For our last day in Colorado, we were very happy to allow John and Deb to show us the sights. They were excellent tour guides, taking us bouldering, to lunch at a local favorite, to see the university campus, and shopping (ok, the girls shopped and the boys went to a brewery). If you are ever in the Fort Collins area, I highly recommend them as tour guides! Our first stop was a marker for the Overland Stage Company. Established in 1862, the Overland Trail ran from Atchison, Kansas west to Oregon. This trail was used by the Overland Stagecoaches until 1866 when the owner sold everything to the Wells Fargo company, who continued to use the trail for 2.5 more years until the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869. The trail crossed the Cache La Poudre river in Laporte, Colorado, which is where this monument is located. Our next stop was bouldering (climbing on rocks) at the Horsetooth Reservoir. Since John is recovering from surgery on his ankle and I'm terrified of my children climbing on things, he and I sat and had a chat about water conservation and usage while Rob and Deb let the kids explore. This area was so beautiful. It was getting a little windy and cold, so we stopped for lunch at Vern's. Vern's is a great local place, with all kinds of taxidermied specimen of the local wildlife. Apparently Rob checked in a beer while we were there. After lunch we took a driving tour of Colorado State University, which is huge! Then we visited Deb and John's daughter, Karen, who was working and would be making dinner for us later. She is quite the chef! Then we split up, the boys went to the New Belgium Brewery (when in Rome) and the girls went shopping at Deb's favorite local store. I should have sent Anne with Rob, but I think I saved money by having her with me. When they boys picked us up, we got caught in a hail storm which, surprisingly, the kids enjoyed. Back at John and Deb's house, their daughter Karen and her boyfriend came over to make dinner. And boy, did they out do themselves! We had chicken tacos with homemade pico de gallo and guacamole. It was so good that Anne declared herself a "guacamole eater." Our compliments to the chefs! After dinner we went to bed early. Everyone was tired from the day's adventures and we were heading to South Dakota the next day. We really enjoyed our time catching up with the Mols and can't wait to visit them again!
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We were up and at 'em pretty early the next day. Our plan was to hit up Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, which are about 45 miles from where we were staying. Estes Park is sort of like the Gatlinburg of RMNP, its the touristy part you go through to get to the National Park. But my research had showed me there were a few cool things to see in Estes Park. After lunch (and a quick trip to the grocery store for more sinus medication because I'm allergic to Colorado), we visited the Stanley Hotel. I was so excited to see this place. The hotel was built by Freelan Stanley, who invented the steam-powered car. He came to Colorado in 1903 to take the "Rocky Mountain Cure" for tuberculosis. After his recovery, Stanley built a grand hotel, which opened in 1909 and boasted such cutting edge features as dual electricity (both gas and electric), running water, and a telephone in every room. The hotel operated only in the summer months, and was never profitable. Until... In 1974 a young writer and his wife were living in Boulder. They stayed too late one night in Estes Park and happened upon the Stanley Hotel as a place to stay. It was towards the end of the season, and the writer and his wife were the only guests at the hotel. They enjoyed a (very) quiet meal alone in the dining room. They walked the long, empty corridors. That night the writer, while sleeping in room 217, says he dreamed of his 3 year old son running up and down the empty hallways of the hotel being chased by a firehose. Three years later, in 1977, The Shining became Stephen Kings' third novel to reach the top of the bestseller's list. While the movie adaptation of the novel was not filmed here, the success of the story has rubbed off on the hotel, and it is now a tourist destination as famous as the national park to which it is adjacent. One thing that surprised me about The Stanley Hotel was it's location. It isn't in a remote corner of the world with nothing around it. It is about a block away from the main thoroughfare and you can literally see town from the hotel porch. If you were stuck here nowadays you could easily walk to get rescued. No need for Scatman Crothers to come save you on a snowmobile. Next we were off to Rocky Mountain National Park. To be honest, we just did a drive through and stopped at the Welcome Center to buy a pin for our board. Originally I wanted to do a hike, but the kids were not having it. After the beautiful drive through RMNP, we stopped in Estes Park and took the Aerial Tramway to the top of a mountain. This is a great alternative to hiking up a mountain, but I'm really afraid of these cable cars of death. They try to comfort you by saying the tramway has been in operation since 1955, but that doesn't make me feel any better! It's old, has this thing been inspected?? After the tramway, we drove back to the Mol's house. Well, I drove. Rob and the kids slept. John and Deb had a meeting to attend, so we took their suggestion and had Laporte Pizza for dinner. It was a nice little local establishment. After dinner we visited with John and Deb some more, and then turned in. It was another busy day on our grand adventure! It was time to leave Colorado Springs and drive north to Ft. Collins. As with all our stops, we were really excited about this one. We were excited for some cool things near Ft. Collins, but the biggest draw to the area was the chance to stay with our friends, The Mols, in their new home!
First we had to drive about 2.5 hours, but it ended up being closer to 3 because of traffic and a fuel stop. Oh, and I don't have any pictures of the drive because I was driving. Not the camper, the rental car. It turned out to be cheaper to rent it in C. Springs and return it in Ft. Collins than to do 2 rentals. So on this segment of the drive, the kids and I were in the rental car and Rob was alone in the camper. Maybe now would be a good time for a bit of back story. John and Deb Mol are long time friends of the Schneider family, going back to when Rob's dad was in the Air Force and they lived in Dayton. The two families lived across the street from each other, Rob even babysat their two oldest kids. Eventually, the Air Force moved the Mols and the Schneiders left Dayton for Kentucky, but thanks to the miracle of the internet, the families have stayed in touch. I first met them in 2011 when we visited Germany, where the Mols were living while working as teachers at the Department of Defense school. By the end of the 2017-2018 school year, both John and Deb were retired from teaching and they moved to Colorado. Upon arrival, we didn't really see Ft. Collins because our friends live north of the city in Laporte. The area where they live is beautiful, with mountains in the distance and a lot of green space. The house they built was a labor of love, and it fits into the landscape perfectly. They shared lots of pictures of the building process, so I knew which house was their's before we were even in the neighborhood. The Mols have two dogs, Weizen, whom we met in Germany, and a new puppy, Bruni. Bruni was quite the welcoming committee with an enthusiastic puppy greeting! The kids were a bit shy, but Rob and I were happy to jump into conversation with John and Deb. Our first few hours were full of the kinds of chats held between friends who haven't seen each other for awhile. Eventually we had dinner and settled the kids to sleep in the basement. We were taking a break from the camper and staying in the Mols' house. When they designed the house, they made the whole basement into guest quarters, with a living room, full bathroom and two bedrooms. It is a very nice set up! We had two things planned for our last day in Colorado Springs, but we ended up doing three. The plan, explore the Air Force Academy and have high tea at a castle (you know how much the Schneiders love to have tea). Before we left the Academy grounds, Rob wanted to get pictures of the kids. He was thinking that if they decide to go to the Academy for college, it will be really neat to have a picture to show them of their first visit. It did not go as planned. We returned to the camper for a quick change and to doctor Ryan's knee. It wasn't even bleeding, but he insisted on a band aid. Poor kid. The change of clothes was due to our next stop being fairly fancy, high tea at Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs! First, I failed to get a picture of the outside of the castle. You see, it's in the trees and the streets are windy up a mountain to get there. There is really no good way to get a photo of the outside. Please imagine it in your mind as a red sandstone castle (or Google it, no judgement here). Miramont Castle was built in the 1890s by a Catholic priest, Father Francolon. Fr. Francolon was from France and the castle was built in the style of chateaus he had seen growing up. He and his mother lived in the castle while he served as a missionary priest to the people of Manitou Springs. The pair left abruptly in 1900, returning to France with their treasures, but leaving the castle. One of the solariums has since been turned into a tea room and the castle is operated by the Historical Society. We toured the castle after tea. The kids were so good during tea, they ate everything and barely wiggled. Then they were good on the tour, even though you could tell they weren't into it (hello, they are 5 1/2). So after the castle we drove to the Ghost Town Museum. This is not my favorite type of activity, kind of a tourist trap without much actual history. But the kids loved it (and so did Rob). Time for dinner! Since the next day was Father's Day we went to Rob's favorite restaurant in C. Springs, Edelweiss, and had dinner in their outdoor Bier Garden. Unfortunately, all the foreign pollen was catching up with me and I felt horrible. After dinner, Rob and the kids danced to a lady playing the accordion. The perfect end to a great day in Colorado Springs! We really loved this place and I'm sure we will be back. This trip was my first time ever visiting Colorado. I was very excited to see super tall mountains. Just for a point of reference, the Air Force Academy is located at 7,258 feet above sea level. That's incredible! Our plan for the first day was to go see the Garden of the Gods and to have lunch at a brewery. But first, we had a beautiful morning at the camp ground, and Rob found a little too much nature for my taste! After a quiet morning at the campground, we were ready to head to the Garden of the Gods. This is such a cool park, and I recommend it to anyone who visits Colorado Springs. There are excellent views of the mountains, including Pike's Peak. There is an informative welcome center where you can learn about how the mountains were formed. And then you can hike through the rocks and do a little amateur bouldering. Take plenty of water and remember that you are about 6,500 feet above sea level, so don't over do it! We worked up a good appetite with all the hiking and climbing, so we headed to Trinity Brewing for lunch. The beer was good, the food was ok, and the service was painfully slow. We spent the rest of the day doing a grocery run at the commissary and hanging around the campground. This is the perfect speed for us. See a sight, then some downtime. I cooked dinner at the camper and we went to bed early. The elevation and time change, plus all the late nights playing with cousins had finally caught up with us! We were up and on the road early for our travel day. According to our plans, driving from the Olsons' place to our next stop, Colorado Springs, Colorado, would be our longest driving day of the trip (7 hours). We had also noticed on our drive into Goessel that there was a bad cross wind. It turns out that cross wind would be our nemesis. You see, a camper is just a great big piece of metal, and a cross wind is your worst enemy. At times, Rob was driving diagonally just to keep the camper going straight. It was a sustained 25 mph wind, with gusts up to 40 mph. We stopped once, just to sit for half an hour so Rob could rest. I'm not sure why people say Kansas is flat. It isn't really. I mean, sure, it's no rolling hills of Kentucky, but there is a gentle undulation to the land as it stretches out around you. And the first part of Colorado was the same. I was expecting mountains, but for a few hours, Colorado looked just like Kansas. Our first stop in C. Springs was the rental car place. This was hard to find, because they operated out of a car dealership. But the difficulty was made up for with a bouncy house to entertain our poor world travelers. Maybe here is a good place to tell you how mean we are as parents. You see, Anne and Ryan used 0 technology on this trip. So when I say they rode in the car for 8 hours, they weren't watching movies or playing on an iPad. On this trip, they had unlimited access to coloring books and crayons, dry erase boards and markers, books to read, and their imaginations. And you know what, they did great! I credit most of our success to our clothespin system. At the start of each driving day, I put up one clothespin for each hour we were driving. Then, I take them down as we get closer to our destination. They never needed to ask when we would be there, because they had a simple visual to let them know. With the rental car secured, we made our way to our C. Springs camp ground. And you guys, it was AMAZING. We actually stayed on base at the Air Force Academy, how cool is that? Peregrine Pines Fam Camp is the nicest one we've ever seen. It was beautiful, and quiet. Oh, I wish we were there right now. Oh, and no bugs. Did you know, there are no mosquitos in Colorado? I think it's because of the elevation? We had one last day in Kansas and it was full of cousin time and family fun. First, playing with cousins and a tractor ride for Anne. Then we all loaded into the Olson's "farm vehicle" and drove to their cattle operation. This is a beautiful piece of land in the Flint Hills. It has been in Kelli's family for generations. Now it is home to their cow-calf operation. When we arrived, the men had to do some work on some solar piece of equipment, so Kelli and I took a walk with the kids. After seeing the cows, we headed back to Ryan and Kelli's house for dinner. But before we ate, I had to prove myself. You see, Cousin Ryan had been giving me grief about cooking in the camper, and he insinuated I couldn't make a pie. So I did, my first ever camper-pie. Both Uncle Jack and Aunt Brenda were able to join us for a cook out for dinner. It was a great night of catching up. Rob, Ryan and the kids shot of rockets, followed by a fireworks show. The last thing we did with the kids was a haunted barn tour. Basically, the dads told the kids the barn was haunted and then took them into it to look for ghosts. Meanwhile, Kelli and Ben threw things around inside the barn and threw gravel onto the roof to freak out the littles. It worked! Our time in Kansas was coming to a close and we learned something that would be a theme for this trip, none of our stops were long enough. Although we were excited about our next stop, the kids would have been content to stay on the farm for the whole vacation. Thanks for your hospitality, Olsons! After spending the morning with cousin Ryan in the fields, our afternoon plan was to drive to Abilene, Kansas and visit with Aunt Brenda. The suggestion was made that we tour the Seelye Mansion, and it turned out to be an awesome afternoon. First, a small bit of back story. Rob's father is one of 9 kids, and Brenda is one of his sisters. She married Jack Olson and they settled in Kansas after he retired from the military. They have 4 boys, one of whom is cousin Ryan. So we drove to Jack and Brenda's house. Rob has a lot of fond memories of Abilene because when he was a kid they lived for a bit in Oklahoma and visited the Olsons a lot. When we arrived, Rob said the house hadn't changed a bit in 30 years. We were pleasantly surprised to find two of Brenda's grandchildren were there, Haley and Rebecca (daughters of Steven and Kelly). These girls are so sweet and jumped right into chatting with us and the kids, even though we hadn't seen them in 4 years. We loaded into two cars and took the short drive into Abilene. If you think you've heard of Abilene, Kansas before, you might have. It's the location for the Eisenhower Presidential Library, and was his boyhood home. Unfortunately, right now the Library is being refurbished, so it's closed. Instead, we were headed to the Seelye Mansion. In 1905, Dr. A.B. Seelye built this 25 room mansion for his wife and two daughters to live in. The family purchased most of the furnishings at the 1904 World's Fair, and almost everything in the house is exactly where the family put it. The two daughters, Helen and Marion, never married and lived in the mansion from 1905 until each passed away. In 1981, they sold the mansion to the current owner for historical preservation. After the sisters passed, the current owner began to restore parts of the house and opened the home for tours. Our tour was given by the owner, who had lived with the sisters after purchasing the property. He was full of stories about their lives, including how each girl had gone to school with one of President Eisenhower's brothers. The highlight of the tour was the basement, which features a rare box ball alley, still in operation. President Eisenhower bowled on this very alley as a youth when he was a guest at the house. Please enjoy these photos from our tour. I tried hard to pare it down to the most interesting. After the tour, we were all very hot. I mean, original 1905 mansions don't have air conditioning and this was Kansas in summer! So we took the kids to a good old fashioned soda fountain for some ice cream. Before dinner. I had to stretch my parenting ideals a lot on this trip! After dessert, it was time to meet Kelly at a restaurant for dinner. I'm not sure how, but I failed to get a picture of all of us together! It was great to catch up with her, and their girls are so sweet and funny. After dinner we drove back to Cousin Ryan's. It was a very full day! We were staying on the Olson Family Farm, but they are more than just farmers. Ryan works for the railroad and Kelli is a nurse. Farming is what they love to do, so, like our fore-fathers, I think of the Olsons as "gentleman farmers." On our first full day at their house, Cousin Ryan treated us to a glimpse of what that looks like. Ryan was off while we were visiting, and he took advantage of the time by planting a field. And we were more than willing to watch! But I guess you need a little back story. This year, Kansas has been having a pretty severe drought. The Olsons have a small cow-calf operation for cattle, in addition to the milk goats, sheep, and chickens. For them, the drought means the wheat harvest was bad, so they will need to buy hay to feed their stock over the winter. To off-set some of what they will need to buy, Ryan was planting a second crop of sudan, a type of sorghum. Through a connection at the local agriculture co-op, Ryan was able to borrow a no-till drill. This uses very sharp disks to cut channels in the field, and drops seeds at the same time. It was super cool to see in operation. Oh, and if you are a farmer reading this, and my facts are off, please forgive me, I'm just a city mouse learning along with my kids! While we were in the field, we took advantage of the situation to teach the kids about the food they eat. First, Rob showed them how the crops get planted. They already know how plants grow, with sun, water and nutrients from the soil. Then we showed them how to take a take a piece of wheat, get the kernels out, and eat them. We talked about how the wheat is ground into flour, which is in so much of what we eat. I think my kids took a lot away from the conversation, and they have a genuine appreciation for the hard working farmers who make the food we eat so easily possible. Poor Cousin Ryan had a few hours ahead of him with the drill, so we let him get back to work. But first, our Ryan stuffed his pockets with wheat, "in case I need a snack later." |