Beeeg Mawwtaans!

Have you ever been to a place and thought to yourself, "THIS is what it's all about.  Look at this beautiful world! Look at what God has made." I had this experience over the weekend, when my family was blessed enough to take a trip to Estes Park, Colorado.

Only one other place in the world has given me the sort of peace and sense of connectedness in my spirit.  Only when I spend time on an ocean beach do I feel this same feeling of oneness with my Creator, and quiet in my heart.  The mountains though... the mountains took me to whole new heights. (ha!)

The drive to Estes is a long one.  We're talking 12 hours.... with two kids in the car... refusing to sleep.  We left early Thursday morning, and got to watch the sunrise on the highway. That was about the highlight of the day, until we were a couple hours away from the destination.

From where we live, the drive isn't exactly what you'd call exciting either.  Once you make it across the state line into Kansas, it is about 9 hours of flat nothingness, except for corn.  There is corn.  Though we did see a wind farm, and a dust devil or two.  (Duuuustnaaaaadoooo!!)

The kids started getting restless about hour two, which was a bad bad sign.  Thank GOD for modern technology, and the invention of the portable DVD player. My husband and I had a discussion about family road trips when we were kids.  How we were lucky to get a coloring book or a comic book.  These kids these days...  (MAN, I am getting old.)

Moment of peace while watching Mickey Mouse

 BBH had made this trek just a few months ago when he ran his marathon in Ledville... once we got in to Colorado he kept saying, "keep watching the horizon... you should see mountains soon."  This went on for at least two more hours (of corn) before finally...

It was absolutely breathtaking.  After so long in a car with nothing to look at but CORN to all of a sudden come upon this.  It was exhilarating, awe inspiring, and flat out gorgeous.

We went through Boulder, and bypassed Denver.  It didn't take long before we were nestled in the mountains and found our condo/cabins.  We hit a rain shower about this time, and ran luggage in to our rooms through the water.  (soon to realize this would be a reoccurring theme)  By the time we were settled, we were all soaked, exhausted and cold. But then...

It was as if we were being welcomed by the Big Man himself.  It covered me in chills (though admittedly, that might have been the rain) and brought tears to my eyes.  I was grinning ear to ear and practically bouncing around trying to take in all the sights right outside our door.  We were also greeted by a wild black bear less than 75 feet from the condo.  He was just there. Plain as day.  Like nothing I have ever experienced before.  Being in the presence of something so powerful and wild... it was incredible. By the time we realized what it was we were witnessing, and grabbed our cameras, he was gone. (Very Big Foot-esque... also a reoccurring theme of the trip.) Once he left, we were free to roam explore and enjoy our new home for the week.

this was our room

the view outside the door

river outside our door

Refreshed and rejuvenated by the beauty (and FINALLY getting out of the car), we unpacked, went to dinner, came back, and my AMIL (awesome mother in law) and I headed to the grocery store to grab a few things for the week. By the time we got back, the kids were asleep and our husbands were soon to follow.  We headed to bed, and got an early start the next day.

We woke early, had a light breakfast in our rooms, got ready, and hit the town.  We stopped at the visitor center first, then to a hiking/outdoor store to rent a baby pack to carry SC in on our hikes. Then we went in to town.

Our first objective was to ride the aerial tramway to get a bird's eye view of the city, and let the kids get up close and personal with some wildlife on the top.  It was a breathtaking view. But what awaited us on top was by far the favorite part of LC trip. 

Inside the store on top you could by a bag of peanuts.  Why a bag of peanuts? (you might ask) Weeeell, it seems to be a favorite for the local chipmunks and squirrels on the top of the mountain. 

 We did some climbing, we did some exploring, but mostly we just did some fattening up of rodents.  It was precious to see the kids interact with them (once Smaller Child learned it was not okay to throw rocks at them that is.)  Then we headed back down, and headed downtown.

The downtown part of Estes is one of the most charming places I have ever been.  It is about three city blocks, and the stores line the street on one side, and have river entrance from the other. They are all locally owned stores carrying everything from jewelry, books, candy, souvenirs, trinkets for the home, to toys, rocks, mountain climbing gear, and clothes.  We spent the better part of the day walking around browsing and people watching, stopping only for lunch at a small pizza place where Carl "Sweet Pants" Meadors treated us to some delicious pepperoni pie. 

Nana and Grandpa Carl were great in letting us browse... they kept the littles out of harms way, and occupied.  I am forever grateful for their willingness.

We had made reservations to spend the evening exploring the mountains on horseback.  I had discussed this with Larger Child before we had even left, he was nervous, even at one point saying he was NOT going to do it.  I asked him if he would at least try.  I urge him to give things a go before he dismisses them out of fear.  He agreed. So, when it was time to head to the stables, frankly I wondered how this was all going to pan out with both of the kids. 

Once we signed all the waivers, fitted LC for his (required) helmet, we were paired up with our horses.   LC headed up the group on his horse Blue Duck.  She seemed PERFECT for him (mostly because he finally found a formidable gas factory opponent!). It seemed to only take an instant before LC looked right at home on her back.  The nervousness vanished, and what was left was one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen on the kid.

I was behind him on my horse Napoleon. (lucky me) He was a small horse with a small horse complex.  He and I got along just great as well.  Behind me was Grandpa Carl on his white horse, Roman.  This horse was kind of an ornery bully.  He kept getting right up behind Napoleon and frankly hacking him off, lots of head turning, snorting, and tail whipping.  I was afraid we might have a horse fight on our hands at some point, but they managed to hold it together. Behind them was AMIL on her pretty brown horse named JG.  They got along like peas and carrots as well.  And bringing up the rear was BBH and SC on Moonlight. Moonlight was a very VERY large black horse, that seemed to understand he had precious cargo on his back.  He took his time.  He was methodical and S-L-O-W.  We often had to stop all our horses to allow Moonlight to catch up.

Once we got to the top of the mountain (about a two hour ride) we stopped for a steak dinner, picnic style.  Then we mounted back up, and rode back down.  The kids did remarkably well... the only complaint came from SC's legs hurting from being spread apart that long, and LC complaining when the ride was over.  I was so so so proud of my little cowboys, and I gotta say the Marlboro Man ain't got nothin' on my BBH holding on to our baby riding a horse.  Pretty hot ladies! (I'm just sayin'.)

All in all it was a really great experience.  There is nothing quite like exploring mountains on horseback.  Watching those large animals navigate the rocks, and getting such an up-close and personal view of the scenery. I am so grateful for the once in a lifetime type of adventure.

Once we left the stables, we thought it might be fun to grab a drink, and take a stroll around part of Lake Estes to see if we could catch a glimpse of the Elk. (Whom I was told were "just everywhere" in town, but I had yet to see a single one.) We got about a half a mile around, when it thundered.  A few more steps, then the rain began.  Day two of getting rained on.  We got back to the car, and went home. (Sans elk sighting.) Dried off. Went to bed.  Exhausted, but very very happy. 

Day three began with breakfast in the condo, followed by packing lunches to take with us to the Rocky Mountain State Park. We spent the day exploring the Trail Ridge Road.  It is a road that spirals, swirls, and curves all the way to the top of Long's Peak where there is a very large visitor center and a walking trail that takes you to one of the most breathtaking sites I have ever seen.  The road itself has many pull offs, and it takes pretty much a full day to explore.   I was so impressed with the views.  It was unreal.

at this point, we are past the tree line in the area known as the "tundra"

this was on top of the walking trail past the gift shop. Nana and the kids opted to stay down.

view from the top of the world

It was on our way down from the walking trail that we got rained on... again. Being up that high, and with the air that cool, the rain felt more like rocks or ice hitting us.  It friggin hurt.  We booked it back down and to the car asap. Then we had a decision to make.  Should we go back down the way we came, or go down the other side of the mountain.  Being the adventurers that we are, we opted to see new sites.  We did see a couple moose, but then we realized now that there was a mountain between us, we were about three hours away from our condo.  Sooo, we opted to turn around and go back.  Despite the "wrong turn" we did see three moose, a marmot, and the elk I was promised.

Dinner that night was crock pot black beans and sausage.  It was nice to get back home to have dinner waiting on us.  We ate, and relaxed. 

The next morning, we headed to town for breakfast at the Big Horn Restaurant.  (It was delicious.) Then headed back to the Rocky Mountain National Park to do some hiking. This was probably my favorite day of the vacation.  Being on the trails, right in the middle of it.  It was gorgeous.  I felt, for lack of a better word, and to risk being very cliché, ALIVE.  I am not sure if I have ever been around beauty like that before.  It was intensely affective on my soul.

the back end of a mink as it ran off with a fish bigger than he was (another "big foot-esque" shot)

My Men. I am so blessed.

traversing the trail

at the top of Alberta Falls with sleeping SC in tow

He was out like a light.

 I have to say, seeing BBH carry SC around, climbing the rocks, and deftly scaling the mountain... it was impressive.  With the high altitude, I felt I was doing good to not be panting all day.  He was a skilled mountain man! It was endearing and heartwarming to see the two of them together.  I got all warm and fuzzy... twitterpated.

Right as we got back in to the car, after our last hike, it began to rain again... then it rained harder, and harder... as we drove back down the mountain, the rain turned in to hail, and I was grateful to be in a car! I couldn't imagine what the other hikers must have been feeling still on the mountain.  WE really dodged a bullet.

Once we made it safely back to the condo, we had dinner waiting in the crock pot.  (Stroganoff)  It was EXACTLY what the doctor ordered.  Early dinner, and feet up for a few hours left us rested and ready to go for the evening.  Once the rain cleared, we headed back in to town to visit a few of the shops we missed the first day, and get the most delicious ice cream cone on the planet for dessert.  A bit more souvenir shopping, and we headed back home to pack.

I was crestfallen to be leaving such a spectacular place.  Jokingly, BBH and I both discussed ways to make the vacation a permanent life change.  Everything from casting off the modern world to become mountain men, to following a roofer home to see how business was in the area.  But alas, the morning came, and we had to make our way back home.

Through twelve hours of corn.

 

 And boredom.

 

 

But at least this time, the kids slept... some.

It was definitely one of my favorite vacations... ever.  It was an experience like no other, and I will remember it always.  I am so so grateful to my AMIL and Grandpa "Sweet Pants" Carl for the memories.  The mountains are now in my heart, and I am pretty sure I am forever changed.

As Smaller Child said while we drove away, "Bye Bye Beeeeg Maawwtaaaaan!"