Saturday, October 18, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Day Six - The Southwest
No exercise again. I'm gonna have to work hard to get back in a rhythm when I get home.
So this morning, Cole woke up first in our rustic little motel in South Fork, and wanted to do something to get on the road, so I suggested he shower.
That's when we discovered how rustic the motel was. A steady temperature for the shower was a luxury. He suffered through it first, and when Cory argued that he didn't wanna get out of bed yet, I happily went next so I'd at least get SOME hot water in case it ran out. Cory could have the cold one, if that's what he wanted!
Anyway, after we all got cleaned up, we drove into town a bit more and found a coffee shop that served breakfast, and we ate. And I also used their wireless and uploaded the 113 pictures I'd taken so far. Unfortunately that took some time and the boys got bored, so I let them go out behind the coffee shop and play for a bit. They found a couple dogs to play with and so it occupied their time just fine.
We finally got on the road at about 11:15 or so, but only had about an hour and a half to drive to get to our next stop, Durango.
We spent a low-key couple hours in Durango, mostly downtown eating a late lunch at Francesco's and then walking around the shops, stopping where we pleased. We hit a couple cool novelty shops, and then ended the adventure with a shop in a candy store, where I got an icecream cone and some freakin' good peanut butter candy they make, and the boys custom-filled 18" tubes with sour powder stuff, like giant pixie sticks.
We then filled the car, and hit the road for Mesa Verde. The entrance to the park was only about 45 miles away, but then we had another 20 mile trek up the mountain to the visitor center. When we paid our entrance fee, the ranger told us that we would probably not get up there by 4:30, which is when they sell the last tour tickets for the day. That put a mission in my head.
So, we bolted up the side of the mountain, and got to the visitor center by 4:25. YAY! We got tickets to the more adventurous of the tours, Balcony House. You have to climb up a 32 foot wooden ladder and then squeeze your way through tunnels and stuff to get back out of the dwellings.
It was a pretty awesome tour, and the ranger was great. Although, there was a kid about 13 or so on the tour that was just completely oblivious to social convention and kept farting loudly and saying "excuse me." I think he was an aspby.
Anyway, after the tour, we had another half hour before some of the other self guided tour dwellings closed, so we rushed to one of them on account of daddy (the boys didn't wanna see anymore) so I could get my money's worth.
We didn't have a place lined up to stay, and there's a lodge at the top of the mesa so we checked that out, but it didn't have a pool (which Cory really wanted) and the restaurants and stuff were too fancy for our tastes, so we headed back down the mountain, destination unknown.
However, we did decide that rather than sticking around this part of CO to see the Four Corners monument, that it was time to start back home, so we headed east once down the mountain, past Durango, back to South Fork before daddy got too tired to drive anymore. About 10:30 or so.
This time, we picked a nicer hotel for a few bucks more, but we get steady hot water, a pool, and a continental breakfast in the morning.
Now THAT's livin'!
So this morning, Cole woke up first in our rustic little motel in South Fork, and wanted to do something to get on the road, so I suggested he shower.
That's when we discovered how rustic the motel was. A steady temperature for the shower was a luxury. He suffered through it first, and when Cory argued that he didn't wanna get out of bed yet, I happily went next so I'd at least get SOME hot water in case it ran out. Cory could have the cold one, if that's what he wanted!
Anyway, after we all got cleaned up, we drove into town a bit more and found a coffee shop that served breakfast, and we ate. And I also used their wireless and uploaded the 113 pictures I'd taken so far. Unfortunately that took some time and the boys got bored, so I let them go out behind the coffee shop and play for a bit. They found a couple dogs to play with and so it occupied their time just fine.
We finally got on the road at about 11:15 or so, but only had about an hour and a half to drive to get to our next stop, Durango.
We spent a low-key couple hours in Durango, mostly downtown eating a late lunch at Francesco's and then walking around the shops, stopping where we pleased. We hit a couple cool novelty shops, and then ended the adventure with a shop in a candy store, where I got an icecream cone and some freakin' good peanut butter candy they make, and the boys custom-filled 18" tubes with sour powder stuff, like giant pixie sticks.
We then filled the car, and hit the road for Mesa Verde. The entrance to the park was only about 45 miles away, but then we had another 20 mile trek up the mountain to the visitor center. When we paid our entrance fee, the ranger told us that we would probably not get up there by 4:30, which is when they sell the last tour tickets for the day. That put a mission in my head.
So, we bolted up the side of the mountain, and got to the visitor center by 4:25. YAY! We got tickets to the more adventurous of the tours, Balcony House. You have to climb up a 32 foot wooden ladder and then squeeze your way through tunnels and stuff to get back out of the dwellings.
It was a pretty awesome tour, and the ranger was great. Although, there was a kid about 13 or so on the tour that was just completely oblivious to social convention and kept farting loudly and saying "excuse me." I think he was an aspby.
Anyway, after the tour, we had another half hour before some of the other self guided tour dwellings closed, so we rushed to one of them on account of daddy (the boys didn't wanna see anymore) so I could get my money's worth.
We didn't have a place lined up to stay, and there's a lodge at the top of the mesa so we checked that out, but it didn't have a pool (which Cory really wanted) and the restaurants and stuff were too fancy for our tastes, so we headed back down the mountain, destination unknown.
However, we did decide that rather than sticking around this part of CO to see the Four Corners monument, that it was time to start back home, so we headed east once down the mountain, past Durango, back to South Fork before daddy got too tired to drive anymore. About 10:30 or so.
This time, we picked a nicer hotel for a few bucks more, but we get steady hot water, a pool, and a continental breakfast in the morning.
Now THAT's livin'!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Day Five - Interesting People Day
Again with the no exercise.
Today, I woke up kinda early again, a bit before 7 or so, and while I dozed in and out for the next half hour or more it occurred to me I should finalize the plans with my cousin, Lance, for breakfast which was right around the corner. So, rather than wake him with a crazy-early phone call, I think I woke him with a crazy-early text, to which he responded rather quickly much to my surprise.
A few texts back and forth and we had nailed down breakfast at King's Chef at 9:30.
That gave me enough time, I thought, to shower and cruise down I-25 to the next exit (where the nearest laundromat was) to do the piled-up laundry. So, I hustled into the shower, and leaving the kids with their computer time and a TV remote, rushed down there by 8:10. I knew that was pushin' the time-table a bit, but better to do it then than to cut into our day's adventures.
I got three loads going, then ran down the street to get an americano before coming back to wait for the wash cycles to finish. There was one other person there, an older woman, who, after some exchanges about which machines were faulty and how to operate those that weren't, felt comfortable enough to say the following: "I know it is none of my business, but I was wondering who you thought you might be voting for. I'm hoping you can give me a little hope."
When I said that Obama was my man, it became clear that I'd eroded her hope rather than added to it, and she launched into a handful of things she saw wrong with Obama. Exactly why I don't enjoy talking politics. She was quite clear, at least, that his being black wasn't one of the issues, but she outright called him corrupt and that he'd just make promises to the "gimme, gimme" folk and plunge the country into deep trouble, deeper even than the trouble we're in right now.
I did what I usually do when presented with conflict of this sort and tried to find the common ground between us, because I'm not about to defend my position, nor try to convince any one else out of theirs when it comes to politics. It is a game I don't play, like pinochle.
Anyway, this conversation took us well past most of my clothes being dried and folded, save one damp sweatshirt that just didn't want to let me a) get out of this conversation, and b) get back to the hotel to pick the kids up and get them to breakfast on time with Lance and his girlfriend.
Finally, when 9:25 rolled around, I plucked the goddamned still-damp sweatshirt out, politely excused myself with a "nice talking to you" and a "good luck with the election", then bolted out to the car and rushed back up to the hotel.
I texted Lance to let him know we were late, but we got there finally around 9:50 or so and enjoyed a great breakfast, both in the quality of the food and the conversation -- Lance is always good for a great convo. His girlfriend was great too (first I'd met her), and we all had a good time I think.
After breakfast, we went to see Garden of the Gods which is just on the western edge of Colorado Springs. It is a series of monstrous, intricate red rock formations protruding from the ground. It was freakin' beautiful, but just about everywhere they wanted you to stay on the paths and sidewalks, which was counter to the boys instinct to run up to and conquer every single formation by means of climbing.
On the way out of the park, the boys stopped in the single-stall restroom together, and I waited a few yards away against a fence. It became clear after only a few minutes from the giggles and moronic sounds coming from the bathroom that they were in there fucking around AGAIN, exactly what I'd been harping on them for for days now. I was getting pissed, but as a line of men formed waiting, I saw this as an opportunity for a powerful lesson, so let them carry on as they would naturally. In fact, after a few minutes, I walked away into the parking lot and got in the car out of sheer embarassment, since everyone there could hear everything they were doing. Out of the rear-view mirror, I watched guys get fed up and walk away, and saw some pacing around, clearly agitated at having to wait while two kids fucked around in there.
Some 15-20 minutes later, they emerged prancing like idiots until they realized I wasn't standing there anymore. I could see Cole looking around for his vanished father, concerned, and saw Cory had left his sweatshirt yet again, in the bathroom.
Eventually, they found the car running, realized I was in it, and opened the doors to get in. Cory was met with a, "Cory, where's your sweatshirt?" and after an "awwwwwww crap", he ran off to retrieve it again. Cole was met with a "What were you guys doing in there?" When he started to fill me with some bullshit, I corrected him, and asked if he noticed all those guys waiting outside the door, because they, and I, could hear everything they were doing in there, and it wasn't innocently waiting for Cory to finish pooping.
By then, Cory had returned, and I said, "I want you to realize the impact of your behavior on others" and pointed out that those men were waiting for 15 minutes and getting pissed and leaving because they heard two irresponsible kids that should know better screwing around in there and wasting everyone's time. And I asked if they wanted to know why I was here sitting in the car. They both said "No." but I said, "Well, you're gonna know," and let them know that everyone could hear EVERYTHING they were doing, and I left because I was horribly embarassed.
A closing, "Are you guys proud of your behavior? Because I'm not at all." and I let the silence fall for them to think about it all awhile.
After enough time passed and they'd had enough time in the heavy silence, I asked them how they were going to prevent that from happening again. I got a couple good answers from Cory and prompted a couple from Cole, then said, "Alright, you're lucky because you're never gonna see any of those people again, and YOU can make sure that this stops and that nobody else sees you act like that, and we can get on with having a great roadtrip."
Then I put our audiobook back on and we listened in silence until stopping for gas an hour-and-a-half later in some tiny, barren little town, where we met the next interesting individual.
On just about every roadtrip, I can count on a great encounter with a gas station attendant, and this was our first on this trip. I paid at the pump, but we went in to get some chips and beverages to go with the sammiches I was gonna make, and when we went up to the counter, there was a younger guy with a scrappy beard and a baseball cap to greet us with a routine, "How are you today?"
When I said we were great and asked how he was doing in return, I got a sharp-witted, "Just enjoying another day in paradise." followed by a satisfied grin when I chuckled out loud at his response.
See, that shit is just FUN.
After making the sandwiches and passing them out, we got back on the road for the last stretch before hitting the Sand Dunes National Park before sunset.
We got there a little before 5 to some of the most amazing sights I've had on this trip so far. Literally huge, mountainous dunes of sand juxtaposed against a backdrop of pine and snow-covered mountains! We trekked and trekked to get to the top of them, stopping along the way to mischievously modify people's messages and make our own in the sand, make sand angels, tumble down huge sand hills and more, but the highlight came when we found an abandoned snowsled buried in the sand, not quite at the top!
We dug it out and had a ton of fun barrelling down the dunes, and not as much fun climbing back up them with the sled for the next person's turn. We did that for at least another hour before the sun started to set. Almost the whole time we were at it, we saw two tiny figures sitting on the tip top of the dunes way above us, and as Cory was bringing the sled back up for Cole's last turn, they'd walked down and were coming our way.
Turned out to be a mother and 12-yr old (or so) son, and I talked with them a bit. Turned out they were on a roadtrip too, but a 3-MONTH one, from New York. Holy crap was I jealous, and I told 'em so!
They were planning on heading up to Vancouver from here, then going all the way down the coast to Baja California, then cutting across Mexico and rentering the U.S. in Texas somewhere to start meandering home. Holy CRAP that would be fun.
Anyway, we let them have the sled after Cole's turn and wished them well on their journey and they on ours, then started the trek back down, got in the car, and hit the road for destination unknown. We wanna see Durango and get to Mesa Verde tomorrow before starting home, so the goal was to find some supper and some lodging somewhere between the dunes and Durango.
(That could be the title of a song, "Somewhere Between The Dunes and Durango")
We found both in a little town called South Fork, which is where we are now. We ate at a restaurant called The Shaft (all had the salad bar), then got a room at the Spruce Lodge, a little family-owned rustic motel by the highway.
So that's where we'll be until hitting the road for Durango in the morning.
So, in short, we met lotsa interesting peeps, had a lotta fun, and learned some important lessons today. A GOOD DAY.
I'll really have to get the pictures I've been taking up on flickr when I gets me some reliable internets, because there's some good'uns in there!
More tomorrow!
Today, I woke up kinda early again, a bit before 7 or so, and while I dozed in and out for the next half hour or more it occurred to me I should finalize the plans with my cousin, Lance, for breakfast which was right around the corner. So, rather than wake him with a crazy-early phone call, I think I woke him with a crazy-early text, to which he responded rather quickly much to my surprise.
A few texts back and forth and we had nailed down breakfast at King's Chef at 9:30.
That gave me enough time, I thought, to shower and cruise down I-25 to the next exit (where the nearest laundromat was) to do the piled-up laundry. So, I hustled into the shower, and leaving the kids with their computer time and a TV remote, rushed down there by 8:10. I knew that was pushin' the time-table a bit, but better to do it then than to cut into our day's adventures.
I got three loads going, then ran down the street to get an americano before coming back to wait for the wash cycles to finish. There was one other person there, an older woman, who, after some exchanges about which machines were faulty and how to operate those that weren't, felt comfortable enough to say the following: "I know it is none of my business, but I was wondering who you thought you might be voting for. I'm hoping you can give me a little hope."
When I said that Obama was my man, it became clear that I'd eroded her hope rather than added to it, and she launched into a handful of things she saw wrong with Obama. Exactly why I don't enjoy talking politics. She was quite clear, at least, that his being black wasn't one of the issues, but she outright called him corrupt and that he'd just make promises to the "gimme, gimme" folk and plunge the country into deep trouble, deeper even than the trouble we're in right now.
I did what I usually do when presented with conflict of this sort and tried to find the common ground between us, because I'm not about to defend my position, nor try to convince any one else out of theirs when it comes to politics. It is a game I don't play, like pinochle.
Anyway, this conversation took us well past most of my clothes being dried and folded, save one damp sweatshirt that just didn't want to let me a) get out of this conversation, and b) get back to the hotel to pick the kids up and get them to breakfast on time with Lance and his girlfriend.
Finally, when 9:25 rolled around, I plucked the goddamned still-damp sweatshirt out, politely excused myself with a "nice talking to you" and a "good luck with the election", then bolted out to the car and rushed back up to the hotel.
I texted Lance to let him know we were late, but we got there finally around 9:50 or so and enjoyed a great breakfast, both in the quality of the food and the conversation -- Lance is always good for a great convo. His girlfriend was great too (first I'd met her), and we all had a good time I think.
After breakfast, we went to see Garden of the Gods which is just on the western edge of Colorado Springs. It is a series of monstrous, intricate red rock formations protruding from the ground. It was freakin' beautiful, but just about everywhere they wanted you to stay on the paths and sidewalks, which was counter to the boys instinct to run up to and conquer every single formation by means of climbing.
On the way out of the park, the boys stopped in the single-stall restroom together, and I waited a few yards away against a fence. It became clear after only a few minutes from the giggles and moronic sounds coming from the bathroom that they were in there fucking around AGAIN, exactly what I'd been harping on them for for days now. I was getting pissed, but as a line of men formed waiting, I saw this as an opportunity for a powerful lesson, so let them carry on as they would naturally. In fact, after a few minutes, I walked away into the parking lot and got in the car out of sheer embarassment, since everyone there could hear everything they were doing. Out of the rear-view mirror, I watched guys get fed up and walk away, and saw some pacing around, clearly agitated at having to wait while two kids fucked around in there.
Some 15-20 minutes later, they emerged prancing like idiots until they realized I wasn't standing there anymore. I could see Cole looking around for his vanished father, concerned, and saw Cory had left his sweatshirt yet again, in the bathroom.
Eventually, they found the car running, realized I was in it, and opened the doors to get in. Cory was met with a, "Cory, where's your sweatshirt?" and after an "awwwwwww crap", he ran off to retrieve it again. Cole was met with a "What were you guys doing in there?" When he started to fill me with some bullshit, I corrected him, and asked if he noticed all those guys waiting outside the door, because they, and I, could hear everything they were doing in there, and it wasn't innocently waiting for Cory to finish pooping.
By then, Cory had returned, and I said, "I want you to realize the impact of your behavior on others" and pointed out that those men were waiting for 15 minutes and getting pissed and leaving because they heard two irresponsible kids that should know better screwing around in there and wasting everyone's time. And I asked if they wanted to know why I was here sitting in the car. They both said "No." but I said, "Well, you're gonna know," and let them know that everyone could hear EVERYTHING they were doing, and I left because I was horribly embarassed.
A closing, "Are you guys proud of your behavior? Because I'm not at all." and I let the silence fall for them to think about it all awhile.
After enough time passed and they'd had enough time in the heavy silence, I asked them how they were going to prevent that from happening again. I got a couple good answers from Cory and prompted a couple from Cole, then said, "Alright, you're lucky because you're never gonna see any of those people again, and YOU can make sure that this stops and that nobody else sees you act like that, and we can get on with having a great roadtrip."
Then I put our audiobook back on and we listened in silence until stopping for gas an hour-and-a-half later in some tiny, barren little town, where we met the next interesting individual.
On just about every roadtrip, I can count on a great encounter with a gas station attendant, and this was our first on this trip. I paid at the pump, but we went in to get some chips and beverages to go with the sammiches I was gonna make, and when we went up to the counter, there was a younger guy with a scrappy beard and a baseball cap to greet us with a routine, "How are you today?"
When I said we were great and asked how he was doing in return, I got a sharp-witted, "Just enjoying another day in paradise." followed by a satisfied grin when I chuckled out loud at his response.
See, that shit is just FUN.
After making the sandwiches and passing them out, we got back on the road for the last stretch before hitting the Sand Dunes National Park before sunset.
We got there a little before 5 to some of the most amazing sights I've had on this trip so far. Literally huge, mountainous dunes of sand juxtaposed against a backdrop of pine and snow-covered mountains! We trekked and trekked to get to the top of them, stopping along the way to mischievously modify people's messages and make our own in the sand, make sand angels, tumble down huge sand hills and more, but the highlight came when we found an abandoned snowsled buried in the sand, not quite at the top!
We dug it out and had a ton of fun barrelling down the dunes, and not as much fun climbing back up them with the sled for the next person's turn. We did that for at least another hour before the sun started to set. Almost the whole time we were at it, we saw two tiny figures sitting on the tip top of the dunes way above us, and as Cory was bringing the sled back up for Cole's last turn, they'd walked down and were coming our way.
Turned out to be a mother and 12-yr old (or so) son, and I talked with them a bit. Turned out they were on a roadtrip too, but a 3-MONTH one, from New York. Holy crap was I jealous, and I told 'em so!
They were planning on heading up to Vancouver from here, then going all the way down the coast to Baja California, then cutting across Mexico and rentering the U.S. in Texas somewhere to start meandering home. Holy CRAP that would be fun.
Anyway, we let them have the sled after Cole's turn and wished them well on their journey and they on ours, then started the trek back down, got in the car, and hit the road for destination unknown. We wanna see Durango and get to Mesa Verde tomorrow before starting home, so the goal was to find some supper and some lodging somewhere between the dunes and Durango.
(That could be the title of a song, "Somewhere Between The Dunes and Durango")
We found both in a little town called South Fork, which is where we are now. We ate at a restaurant called The Shaft (all had the salad bar), then got a room at the Spruce Lodge, a little family-owned rustic motel by the highway.
So that's where we'll be until hitting the road for Durango in the morning.
So, in short, we met lotsa interesting peeps, had a lotta fun, and learned some important lessons today. A GOOD DAY.
I'll really have to get the pictures I've been taking up on flickr when I gets me some reliable internets, because there's some good'uns in there!
More tomorrow!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Day Four - Making Our Way South
No exercise today. I'm sure I'm going to regret the lack of structured exercise when I get back and step on the scale, but I've been getting some happenstantial exercise in at least!
So this morning, we woke up in our cabin-shack nice and toasty warm, about as the sun rose. I, of course, had to pee like every other morning, but sans bathroom, our only option was to trompse out into the sub-freezing weather and piss in the trees.
Which I did.
When I came back in the boys were stirring, and as I donned my cheapo winter coat from Walmart, I told them I was gonna go out and find where the real bathrooms were. I walked around the cabin loop, not venturing too far, and didn't find them. When I returned, I found Cory locked out in his jammies, after he'd made the morning trompse as well.
He blamed Cole, but the cabin doorknob turns from the inside but not the outside when it is locked, and it'd been locked all night. I recall Cole getting up at some point during the night to pee outside too, but he must not have let the door close all the way like I did this morning, else the poor kid would have been locked out while we were both asleep! And, the bears!
Anyway, we all got our coats and hats and gloves on (well, Cory's ONE glove. He's already lost the other) and then explored around Steamboat Lake a bit before packing up the cabin and heading out.
It was another hour to get back to Steamboat Springs for breakfast, so we turned The Golden Compass back on and listened while we drove. After a hearty and relaxed breakfast at The Shack Cafe, we hit the road again back towards Denver.
On the way there, Cory wanted deperately to do some climbing, so we found a trailhead alongside the road in a BEAUTIFUL part of the mountains and spent about an hour climbing almost to the top. There was snow everywhere, so it was a bit slippery, but the boys enjoyed the snow at the base and got into a snowball fight. As with everything with boys, it was fun at first, but escalated to the point that one got pissed at the other and Daddy had to put the kabosh on it before both were crying. I got some good pictures of the fun part though.
Anyway, back mid-statish, our goal was to hit three places: Tiny Town, The Coney Island Hot Dog stand, and The Buck Snort Saloon, then go on to Colorado Springs for the night.
By 5:25, we were 1 for 3.
Tiny Town was closed for the season, but we found The Coney Island after some shenanigans with Google Maps on my phone leading us astray. We had a late afternoon hotdog snack (nachos for Cole), then played a bit by the river in front, and with a dog that'd found us before heading to the Buck Snort in Pine.
In the Pine area, we saw some of the absolute coolest scenery yet, and so were excited to get to the saloon for supper (even though we weren't that hungry after the hotdogs), which is perched atop some major rocks and a gorge.
Much to our dismay, we pulled in at 5:25 to find out they closed at 5. Apparently, the whole town of Pine shuts down at 5 too, so we trudged back, having gone well outta our way to see the stuff, with a bit of a sense of failure.
The good news is, though, that we then just hit the road for Colorado Springs, which we got to early enough as a result of the two closures to have a late supper with my cousin Marisa. However, none of us had showered due to our rustic accommodations last night, so first st was to check into the hotel (Hyatt Place, very nice!) and shower up, quick like a flash.
She chose Fargo Pizza for us, which was a pretty cool parlour-type pizza joint with an arcade in the front.
We ate, caught up, and played, then parted ways and headed back to the hotel for an early bedtime again, like 9:45.
So, despite the disappointments today, it was a pretty good day all 'round.
So this morning, we woke up in our cabin-shack nice and toasty warm, about as the sun rose. I, of course, had to pee like every other morning, but sans bathroom, our only option was to trompse out into the sub-freezing weather and piss in the trees.
Which I did.
When I came back in the boys were stirring, and as I donned my cheapo winter coat from Walmart, I told them I was gonna go out and find where the real bathrooms were. I walked around the cabin loop, not venturing too far, and didn't find them. When I returned, I found Cory locked out in his jammies, after he'd made the morning trompse as well.
He blamed Cole, but the cabin doorknob turns from the inside but not the outside when it is locked, and it'd been locked all night. I recall Cole getting up at some point during the night to pee outside too, but he must not have let the door close all the way like I did this morning, else the poor kid would have been locked out while we were both asleep! And, the bears!
Anyway, we all got our coats and hats and gloves on (well, Cory's ONE glove. He's already lost the other) and then explored around Steamboat Lake a bit before packing up the cabin and heading out.
It was another hour to get back to Steamboat Springs for breakfast, so we turned The Golden Compass back on and listened while we drove. After a hearty and relaxed breakfast at The Shack Cafe, we hit the road again back towards Denver.
On the way there, Cory wanted deperately to do some climbing, so we found a trailhead alongside the road in a BEAUTIFUL part of the mountains and spent about an hour climbing almost to the top. There was snow everywhere, so it was a bit slippery, but the boys enjoyed the snow at the base and got into a snowball fight. As with everything with boys, it was fun at first, but escalated to the point that one got pissed at the other and Daddy had to put the kabosh on it before both were crying. I got some good pictures of the fun part though.
Anyway, back mid-statish, our goal was to hit three places: Tiny Town, The Coney Island Hot Dog stand, and The Buck Snort Saloon, then go on to Colorado Springs for the night.
By 5:25, we were 1 for 3.
Tiny Town was closed for the season, but we found The Coney Island after some shenanigans with Google Maps on my phone leading us astray. We had a late afternoon hotdog snack (nachos for Cole), then played a bit by the river in front, and with a dog that'd found us before heading to the Buck Snort in Pine.
In the Pine area, we saw some of the absolute coolest scenery yet, and so were excited to get to the saloon for supper (even though we weren't that hungry after the hotdogs), which is perched atop some major rocks and a gorge.
Much to our dismay, we pulled in at 5:25 to find out they closed at 5. Apparently, the whole town of Pine shuts down at 5 too, so we trudged back, having gone well outta our way to see the stuff, with a bit of a sense of failure.
The good news is, though, that we then just hit the road for Colorado Springs, which we got to early enough as a result of the two closures to have a late supper with my cousin Marisa. However, none of us had showered due to our rustic accommodations last night, so first st was to check into the hotel (Hyatt Place, very nice!) and shower up, quick like a flash.
She chose Fargo Pizza for us, which was a pretty cool parlour-type pizza joint with an arcade in the front.
We ate, caught up, and played, then parted ways and headed back to the hotel for an early bedtime again, like 9:45.
So, despite the disappointments today, it was a pretty good day all 'round.
Hot Dog Treat
The boys and I stopped at a roadside beacon called The Coney Island Hot Dog Stand for a hot dog snack. Cole had the nachos.
But now we're not sure we're hungry for supper at The Buck Snort in Pine!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Day Three - Headin' Northwest
No exercise today.
This morning we kinda took it easy at the hotel, although it brought to a head a smack-down convo that needed to happen.
The boys had been acting like complete morons the past couple days, misbehaving, picking on each other, ignoring what they've been asked to do or not do, and generally trying CONSTANTLY to make each other laugh with whatever inappropriate conversation topic they can think of. (Think bodily functions and naughty bits.)
Well, I'd had enough.
So the morning brought the "shape up or we're through here" conversation, which resulted in scowls on all three of our faces as we headed out for the day. That said, today felt like the most fun so far, and felt like we'd started to finally get in our roadtrip groove.
After a quick breakfast at Einstein Brothers Bagels (we tried to find something unique first but failed), we hit the road and stopped first at Red Rocks Park and Ampitheater, on the far west edge of Denver. That was really cool, and after donning our gloves, allowed the boys to squirrel around and put smiles back on their faces. Cory & Cole hopped their way all the way down the seats to the stage, then climbed around the rocks a bit, but the best part was on the way out, when they wanted to climb some rocks.
We all climbed up a ledge by the car, which gave view of a giant hillside that the boys were aching to climb, to the top. So I perched myself on a rock, and said "go to it!" figuring there was probably no better way for them to shake off some of their "moron energy" than some physical exhertion. I watched as they climbed and climbed and turned into ants at the top of the hill. The whole time, we were in earshot and could shout back-and-forth, and the rule was that they had to be able to see me (so I could see them), which they generally obeyed.
In fact, when nature called and I had to duck behind a tree, Cole seemed to have a mini panic attack from 4/5ths the way up that I'd left!
After they came back down all damp and dirty, we climbed in the car and headed west to Idaho Springs for lunch. We partook in a custom-crafted Mountain Pie pizza at Beau Jo's, a Colorado standard pizza place, played some arcade games after, then walked along the main drag and checked out some of their nifty shops.
We saddled up again around 3 and headed into the mountains towards Steamboat Springs, which was our destination for the night. On the way up we listened to three more chapters of The Golden Compass (thanks Lisa & David!) which helped the time pass, and actually led to Cole's first car-nap, proof that the earlier climb did its job.
When we arrived in town, we went straight to Strawberry Park's hot springs, which is what lured us up there, on the recommendation of Cole's Wings teacher. It is a series of rock pools set in the mountains, all different temps. When we walked up to the admission wagon, the creepy old guy in there said in his creepy monotone voice, "Ah... More victims."
We paid the fee and rented some towels from him, then got our swimsuits and changed into them in a teepee before venturing out, half naked, into the 28-degree surroundings. Needless to say, we scurried quickly to what turned out to be the hottest pool (some 110 degrees) and as soon as our boy-vittles were accustomed to the hot water, plunged ourselves into it.
Man it was NICE!
It was pretty cool to be just kinda floating, steam from the pools rising into the cold mountain air, in a beautiful wilderness, and the boys had a blast. Highlight of my day, and the trip so far.
That is, until it started getting dark and we had to get out. The pools are clothing-optional after dark, and while we didn't wanna be seeing any of that flesh carnival, we also had to find the rustic cabin I'd rented an hour north yet, on Steamboat Lake. But really, getting out meant braving the cold in nothing but a wet swimsuit and a flimsy towel.
After we got dressed again in the aforementioned teepee, we rushed back to the car and cranked the heat for the drive back into town. In town, we stopped at a gas station and got some provisions -- chips, drinks, Subway sammiches, and some muffins for the morning -- then hit the road for our next adventure, finding this rustic no-running-water cabin at a state park in the dark.
When Google Maps had us turn on what turned into a dark, unpaved road for about 12 miles of the trip, I began questioning the wisdom of my choice of accommodations, wondering if a) we'd arrive there too late -- after the park gates closed perhaps -- and if b) we'd really be able to find it from the sketchy directions I had.
Cole fell asleep again on the drive, but Cory was awake to witness us passing two cows within 4 feet of the car, which, combined with a couple unintended turn-arounds, is what prompted him to say, "You really don't know where we are, do you?"
I reassured him (and myself) that of COURSE I did -- we were on the way to the state park, and almost there. Soon thereafter, we saw signs for the park, and found that there was no gate, just self-service park fees to pay before entering. And, just as the guy said, cabin 10 was right there as we turned in, and had the porchlight on waiting for us.
Except the heat wasn't on yet, and it was 24 degrees up here. We unloaded the car, got our sleeping bags out, and cranked the little space heater, and then sat down to eat. The boys wrapped themselves up in the sleeping bags for the meal, and after we ate, layered on their jammies and we all turned in for the night, at about 9:30 or so.
A good, adventurous roadtrip day. THIS is the kinda day that makes these fun!
This morning we kinda took it easy at the hotel, although it brought to a head a smack-down convo that needed to happen.
The boys had been acting like complete morons the past couple days, misbehaving, picking on each other, ignoring what they've been asked to do or not do, and generally trying CONSTANTLY to make each other laugh with whatever inappropriate conversation topic they can think of. (Think bodily functions and naughty bits.)
Well, I'd had enough.
So the morning brought the "shape up or we're through here" conversation, which resulted in scowls on all three of our faces as we headed out for the day. That said, today felt like the most fun so far, and felt like we'd started to finally get in our roadtrip groove.
After a quick breakfast at Einstein Brothers Bagels (we tried to find something unique first but failed), we hit the road and stopped first at Red Rocks Park and Ampitheater, on the far west edge of Denver. That was really cool, and after donning our gloves, allowed the boys to squirrel around and put smiles back on their faces. Cory & Cole hopped their way all the way down the seats to the stage, then climbed around the rocks a bit, but the best part was on the way out, when they wanted to climb some rocks.
We all climbed up a ledge by the car, which gave view of a giant hillside that the boys were aching to climb, to the top. So I perched myself on a rock, and said "go to it!" figuring there was probably no better way for them to shake off some of their "moron energy" than some physical exhertion. I watched as they climbed and climbed and turned into ants at the top of the hill. The whole time, we were in earshot and could shout back-and-forth, and the rule was that they had to be able to see me (so I could see them), which they generally obeyed.
In fact, when nature called and I had to duck behind a tree, Cole seemed to have a mini panic attack from 4/5ths the way up that I'd left!
After they came back down all damp and dirty, we climbed in the car and headed west to Idaho Springs for lunch. We partook in a custom-crafted Mountain Pie pizza at Beau Jo's, a Colorado standard pizza place, played some arcade games after, then walked along the main drag and checked out some of their nifty shops.
We saddled up again around 3 and headed into the mountains towards Steamboat Springs, which was our destination for the night. On the way up we listened to three more chapters of The Golden Compass (thanks Lisa & David!) which helped the time pass, and actually led to Cole's first car-nap, proof that the earlier climb did its job.
When we arrived in town, we went straight to Strawberry Park's hot springs, which is what lured us up there, on the recommendation of Cole's Wings teacher. It is a series of rock pools set in the mountains, all different temps. When we walked up to the admission wagon, the creepy old guy in there said in his creepy monotone voice, "Ah... More victims."
We paid the fee and rented some towels from him, then got our swimsuits and changed into them in a teepee before venturing out, half naked, into the 28-degree surroundings. Needless to say, we scurried quickly to what turned out to be the hottest pool (some 110 degrees) and as soon as our boy-vittles were accustomed to the hot water, plunged ourselves into it.
Man it was NICE!
It was pretty cool to be just kinda floating, steam from the pools rising into the cold mountain air, in a beautiful wilderness, and the boys had a blast. Highlight of my day, and the trip so far.
That is, until it started getting dark and we had to get out. The pools are clothing-optional after dark, and while we didn't wanna be seeing any of that flesh carnival, we also had to find the rustic cabin I'd rented an hour north yet, on Steamboat Lake. But really, getting out meant braving the cold in nothing but a wet swimsuit and a flimsy towel.
After we got dressed again in the aforementioned teepee, we rushed back to the car and cranked the heat for the drive back into town. In town, we stopped at a gas station and got some provisions -- chips, drinks, Subway sammiches, and some muffins for the morning -- then hit the road for our next adventure, finding this rustic no-running-water cabin at a state park in the dark.
When Google Maps had us turn on what turned into a dark, unpaved road for about 12 miles of the trip, I began questioning the wisdom of my choice of accommodations, wondering if a) we'd arrive there too late -- after the park gates closed perhaps -- and if b) we'd really be able to find it from the sketchy directions I had.
Cole fell asleep again on the drive, but Cory was awake to witness us passing two cows within 4 feet of the car, which, combined with a couple unintended turn-arounds, is what prompted him to say, "You really don't know where we are, do you?"
I reassured him (and myself) that of COURSE I did -- we were on the way to the state park, and almost there. Soon thereafter, we saw signs for the park, and found that there was no gate, just self-service park fees to pay before entering. And, just as the guy said, cabin 10 was right there as we turned in, and had the porchlight on waiting for us.
Except the heat wasn't on yet, and it was 24 degrees up here. We unloaded the car, got our sleeping bags out, and cranked the little space heater, and then sat down to eat. The boys wrapped themselves up in the sleeping bags for the meal, and after we ate, layered on their jammies and we all turned in for the night, at about 9:30 or so.
A good, adventurous roadtrip day. THIS is the kinda day that makes these fun!
Ginormous Mountain Pie
We're having lunch in Idaho Springs at Beau Jo's. We custom-crafted our own Mountain Pie!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Day Two - Exploring Denver
I'm not sure what I weigh (but I think it is in the neighborhood of 159), 3.5 miles on the treadmill, about 3 of it ran, and 150/100.
Man, running on a treadmill in the exercise room just isn't the same, staring at the same shit the whole run. No bunnies running alongside me, no puddles to avoid, no passersby to say hi to or give nicknames to... meh.
After the run, we all went swimming for awhile in the pool. The indoor pool itself wasn't the warmest, so after about a half-hour, daddy got out and wrapped a towel around himself. The boys, however, raised it another notch by venturing outside to the patio where the hot tub was. Thing is, outside was about 36 degrees. So their schtick was to run out there, watch the steam rising off their half-naked wet frames until they couldn't handle the cold anymore, then run and jump back into the pool, which I'm sure felt considerably warmer than it had prior to their schtick.
After a bit of that, we went up to the room to get cleaned up, then headed out to meet Mandy (my cousin) and Jamie (her hubby) at Rosie's Diner in Aurora for brunch. It'd been awhile, so it was nice catching up a little, and the food was swell. Cory got his fill, and Cole got his stack o' cakes with berries and whipped cream.
During our convo with Mandy and Jamie we talked about our disappointment that Winter Park's Alpine Slide was closed for the season, we found out there was another alpine slide on the west side of town that they'd been to. So, some quick googling and I found out it was at a place called Heritage Park, so we went out there (a half hour away) to try our luck.
After a wrong turn or two, I found it. As we got out of the car, I made sure the kids were bundled up in the sweatshirts we brought because it was some 44 degrees by then, and I imagined it'd be cooler up the mountain and the wind in our faces would be chilly. We found that the park was open (albeit a ghost town), but the slide was closed.
Curses!
Anyway, during our walk, we found our sweatshirts weren't even enough for the non-mountain, alpine slidey goodness. So, I found us a Wal-Mart, and we bought some cheap coats, hats and gloves, since I knew we'd be headed up the mountains tomorrow, and the forecast wasn't much better than 42's and 45's for highs, ALL WEEK.
So, $100 later, and we're now equipped for the cool spell we'll be dealing with on this trip.
The afternoon was spent foolin' around at a couple cool toy stores (The Wizard's Chest and Kazoo & Company) and then a cool bookstore (Tattered Cover) and the more-cooler record store next door, before our dinner experience. I gave the boys each $20 to spend at Wizard's Chest, so we spent well over an hour just there! Oh, and we tried on some wigs.
When we were through with everything, we headed to Casa Bonita for supper.
The food was less-than-desirable, but we got to see high divers, a gun fight, a routine with a guy in a gorilla suit, and their roaming mariachi band. After eating, we spent some time in their arcade, feeding tokens to ticket games, and such classics as Ms. Pacman, Frogger, and Centipede (where daddy spent his time). Afterwards, we were tired, and headed home for an early bedtime (9:00 or so!).
Tomorrow, we head out for the Northeast. I'll update from the road!
Man, running on a treadmill in the exercise room just isn't the same, staring at the same shit the whole run. No bunnies running alongside me, no puddles to avoid, no passersby to say hi to or give nicknames to... meh.
After the run, we all went swimming for awhile in the pool. The indoor pool itself wasn't the warmest, so after about a half-hour, daddy got out and wrapped a towel around himself. The boys, however, raised it another notch by venturing outside to the patio where the hot tub was. Thing is, outside was about 36 degrees. So their schtick was to run out there, watch the steam rising off their half-naked wet frames until they couldn't handle the cold anymore, then run and jump back into the pool, which I'm sure felt considerably warmer than it had prior to their schtick.After a bit of that, we went up to the room to get cleaned up, then headed out to meet Mandy (my cousin) and Jamie (her hubby) at Rosie's Diner in Aurora for brunch. It'd been awhile, so it was nice catching up a little, and the food was swell. Cory got his fill, and Cole got his stack o' cakes with berries and whipped cream.
During our convo with Mandy and Jamie we talked about our disappointment that Winter Park's Alpine Slide was closed for the season, we found out there was another alpine slide on the west side of town that they'd been to. So, some quick googling and I found out it was at a place called Heritage Park, so we went out there (a half hour away) to try our luck.
After a wrong turn or two, I found it. As we got out of the car, I made sure the kids were bundled up in the sweatshirts we brought because it was some 44 degrees by then, and I imagined it'd be cooler up the mountain and the wind in our faces would be chilly. We found that the park was open (albeit a ghost town), but the slide was closed.
Curses!
Anyway, during our walk, we found our sweatshirts weren't even enough for the non-mountain, alpine slidey goodness. So, I found us a Wal-Mart, and we bought some cheap coats, hats and gloves, since I knew we'd be headed up the mountains tomorrow, and the forecast wasn't much better than 42's and 45's for highs, ALL WEEK.
So, $100 later, and we're now equipped for the cool spell we'll be dealing with on this trip.
The afternoon was spent foolin' around at a couple cool toy stores (The Wizard's Chest and Kazoo & Company) and then a cool bookstore (Tattered Cover) and the more-cooler record store next door, before our dinner experience. I gave the boys each $20 to spend at Wizard's Chest, so we spent well over an hour just there! Oh, and we tried on some wigs.When we were through with everything, we headed to Casa Bonita for supper.
The food was less-than-desirable, but we got to see high divers, a gun fight, a routine with a guy in a gorilla suit, and their roaming mariachi band. After eating, we spent some time in their arcade, feeding tokens to ticket games, and such classics as Ms. Pacman, Frogger, and Centipede (where daddy spent his time). Afterwards, we were tired, and headed home for an early bedtime (9:00 or so!).
Tomorrow, we head out for the Northeast. I'll update from the road!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
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