Hello!! We're home--got back in late last night. We had an awesome time. We didn't end up taking our laptop like I originally planned--we couldn't get internet in our cabin. If you are interested you can view a slideshow of pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/mandklowe/Rock...key=JNTsXRFPp1I (click on slideshow for full picture and caption) and here is a rundown of what we did:
Monday: Our day started off with some nasty thunderstorms in Dallas. Fortunately we arrived to the airport in time for our flight--which was later delayed 30 minutes. Little did we know at the time that once our plane left the gate, we would set on the runway for an additional 1 1/2 hours before departing because of a ground hold from the weather. Pierce did fantastic though!! Oftentimes I find that he has more patience than his parents. He slept for most of the flight. Once arriving at Denver International we got our rental car and set off for a quick lunch and an 1 1/2 hour drive into Estes Park. Again, Pierce slept most of the way. I couldn't get a tight installation rear facing in his carseat in our rental car, so he rode forward facing for the first time. He loved it (he's back rear facing at home though)! He smiled and grinned at everything. It was exciting to turn to check on him and see him smiling back at us instead of the back of his seat. Although CO was supposed to be cold and rainy, the weather was beautiful ~70 degrees and sunny for our entire trip with cooler temps at night. Because of our delay at DFW, there was little time for our originally scheduled plans. We checked into our cabin which was set right on the Big Thompson River. We got settled in and then toured downtown Estes Park. It's a very quaint little town that has a rushing river running through it. Lots of shops and restaurants are along the waterway. We picked up some salad and pizza from a local pizzeria and met Mark's bro's family from Nashville back at our cabin for dinner (we saw about 15 elk on the side of the road on the way back). It was wonderful seeing Nashville--we haven't seen them since early April. At that time Pierce wasn't walking yet (standing and cruising though). It was really neat seeing him interact, running, and playing with his cousins. Every night we built a fire in our fireplace and opened our windows so we could hear the stream rushing by.
Tuesday: Our day started early at 5 am (6 am Dallas time). We went to a fantastic local breakfast spot who makes their own yummy granola. As we arrived back to our cabin there was a small herd of elk on the property. Then we met Nashville at Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked about 2 miles round trip to a gorgeous waterfall called Alberta falls. It was breathtaking. I love watching Pierce see something for the first time. It's almost like me seeing it for the very first time also except for in a new, more exciting way. We saw several elk and squirrels during our visit to the park. After an afternoon nap, we went to the on-site stables to pet the ponies and horses. Then we all met up for a hike around Sprague Lake. Next we went to dinner at a well-known B&B which had stunning views of the Rockies.
Wednesday: We had a more regularly scheduled day today, which included both morning and afternoon naps (previous days weren't exactly scheduled and were caught on the go). We had breakfast at another delightful lil' hometown cafe. As we were finishing up another diner pointed out a group of mule deer just across the street for P to see. We had a picnic lunch on a rock that jutted out into a beautiful lake called Bear Lake that we hiked. We met some very friendly ducks and chipmunks. Later that afternoon we hiked around Lily Lake. All were extremely gorgeous and picturesque. It surprised me that each of the bodies of water we hiked were all crystal clear. We got takeout from a local Italian hot spot for dinner and it was delish. Dare I say the BEST marinara I have ever tasted?!
Thursday: We met Nashville for an impromptu breakfast at another local cafe. We parted ways from here and they went onto Colorado Springs (and later to Texas to visit for the weekend). We returned to our cabin for a nap and to check out. We ate lunch at the same Italian restaurant we ordered takeout from the previous night--I told you it was good! Then we drove back to DEN airport for our flight home. Pierce was wide awake for the whole flight but again did amazing. We are super proud of him!
This was by far the most scenic vacation we have ever been on--the mountains are so majestic, absolutely breathtaking. Pierce loves to be outdoors and it was great peace of mind knowing the weather wasn't too hot like in Texas. We had a super relaxing time with beautiful scenery and delicious food. In fact, I didn't apply a brushing of make-up the entire trip. All in all a superb trip, but again, always glad to be at home sweet home.
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