Day 1: Ro Grande Gorge bridge, travel to Estes Park, Co.
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| The bridge, 7th tallest in the US |
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| Noah had concerns about the structural integrity when he spotted some rust |
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| Others were less worried about the height |
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| It's pretty far down |
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| earthship outside of Taos |
Estes Park, Co--YMCA of the Rockies. It's a family camp, full of activities and gorgeous scenery. because we bought a meal plan I was actually able to participate and have fun with the kids! What? a vacation for Mom, too? At least, I got to enjoy vacation once I got over my altitude sickness. The kids were hilarious in the dining hall, (predictably) going nuts with all the flavors at the soda machine, making up weird rules about the salad bar (only 2 croutons for Isaac and Talia per day. Don't ask) and wishing that the yummy mashed potatoes would make a reappearance.
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| We love our Zaky, even if he isn't so sure about us |
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| The view from the lodge room wasn't bad |
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| climbing wall fun |
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| mountain goat |
The climbing instructors used 'pumpkin' as a code word rather than telling the kids 'on belay'. So, "I got you, pumpkin" became a little joke for us to harass Isaac with. He really hated being called pumpkin.
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| Archery range |
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| We all tried it |
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| some of us even hit the target |
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| Most of us spent a lot of time hunting for lost arrows |
We made a trip up through the Rocky Mountain National Park to visit the other YMCA of the Rockies near Winter Park, CO, site of the 2017 Slade family reunion
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| We weren't dressed for the frozen tundra |
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| I never know tundra wasn't just a synonym for frozen |
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| Pretty, but coooooold. Even at the end of July |
National Geographic says that Rocky Mountain National Park is the 3rd most popular national park in the US. After the Grand Canyon and before Yosemite. I never would have guessed that.
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| Also pretty, and way fewer people than at Estes Park |
