Travels: 65 miles driving around (4887 total miles)
Accommodations: Continued at OK RV Park
Gosh, I swear I wake up every morning ready to sleep longer – is it the bed? outside noises? busy days? late nights? I do look forward to sleeping in a standard walled home in my comfy (regular length) bed!
So, woke up this morning, and when I finally rolled out of bed we ate some muffins and fruit, packed up lunches, got ready (which always seems to take 10x longer than you expect, moms are you with me here?), and headed out to explore Arches National Park. We were very thankful that it was only 70 degrees when we headed out around 10:30 – it got warmer, but it stayed in the high 70s. We drove around the beautiful park, stopped at some scenic points for photos, and then went on a hike in Devil’s Garden. We walked about 3 miles on red rock, gravel, and red fine sand looking at all the arches. Again, another breathtaking place – got to love these amazing places. Sand stone refined by the small amount of water that runs off of them every year (9 inches a year). The kids had a blast and were exhausted! Mason loves to traverse the off road areas. We also saw some interesting lizards – they seem to be all over this area. My youngest brother would have been all over catching them.
After a bit of lunch in the parking lot, we made our way back to our campground. After popsicles, the kids had some down time watching a movie, Marin took a nap, and Dave worked.
Dinner Menu: chili with cheese and jalapenos, cornbread, watermelon, veggies
Mouse Update: One of the traps caught the last mouse last night. Yeah!!
We woke up late – sometime around 9am – after a long, late night. Since we had no idea what the area looked like, we were pleasantly surprised with a beautiful, clean campground overlooking the red rock cliffs that we had driven through the night before on the scary, scenic night drive. We sat outside in the cool air and appreciated blue skies, the sun, red dirt, and the red cliffs that surrounded us.
We took the 70 west to the 128, an alternate route into Moab. I know I said that the views and landscapes yesterday were amazing. Once again today we had breathtaking views. Red rocks, the wide Colorado River, blue skies, Fisher Tower – this was a magnificent canyon to drive through.
This drive was beautiful, driving through the ski resort area of Colorado. Beautiful mountains, snow still out, pine trees, rock, and it snowed on us! We stopped in Breckenridge to look around. We walked up and down their main street, ate some delicious crepes at a little crepe shack, and it snowed on us again!! We had a lot of fun playing around the town. Around 5:30, we got back on the road not quite sure where we were going to spend the night.
The drive was absolutely gorgeous! I highly recommend taking a trip that leads you down the 70 at some point! Amazing landscape with the high Rocky Mountains jutting up all around you, aspens and pines galore, snow, green grasses, rivers… The landscape changed past Vail somewhat – different trees and such. We drove through Glenwood Canyon which we couldn’t believe, over the longest bridge, through the longest tunnel, continuing on the longest bridge as we drove along the Colorado River. We stopped to take pictures and were just in awe of God’s amazing creation and the way man had constructed a road right through it.
Let us all note that scenic drives are wonderful and also often include windy roads and steep drop-offs. So, unknowingly we headed out on a “scenic drive” in the pitch black night on the way to our campsite. Our directions to the campsite turned out to be directions to the park entrance, and we were rather disheartened when we saw it was another 19 miles to the campground.
Last nights rained continued until today. After a filling and delicious breakfast at the Leach’s home and visiting with Sean’s parents who do a lot of RV traveling and have many great tips to share.
We had a mellow morning in the trailer- playing, reading books, and Dave worked. After lunch, I took the kids to 
Mackenzie’s fever broke last night around 10pm – odd sickness: throw up, high fever and sleep all day, fever breaks. This morning she felt better, so we decided to venture out to Boulder for the afternoon. We walked around the Pearl Street mall: grabbed a bite to eat, watched a contortionist fit himself into a box and tube among other things, window shop, and let the kids play at the various kid play areas. Then, we decided to follow the river that runs through Boulder west up into the mountains and take the “back-way” back to Castle Rock. It was a very scenic drive, topped off with a bear running across the road RIGHT in front of us – so exciting!
We woke up to a very windy day and a sick six-year old. Mackenzie complained of feeling bad from the time she woke up, and around 8am she threw up showing us just how sick she felt. Poor thing! So, tentative plans to explore Boulder today were put off in exchange for a day at camp. I took Marin and did a bit more grocery shopping at Whole Foods which was also just a nice outing. After lunch Dave took Mason to wash the truck and hang out. It was nice to be in – I made muffins and baked oatmeal for the morning, did my Bible study, read, and played with the kids. Poor Kenz continued to have a high fever all day and got in a lot of sleeping. We will see how she is tomorrow. After dinner and with the kids to bed, I sat out in our campsite and read Omnivore’s Dilemma. It was so relaxing – cool breeze, clear sky, quiet, alone.
Today started out as a hard day!! The kids were cranky; I was cranky; Dave was gone for part of the day. After unavailing attempts at coloring, slime (which just turned into a huge mess)… we all went our own ways. Mackenzie and Mason just wanted to be alone, as did I… and we are in a 27’x8′ trailer where there aren’t many places to be alone. Finally, I settled into dishes, Mackenzie into reading a book in our campsite, Mason playing Legos outside, and Marin napping. We all need a bit of space, quiet, downtime, alone time… pretty good to have gone 24 days without reaching this point.
The rest of the day: After lunch, we loaded into the car and headed out to
June 16, 2010
Travels: 60 miles driving around (4947 total miles)
Accommodations: Continued at OK RV Park
Another slow morning, got to love it after busy days and too often late nights. I was asking myself this morning why Dave and I have so many late nights and realized that we fill our days with sightseeing, Dave works, playing with the kids, etc. So, the night is the only time to take care of business and anything we want to do in the quiet of the evenings. Anyways, we are tired today and going to bed early tonight.
Back to the trailer, Marin took a nap, the kids watched Lady & the Tramp, Dave worked, and I got dinner ready and did a bit of reading. Ah, the joys of quiet afternoons at home (“home” used loosely). But, home is where the heart is right?
Dinner: Chicken, rice, broccoli bake with Parmesan crust, green salad with vinaigrette, corn bread, and fruit salad.
Courtney: “Kids can be so flexible; it has amazed me. I make sure they get enough sleep and if they don’t one day I adjust the next day. I make sure they eat good healthy food at regular times. We kiss and hug them, laugh with them and talk with them. We discipline them consistently. But other than that every day for us is completely different. Some days spent in the car. Some days out exploring. Visiting a variety of people – some they know and most they don’t, and not always families with kids. Times when they have to be quiet in the trailer because Dave is working or Marin is napping. Times when they have to be quiet in the car for a business call. Times when it rains so much they don’t get to run around outside. They all sleep in a tiny little room together. The girls share a bed. And the number of conflicts has been minimal. They adjust and readjust and bounce back from whatever. They have the greatest little attitudes about whatever we do and however each day goes. Kids are more flexible and resilient that you can imagine.”