Colorful Colorado!

As you know, we LOVE going to Colorado for our summer vacations.  The cool temperatures and low humidity make it a great escape from the hot summer weather in KC.  Not to mention the stunning scenery and limitless number of fun activities.  It is hard to believe that it's been 3 years since the last time we went there on vacation.  The kids are bigger now and can do a lot more stuff!

Day 1: Friday

We left around 6AM and were hoping to get to Breckenridge by 3 or 4 in the afternoon.  Everything went great until we got to Denver.  It seemed like the whole city was trying to head to the mountains for the weekend.  It took an extra 2 hours to get from Denver to Breck.  We were frustrated and exhausted...

...but seeing the view from our condo helped A LOT!  For the next 4 nights, this was our home.

We stayed at the Crystal Peak Lodge, which is right at the bottom of one of the ski slopes.  It is about a 5 minute drive up the mountain from downtown.  The free gondola runs into town, but if the weather is bad (lightening) then it shuts down.

We decided to brave the weekend crowds and go to our favorite pizza restaurant, Downstairs at Eric's.  While we were waiting we shopped a little (Elsie got this cute hat), and played at the arcade.  Then it was home to unpack and get some rest because we had a lot of things to do over the next week.

Day 2: Saturday

50 degrees and the smell of pine trees!

After breakfast we decided to go hiking.  This is a place called Blue Lakes.  There is an upper lake and a lower lake.  It's way up in the mountains towards Hoosier Pass south of Breck.

We must have been early because we had the place to ourselves for a little while.  As you can see, it's GORGEOUS!

We explored the trails around the lake and a really cool water fall between the two lakes. 

After we were done at Blue Lakes, we drove up to Hoosier Pass to re-enact a neat hike we did a few years ago that goes up towards the continental divide

4 years ago the kids sat right here and had a snack!  This time we decided to walk up farther because there was allegedly a snow pack to see.

Yes, it's dirty, but snow in July!

That was enough hiking for us.  We decided to go back to the condo for lunch and figure out a plan for the afternoon.

Riding the gondola is one of the kids favorite things to do!

They also nursed their sore hiking legs and feet in the hot tub.  :)

We spent the afternoon shopping in town, walking up and down main street.

There's a beautiful pond at one end of town that is shallow enough to wade in...

20,000+ steps for each kid!  No wonder they were tired!

Day 3: Sunday

AW YEAH!!!

The last time we were in Breck, I rented a bike and did downhill mountain biking.  I have been wanting to go again ever since.  Sunday morning, I was graciously granted permission to take about half the day to go mountain biking.  YAY!

Up we go!  

Down we go!

The lift takes about 10min, and then it takes maybe 20-30min to get back down as you crisscross through the woods and ski slopes.  The pictures don't portray just how bumpy it is.  There are a lot of obstacles to avoid and navigate your way through.  It got in 5 runs before lunchtime.  SO MUCH FUN!

And what did the kids and Sarah do while I was biking?  Bowling of course at the ski lodge!

Lunch on the balcony

After lunch we decided to do something low key because I was pretty tired and sore, so we went to the Lomax Gulch gold mine.

Gold runs all through this gulch, and they let you try and pan for it.  Anything you find you get to keep.

We worked really hard...

...but didn't find more than fools gold.  :)

Before dinner we drove about 10 miles up a gravel road to Boreas Pass.  We had never been there before.  The view from the pass over into Park County was insane!

Day 4: Monday

Monday was dedicated to the Peak 8 Fun Park...and it was a GREAT day.  The sun was shining, it was about 70 degrees, and the kids had SO much fun.

We got there right when they opened and rode the mountain coaster twice before the line got long.

Next up was the zip line!  This was one of the top things that our kids wanted to do on this trip.

They got to take a carpet ride up because they were weighed down with the harnesses.  :)

Right next to the zip line was a ropes course.  They swap out one piece of the harness and you are ready to go.

Also in the same area was "tubing."  Grab a tube and head up the carpet again.

One of the guys told us that it works on the same principal as an air hockey table.  Pretty neat!

After tubing we waited in line a LONG time for the alpine slide.  No pictures, but these are on the lift going up to the slide.

The tickets also allow you to ride the Superchair (because it holds 6 people) up to the top of Peak 8.  There is hiking, a climbing wall, an interpretive trail, and a lookout tower with AMAZING views.

Check out this view!

After we got back down we went back to the condo for lunch.  It was just one gondola stop away, so very convenient.

Sarah went downtown shopping after lunch, and I took the kids back up to the Fun Park to get in some additional fun and make the best of our full day passes.  Next up was mini golf, then the maze, and we rode the superchair again.

Owen rode the zip line 4 more times and Elsie went tubing a few more times too.  We stayed almost the whole day and had a such a great time.

A great end to the day...
Breckenridge had been fun, but our time there was over.  The next day we were driving to Steamboat Springs to spend the rest of the week.  However, we had one big activity planned to do along the way.

Day 5: Tuesday

We went rafting on the Colorado River!
Since it was our first time rafting, we picked a fairly easy trip.  There were a few small rapids, but overall it was a really scenic and safe.  The other family with us was really nice too.  

We stopped at a spot that you could jump off a cliff and both kids did it!  The water was freezing but you only get so many chances to swim in the Colorado River.   

 

This was not Owen's first time in the water that day though.  A little while earlier at a slow spot in the river, our guide said "who wants to jump overboard?  It's deep enough."  Owen said "I do!" and over he went.  The shock of the cold water sent him swimming back to the raft really fast.  I pulled him in by his life jacket and he shivered and smiled a lot. :)

The trip was great.  We left from Kremling, CO on a bus and drove about 20min to the spot where we got on the river.  Then they picked us up and drove us back to Kremling.  Afterwards, we drove about an hour to Steamboat Springs, where we were staying for the next 3 nights.

Do you ever think they go overboard with pillows sometimes?  I mean, who could use that many pillows?

Day 6: Wednesday

We started off our first morning in Steamboat by going for a hike to see Fish Creek Falls.  This hike was shorter, but very pretty.

Owen "dabbing."

After our hike, we decided to go shopping downtown.  We found a store that sold $6.99 cowboy hats!  Yeehaw!

Whazzup, Abe!

The Yampa River flows through downtown Steamboat.  You can go tubing or kayaking on it.  Tubing was on our list of things to do Thursday.

Steamboat has an Alpine Slide too.  And the line wasn't nearly as long as the one in Breck!

This condo had a pool, so the kids got to swim some each afternoon.

We had a really nice dinner outside that night.  The restaurant had a bunch of yard games set up that you could play while waiting for your food.  AND the kids got these really cool kiddie cocktails to drink.

We played mini golf after dinner.  A fun way to end the day.

Day 7: Thursday

Thursday was awesome.  We went tubing on the Yampa River in the morning (sorry no pics) and had reservations to go horseback riding in the afternoon at the Saddleback Ranch a few miles outside of town.

Sarah and Echo

Here's the ranch

Me and my horse, Glory.

Elsie and Ladybug on the left, and Owen and Lollipop on the right.

The ride lasted about an hour and a half.  They took us up into the hills and back.  

The Cowgirls that led our group did really great with the kids and led them most of the way.  Elsie was really nervous, so Cheyenne kept a hold of her lead the entire time

Stopping for a drink (for the horses)  :)

Owen did really good with his horse.  He brought him to a trot and then got him to whoa up by pulling back on the reigns.  Owen's horse and my horse were apparently good buddies, so his horse followed me wherever I went.  This allowed Owen to not have to be led which was really neat. 

Whoa! 

My horse, Glory, was really good.  All our horses were good, but I felt like Glory and I had similar personalities.  She liked to walk fast and always wanted to be in front (I drive the same way).  She even outpaced our guides if I let her.  She knew the route and knew exactly where to go...and of course Owen followed me everywhere I went.  :)

Elsie and her new bestie, Cheyenne.  Towards the end, Elsie started to have fun and even cracked a few smiles.  Note: you can see Owen and I way up ahead with old Glory setting a blistering pace and Lollipop following closely.  :)
This ended up being one of my favorite things we did.  Not sure why exactly?  Maybe it was because I haven't ever really ridden a horse?  Maybe it was being with our family doing something fun?  Maybe it was the beautiful sunny weather and scenery?

Afterwards you guessed it.  Ice cream!

Day 8: Friday

Friday we left Steamboat and drove to Silverthorne to go shopping at the outlet mall.  Owen got his first pair of high tops.  :)

After shopping we drove to Denver where we had a hotel with a pool.  The next day we'd be heading back to KC.  Back to real life and back to...

Day 9: Saturday

...problems!

While we were away a storm dumped 4" of rain in 2 hours.  Our egress window in the basement apparently filled up with water and exploded into the basement.  Grandpa Cox stopped by the house to check on it the day after the storm and let us know.  He and Grandma Cox sealed the window up and squeegeed as much as they could.  THANK YOU to them!  Saturday evening was spent hauling out wet carpet, scrubbing the floor, and drying the place out.

It was still a great vacation and one we will never forget!

Ryan, Sarah, Elsie, and Owen