Mesa Verde

Yesterday morning we headed to the Mesa Verde NP visitors center to get tickets for a cliff dwelling tour and to let the kids stamp their NP Passports.  We heard that on one of the more interesting tours you had to climb a 30 foot ladder to get to the dwelling, so we weren't sure if they would have an age restriction for that tour or not. We found out there are no restrictions on any of the tours (which is kinda surprising), so we decided to go for it, and bought our tickets for the Balcony House tour.  We had several hours before the tour, so we drove up to the museum to learn a more about the Anasazi (Big Sister learned a bit about them in CC this past school year) and to let the kids complete their Junior Ranger booklets.  Spruce Tree House is the cliff dwelling that's directly behind the museum.  We toured it last time we were in the park, when Big Sister was a baby 😊. Unfortunately it is closed for the foreseeable future because of a rock slide in 2015 and a potential rock slide that they are watching (and hoping to stabilize).  They still have great onservation areas open, and the kids were excited to take it all in with Big Sister's binoculars.  From there we drove around the Mesa Top Loop where we saw some pit houses, which were the earliest homes built in the area, and viewed more cliff dwellings across the canyon.  

Before our tour we read more about the Pueblo people in a book Big Sister and I found at the NP book store (educational books that the kids are interested in is my weakness!).  We decided that Little Bud should be in the hiking backpack for the tour, since I wasn't sure he would be able to safely climb the 32 foot ladder.  I wasn't overly concerned about the ladder until it was our turn to go up, but climbing a ladder that tall with people in front of and behind you on the ladder is not an experience I'm interested in repeating!  I was super nervous, but Big Sister (who climbed up on her own, beside me and in front of John) and Little Bud thought it was great!  The tour was very interesting, and we were able to walk around the dwelling, so I am thankful for the experience.  When the tour was over, to get back up to the road level we had to crawl through an 18 inch wide tunnel and climb up 2 - 12 foot ladders.  Little Bud stayed out of the backpack once we were up in the dwelling and climbed those ladders on his own (with John's help).  I was a nervous wreck again, but everyone else thought it was great fun!  So many times I find myself biting my tongue so I don't pass my fears onto my kids.  I think at best I'm only half successful at that :/

 

  

 

 

Taking the pledge to become Mesa Verde Junior Rangers :)

 

 

 

 

 

4 Corners

Today we made the short drive from Durango to Mesa Verde.  Once we were settled into our new campsite, we decided to head southwest to Four Corners National Monument.  My parents took us when we were growing up, and I always thought it was so cool to be able to stand in 4 states at once!  A while back they realized that their location was off a bit, so they had to move the spot (so I guess I never actually stood in 4 states at one time when I was a kid!).  When we made it back to the campground the kids went swimming while I washed our clothes (hallelujah for being able to wash 3 loads of laundry at once in the campground laundry mat!).  Then we headed back to the campsite, and Big Sister and Little Bud painted with their craft kit (thanks Papa and Grams!), while we made dinner. 

I think we were all happy to have a slower paced day!

 

We're each in a different state!

 

She's in 4 states at once!!

 

Happy little crafters :)

Durango Silverton and Animas Forks

Yesterday we drove into Durango to do a little shopping (which we quickly figured out is Little Bud's least favorite activity and one of Big Sister's favorites!).  We originally planned to take the train from Durango to Silverton, but when we tried to get tickets, they were almost sold out, and we couldn't find 4 seats together.  The lady who checked us in at the campground (where we got the last site!) told us that this is the busiest time they've ever experienced.  I think because gas prices are so low right now (on our last trip we paid almost $5/gallon for gas, we think our entire trip might cost about the same as what we paid for gas alone on our last trip!!), more people are traveling. So, I guess we'll have to ride the train next time we are in the area; which might be best anyways, since the kids will be older and better able to remember the experience.  If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend the train ride.  It is remarkable; the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. 

Since the train was out, and we had heard a lot of good things about the 4 wheel drive access roads around Silverton, we decided to drive up and check them out.  When we got to Silverton (which is a really cool old mining town where most of the architecture has survived), we decided to head along the Animas River to Animas Forks, which is an abandoned mining town or "ghost town" that has been somewhat preserved. The drive was spectacular!  Pictures don't even begin to do justice to the actual scenery.  All along the drive their were remnants of abandoned mines.  It was so interesting to check out the homes that were in Animas Forks.  I can't even imagine living somewhere so remote - especially where winters are long and harsh.  Several times the town was cut off for months at a time because of rock slides. 

 

 

The white part between the mountain is a glacier!  We weren't sure what it was until we saw one at another spot that was breaking up.  The glaciers slowly melt all summer long keeping the river flowing.  

 

 

 

 

 

To make blogging easier, I'm only uploading iPhone pictures, so the quality of all the pictures is definitely lacking.  On the trip, I'm trying to focus on capturing pictures with our Nikon, and John is taking a few iPhone pictures here and there.  Sometimes I find myself so preoccupied with capturing our family moments, that I don't fully participate in the moment, so I'm making an effort to go for quality over quantity in the picture department and spend more time looking at my sweet littles smiling faces. 

Pagosa Springs

On our way to the Durango area, we stopped in Pagosa Springs to visit the hot springs and they did not disappoint!  They have about 20 pools all filled with hot spring water (you can actually see it coming out of the ground in several places), and each pool has a slightly different temperature. The pools are just steps away from the river, so if you get too warm, you can go cool off in the river.  The view from the pools was amazing!  

We weren't sure if the kids would love the experience or not, but decided to give it a try, especially after hearing rave reviews from my parents, who visited a few years ago on a motorcycle trip.  We all had a great time - especially the kids; Little Bud didn't want to leave!  We all left feeling relaxed and refreshed.

 

 

 

 

My parents told us to stay away from this pool; since it's so hot, so of course Big Sister had to find it and put her toe in.  I got in about waiste deep before I had to run out!

Great Sand Dunes

Yesterday was one of the best family days we've had in a while!  It started out a little rocky, when Big Sister had a dizzy spell that we think was a symptom of altitude sickness.  We decided that John and Little Bud would go exploring while Big Sister and I stayed back at the motorhome to rest, but after an hour or so, she felt well enough to head out.  We thought we would take the day easy, but Big Sister was feeling better and ready to explore!  

We started the morning off at the visitor's center at Great Sand Dunes N.P., where the kids got their National Park Passports stamped and signed up for the Junior Ranger program.  They were given a book with activities to complete, which helped us to better explore and understand the park.  When we left there, we decided to drive the Medano Pass primitive road(at one point there was a sign that said "Point of No Return!" on it!!) that went along the base of the dunes and into the Medano Canyon.  We drove the jeep, but had to lower the air pressure in the tires to make it through the sand.  It was a beautiful and geographically diverse drive with lots of sand, cactus plants, streams, mountains, and pine trees.  Little Bud was so excited each time we had to drive through the steam in the canyon; driving through water must be extra thrilling to little boys :)

When we got back to the main road, we (and by we, I mean John!) aired the tires back up and decided to head back to the visitor's center where they had a program about the animals that live in the sand dunes.  After that, the kids turned in their completed Junior Ranger Programs and they took a pledge and were given a Great Sand Dunes Junior Ranger badge and shield, which they were super excited about!

It started to look like a storm was rolling in (one of the park rangers told us it storms almost every afternoon this time of year at the park), so we drove down the road a few miles to hike to Zapata Falls.  You have to hike up the steam and into a cave to see the falls, which was beautiful and amazing but the water was SO COLD (especially for us Alabama girls!)!!  Before we set out on the hike, we decided to offer the hiking backpack to Little Bud, who excitedly accepted (his little legs find hiking quite difficult).  He was happy and we were oh so happy to not have to listen to fussing and complaining during the hike; it was a win for everyone!

When we made it back to the campground, the storm was moving out, so we decided to try sledding the sand dunes.  The sand sled rental place is at the campground, and at first they told us that it wouldn't work well since the sand was wet from the rain, but then the manager came out and said if we wanted to go, she thought we could probably still sled in the damp sand, but she would waive the rental fee, just in case it didn't work.  The kids had SO much fun!!  The sleds probably didn't move as fast as they would have in the dry sand, but it was much easier to climb the dunes with the wet sand, so it really worked out perfectly.  The weather turned chilly and very windy after the storm, and we were all in light weight summer clothes, but the kids were having such a great time that they didn't complain about being cold. Little Bud climbed the dunes like a champ and after sledding with me a few times, he went on a few runs by himself!  We were so proud of him; the west is bringing out his adventurous side!!

The drive out was very challenging, even with the conveniences of the motorhome, but yesterday was perfect.  Exploring new places and making memories that we will carry with us forever is what it's all about for me. I'm so thankful for the opportunity that we have to travel with our kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bakersville, Wilder Home and Fantastic Caverns

This morning we took the jeep to a little pioneer village on the outskirts of Mansfield.  The family that owns and operates the village also owns a large heirloom seed company called Baker's Creek.  The village had beautiful gardens and several little shops and a yummy bakery (there's nothing better than fresh baked bread!).  When we finished up there, we went to tour Laura's houses on the farm she and Almanzo bought when they moved to Mansfield. We got to see Pa's fiddle (it's still played once a year at a town celebration!) and the desk where Laura wrote her wonderful books.  Visiting her house as a child is such a special memory of mine (thanks Dad and Mom!), so it was extra special to experience it again with Big Sister.

We had debated staying one more night in the area so that we could take the kids to Silver Dollar City tomorrow, but the heat index has been near 110 in the Branson area this week, so we decided that might be a bit too hot for Little Bud, who has always been sensitive to the heat.  On our way out of town, we saw some signs for Fantastic Caverns and decided to look it up (Google is so helpful!  How did we travel before Google and GPS??!).  When we read that you ride in a jeep to tour the cave, we knew we couldn't pass it up!  Little Bud thought it was super fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Columbiana to Mansfield

When we were planning our trip we decided to make our first stop in Mansfield, Missouri.  Big Sister loves the Little House books (she just recently asked John to start reading them to her again), so we wanted to surprise her with a visit to Laura Ingalls Wilder's home. A few weeks ago, I decided to check their website to make sure they were open on Sundays, and I noticed that the community hosts a play about Laura's life in July on Friday and Saturday nights, so we decided to leave by 7:00 on Saturday morning so that we could make it in time for the play. 

Our drive up was fairly easy (I-22 is finally open!), until Little Bud had a couple of rounds of motion sickness (not fun!).  Thankfully he recovered as soon as we stopped at the campground. 

The play/musical is called Laura's Memories, and it's held at a cute little outdoor amphitheater at the local park.  It was a fun remembrance of some of the highlights from the Little House books.  

 

 

 

 

Westward 2016

After a long break in motorhome travel, we are cautiously optimistic about taking a trip out west this summer.  We have a very loose itinerary, but our main goal is to have fun exploring together!  I love to plan, but in an effort to be flexible with our travel plans, I have not booked a single campsite for our entire trip!  We want to take full advantage of the benefits of traveling in the motorhome, and being able to stop and camp when we find a beautiful spot or even because the kids are having a difficult day, is one of the best perks of motorhoming. 

We are planning to break up the drive out with a stop in Springfield, Missouri to see the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and we are also thinking about spending a day at Silver Dollar City in Branson before we continue on to southern Colorado. 

Some of the places we are planning to visit are:

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Durango

Mesa Verde

Four Corners

Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Zion National Park

And if all is going well and we have enough time, we are planning to continue on into Arizona to see the Grand Canyon and spend a few days in Sedona.   

The kids are so excited for the trip, and I hope their enthusiasm continues even after the first 500 miles on the road :)  I put together a few fun things for Big Sister and Little Bud to keep them occupied during our trek West (and eventually back East again).  I also found some cool hiking vests with accessories to hopefully help our overall hiking experiences on the trip.  Big Sister loves to be prepared whenever she is out and about (you've probably seen her lugging a 20 pound backpack or an equally heavy purse), so I'm hoping these vests will take the place of that for our hikes.  They have little pockets to store treasures and a place for a notebook and pencil, and have clip on accessories (mini lanterns, a compass, magnifying glass, etc) and they even have a special pocket for her beloved binoculars.  

 

A Long Break

It's been a year and a half since I last posted to our little blog.  Around that time I realized that it would be very difficult to make memory books from our blog posts, which was one of the main motivating factors in starting to blog in the first place. After a few very frustrating hours spent online I discovered that to make an album from the blog I would have to upload every single picture again.  It seemed like too big of a task, and I got discouraged.

This summer I set a lofty goal to get our family photo albums up to date. The last album I completed was for 2011!!!  So, after a ridiculous amount of hours spent uploading pictures (if you're thinking of switching to AT&T as an Internet provider - just say no!!  Their upload speeds are aggravatingly slow...), I'm so happy to have met my goal!!  2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 are properly documented!!  Yay!  My plan is to simply transfer the written part of the blog into a document that I can print out and keep in a little notebook.  

As I worked on our photo books, I loved re-reading all of our family memories. There were so many things I would have completely forgotten about if I hadn't taken the time to type them up.  So, all of that to say, I've decided to start blogging again as a way to document our family moments. This time around I'll include a lot less pictures, since uploading twice (once for the blog and again for a family memory book), seems a little silly. There will be some pictures though- to keep the grandparents and great grandparents happy :)