Colorado Trip 2023, Day Six

Day Six, Friday, September 15, 2023

Good call to stay the night in a hotel.  It was raining when we left this morning and may have rained most of the night.

Our intentions were to be home Friday early afternoon, take Oldest Son to our house to get his car, swap Tim's car for my car and head to to couple's retreat.  We were going to do this without going in the house so as not to upset House Dog as Daughter and Son in law would be at work.  

As the morning went on I did not feel well and required a few unplanned stops.  Road construction was more than we expected and everything took longer.  We also lost an hour due to time zones. Early afternoon turned into late afternoon turned into early evening before we hit our driveway.  We swapped cars, got Oldest Son going, did not disturb the house that we know of, and rolled on out.

We did not get to the retreat until 9:15 p.m.  The first session started at 8 but we were there safe, sound and ready to take in what the Lord had to teach us.

Not sure when I will write again.  Thanks for following along.  Love each other while you can!!

Where we stayed:  www.Starlight-Lodge.com

Here are links if you want to see where we went.

https://www.glenwoodcaverns.com/

https://www.ironmountainhotsprings.com/

https://bullocksglenwood.com/ 

Coloroado Trip 2023, Day Five

 Day Five Thursday, Septermber 14, 2023

I have achey body parts, every where, can't even imagine ever eating again and want to just sleep!  I was warned about springs "hang overs."  Don't care. I would buy an annual pass if I lived here and build up a tolerance just to feel what I was feeling last night.  But today we pack up to leave.  Neither of us wants breakfast so we get a headstart.  The last place I wanted to stop was a scenic rest area we stopped at on the way.  It was getting dark when we stopped but the bathrooms were in the mountain side, it was right on the river and what we could see was so amazing!  On the interstate there is a sign saying some rest area is closed,  We don't think it was the one we wanted, but it was.  So sad, but now we are more than an hour ahead of schedule to pick up Oldest Son.  

Not sure exactly where we were but it was a winding (up) highway where the speed limit was 40 and that was pushing your engine.  I was driving and a very young moose wanders out to the road!  I slow down and eventually brake as it walks out on the road!  The cars behind are all stopping as well.,my  lane and the passing lane.  Where is mama?!  No sign.  It starts to lay down in the middle of my lane,  I am a good distance away but a little nervous still no mama.  The youngling changes it's mind, turns around and meanders back into the woods.  We wonder where mama is as it was a little wobbly walking, confused and seemed weak.  Just thankful it did not lay down and no mad mama showed up!

The plan was to drive straight back to Hudson, drop Oldest Son and continue on to our couples retreat by Friday p.m..  As the day goes on, the rain starts and the trip starts to get long.  We are still ahead of schedule even with the time change, and we decide to get a hotel and not drive all night.  In the mean time I read the schedule for the retereat for Friday and we can't check in til 6.  Good call stopping and sleeping.

Ugh for the day - walking around Walmart in Steamboat Springs or the hour we made up so Oldest Son gets every last minute with his friend. 

Colorado Trip Day Four, September 23023

 Day Four, Wednesday, September 13, 2023

The day we have all been waiting for, Tim and myself included!  The vacation starts.  We started the morning ar Rossi's, a Bavarian style restaurant.  Schnitzle is one of the first menu items. Next we were off to the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The only aamusement park in th US that's on a mountain top.  The only way up or down, even employees and the weekend bands, is a 2000 feet change in elevation by gondola.  Yes, I did it! The gondolas run year round, are mostly glass so you get the panoramic view.  I sat on the looking up side of the car.  Trip was amazing!  Until the top.  The gondola keeps moving to head back down and I had to leap for it the last minute.  Just kidding, it does keep moving but getting off is similar to an escalator only sideways.

So we are at the top, there is a sign saying there is a storm coming and the gondola may cease running at any time,    We get a lay of the land and head for the Fairy Cave. The two mountain top caves were the main reason we went up the mountain.  It sure wasn't for the rides, some of which took you over the edges of the park and into the ravine!  Periodically there was an annoncement that one ride or another was closed due to weather.  The cave was interesting and historical.  It was a very typical rocky cave but did have formations.  After having been in some very majestic and nature loaded caves it was a nice walk in the coolness and quiet.  The second cave was a bonus the ticketing lady threw in.  Very nice of her but about 300 feet in it I remembered why I didn't put in on our list of things to do.  It's 15 stories down with stairs .... and 15 stories up.  Husband and I waited in "the barn," the first large cavern, until the tour came back.  They had a bench so we weren't the first people to not go down!  As our party came back every single one except the guide was winded and one lady had to be almost prodded up the last flight.  No wonder the ticket lady gave it to us free.  The release we signed gave everything to her if we die in a cave.  Side note:  we were above the storms that were around us.  We had light winds and sunshine on the mountain.

Lunch was in the "Lookout Cafe."  That's as close as we got to anything over the edge up there.  I took a great picture of Husband with the view in the background and he looks photo shopped in it's so beautiful!  Visited the mountain top gift shop with sky high prices.  The ride down was a little rougher as we rode through some mild winds from one of the storms.

Worst part of this adventure?  Going in the second cave the guide tells we are surrounded by storms and could lose power at any time,  It usually comes back "quick" but she will help with turning on people's CELL PHONE FLASHLIGHTS!!  Ugh.  We left our cell phones in a locker because rule #1 was no cell phones on in the caves!  We brought our camera.  Apparently "on" is not "off" if you might need a flashlight or use a phone to take pictures.  She did not get a tip. 

Next stop was a Western store so Husband could buy a new Stetson cowboy hat in Colorado.  His hat now is older than our marriage and has a hole in it unlike our marriage.  He found almost the exact same hat and with 30 years inflation it was more the we wanted to spend on a hat he may not get 30 years wear.  The salesman, Wild Bill of course, helped find a a similar hat, got it steamed fitted and Husband was sooo happy!  I in the meantime shopped the jewelry store and found a beautiful pair of man-made opal earrings that I may not get 30 years wear!  Haha!  The walk back to the hotel seemed longer than the walk there but at least it was downhill.

Before we left Glenwood Springs I really wanted to spend time in a spring.  During the day I had asked random citizens of the town which springs were their favorite,  The one we heard most often was Iron Mountain Springs and pay for the upgrade to try the international springs.  To make them international they start with the natural springs and add elements to create international waters.  Bali, Turkey. Japan, Iceland, for example.  So off we went.  But we drove this time, I didn't want  to walk back after three hours of spring time.  It was every thing we were told, hoped for and needed to end the day!  Back at the hotel as our muscles and bodies came back to normal I realized just perfect we will feel in heaven compared to how much we feel now.

Colorado Trip 2023, Day 3

DayThree Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Patience and perseverance pay off.  After a few google searches, telephone calls and one YouTube video the back window is closed!  Not fixed, but closed.  Tim got it in an auto body shop who told us what is wrong and then maneuvered it into place enough for us to get fixed another time.  (or not!)

We started the day walking across the street for breakfast.  After the window was fixed we just looked around and realized we are less than a mile from anywhere we want to go!  

 One of the things we wanted to do on this trip was rafting on the Colorado River and hike the Hanging Lake.  These got moved off the to do list.  Ran out of time.  Quiet day for the most part.  Look out for tomorrow!

Colorado Trip 2023, Day two

Day Two, Monday, September 11, 2023

Get up and get going so Oldest Son can be to Steamboat Springs by 3, hopefully.  Pack up our rooms, grab breakfast, chat with some other people in the breakfast area.  Why does getting to be a certain age make others of a certain age think you "must" have something in common with them?   And "must" share?  I digress.  For those of you not keeping up on the car window problem, nothing can be left in the car without one of  us in there.  So as we resume our journey keep that in mind.  We head on down the road, no stopping for meals.

Eventually we are heading up the road.  And I mean up.  As we get closer to the Continental Divide the walls are literally closing in, its a 2 lane highway except for limited passing lanes, the higher altitude is thinner air and I begin to become anxious.  Rolling down a (good) window made it worse,   Closed my eyes, took deep breaths and reminded myself that with mountain sides that close at least we would not fall off the road,  Soon it was all downhill, still 2 lane, no periodic passing zones, but run away truck lanes!  We make it to Steamboat Springs, got turned around a bit with the three in a row round-abouts and a goofy GPS.  We were warned.  Oldest Son is now on his vacation with his friend and his family.

Husband and I are ready to start our first ever vacation alone together since we met!  This next part is only a couple hours of driving.  As we get closer to Glenwood Springs some of the "now whats" set in as we really can't leave the car anywhere for long.  The plan is to scrap all plans, look for a car repair place that can fix it Tuesday and then we make plans.  As for our hotel, oh my.  I knew it was not chain, it was kitschy even in the web pictures but I was not prepared for open, out in the open, see between the boards stairs going up!  And of course down.  Absolutely no chance of a different room until Tuesday.  We could cancel the whole stay and take our chances coming back on Tuesday or I could practice desensitization therapy and get over it.  Based on what I knew about the area we would not find a room nearby that night at most any cost.  So here we are.  In our assigned room and I am still breathing, shakily at times.  At least my phobia doesn't have teeth.  Walked across the street for supper.  

Did I mention there is a Subway next door?

Colorado Trip 2023, Day one

 Day One, Sunday, September 10, 2023

Up at 7 a.m. Plan to leave by 8.  Husband is making a big breakfast, cleaning out the frig, and I scramble with cleaning off the kitchen table so we have room to eat.  It was all last minute packing that was going in my back pack.  Camera, vitamins, glasses etc.  Just stuffing it all away and I will sort out later.  Got to get that table cleared!

Car's packed, said our good-bye to House Dog and heading down the road, little past 8!  Not bad for me.  Leg one is Husband driving.  About 11:00 I decide to get my back pack reorganized.  Remember I threw everything last minute in there to get the table cleared off for breakfast.  As I am digging away I come across the t.v. remote!! Next to my glasses case!  Both remarkably similar in size, shape, color.   I "phone home" to let them know I have the remote and don't knock yourselves out looking for it.  All good.  The Adult Children are savvy enough to work the t.v using the buttons on the t.v. most people don't know exist. 

Leg two driving is me at Sioux Falls, SD.  A few miles into the leg I ask Oldest Son to close his window, little noisy for this sometimes sensory challenged person.  Well lo-and-behold the window mechanism is broken and won't go back up.  Stuck open about 6-7."  There is a back story that is not part of the trip.  Further down the road buy some duct tape, dumpster dive for cardboard and cover it up.  Ugh.

Kadoka, SD was leg three.  Husband driving again.  We are now heading into the Badlands National Park to check out some scenery.  We are following Husband's truckers atlas, a AAA Trip Tik, 3 smart phone map apps and sailing along!  The roads are getting more "scenic" as the lines get thinner on the maps.  Soon we are on gravel, then huge pot holes with deep puddles that are rocking the car and splashing clay water every where!  At first its fun, still on a road on the map and vehicle is all wheel drive and not low to the ground. Then the car slides towards the ditch. Still ok and heading in the right direction.  At the top of the next hill we see the road ahead is almost vertical and looks like mud!  Now I am afraid.  Did I mention it's now getting dark?  We turn around.  Back to the last paved road.  We now have to go south when our destination is east.  The car is filthy, the cardboard held on the window, we are tired.  We get the hotel about 8:00 p.m.  It's now raining.  We have been driving almost 12 hours, check in, put a garbage bag over the cardboard window, and head out to Hot Springs, SD for an evening meal.  Every and I mean every, road in town in torn up,  Cones every where, it's dark, shift this way, shift that and not an open restaurant in sight!  I am ready to cry.  We finally find a Subway, closing early, most of the stuff is empty or put away.  They do serve us, very friendly, no bad attitude.  I would be slamming things around. Oh, we had Subway for lunch!  Second ugh of the trip.

Colorado Trip 2023, pre trip

Pre trip day Saturday, September 9, 2023

Spent all day getting house ready for family staying there, laundry, organizing things that were sitting around for months!

Oldest son was spending the night so we could leave early on Sunday.

Foster "furbaby" had left on his vacation the day before and no news was good news.

Daughter and Son in law came over at 4 to get "ins and outs" of the house and pets, So happy they are here!

About 9:15 p.m. I get a text from a number I didn't recognize and it was Oldest Son.  He had left his cell phone in someone else's car and need a phone number.  He later came to our house and the missing phone was delivered about 12:30 a. m.