I’m not even sure where to start. Our trip was incredible and I could honestly write for pages and not cover everything. So I’ll stick with snapshots and thoughts; things I don’t want to forget…
Driving with two kids for two days is not that bad if you have enough entertaining crap in the back seat, you take the back roads and you stop at lots of parks.
Nebraska is actually quite beautiful when you get off the interstate; desolate and amazing. Just don’t assume that because there is a town on the map they will have food, gas, or more than a population of two. (Seriously: two. It was on the sign).
Fiber festivals are tough after you’ve been driving for two days. It’s best to say “hi” to the bloggers, do a little weaving, and send the boys back to the cabin and shop for a few hours. (Shopping update another day).
A Bed and Breakfast quality cabin is an awesome place to reconnect with long lost cousins, hang by the river, and just enjoy the peace and quiet, connectedness and absolute lack of anything necessary to do.
Getting the stomach flu on vacation sucks. And not the “I’ll just sit here and knit all day” stomach flu, but the “I think I’m going to die and I can’t even manage to crawl down to the lawn chair by the river to sleep” stomach flu.
I try to stay postive and realize I could be home with the stomach flu in a messy house with a husband stuck at work all day.
We were absolutely stunned at the beauty and vastness of Rocky Mountain National Park.
We spent so much time just out in the middle of nowhere, taking the boys on their first long hikes and enjoying the wildlife. The absolute best was watching it all through their eyes: Knittybaby discovering he can throw rocks in the water. Little Man struggling through his first long hike and being so proud for making it on his own. Watching their excitement at absolutely everything we saw and did.
Elk are everywhere. Everywhere.
Being up in the tundra is just incredible and I really don’t have the words to describe the absolute beauty that we saw…
It was difficult up there (the Trail Ridge Road takes you to the tundra areas) as it was not that easy to get away from the “tourist trap” part of the park, and while most people were respectful there were plenty that weren’t (like the man letting his dog run around precious, delicate tundra wildflowers; I’m still pissed at him) but we managed to have enough quality time somewhat to ourselves. And like I said, the beauty that is the tundra is just incredible. The wildflowers are stunning. I couldn’t get over them.
See the RV? There were a million of them, all on that road. This sad thing is I think a lot of people get up there and never get out of their vehicles.
I can honestly say this was the best vacation we’ve ever been on. We didn’t have much downtime and it was actually physically exhausting. But spiritually it was restortive in a way that we badly needed as a family, and I feel that even though they boys are little, this trip will always make up a little piece of who they are.
Knittymama 