What I Learned on The Great Colorado Road Trip
No matter how well you plan, it's not possible to get five people into a car at the appointed time on departure day.
The speed with which a minivan with a roof carrier can go up a mountain pass and the speed with which it can go down the other side average about 50 m.p.h.
O on day 2, after doing some kind of coloring project in her seat: Does anyone have a stapler?
A roof box can open while going around a corner down a hill, spilling much of its contents, if you have not properly closed it.
Colorado is a big state.
There are a lot of hot springs in Colorado.
There are also a lot of mountains.
Funnydad could spend all day wandering in sand dunes. Dude likes moonscapes.
O on day 3, frustrated, Does anyone have a stapler NOW?
Four-year olds are not terrified by 32-foot ladders and small tunnels on cliff dwellings. They are, however, worried that the man with the hat [park ranger] will talk too long.
The most exciting thing about breakfast at the hotel for the girls and funnydad (!) was the waffle maker.
The most exciting thing about the car for the girls was the Magic Treehouse books on CD we had with us.
The most exciting thing about the car for mom and dad was grandma who was always at the ready to hand the girls dropped crayons, snack, or stuffed animal.
1055 miles in five days. Mom, dad, funnybunnies, and Grandma Mimi (funnydad's mom). Cool trip, loved what we saw, learned a lot about our "new" state. Have no desire to get in a car again for a long time.
There are more than 600 cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, a National Park in southwest Colorado. This is the largest. Known as the Cliff Palace it was once home to approximately 125 people. Each cliff dwelling was built into a natural overhang and near a water source.
Jon heads out to climb the dunes at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. These sand dunes are 750' tall, the largest in the country. There are several other sand dunes in the U.S., including others in Colorado.
There is a creek that runs near the base of the dunes. The bottom is sandy and the water is ankle deep. Perfect for kids.
M loves to pick bouquets of dandelions, and this field was a perfect spot. This roadside break was also one of our highest elevation stops of the trip, 9,500 feet (Boulder is at 4,500 feet, and tundra begins at 11,000 feet.)
O at one of our roadside jaunts.
The girls have started telling one another secrets. Here they're on the sidewalk of a mountain town called Ouray. It's in a stunning, steep valley, and attracts ice climbers in the winter and tourists like us in the summer.
The speed with which a minivan with a roof carrier can go up a mountain pass and the speed with which it can go down the other side average about 50 m.p.h.
O on day 2, after doing some kind of coloring project in her seat: Does anyone have a stapler?
A roof box can open while going around a corner down a hill, spilling much of its contents, if you have not properly closed it.
Colorado is a big state.
There are a lot of hot springs in Colorado.
There are also a lot of mountains.
Funnydad could spend all day wandering in sand dunes. Dude likes moonscapes.
O on day 3, frustrated, Does anyone have a stapler NOW?
Four-year olds are not terrified by 32-foot ladders and small tunnels on cliff dwellings. They are, however, worried that the man with the hat [park ranger] will talk too long.
The most exciting thing about breakfast at the hotel for the girls and funnydad (!) was the waffle maker.
The most exciting thing about the car for the girls was the Magic Treehouse books on CD we had with us.
The most exciting thing about the car for mom and dad was grandma who was always at the ready to hand the girls dropped crayons, snack, or stuffed animal.
1055 miles in five days. Mom, dad, funnybunnies, and Grandma Mimi (funnydad's mom). Cool trip, loved what we saw, learned a lot about our "new" state. Have no desire to get in a car again for a long time.
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