June 30, 2003
Vacation in Colorado
Lisa, Maddie and I vacationed in Denver, Colorado from June 8-16. We stayed with our friends Matt & Debbie, which made vacationing a much easier experience for all of us. Maddie was wonderful - no fussing, she was flexible with schedules, and she even cut her third tooth, all with hardly any complaint. Lots of pictures below, so enjoy!!
Sunday, June 8:
We flew to Denver, arriving in the early afternoon. That evening we went to Red Rocks with our gracious hosts. Travis Tritt was the headliner.
Monday, June 9:
We went to the Denver Zoo. Maddie was particularly entranced by the aquariums, watching with excitement as the fish appeared and disappeared through the water.
Tuesday, June 10:
We went to the Museum of Natural History. They had an excellent paleontology exhibit, with great dinosaur fossils on display. Maddie didn't get so much out of this, but Daddy sure did!
Wednesday, June 11:
We went to Six Flags. Highlights were the Superman flying coaster (ridden in a horizontal position) and the Mind Eraser, a feet-free coaster that was relentless. Of course, the wooden coaster was the best ride. Maddie had fun in the sun and rode a couple of rides, but wasn't so thrilled to get her picture taken with any of the "characters."
Thursday, June 12:
We left Maddie in the capable hands of Debbie, Nick, Christa and Alaura while Lisa and I headed to Long's Peak. We climbed to Chasm Lake (altitude: 12,000 feet) and had a great time out in the mountains.
A bit of history: back in 1977, my parents took my brothers and I on vacation to Colorado and hiked on the Long's Peak trail. I distinctly remember this hike, and the photo we took at the waterfall. (From the left, that is John, Eric, Chris (below) and my Mom (~7 months pregnant with Ryan)).
We found the same place and took a picture for posterity:
Here are the photos side by side. It really is the same place!
Lisa at the same place:
A view from just above the tree line, a few miles into our hike. Long's Peak is the center peak in this photo.
Taking a rest at 12,000 feet.
Just before Chasm Lake, we had to cross this exposed snowfield. You can just make out the trail starting at the right, crossing just about the boulderfield, and passing just above the double waterfall. The crossing was over 100 yards long, with the slope of the snow at over 50 degrees with no protection. A great opportunity for focus, as they say.
Lisa celebrates her successful traverse.
We stopped at this point, since the weather wasn't looking so hot, and exposure to lightning above the tree line is not considered a Good Thing. The upper mountain was iced over in the exposed sections anyway, we were told. A great view of the mountains, however:
Friday, June 13:
A day of rest and recovery. We took Maddie to the pool for her first swim.
That evening we went to La Casa Bonita for dinner. The entertainment was great: they have a multistory waterfall with cliff divers, pirates, duellers, magicians, and the works. One recommendation - eat before you go!
Saturday, June 14:
We relaxed and then went to visit a couple of local wineries. The vineyards are all on the other side of the mountains, but a couple of them press, cask and sell their grapes in the Denver area. One shop was 2 blocks from Columbine High School in Littleton...
Sunday, June 15:
We drove out to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. We took a short hike, then drove through the mountains.
(At the top of the mountain. It was quite cold, but Maddie stayed warm and cozy!)
Another "wildlife" photo for the books...
And a family photo to wrap it up.
Monday, June 16:
We packed up and returned to Minnesota. We had a great trip. Thanks again to Matt & Debbie & family for their friendship and hospitality.