Every year when we start planning our trip to Estes Park, we get so excited. Hands down it's our favorite vacation spot and we love going there. We have always flown with the boys but decided this year to pack up and drive!!! Mimi, Papa Jud and I loaded up the boys (Daddy flew out and met us there a day later) and took off for our 15 hour road trip. I was sort of dreading the long drive but it was GREAT!! Mimi came up with the idea to separate the boys--one in the middle seat, one in the back--and it was genius! They couldn't touch, fight or pick on each other. The first morning we drove from Austin to Plainview (about a 6 hour drive) without even stopping!
Reid was obsessed with the sprinklers out in the fields and yelled for everyone to look every time he saw one (and we saw a bunch!)
We did finally stop for lunch!
Welcome to New Mexico. We made it to Colorado the first night, but it was too hard to stop for a picture with the Colorado sign.
We stayed in Trinidad, CO. to let the boys out and swim. We swam until very late that night!!!
The next day we stopped off at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. We hadn't been there in about 20 years so it was nice to stop and re-visit it. And it's still just as beautiful as we remember.
Photograph courtesy of Reid Settlemeyer
There was a cute little playground tucked away.
Check out Reid's superhero poses
We arrived that afternoon in Estes Park where MeMaw greeted us at the cabin. Later that evening Uncle Jason and Daddy flew in to join us for the week!
We woke up early the next morning and walked around Bear Lake.
Is that not beautiful?!?
Daddy decided to "dunk" the boys in the coooold lake to help spike their hair!!
Glamour shot with Mimi amongst the Aspen Trees
We then hiked up Alberta Falls
The waterfall is behind us, but apparently we didn't take pictures of that?!?
Connor was convinced that a bear or mountain lion lived in the cave there in the distance!
Watching a chipmunk eat
Connor was talking to it like it was a baby!
Later that evening, we went back to the cabin where Connor learned how to play checkers!
And we celebrated Daddy's BIRTHDAY!!!!!
The next morning we drove up Trail Ridge Road. The boys were SO excited to see snow!
They loved hitting Uncle Jason with snowballs!
Can you tell that a little person took this photo?!? :)
Inside the gift shop at 12,183 feet elevation
MeMaw got suckered into buying the huge cookies for the boys!
Watching the 4th of July fireworks. Notice we are all bundled up!!
The two most awesome grandmas!!
Love this picture of Connor!
The next day we (aka Daddy) took the boys fishing.
We started off at Mary's Lake, but the fish weren't biting.
So we went to Trout Haven. This is the cutest place where you're (almost) guaranteed to catch a fish!
Reid had more fun playing with the worms than catching a fish!
All four of us tried to catch a fish and weren't having much luck. Then Uncle Jason arrived and caught a fish the first time he cast! Beginners luck, perhaps?!?
Connor wanted to hold the fish but it flopped out of his hands onto the ground.
Yea for Uncle Jason!!!
That evening, MeMaw and Josh cooked us some yummy trout!
Mmmm!!
Mimi, Papa Jud and Uncle Jason stayed at the YMCA camp. It's really neat with lots of activities for everyone to do! MeMaw worked there way back when, and Josh used to go to camp there in the summer when he was young.
The boys took an "all about bug" class which was right up there alley.
Doing some diggin!
Connor found a bug!
Reid kept looking and looking. I love his expression as he lifts up this rock and finds nothing.
After hunting and digging for bugs, we played Putt-Putt. The boys loved this!
In fact, they came back the next day and brought Daddy this time!
They also rode horses out there. This here is Strawberry.
And this is Shortcake!
Such a fun place!
Mimi, Papa Jud and Uncle Jason toured the Stanley Hotel, which is best known from the movie, "The Shining." Uncle Jason was a little too scared to take the ghost tour!!!!
Marne and Dan brought the boys a little basketball goal so they had fun playing with that. (And Mommy and Daddy might've had fun playing HORSE with it too!)
And we can't come to the cabin without eating s'mores!!
One day Josh and I zip lined at the Y camp. We had never done it before and I was a bit nervous.
Nerves of steel?!?
The climbing part was the hardest!
But once I got up, it was AWESOME!!! Josh took a video on his iphone, but I don't know how to upload it?!?
We spent one morning walking around Lily Lake.
Yea for grandparents!!
There was a Momma duck with several baby ducklings. They were so cute to watch!
See the dot way down in the water? That would be Josh.
Josh enjoying fly fishing while his little helpers waited with the net.
So pretty and peaceful!
Papa Jud, Josh, the boys and I hiked up Lily Ridge Trail
Hello Mimi!!! (she's the dot down below!)
Beautiful views!
C'mon Papa Jud!!
The boys made a finish line for him!
Reid didn't quite make it down the hill. We was worn out!
Josh showing off one of the fish he caught.
One day we decided to slide down this gigantic slide. It was SO.MUCH.FUN!!
I have a cute video of this too, but can't figure out how to upload it. I'll keep working on it.
Sorry, Papa Jud! :(
Too soon, it was time to pack up and head back to Texas.
We stopped in Amarillo on the way back. After a night of swimming, we were all ready for bed!
Overall, we had a fantastic vacation and it was nice to have our family there. Thank you, Nanny, for allowing us to continue making memories at the cabin. Josh has so many wonderful stories from vacationing in Estes Park, and I hope to continue that tradition with our boys for many, many years to come! I've already begun planning for our next trip! :)
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