Southwest Colorado Trip Notes

Becca and I have fond memories (good and bad) of road trips with our families growing up. There's something about loading into a car together and heading out that is just fun. With today's modern technologies, I think it makes it easier, although finding things to pass the time was part of the fun when my family trekked from Albuquerque to Florida every other year in two and a half days. We just got used to reading, sleeping, playing car games, etc. Becca and I love to travel, and this road trip ended up being fun, with some really good memories.

I think one of the reasons we enjoyed this road trip was that, even though the destinations were planned, we weren't on any schedule and weren't in a hurry to get anywhere. When we got there, we were there. Of course, the activities that cost the most money usually are generally forgotten, but the changes to the mundane everyday schedule is what is remembered most. Here are some of those things:

• Asher puking up blueberry yogurt oatmeal after an hour in the car. Becca catching most of it in her hands. We pulled over and took care of it, but yuck! Finding out that Asher can get car sick early in the trip helped us help him later in the trip when we were on switchbacks and driving over mountain passes. He either looked out the window or closed his eyes (both of which made him fall asleep, which was great) to combat it.
• Riley finding a tour bus at our hotel that had her name. Asher was excited for her, but at the same time, disappointed that he couldn't find 'his' bus.

• The kids loved the hotel rooms. Asher said more than once that he wanted to stay "for a hundred days." Tyson would get all goofy and do a dance every time we entered the room. It probably helps that we let them jump on hotel beds. I think they really liked that we were all in the same room. They seemed to go to sleep at night and for naps faster because of the change (and us wearing them out).
• The kids also loved the breakfast buffets at our hotels. We let them take their time, eat as much and whatever they wanted. Riley regularly out-ate her parents.
• Swimming in the pool at the hotel. On vacation, bedtime is a lot more flexible. We got into Glenwood Springs around 8pm and the kids were bouncing off the walls due to being in the car so much (and being in a new hotel to explore). So, I suggested that we go swimming and I think I became the best dad ever because they exclaimed, "we get to stay up late AND we get to go swimming?!"
• The activities we chose were fun for us adults and for the kids. It was like a super long Adventure Day (Becca has been taking the kids on an 'adventure' [something completely new, like a hike, new park, etc.] once a week during the summer and they always look forward to that day).
• Some of the scenery was breath-taking. The San Luis Valley was cool - totally flat, but surrounded by mountains. Crossing McClure pass was stunning. Aspen and pine forests covering mountains made me pull over. The picture below doesn't do it any justice. Sure, there were some desert and desolate spots, but taking mostly highways and back roads really paid off.
• It was just nice to hang out together as a family and do stuff together. The kids probably won't remember much of it, but we will.