June 6, 2010

Travels: 66 miles driving around (3623 total miles)
Accommodations: Continued at Jellystone RV Park

We woke up this morning and had a yummy breakfast of eggs with cheese and roasted chili peppers from around here, Oma’s bread with butter and her cherry jam, and raw milk from CO. Then, we loaded up our stuff and headed for the camp showers which were full, so headed back for navy showers for the kids and Dave and a pony tail for me. Dressed and ready to go, we headed back to the Leach’s to join them at their small church in Castle Pines.

After a nice lunch, we went to their community pool. It was a hot day so perfect for a day at the pool. We all went swimming and played and rested a bit. It is fun, since it is a community pool they know lots of people there, so I met some of their friends and had some much needed mom conversations!! After the pool, we cleaned up, rested for a bit, and then went to dinner in Denver at Pizza Republica. It was great food!!

Then, back to the trailer to hit the hay!

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June 5, 2010

Travels: 34 miles driving around (3557 total miles)
Accommodations: Continued at Jellystone RV Park

We met our friends Sean and Carlie (from back home) at their house this morning and headed off to a yummy breakfast at a golf course in Castle Pines. After a yummy and filling meal (yeah for good food out!) we headed off to a farmer’s market in Aurora getting the tour of the area on the way. Farmer’s Market there was much different than Ventura – much less produce and more “extras”- clothes, soap, salsa, bread, tamales, etc. Then, back to Sean and Carlie’s house for playtime for the kids, nap time for Marin, grocery shopping for the moms, and yard work for the dads. (Sounds like “normal” life, huh?)

Later, we prepared some sandwiches, veggies, and cherries and headed off to Daniel’s Park for a picnic with an amazing view. We rounded out the evening with a beer on their deck while the kids continued to have fun playing.

On our drive back to camp we watched a great lightening show over the mountains. When we parked we could hear the thunder after the diesel had quieted down. So fun to see thunder and lightening! We headed off to the bathrooms and upon exiting we were greeted with POURING rain which drenched us as we ran back to the trailer. Lightening flashed all around us and the thunder BOOMED, and the rain drenched with HUGE rain drops. It was fun! And then about as quickly as the rain came, it left.

Note: Sunset picture used without permission from Carlie. This is the view from their deck just after we left.

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June 4, 2010

Travels: Estes Park, CO to Castle Rock, CO – 128 miles (3523 total miles)
Accommodations: Jellystone RV Park (with authentic Yogi Bear) – water & electric

We had a slow going morning, showers, clean-up, play time at the park, surprisingly no elk sightings, and lego playtime. Sometime after 12, we were hooked up and ready to pull out of our great camp site in Estes Park. We really enjoyed our time here! It was a beautiful drive down the mountain. We stopped at a farm outside of Loveland and got 2 gallons of raw milk. It was a funny experience, but the milk was good and such a better deal than Ventura ($8 per gallon). From there, we headed towards Denver. Neither of us have spent much time in the Denver area – as we approached downtown around 3pm we slowed to a near stop in traffic. Flat plains, tall buildings, and lots of cars – much like L.A. in many ways. Through Denver, past Castle Pines, and just outside of Castle Rock we pulled into the Jellystone RV Park which borders the I-25. Now, don’t be jealous, but there is actually a Yogi Bear that cruises around. After a dinner of taquitos, guac, watermelon, cookies, and raw milk, we went on a walk around this compound, and then off to bed.

Courtney: I miss home today! I miss 72 degree Ventura weather, my friends, church, chickens, our family, fresh produce and our wonderful Farmer’s Markets, and the beach (even though I’m not a lover of the ocean) I miss warm days at the beach…

Dave: Nostalgia defined: “A longing for the past, often in idealized form.” For example: warm days at the beach.

Mackenzie: “Can I go swimming today? The sun is out.”

Mason: “Look at me up here (from the top of a climbing structure), I can see the train.”

Mason: “Fee Fi Fo Fumb” (in a deep voice, over and over again)
Mackenzie: “No Mason, say Fee Fi Fo Bum”
Marin: “Fee Fi Fo Fumb.”

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June 3, 2010

Travels: 67 miles driving around (3395 total miles)
Accommodations: Continued at Spruce Lake RV Park

The kids and Dave got up before me this morning and had a fun time watching a herd of elk roam around our campground. After I peeled myself out of bed we had breakfast, cleaned-up, the kids played outside, and we headed up the road to Rocky Mountain National Park. Before we even pulled out of the campground we were surrounded by elk. As we entered the park at 8200 feet, there were elk everywhere, and as we drove around more elk. Note: elk are not an endangered species in Estes Park.

We went on a walk/hike around Sprague Lake where you can push a stroller on the wheelchair accessible path. Not much of a hike, but the kids ran and “fished” (a stick being “casted” into the water is fishing). After a little snack, we took a drive around the park and again more elk. There are a lot of elk here, but I think that there may be more park workers. No wonder Colorado’s unemployment is lower than California’s.

We drove up and up. We stopped a couple times to check out the views and scenery. We got closer and closer to the snow… at 11,412 feet we were in the snow and a traffic jam (lots of road work). Breathtaking and high up with NO guard rails!!

Back to camp, we had a relaxing afternoon. The kids played at the park and walked around the pond. I made coconut curry chicken with rice, watermelon, and fresh veggies with hummus for dinner. We went on a little walk, did some laundry and enjoyed the simple and each other.

Dave: I’m tired of seeing elk – they’re everywhere. In other news, I just started planning my 2011 Colorado elk hunting trip. I wore shorts today – Lord it is good to be warm and dry.

Courtney: “Boy were we wrong when we told the kids we wouldn’t see snow on this trip!”

Marin: “Hold me mama, elk eat my toes.” “Elk eat my fingers.” “Papa find the amtelope.” {How sad to think that elk are going to take nibbles of you!}

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June 2, 2010

Travels: Loveland, CO to Estes Park, UT – 38 miles (3328 total miles)
Accommodations: Spruce Lake RV Park – full hook-ups

After breakfast, clean-up, a few necessary Walmart purchases, and coffee in Dave’s hand we headed towards Estes Park, CO.  Loveland is a pretty little town – seems to have newer businesses in town, lakes, golf, and then farms on the outskirts. Our drive went through Loveland past these lakes, farmland, and into the mountains. We drove along the Big Thompson River and through these high walled rocky mountains studded with pine trees and the weekday fly fisherman.

We drove through the cute, tourist town of Estes Park and headed towards the County Park campground we had decided on – upon arrival we immediately started looking for a new one. It was so good. So, we turned around, headed back down the hill to Spruce Lake RV Park which is great!!

After getting “hooked up” at the site we headed into town. Dave worked at Starbucks, and the kids and I walked through Estes Park stores, along the river, played at a cute playground, and just explored the busy little town. Crazy how many people are on vacation in the middle of the week!

Back to the trailer, the kids played at the park, went swimming, we elk watched, and I made pasta with oysters from Washington. The kids were in bed early to catch up on some sleep. I took a long walk around the campground and enjoyed the views… Enjoying this time a lot!

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June 1, 2010

Travels: Manila, UT to Loveland, CO – 373 miles (3290 total miles)
Accommodations: Walmart. Free Walmart.

We pulled out of my Oma and Opa’s house in Manila today at 2:15pm after a filling lunch, hugs and kisses to mom and grand-parents, a jar of homemade cherry jam and some homemade bread in hand. It was nice to see everyone. I can’t believe I may not see my mom for another two months!

We pulled down the dusty road with rain sprinkling our truck and headed towards the Utah/Wyoming border. It rained off an on all day as we drove through Wyoming’s vast and open planes. There was snow against the snow barriers along much of the road and in patches, rivers, cows, few towns, and few cars. As we approached Cheyenne things became strikingly beautiful. I can’t even put into words the picture that lay before us: dark clouds with the sun shining through from underneath, the Wyoming planes sprawling towards the snow covered Rockies in the distance. It was breathtaking!

We pulled into Walmart in Loveland CO around 9:30pm and hear from the back seat the never to be mistaken sound of projectile vomit coming from our sweet two-year old followed by the squeal of our six-eyear old as the puke landed on her and everywhere else in the truck. Marin had been telling us for the past hour that her tummy hurt. She turned out to be fine – who knows too much food, too much car, too much altitude?  An hour or so later, we had the puke covered car and carseat cleaned up, the kids in clean pjs tucked into bed, and ourselves situated for the evening.

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May 31, 2010

Travels: 74 miles driving around (2917 total miles)
Accommodations: Continued at the Nassutt home

We all slept in a bit today – nice to catch up on some missing sleep! Then, off to the house for breakfast- eggs, bacon, homemade brown bread, fruit, and coffee. Dave went to work again at a neighbor’s house this time. The kids played inside and outside. Mackenzie learned how to crochet from Oma and Omie – pretty neat. She crocheted some cute bracelets. We again had a “coffee break” of torta and coffee. Then, an early dinner of chicken, potatoes, gravy, green beans, carrots… It was quite tasty. And the kids slurped down bowls of cooked fruit from Oma’s 2009 garden.

After dinner, we went on a drive to Red Canyon Lookout. This looks out over Flaming Gorge and its deep red canyons. On the way there we saw some deer, and we were lucky to see the tiniest baby deer I have ever seen with her mother – it was amazing to see how slowly the mother moved to let her baby keep up with her and to let the baby nurse along the way. It was very neat- the kids loved it too! Dave and Kenz got out of the car to hide behind a tree to take some pictures. It was neat to watch my ever growing independent six year old quietly walk through a meadow, hide behind a tree, and then climb onto a stump to get the picture she wanted.

After checking out the view at Red Canyon we saw tons of deer and elk on our way back to Manila. It was fun to spot them!

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May 30, 2010

Travels: 0 miles (2843 total miles)
Accommodations: Continued at the Nassutt home

Happy Birthday Omie! We were very excited to be with my mom on her birthday – the kids ran into her room and jumped on her bed to wish her well on this day :). We had a special breakfast of waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, fruit, milk/coffee… We also got to sing “Happy Birthday” to Omie. Later in the morning Dave headed down to the Manila KOA to work (they have Internet). And we all indulged in a “coffee break” of torta (in celebration of Omie’s birthday). The kids played and ran around in the sun, the kids played with a little boy from the neighboring house, and tired Marin took a nap.

We ate an early dinner when Dave got back from working of local buffalo burgers and a bunch of other yummy stuff. Boy were we stuffed. So much good food!

I got laundry done, read a bit, and enjoyed seeing my mom and watching her play with the kids.

Dave: This morning I had unadulterated sunlight shining on me for the first time in 15 days. It was so bright it literally took a few hours to get used to. Working from the road has been adventurous. I bought a Verizon broadband card but it doesn’t work in Manila (boonies). So I sat in the laundry room at the KOA for around 6 hours to pound out some work.

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May 29, 2010

Travels: Twin Falls, ID to Manila, UT – 383 miles (2843 total miles)
Accommodations: Franz and Brunhilde Nassutt, Courtney’s Oma and Opa

We pulled out of the WINDY Twin Falls parking lot at 9:30 in the morning after a disruptive nights sleep. (Note: Don’t move to a place with crazy wind). We crossed the Snake River and were back on the road. We crossed the Utah border at 12:25pm where it started raining huge raindrops (Utah has the biggest rain drops!) Only about 2 hours to go. We moved through Utah, the rock color changing to red and into Wyoming.

We arrived at my Oma and Opa’s house around 5:30pm. Greeted by excited grandparents and, upon opening the door of the trailer, the biggest mess you can imagine. The fridge door must not have been closed all the way (by me). A bottle of Elderberry juice broke and spilled, mixing with a broken bottle of apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, some sourdough bread starter, and over a 1/2 gallon of raw milk (I think I shed a tear). And over the course of our drive it all mixed into a bright purple yogurt like substance that wreaked of sour milk and vinegar. It took me over an hour, a dozen towels, and quite a few washings to remove the sludge from almost every corner of our trailer floor.

So, once that was cleaned up, I was able to join my mom (who had arrived during the mess), my grandparents, and the kids. We had a yummy dinner and found some time to relax with a cup of tea and some family conversation.

Kids: Mackenzie, “About 2 hours sucks.”

They were very excited to see their Omie and get spoiled by grandma and grandparents!

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May 28, 2010

Travels: Ellensburg, WA to Twin Falls, ID – 541 miles (2460 total miles)
Accommodations: Walmart. Windy, free Walmart.

We left Ellensburg around 9:30 in the morning heading through Idaho today on our full-bore trek for Utah. It is raining again, although we were told this area gets much less rain than the rest of the state. We drive through dry, rolling hills, sparse trees, and scrub brush. The thick green is gone. We wonder if we will be able to see the beauty in these dry places?

We exited Washington into Oregon, Dave had to stop and work for a couple hours at Starbucks in Pendleton. I spent the 2+ hours entertaining the kids: cartwheels in Starbucks, lunch, running around in a deserted lot full of rocks and dirt – an invisible Superman band-aid had to be applied to Mason after he bailed (thanks Sharon!), races, a bear hunt, iphone, muffin… We got back on the road around 3:30pm, rain following us all the way – wide open planes, dark sky, green grass on chocolate colored soil, as we wound through the mountains.

We stopped in Boise at a Sierra Trading Post and for pizza and then pushed on from 10:15pm to 12:15pm into the Twin Falls Walmart parking lot.

Dave: We haven’t seen the outline of the sun since the day we left California. I can’t wait to see it – I’m going to pull over and bask in my unmentionables no matter how cold it is.

Kids:

Marin, “More Apple.” Me, “All gone.” Marin, “Apple please.” Me, “They are in the trailer.” Marin, “Apple in trailer, now.” Me, “We can’t stop now.” Marin, “Snack please, stop now.”

Marin, “Jackson the doggie” (over and over, she talks about Jackson whenever she reads this particular animal book.)

Mackenzie, “I wish we had that property. I want my own cow too.” Mason, “I want one too.” Marin, “I milk my cow too, K?”

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