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July 14, 2015–Day 9 Tim’s Ford, TN

This was one of our favorite days, and not just because it was our fourteenth wedding anniversary, but because we hiked, canoed, and had an incredible dinner and evening together.

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July 10, 2015–Day 5 Clifty Falls State Park, IN

The campsite at Clifty Falls State Park was conveniently tucked next to a playground and well shaded just in case the sun would come out. However, the sun never did come out and the site was a bit slantly.  The kids slipped down their mats all night long.  Scott and I both took turns pulling the kids back up to the top of their mats after they had become a puddle mashed into the tent.  We headed to a pavilion to cook up some French Toast and avoid the impending rain.  Anyone notice a theme with the ritual of finding a pavilion?  We happened to be right where a machine shop of Amish workers was having their company picnic. We were able to watch their baseball game.  Even after the heavy rain had scattered most of the spectators and sent them running for cover, the game was pretty intense.  We had a chance to talk with Dwayne who was with the Amish group while Brooke sat in a tire swing watching the game in the rain.

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July 7, 2015–Day 2 Indiana Dunes

Cody woke up early and as usual full of energy and talkative. We played Duolingo together for a bit. He presses the buttons as I talk him through it. Some of the phrases they have you translate make me laugh. At six in the morning with very little sleep in a tent with my newly turned six year old I am translating, “What do you think of humanity?”

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Day 19: August 1st, 2014: Curecanti National Park, CO to Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO

“The sun will come out tomorrow!” Or maybe the next day after that… Monsoon season!!! It rained most of the night with wild winds and lightning.  It might also be interesting to note that I disagreed with Scott on where he wanted me to set up the tent last night because I found a spot that wasn’t so hilly.  However, my flat spot also happened to be between two trees that were entwined and creaking loudly once the wild winds whipped up.  Then the lightning started shortly after everyone drifted off to sleep and I was quite sure the trees were going to get struck and land on us.  Thankfully no one else worried about those things and they all slept decently well despite the storm.

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Day 22: August 4th, 2014: Chase State Lake, KS to Rock Creek Campground, Iowa

A three state day!

Kansas, Missouri, and finally Iowa!

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Day 18: July 31st, 2014: Black Canyon of the Gunnison to Curecanti National Recreation Area

Scott went for a seventeen mile bike ride along the park road up to Warner Point around seven am.

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Day 15: July 28th, 2014 Mesa Verde, Colorado

We woke up promptly at 7 to eat some pan fried granola, play with the neighbors, try to dry out the Chuck Box from its soaking during the dinner cooking from last night, and headed down the road an hour to get to the first cliff dwelling tour of the day: Cliff Palace.

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Day 12: July 25th, 2014 Moab, Utah

Hittle Bottom Campground twenty-four miles northeast of Moab off of Route 128.

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Day 13: July 26th, 2014 Moab, Utah to Canyonlands National Park Needles District

Early morning photos at our campsite.  Cody was really into spotting the lizards.  This one happened to pose for us.  After a quick breakfast of cereal we headed to the Island in the Sky Visitor’s Center at Canyonlands National Park.  We scooped up the Junior Ranger books, listened to a ranger talk on geological layers, and then watched the park movie.

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Day 14: July 27th, 2014 Canyonlands National Park Needles District, Utah to Mesa Verde, Colorado

Scott woke up at six am to get in a nineteen mile bike ride along the Canyonlands Needles District main road.  The views were spectacular.