Matt
Friday, June 15, 2007
Quick pics
Really tired - 2 long days of driving. We're taking a day off tomorrow - hopefully I'll be able to post more then. For now, get a load of this - this is the actual view from just outside our RV at the campground. We can see this out the window. Look closely at one of the photos and you can actually see 2 arches - Arches National Park is only a few miles away.
Matt
Matt
Bob's Thoughts - Day 7
Well, we made it down the west side of the Rockies and arrived in Moab, Utah at 4:30. The driving was not all that bad, but we had to take it at no more than 30MPH down some of the sections of road. There was one 8 mile stretch that had an 8% downgrade. Thank goodness for exhaust brakes. All the trucks were going slow and using their brakes so much that it smelled like burning brakes everywhere (we probably added to this).
We also had two motorhome "glitches" today - both related to the leveling jacks. It took us a long time to get one of the jacks fully retracted before we left Denver, and then that same jack needed to be retracted again two hours into the drive. Oh well - I will get that looked at when we return.
When we left the mountains, we saw the outside temperature start to climb ... and climb ... and climb. By the time we got to the RV park, we had seen a high of 104!!!
It would be unfair of me to not spend some time talking about the scenery. Wow!! Magnificent!! Unbelievable!! Matt will post some pictures later to share the grandeur of what we saw today.
We have decided to take it easy tomorrow and not do anything much. All of us have been on the go for a week now, and a day of R&R sounds great. We found a Utah winery nearby, and I hope to do some tasting and shopping. The weather will remain in the triple digits tomorrow, so some time at the pool might also be a good idea.
That's all for today.
We also had two motorhome "glitches" today - both related to the leveling jacks. It took us a long time to get one of the jacks fully retracted before we left Denver, and then that same jack needed to be retracted again two hours into the drive. Oh well - I will get that looked at when we return.
When we left the mountains, we saw the outside temperature start to climb ... and climb ... and climb. By the time we got to the RV park, we had seen a high of 104!!!
It would be unfair of me to not spend some time talking about the scenery. Wow!! Magnificent!! Unbelievable!! Matt will post some pictures later to share the grandeur of what we saw today.
We have decided to take it easy tomorrow and not do anything much. All of us have been on the go for a week now, and a day of R&R sounds great. We found a Utah winery nearby, and I hope to do some tasting and shopping. The weather will remain in the triple digits tomorrow, so some time at the pool might also be a good idea.
That's all for today.
Bob's Thoughts - Day 6
Our last day in Denver. Wow has the time gone fast.
We met Ivy at 8AM and headed into the Rocky Mountains. Our first stop was Estes Park, which is a small town just outside the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).
The shops and atmosphere were a lot of fun and we stayed there through lunch. I was happy to find an outlet for a Colorado winery (Wines of the Winds). We had wanted to get a bottle of Colorado wine for Dave and this seemed the perfect opportunity. Unfortunately, when we got there, it was closed. Rats!!!!
We had lunch in Estes Park, and then started the drive through RMNP. What a magnificent place. The views were magnificent. The drive takes over an hour and goes up to an elevation of over 12,000 feet. In some places, there was still snow on the ground.
Hopefully Matt can post some pictures of the day's highlights when he gets a chance.
Tomorrow we drive to Moab, Utah. In Moab, the weather forecast for Saturday calls for a high of 103! We have talked a lot about tomorrow's drive through the mountains, and I will be glad to get it behind me.
That's all for now...I will post again when we get to Moab.
We met Ivy at 8AM and headed into the Rocky Mountains. Our first stop was Estes Park, which is a small town just outside the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).
The shops and atmosphere were a lot of fun and we stayed there through lunch. I was happy to find an outlet for a Colorado winery (Wines of the Winds). We had wanted to get a bottle of Colorado wine for Dave and this seemed the perfect opportunity. Unfortunately, when we got there, it was closed. Rats!!!!
We had lunch in Estes Park, and then started the drive through RMNP. What a magnificent place. The views were magnificent. The drive takes over an hour and goes up to an elevation of over 12,000 feet. In some places, there was still snow on the ground.
Hopefully Matt can post some pictures of the day's highlights when he gets a chance.
Tomorrow we drive to Moab, Utah. In Moab, the weather forecast for Saturday calls for a high of 103! We have talked a lot about tomorrow's drive through the mountains, and I will be glad to get it behind me.
That's all for now...I will post again when we get to Moab.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Bob's Thoughts - Day 5
Yesterday afternoon I was aware that there was something funny going on. There was a lot of whispering and discussion that stopped when I came by. Later, Matt told me that Karen wanted to go out for breakfast the next morning, but that the location was a secret. I was thinking that this was either very good or very bad.
This morning, there was still no indication of what lied ahead.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I was delighted to note that the name of the place was Zaide's deli. (Zaide or Zayde is the Jewish/Yiddish name for grandfather).
Upon opening the menu, I saw things that brought back my childhood. The matzah brei with Salami and onions was just too good to ignore. (Matzah brei is like french toast but made with matzah instead of bread). I really enjoyed the meal.
We spent the rest of the morning at the Denver Zoo. The kids seemed to really have a great time until they became tired.
We had a low-key afternoon and just hung out at the motorhome.
This evening, we honored Karen's upcomming 60th birthday with a surprise dinner organized by Ivy. Ivy did a great job finding a nice place for the dinner and arranging for many of Karen's "Pennsylvania connection" relatives to call.
Tomorrow we will be driving (the van) up into the Rocky Mountains for the day. It is hard to believe that our time in Denver is almost up - but the experience has been really cool. I am very grateful that Ivy has been willing and able to spend time with us every day to help make our time here so worthwhile.
This morning, there was still no indication of what lied ahead.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I was delighted to note that the name of the place was Zaide's deli. (Zaide or Zayde is the Jewish/Yiddish name for grandfather).
Upon opening the menu, I saw things that brought back my childhood. The matzah brei with Salami and onions was just too good to ignore. (Matzah brei is like french toast but made with matzah instead of bread). I really enjoyed the meal.
We spent the rest of the morning at the Denver Zoo. The kids seemed to really have a great time until they became tired.
We had a low-key afternoon and just hung out at the motorhome.
This evening, we honored Karen's upcomming 60th birthday with a surprise dinner organized by Ivy. Ivy did a great job finding a nice place for the dinner and arranging for many of Karen's "Pennsylvania connection" relatives to call.
Tomorrow we will be driving (the van) up into the Rocky Mountains for the day. It is hard to believe that our time in Denver is almost up - but the experience has been really cool. I am very grateful that Ivy has been willing and able to spend time with us every day to help make our time here so worthwhile.
From Z to Z
Started the day at a great Kosher-style deli - wonderful breakfast - Zayde even got to have a stroll down memory lane with some Matzah Brei.
From there, to the Denver Zoo - Mari had a great time, especially in the Tropical exhibit - she ran frantically from display to display saying "ook!" (which is her word for "look") and saying "Hi" to all the animals. Faith was disappointed that the cat area was closed (here's why) but had a great time on the carousel.
Then had a nice drive out to Red Rocks. Coolest venue ever. This whole city is just great.
Lastly, had a wonderful dinner to celebrate mom's birthday. Cake back at the RV. Others will probably provide more details later. Gotta go put the girls to bed.
From there, to the Denver Zoo - Mari had a great time, especially in the Tropical exhibit - she ran frantically from display to display saying "ook!" (which is her word for "look") and saying "Hi" to all the animals. Faith was disappointed that the cat area was closed (here's why) but had a great time on the carousel.
Then had a nice drive out to Red Rocks. Coolest venue ever. This whole city is just great.
Lastly, had a wonderful dinner to celebrate mom's birthday. Cake back at the RV. Others will probably provide more details later. Gotta go put the girls to bed.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Bob's Thoughts - Day 4
We had a nice day today - in spite of an all day rain.
We started the day at the Denver Children's Museum. There were some really interesting things for the kids to do. There was a very large exhibit related to the "Blue Man Group". I could have spent a few hours there. The kids were ready to walk around and do something other than travel, so it was a good fit. Hopefully Matt can publish some pics of the kids there - it was fun to watch them.
The Museum is right across the river from Denver's largest amusement park (Elitch Park). So when we left the museum, Ivy and I walked down to the river bank to watch some of the rides (it had stopped raining for an hour or so). There was a nice wooden coaster and many thrill rides that we could see.
Karen had shared with me and Ivy her memory of Dolores and Margie riding the looping coaster at Hershey Park. Ivy then shared her memory of Dolores riding Space Mountain at Disney World. It is interesting to think of Dolores as a real thrill seeker.
The rest of the day was low key - and frankly a welcome change from our hectic pace.
A note to the Durkees - I played the "When Mommy and Daddy were Young" video for Faith and Mari yesterday. Faith must have liked it because when it was over she said "AGAIN"!
We had a nice dinner this evening - a pork roast that we acquired via Dream Dinners. It was really good - but we need to figure out how to translate cooking time from a baking recipe to a convection recipe (there is not a traditional oven in the motorhome).
That's it for today - we are going to try the Denver Zoo again tomorrow.
We started the day at the Denver Children's Museum. There were some really interesting things for the kids to do. There was a very large exhibit related to the "Blue Man Group". I could have spent a few hours there. The kids were ready to walk around and do something other than travel, so it was a good fit. Hopefully Matt can publish some pics of the kids there - it was fun to watch them.
The Museum is right across the river from Denver's largest amusement park (Elitch Park). So when we left the museum, Ivy and I walked down to the river bank to watch some of the rides (it had stopped raining for an hour or so). There was a nice wooden coaster and many thrill rides that we could see.
Karen had shared with me and Ivy her memory of Dolores and Margie riding the looping coaster at Hershey Park. Ivy then shared her memory of Dolores riding Space Mountain at Disney World. It is interesting to think of Dolores as a real thrill seeker.
The rest of the day was low key - and frankly a welcome change from our hectic pace.
A note to the Durkees - I played the "When Mommy and Daddy were Young" video for Faith and Mari yesterday. Faith must have liked it because when it was over she said "AGAIN"!
We had a nice dinner this evening - a pork roast that we acquired via Dream Dinners. It was really good - but we need to figure out how to translate cooking time from a baking recipe to a convection recipe (there is not a traditional oven in the motorhome).
That's it for today - we are going to try the Denver Zoo again tomorrow.
Technical correction
Since everyone is posting maniacally whenever they can, I adjusted the settings so that the main page will show ALL posts from the trip. If you missed one before, it should be there now.
Also, went back and added some links on previous posts.
Matt
Also, went back and added some links on previous posts.
Matt
So, we're back at the RV for naps (hopefully) and laundry. This morning, the girls were up pretty early -- 5:30am. I'm hoping they'll get on the Mountain Time Zone pretty quickly here and "sleep in" at least until like, 6!
ANYway, we woke up to rain and when Matt looked on the National Weather Service website it called for rain all day. Figuring the Denver Zoo plan needed to be postponed, we went for Plan B -- the Denver Children's Museum. Ate breakfast and got the girls dressed. Then Matt and I decided to try out the showers here at the RV park. Matt had peeked in the men's showers yesterday and thought they seemed nice. They definitely were! Clean, big and especially nice and roomy changing area outside the shower! Very nice.
Headed to the museum and met Ivy there. It was a great museum! Pretty typical but also different. Had a play area for younger kids that had some great makebelieve stuff in it (including a vet's office which Faith loved). Had a cool room with all sorts of bubble making things which both girls loved. There was a nice playground outside the museum which we also enjoyed.
Had a quick lunch at McDonald's. Now, as I said, we're attempting naps w/ the girls and Bob is getting some laundry done.
More later, I'm sure!
Love, Steph
ANYway, we woke up to rain and when Matt looked on the National Weather Service website it called for rain all day. Figuring the Denver Zoo plan needed to be postponed, we went for Plan B -- the Denver Children's Museum. Ate breakfast and got the girls dressed. Then Matt and I decided to try out the showers here at the RV park. Matt had peeked in the men's showers yesterday and thought they seemed nice. They definitely were! Clean, big and especially nice and roomy changing area outside the shower! Very nice.
Headed to the museum and met Ivy there. It was a great museum! Pretty typical but also different. Had a play area for younger kids that had some great makebelieve stuff in it (including a vet's office which Faith loved). Had a cool room with all sorts of bubble making things which both girls loved. There was a nice playground outside the museum which we also enjoyed.
Had a quick lunch at McDonald's. Now, as I said, we're attempting naps w/ the girls and Bob is getting some laundry done.
More later, I'm sure!
Love, Steph
Bob's Thoughts - Day 3
Left Salina with no surprises and headed west on I70. Today we travel 420 miles on I70 to get to our campground in Golden, Colorado.
The drive was long, but uneventful. The first 240 miles was through Kansas and was straight and flat. Steph took her first shift driving, and did a good job. The traffic was light until we reached the Denver area. We made good time today and even after stopping for fuel we got into the RV park at 4:30 (Mountain time).
The RV park is on a ridge and the campsites all have great views of the Rocky Mountains.
We met Karen's cousin Ivy for dinner tonight and went to bed early. We are hoping to meet Ivy at the Denver Zoo tomorrow, but the weather might dictate otherwise.
The drive was long, but uneventful. The first 240 miles was through Kansas and was straight and flat. Steph took her first shift driving, and did a good job. The traffic was light until we reached the Denver area. We made good time today and even after stopping for fuel we got into the RV park at 4:30 (Mountain time).
The RV park is on a ridge and the campsites all have great views of the Rocky Mountains.
We met Karen's cousin Ivy for dinner tonight and went to bed early. We are hoping to meet Ivy at the Denver Zoo tomorrow, but the weather might dictate otherwise.
Bob's Thoughts - Day 2
We unhooked the car from the tow bar and went to a really nice park on the evening of night 1. The next morning when we were getting ready to leave, Matt and I suffered from severe brain cramps and tried to violate many laws of physics as well as common sense in trying to get the car reattached properly to the RV.
45 minutes later, we were finally able to get it done and get started. Amazingly, no one was angry or upset. It is just one of the things that happen on a trip like this.
Everyone had warned me that driving through Kansas would be flat, straight and dull. This turned out to be all true. However, it makes for an easier drive in the motorhome.
We arrived at the campground in Salina, Kansas at 5:00 and did not de-couple the car. There was no place to go so late on a Sunday night anyway.
45 minutes later, we were finally able to get it done and get started. Amazingly, no one was angry or upset. It is just one of the things that happen on a trip like this.
Everyone had warned me that driving through Kansas would be flat, straight and dull. This turned out to be all true. However, it makes for an easier drive in the motorhome.
We arrived at the campground in Salina, Kansas at 5:00 and did not de-couple the car. There was no place to go so late on a Sunday night anyway.
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