave early because due to road construction they close the road going up there at 9.  Once you're in, you're in though.  We did make it into the park by the cutoff time but the Bear Lake lot was already full so we had to park at the Park and Ride and take the shuttle up.  It wasn't too much of an inconvenience though and the kids like riding the bus so no big deal.  Bear Lake is a nice .6 mile loop that offers some different views of the surrounding mountains as you make the circuit around the lake.  Both kids were enamored with throwing rocks in the water and Max was especially excited to find the little signs throughout saying how far you've gone (30 signs, .6 miles, you do the math to figure out how much distance they marked).  He'd run up to the sign and hug it and then get his face real close to the numbers while wiggling his little fingers in front of his mouth like he was ready to "get it" then he'd trace and read the numbers and then he was ready to move on.  It was a nice morning activity; we stopped and had a snack on the trail, saw some beautiful scenery, and just had an all-around great time.

After the ride back to the Park and Ride, we headed out of the park and back to the campsite for the aforementioned swimming (and pinball) success.  There was also some playground time mixed in there.  Mom had the genius idea (in my opinion) of offering Tom and I the evening out.  Tom had previously brought up the two of us going to a movie but Mom made it even better by saying that we could go early and grab a small bite to eat first.  Tom and I headed out for Estes Park (which, by the way, I'm totally starting to dig as a town) to find a place to grab a drink, appetizer, and a seat outside.  Slightly tougher to find than you might think, we did actually find a place to meet all criterion but ended up deciding to split a yak burger (based on high recommendations) instead.  I thought it was good.  Tom seemed less than impressed.  I'd probably give it a slight edge over beef actually.  Food consumed, it was off to the movie.  We ended up seeing Grown Ups 2.  Tom really liked the first one and we would have been pushing it to get to Lone Ranger (my pick) so it was really our only option.  Estes definitely still has a small-town feel to it with things like only a 3-screen theater and just a Safeway for the only grocery store.  Movie was good, a little slow but got funnier.  The drinks with dinner may have helped put us in the "stupid-movie" mood because it's definitely not something you can take seriously.  Just before going to the movie, I realized that I left my wallet at the dinner table so I called back to the Grubsteak.  Great people, they were super conscientious, asking my permission to look for the license inside as I was describing it, and then locking it up with their liquor until I returned to get it.  Even when I returned, the guy apologized for having to get my license out to verify my identity.  Great place, great staff.

The best part about leaving when we did is not only did we get to enjoy ourselves, but we missed out on the "work" that goes with the kids in the evening.  Nana and Papa took the kids to play some putt-putt.  Sophie got a hole in one and Max had a good time placing his ball and hitting it.  They had mac & cheese for dinner, so they were super happy with that.  When I came in to tuck Max in he said "Guess what?" in a super excited voice, "I had mac and cheese for dinner!"  So back to what I didn't have to do tonight.  Didn't have to make or clean up for dinner.  Mom also gave the kids a shower so I didn't have to do that.  And Mike put the beds together for the kids so I didn't have to do that.  Plus, Max was ready for bed when we got here so it was just a little kiss goodnight and short chat and he was out for the night.  Sophie wanted to stay up longer and we had the campfire that we had promised her.  She enjoyed it but I could tell she was getting tired, even as she played with new glow sticks for the evening.  When I suggested that she come in to bed, she was more than willing.  

So that takes us to now.  Sitting on Sophie's bed (again) because she asked me to but she was already asleep by the time I finished brushing my teeth and typing out the day's events.

Tomorrow's plan is to get out of her by 8 again and head south to Silver Plume to catch the Georgetown Loop Railroad.  The ride is about an hour and fifteen minutes (the drive there is probably a couple of hours each way) but I think that the kids (and all of us) will enjoy it.  Plus, the drive there is through the scenic byway.  Maybe I should look for a more direct route there and do the scenic byway on the way back, that might make more sense.  If I can get the WiFi to work tonight, I think that's what I'll do.  Until tomorrow...