We recently returned from a fabulous vacation, just the
Ferguson Four. ‘Twas our first holiday away and it was truly fabulous, and left
us wishing for just one more day, as the best trips always do. Because of our proximity to the Rockies, it just made sense
for that to be our destination this year. Once we made that decision, the rest
fell into place. We heard about a special offer for pastors at the YMCA Estes
Park and so a few months ago I made us reservations for 2 nights there, knowing
it was risky but would hopefully be worth it (traveling with an infant and 2
year old that is). We decided to also stay 1 night in Denver as well, because
why not?
Monday morning we woke early, Dillon dropped the dogs off at
the vet, then we loaded up and were on the road by 830. I packed a snack bag of granolas, bananas, and suckers for back-up. We had the ipad fully charged
with a new show for Reese, and Lee was in a milk-drunk sleep. Dillon and I
exchanged a nervous glance and settled in for the 7 hour drive.
This is where I must stop to thank the good Lord above for
blessing us with a miracle of miracles. We only had to stop once (for lunch/to
feed Lee) and neither child cried once on the whole drive. There or back. Glory
was ours!
The drive was actually really enjoyable. Dillon and I
chatted the first couple of hours and enjoyed the scenery- rolling green hills
and pastures of antelope. We crossed into Wyoming and shortly after stopped at
Subway for some grub/diaper changes/to feed Lee. The second half of the drive we
listened to ‘In the Garden of Beasts’ on audio (true story of an American
family living in Germany during the rise of Hitler-fascinating!). The Rocky
Mountains came into sight to the west and we started to get excited! We pulled
into Denver around 315, found our hotel downtown (The Ramada). It was a decent
price and a mediocre hotel in a slightly sketchy part of town. Reese
immediately jumped around on the bed and it began to feel like vacation.
We freshened up and set out on the street. A storm was
brewing but we were determined, briskly walking the smelly and nasty streets,
finally reaching our destination, the state capitol. A few obligatory photos
were snapped, and then we stopped in for dinner at our favorite, Panera Bread
(a must since we hadn’t set foot in one since leaving Dallas). When our food
came, Reese lifted her glass and we all said ‘Cheer!’ to lovely meal. On our
way back to the hotel we passed by The Molly Brown house (a famous passenger
from the Titanic) as well as a beautiful cathedral. Once back in our hotel
fatigue set in and after giving Reese a long bath, we decided to get ready for
bed.
And this is where I pause to acknowledge the torture that is
sharing a room with your children. Our kiddos- delightful by day, turkey-butts
by night. Mainly just the toddler. Every night, the lights would turn off and
the battle would begin. For an hour she vascilated between crying for ‘bunny
blanky’ whom we had foolishly decided not take, and jumping around her bed
hyper. Finally Dillon was able to negotiate her to sleep.
Tuesday morning Reese was up around 6, so then we were all
up. Quick showers were taken and our car loaded up, and we were at Panera Bread
(again) for breakfast by 8. After coffee (for Dillon) and tea for myself, we
were refreshed and ready for adventure at the Denver Zoo, arriving just at it
opened, and thus securing front row parking. We slathered with sunscreen, put
on our hats, rented a wagon and set foot to the trail.
The highlight
of the Zoo, and debatably the entire trip, occurred in the gorilla quarters. We
entered the dark room and Dillon set Reese down on a ledge in front of the
large floor-to-ceiling window. A small crowd surrounded us, and we all peered
upon two huge silverback gorillas who were sitting against the back wall of
their enclosure. One them fiddled mindlessly with a large plastic
trashcan/barrel. Suddenly… he stood and THREW the trashcan aside with rage and
CHARGED full speed ahead straight for Reese! Most of us gasped and nearly
everyone leapt away from the window as you might see when people are fleeing
from a bomb or explosion, including terrified Reese who turned her back and dove off the rim just as
the massive beast threw his body into the plexi-glass. Dillons parent-instincts
set it before mine did and he was there to catch Reese mid-fall before she
crashed, while I stood frozen watching the whole thing unfold. After catching
our breaths, everyone nervously laughed and I turned to Reese who was clinging
(rightly so) to her Daddy and visibly shaking. A few people commented how they
couldn’t believe she didn’t cry, and wouldn’t you know, after we left that
exhibit, she requested to back again.
After that excitement we were ready for some normal zoo
shenanigans that didn’t involve heart-stopping attacks, so we hopped on the
little train, and went on to see the zebras, tigers, elephants and giraffes.
The trusty wagon served us well and the plentiful trees provided enough shade
that we had barely worked up a sweat by the end. We had heard mixed reviews
about the Denver Zoo but we both commented how impressed we were- it was not
too big or too small and we saw every animal you could think of. All in all, a
morning well spent, though by this point, we were ready to leave the city and
head for those mountains!
Of course we stopped for lunch at our beloved Chick-Fil-A
(another dearly missed joint that Rapid City lacks) where we filled up on
nuggets and waffle fries and let Reese play for a bit before getting back in
the car. The road we took from Denver into Estes was less direct than we could
have gone, but the views proved to be worth it. Clear blue skies provided the
backdrop for the snow capped mountains that grandly welcomed us. We wound our
way through the hills and finally arrived at YMCA Estes Park. I commented that
it felt a bit like ‘Dirty Dancing’, in that there were activities going on all
around us (tennis courts, people flying kites, large recreational fields and
playgrounds). Dillon checked us in and we unpacked into Emerald Lodge, our home
for the next two nights.
We decided to explore the grounds- Reese played on the
playground while we relished in the mountain air, and then headed onto dinner.
One of the perks of our package was all of our meals were included. We filed in
the dining hall among other lodgers and youth campers. It felt a little like
summer camp, which in this case was not a bad thing! After dinner Dillon and
Reese went to the indoor pool to burn some energy while Lee and I relaxed in
the room (I was able to do a little pleasure reading to my delight). After they
got back they washed up and we all walked down to the main lodge, and Dillon
suggested we get an ice cream treat and eat it on the large porch that
overlooks the whole camp. It was then that he commented that life doesn’t get
much better than this. I couldn’t have agreed more! The sun was setting and
there we sat, looking out at this beautiful creation with our two beautiful
babies.
The next morning we were at the cafeteria right at 7 where
we filled up before heading to Rocky Mountain National Park, just up the road.
Right away we saw cars pulled over so we slowed down, just in time for an elk
to walk right in front of our car. As we drove up to Bear Lake we passed a
green pasture with a creek winding through it and we pulled over so I could
snap a photo. Once at the base of the trail we snapped on our baby carriers, I
with Lee in the Bjorn and Dillon with the backpack for Reese. We quickly
realized that we were in for a strenuous journey uphill. It proved to be most
difficult and when we reached Nymph Lake we decided to turn and go back. It was
a beautiful morning, lots of people on the trails and even though we were
fatigued, it was so nice to be together amidst the mountains.
After the hike we drove through town just for fun, before
heading back to YMCA where grabbed a quick lunch. We then went to the craft
house to paint a piece of pottery- Reese chose a penguin and I selected an
ornament. Reese was surprisingly enamored with the whole process and painted
for about 30 minutes with Dillon, while Lee napped. Around 130 we all went back
to our room and got in a good 1.5 hour nap. We all woke afresh and ready for
our next activity, fishing. We drove to the small pond at the park entrance and
spread a blanket out while Dillon got his reel ready. Unfortunately our
adventure was short-lived because Dillons line broke, but we still enjoyed
ourselves. We decided to eat out in the city that night, and I had read in
Fodors that Eds Cantina had great Mexican food. It did not disappoint, and we were
both especially thrilled that the food was spicy- a rare find in South Dakota.
Dillon got Buffalo tacos, and I got fajitas. Afterwards we strolled down the
main street, weaving in and out of cute boutiques and art galleries along the
river. Reese was thrilled when we came upon a section of sand for playing in.
It was a lovely evening. We finally drove back to camp, and walked down to
continue the tradition from the night before, and each ate an ice cream treat
and talked about the day. Reese took a long bath and by then we were all
exhausted and ready for bed.
Thursday we loaded up the car, grabbed breakfast and hit the
road. It was bittersweet- of course we are never ready for vacations to end,
but we were so grateful to have found such an oasis, and already planning to go
next summer. The drive home was fairly uneventful- we listened to the USA vs
Germany game on the radio, stopped for lunch at a Subway in Wyoming, and ended
the drive with a bang… Reese had a huge blowout as we drove into town, so we
pulled over and changed her on the back trunk of the car.
It was overall a surprisingly easy trip to pull off, and I’m
so glad we were able to make it happen!
