[2014-colorado]

Day 8: July 21st, 2014 Grand Lake, CO to Steamboat Springs, CO

After a quick breakfast of cereal we went for a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park just outside of the Green Ridge Campground we stayed at. We hiked the East Shore Trail along Shadow Mountain Lake one hour each way 3.2 miles in total. The kids did a great job. They wanted to keep going, but Scott and I decided that we should probably turn around after an hour. Cody started the hike with rock throwing into the lake. He cracked us up when a few feet into the trail it opened into a forest and he said disappointedly, “Well, I can’t throw any rocks in here.”

[2014-colorado]

Day 7: July 20th, 2014 Rocky Mountain National Park to Grand Lake, CO

Our second morning waking up in Moraine Park Campground. The site yesterday was far better, but we still enjoyed being inside Rocky Mountain National Park again. This morning Scott made French Toast. We chatted with a couple from Quebec in a lovely small RV that looked like a converted van. It was amazing. The couple backed into their spot, hit a few buttons to level out the vehicle, and they were set up for the night. Same thing in the morning. They finished reading in the sun, hit a few buttons, and waved as they jetted off. I looked at Scott, “You and me. Thirty years from now.” Not that I don’t enjoy sleeping in a tent, but the convenience factor of a converted van is extremely tempting.

[2014-colorado]

Day 6: July 19th, 2014 Rocky Mountain National Park

Once again we were greeted by animals munching away while we munched away on our breakfast of bacon and eggs.  The kids were sad to say goodbye to their favorite campsite thus far.  They had secret nooks and named every pathway on their little rock fort.  This view will be missed.  The running water bathroom will also be missed.  It was one of the only ones in the entire campground.  It is hard to express how good it feels to brush your teeth and wash your face with running water when you normally take doing those things for granted.  Secretly I long for a shower, but even just a little bit of cleaning is greatly appreciated.

[2014-colorado]

Day 5: July 18th, 2014 Longmont, CO to Rocky Mountain National Park

Yeah Colorado!!!  I love the mountains and I love Colorado.  Although waking up this morning was a little rough since I didn’t arrive home from visiting my brother until midnight and then I was wide awake at 5:30.  I must have drifted back to sleep because the next thing I knew Cody was hopping on me. The view is from where we camped in between two RVs.

[2014-colorado]

Day 4: July 17th, 2014 Chadron State Park, NE to Colorado

Good Morning Nebraska!

Cody went from super sleepy cutie to wrestling and throwing in less than five minutes.  We had our first non-cooking breakfast of cereal this morning to get an early start on the day.  We are hoping to hit a few touristy spots in Nebraska today and get to see my brother in Colorado tonight.

[2014-colorado]

Day 3: July 16th, 2014: Pierce, NE to Chadron State Park, NE

Another beautiful day!  More than one Nebraska native has commented on how incredibly nice the weather has been.  One gentleman who was wearing a flannel and working the microfossil table today even called the cooler weather, “Unnatural.”  Sorry, we can’t help it if we bring beautiful weather wherever we go. :-)

[2014-colorado]

Day 10: July 23rd, 2014 Dinosaur National Park

The Green river from the Dinosaur NP campground

[2013-western-us]

Day 45: July 31, 2013: Yellowstone Day 2 and Tetons Part 2

We don’t know how long the Indian Pond Trail in Yellowstone was, but we are pretty sure it was our longest hike thus far on this trip (We later found out that it is called the Storm Point trail and is about 2 miles long).  Cody was super tough on this hike.  We started this hike at 3:45 and ended by 5.  He didn’t cry at all or even ask to get picked up. Cody and Brooke ran the first ten minutes of this hike.  I couldn’t believe they still had any energy left for the rest of the hike.  Indian Pond is not just a normal pond. It is more evidence of geothermal activity.  The sign stated that the ancient geyser had experienced “hydrothermal blowout.” Instead of releasing steam gradually the ground water flashed to steam so violently that it blasted out hundreds of feet of overlying rock that still lines the pond.

[2013-western-us]

Day 37: July 23rd, 2013: Redwood State Park, CA to Elk Prairie Campground - (More) Redwoods, CA

A sign in front of a prison in the Redwood State Park. In the state of California they train prison inmates to become forest fire fighters.

[2013-western-us]

Day 33: July 19th, 2013: Yosemite National Park

Our campsite just outside Yosemite National Park in National Forest land.