Jamie & Lindsey came to visit last weekend. We had a total blast! Jamie had never seen the mountains, so we knew that was an absolute must before they left. They arrived Friday afternoon and we whisked them off for lunch and then to the pool. They had fun playing in the pool with Alex & Josh (Mattea was at preschool and it was nap time, so we didn't want to interrupt that!!!) Jeff actually came home from work early that day, so he was able to spend more time with them. We had some dinner and then did a fire in the backyard fire pit. It was great catching up with them!
Jeff had the foresight to urge me into making a reservation for a cabin in the mountains to make sure we got to spend a couple days there. On Saturday morning, we took off for Estes Park. We arrived close to lunch time, so we stopped at a mexican place for a bite to eat before heading to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). After lunch, we did a little shopping at the cute Main Street shops. Mid-afternoon, we finally headed up the mountain. Unfortunately, the weather had turned hazy and rainy, so the views weren't as spectacular.
After our drive through some of the park, we decided to check out our cabin. I had a hard time finding a reservation for just one night, so we were at an out-of-the-way location which turned out to be scary!!! We drove 12 miles away from Estes Park to the 2 Eagles Resort near Loveland only to discover that the cute stone house we had reserved was dingy, unsafe and just unacceptable for what we were going to pay! Jeff talked to the manager and we left in a hurry! YIKES! We were able to get a one-night reservation at Solitude Cabins where we had stayed one other time. The accommodations were fantastic and we were much more comfortable! Jeff & Jamie headed to the grocery store for some food & drinks and then came home to make dinner for the rest of us. It was WONDERFUL to just watch a movie with the kids and not worry about a meal!!!
On Sunday morning, we celebrated Father's Day. We had funny cards for Jeff and he got a new watch, a toothpick holder and a Rocky Mountain National Park t-shirt from the kids. We wanted to get Jamie & Lindsey back into RMNP for some hiking and some better views. It was a beautiful day with sunny skies and fluffy clouds. We decided to hike to Alberta Falls. The hike was fun and adventurous... we stopped for lots of pictures and took many detours off the beaten path. The views at the falls were spectacular and we took more pictures. By this time, the kids were getting hungry, so we headed back to the parking area for some lunch. We lunched at a picnic table near a stream which was really relaxing and nice. After lunch, we went further on Trail Ridge Road and stopped near the summit to walk the stairs to "the top of the world"! Mattea was napping and Josh had a really sore throat, so Lindsey, Jamie, Alex and I went up the stairs. It's a brutal effort as the air is very thin and the stairs seem to be never-ending, but the views from the top are amazing! It was very windy at the top and we were hurried back down as it started snowing!!!! The snow quickly turned into little hail pellets... not sure if that's what you call them, but they hurt when they hit our faces! During our travels in the mountains, we came across deer, elk, moose and even a black bear! It was unbelievable!!!
It had been a long day, so we decided to start back towards home. We made a pit stop for pizza at Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs. YUMMY! By the time we got home, the kids were sleeping and the adults were exhausted as well. Jamie & Lindsey headed back east in the morning. It was so wonderful spending time with them. Jeff did his best to convince them to move out here, but I'm not holding my breath. : )
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