August 7 - “The miracle of the Christi Vaughan Absolute Timetable”

Something very strange happened yesterday. Oh, sure. It was getaway day and all that, but the weird thing? We left the cabin at exactly 8 a.m. That, my friends, is the miracle of the Christi Vaughan Absolute Timetable. She has everything planned to the minute. Amazing trip planner, that girl. It’s been fun having her in our corner, mainly because … we’re not so much like that on our road trips. Maybe we’ll learn something from her … or not.

 

We noticed some big changes in the Denver area since we left 27 years ago. The most surprising one to me was the installation of an electric trolley/train system the runs from a good ways south into at least downtown. Sounds like a fun excursion … next time.

 

Our first stop on the way home was Garden of the Gods outside of Colorado Springs. Interesting place. When the guy who owned the land died back in 1909, his heirs gave it to the city with the stipulation that it always be free entry and no alcohol will ever be sold there and no building unless necessary for park operation. As it turned out, we got to do one hike - from the parking lot to the visitor center - about one mile uphill and back down. We opted for the self-guided driving tour after seeing the intro video. The rock formations were pretty amazing, but there were thousands upon thousands of people there. Everywhere. We completed the drive but got out of there as soon as we could. And after that ordeal, it was definitely time for some Chick-Fil-A. Quick lunch there and we were back on the road, headed south.

 

Next stop - we’ll, after a bathroom/gas break- was the Mount Capulin Volcano. It’s actually dormant right now, but the kids had never seen a real volcano before. We all made the hike to the bottom of the crater. That was easy. Coming back up? Not so much. We all got back to the car just in time. The park rangers were closing down the road because of an impending thunderstorm with lots of lightning. We hit the road back toward Texas. Those intimidating clouds followed us, too - for a while. Sorry, Texas. I tried to get it to come all the way south.

 

We stopped for dinner in Dalhart. Back in Texas. Yay. XIT Steakhouse is what Christi picked this time. Great food. Best and thickest chicken fried steak I have had - probably ever. Definitely Texas atmosphere. Deer heads lined the wall amidst all sorts of ranching paraphernalia. It’s remote - didn’t even have cell service for a while- but worth a stop.

 

We finally pulled into Amarillo and our hotel well after dark. That meant I was driving, by the way. Chris doesn’t drive after dark any more. After church this morning it’s on to Waco.

 

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

 

Father, thank you for holding off those flash floods we kept getting warnings about. Amen.

August 6 - “One size fits all”

Two full-grown does joined Bambi in the yard. They obviously were not afraid of humans. Didn’t consider us predators at all. We watched them munch on the backyard vegetation for a long time. AnnaGrace and Christi and camera-bug Chris were especially enamored.

 

We went for a special breakfast treat. Come to find out, one of the best bakeries in Estes Park is inside that same Shamrock station where we got the nostalgic burgers. They were pretty good, too. Luke stuffed himself and would have gone in for more, but Mom controlled the donut strings, so to speak.

 

After breakfast we went over to the post office to mail a few cards, and what business should be sharing the same parking lot?  The used book store we wanted to go to the night before!  We spent an hour in there browsing and did make a few purchases.  Chris found a cook book and some random children’s books. I grabbed a few of the four-for-a-dollar gems.

 

Our park entry ticket was for between noon and two p.m.  We loaded up and headed that direction around 12:30. We went straight to Sprague Lake and did the hike there. The boys shed their shoes and waded out as far as they could to a big rock (with only minor wetness accumulating upon their pulled up, diaper-esque shorts). We also saw some actual fish, so maybe these fishermen have a chance after all. On the hike we met some folks who recognized Christi’s Magnolia hat. The daughter was in college at Baylor. She lives with her parents in Dallas during the off season (aka summer).  We chatted with them for a few minutes before continuing on. Just as we finished up the hike and had a quick snack, the regular afternoon rain shower hit. Cooled things down quite a bit. We drove on from there to another lake outside of town. The hike wasn’t hard at all, but the views on the way to the lake and back were amazing. Again, just after we finished the hike, the rain began. But this time we saw that we would be under a flash flood watch. Back to the cabin post haste.

 

Packing for the trip home officially began when we got back. Well, for the adults, anyway. We gave ourselves a departure goal of 8-8:30. We’ll see. And for dinner? The kids wanted to go back to the Shamrock station. One size fits all, I guess. So we loaded up both cars to fill them up, too. Then we went back over to Fun City for one more night of fun.

 

Once that ran out, it was over to the Rocky Mountain National Park entry sign for our family pictures. As tends to happen, another family was there, and they took the pics for us. I guess that officially closes the door on that part of the vacation.

 

But the fun wasn’t done yet. Back at the house the card games began. Zak was the champion rat killer. AnnaGrace pretty much held court at Exploding Kittens.  Nani and Josh did face off in the last game, though. I’m still not sure who really won. Hotly contested debate there at the end.

 

After the games, some went on to bed. Others stayed up to watch a movie. Others of us chose the best of both worlds - dozing in front of the TV screen.

 

2 Corinthians 10:7 says, “You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.”

 

Father, it has been a really good week. Thank you for the amazing variety you put in your world. Amen.

August 5 - “Return of Bambi”

52 degrees wake up call. Brrr. Speaking of wake-up calls, at Christi’s special request, DadDad got to sing the updated version of I’m a Nut. Verses for every day so far. AnnaGrace was less than happy with the rendition. I’m sure the problem couldn’t have been with the delivery.

 

Bambi came back to visit. Luke and AnnaGrace got to watch him munch on some culinary delights growing in the back yard. All from our bedroom window.

 

We headed back to the park to try some different hikes. And we saw some mule deer right off the bat. Good start to the day.

 

Next we found a really exciting waterfall hike. Zak and Caleb disappeared up what trail there was, as usual. Luke and DadDad even did some bouldering! 

 

Across the street we followed the course of a stream. We were watching some would-be fishermen when … AnnaGrace is going in!  She waded in the cold mountain stream. Meanwhile the boys looked downstream for the nonexistent fish that people were trying to catch. Aaaand … Luke’s going in! Just enough to get his feet wet. Still no fish.

 

We met the Priest clan. 50 or 60 of them from all over the U.S. were here for a reunion. All wearing matching shirts. Pictures galore.

 

We added a few more critters to our sighting log. A momma hawk and her baby. A flock of wild turkeys of all sizes and flavors (oops. That was a comment from Josh. He was hungry). We also looked for sheep. Nope. No sheep.  AnnaGrace made friends with a bevy of butterflies. She even frolicked with them, singing, “Wait up, little butterfly. I don’t have wings like you.”

 

Josh, Caleb, Chris and I took a hike through some burnt out trees and a meadow. It was only a mile or so, but it had a few tough grades to go up. After that one we stopped for lunch at a roadside picnic area with Chewy the Chipmunk. It was nice and cool in the shade. Caleb was going to eat in a tree, but the sap got to him, so he got down. And when he did, Luke went up. Back to the chipmunk. Caleb was off annoying him at one point and slipped on a rock and cried out. Christi asked, “Did you bite him?”  Hmm. Exactly who were you talking to, Christi?

 

We took a different route out of the park. Nani was able to get another stamp for her book. This so-called visitor center turned into just the souvenir shop we needed. The place was huge. Even had a downstairs full of stuff. There may or may not have been a few purchases made.

 

After some afternoon rest, we headed into town for some more fun. First up was a place called Mountain Coaster. Yep. An actual roller coaster up and down the mountain. Best part about this one? I finally felt accepted. AnnaGrace chose me to ride with her. Now I’m not supposed to do roller coasters with my back problems, but how could I resist?  By the way, this was a really fun ride.  They crank you up the mountain and then you have somewhat control over your speed as it plummets down.  AnnaGrace and I didn’t use the brakes until the ride was over and we had to.  She laughed and squealed the whole way. Guess since we have shared a harrowing experience together, we are bonded in some way.  She even sang a little “I’m a Nut” herself on the way home.

 

Next was pizza. Zak, Caleb, Luke, AnnaGrace chose to accept the challenge of a 36-inch pizza. And … the pizza officially won. One piece remained.  Us old dudes had our own tiny versions of pizza by comparison, and we still had leftovers of those. Good pizza. Kind of greasy. Well, very greasy. But good taste.

 

We were going to visit an old book store, but they were closed. The books are old, not necessarily the store. I don’t know how old that is. Instead, we went for another walk in the town, followed by a drive out to the YMCA of the Rockies, where Josh played a lot of national homeschool basketball tournament games in years past.

 

Matthew 5:44 says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

 

Father, thank you for the family that loaned us this cabin. Bless them mightily for that. Amen.

August 4 - “Auto-wrestling in the Rockies”

Did I mention that we saw a double rainbow up here?  Beautiful.

 

57 degrees was the brisk morning temperature. It brought out the chipmunks, of course. Bunny rabbits, too. I didn’t see the fawn, though. Guess Mama was keeping little Bambi on a tight leash. I have decided that it’s not so much the actual hiking that appeals to me. I’m more into what critters we might see in the journey.

 

I forgot to mention the big athletic event we were privileged to witness. After dinner at the burger shack, the three boys piled into the last row of seats in the van. AnnaGrace took her spot as usual in her Princess Seat. Now, you may never have been in that situation before, but three boys - two of whom are teenagers and the other who holds his own amongst them - cramped into such a tiny space is not an ideal situation. Add in the fact that Mom was still inside the restaurant, and you have a recipe for disaster. Unless of course you came to see … Auto Wrestling in the Rockies!  The guys started tickling each other, then the action morphed into an all-out Wrestlemania event. Josh opened the hatchback and watched from there. Chris stood at one open door. I moved between the two to get the best viewing angle. Luke stuck with it as long as he could, but finally bailed for the safer climes of a front seat. Zak thought he had the upper hand (or neck) until Dad called for him to break the hold. As it turned out, the match would officially be called a draw. However, I think Zak’s greater height proved to be a liability in those tight spaces. It is certainly possible that from this reporter’s angle, taking into consideration all age handicaps, and in spite of what seemed to be an obvious victory for the aged Zak, and admittedly with the tiniest of nods toward a middle child bias on the part of the reporter, it is conceivable that Caleb should be awarded the victory - on fractions of a point. I do think the final tally would have been different had the match continued, but … Mom showed up. Need I say more?

 

The plan for the day was to get into the park early and head up the Trail Ridge Road. We finally saw some real mountain critters this time. Here’s a list:

Mule deer

Marmot

Elk

Pika

Chipmunk, of course.

 

AnnaGrace had the distinction of uttering the quote of the day. Regarding those critical and inevitable bodily functions:

“The bathrooms here are just holes in the toilet. They don’t even have flushers.”

 

Photo ops abounded as usual.  Caleb did one particularly impressive glamour fashion shoot. Then fell over the cliff. Barely held on. At least that’s the story the pictures told. And he’s sticking to it.

 

We have had our first casualty. After hiking to the highest point possible at one of the stations, on the way back down DadDad took a fall into a pothole on one of the “safe paved trailsn” Fortunately, though, thanks to a masterful in-fall roll, he landed on his bionic knee. Looks like the only lasting damage is the blood stains on his new shorts. And some pretty sore muscles throughout his body …

 

Trail Ridge Road provided us some awesome views of the landscape, as well as snow and a gorgeous tarn (mountain lake) or two.

 

We had some lunch at the Alpine Station, the highest point on the Trail Ridge Road. Chris and I shared some of their chicken chili. It wasn’t bad … just decidedly Northern.

 

At the Continental Divide lake, I touched it, as usual. Zak, however, stepped right in and promptly sank to his waist. Caleb and Luke managed to keep their shorts dry on their forays into the water. We got our photo ops in front of the sign marking  the spot where water flows either east or west.

 

After a nap, we went into town to the local Fun City amusement park. The boys did the reverse bungee jump (aka bungee trampoline thingee). They were pretty impressive. All three even managed some back flips. AnnaGrace did some panning for gold – or at least of pretty rocks. The boys and Josh and He who shall remain nameless all rode the go carts. Those things can really shake and rattle while they roll. Wouldn’t want a certain wife to hear about said shakes and rattles, you know? Caleb and Zak battled it out for first place, and Josh with his co-pilot Luke were close on their heels. That other guy? Well, let’s just say he never got lapped a single time. Let’s also say, however, that his personal streak of go cart racing remains perfect. 2 for 2. Last every time.

 

Dinner was at a local Mexican food place. The food was actually not all that bad. Pretty good, I’d say. Not Tex-Mex, but passable. Then we walked all through the tourist section of the town of Estes Park. AnnaGrace found her stuffed chipmunk. We all had some homemade ice cream. Well, locally made, anyway.

 

John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Father, thank you for brotherly “friendship” expressions.  It’ll give them some great memories. Amen 

August 3 - “Surprise by critter”

We woke up early with the intent of investigating our surroundings. Luke was the first one up, and he was the first to point out to me … a baby deer in the back yard. That sighting was followed in rapid succession with the bunny by Christi and several chipmunks that AG and Luke watched. And of course there was the serenade by the big crow who was angered by the obnoxious sounds of a truck backing up. Last night the fawn was back. I’m not sure who was most startled by his sudden appearance, though - Caleb or the deer. Oh, and Zak commented on the unusual smell in the air. Josh told him that’s what air is supposed to smell like. Yum.

 

We finally left the house a little after 8:30 to head for the park. Us kids all had “our” walking sticks at the ready. We did have to wait fifteen minutes or so to get in, but once inside, everything was really easy. We went right to Bear Lake, the most popular destination. Thought we’d take care of that one first. We hiked around the lake, letting the boys create their own trails up and down the mountain. Next we went to Alberta Falls, absolutely the most impressive sight so far. On the way we saw and played with numerous chipmunks, and then we had a picnic lunch by the side of the trail. Very pleasant time.  It was at the top, though, that we were most impressed. All that water crashing down the side of the mountain was absolutely beautiful.  Not that I’m prejudiced in favor of all things water.  Hey, the last waterfall I hiked to see was frozen, so this one was downright exciting.

 

We did go to two different visitor centers to get Chris a stamp for her book. She was excited. We also got Luke and AnnaGrace Junior Ranger books. I think Luke will have fun with his. Not sure about AnnaGrace, though. To be a Junior Ranger they have to take an oath. Christi went over it with AnnaGrace. You have to keep the park clean. Check. You can’t feed the animals. “Umm. But if they need to be fed and I can help them, I will.”  Gray area, I guess. But then came the clincher: “Don’t pick the flowers.”  Whoa, wait a second. Back the boat up. Her comment? “Nope. Can’t do that. Guess it looks like I won’t be on that team.”

 

We made our way back to the house for a break. I dozed off. Around four we headed out for dinner. Several places had been recommended, so first on the list … a burger shack inside a Shamrock station. And believe it or not, that was some pretty good food. Can’t wait to see what is next on the food list. Neither can Zak.  He’s always ready to go out to eat,  Speaking of food lists, after dinner we drove over to Safeway to get some much needed culinary supplies. Cinnamon rolls. Apple strudels. Pop tarts. We also picked up a few extraneous items like milk and bread and eggs. Oh, and we filled the car up with gas. Plans are to drive the Trail Ridge Parkway this morning.

 

Psalms 119:114 says, “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”

 

Father, thank you for the interactions the kids had with chipmunks yesterday. It was fun watching AnnaGrace’s eyes light up. Amen.

August 2 - “A little vandalism?”

Once again, my day started early. I was up and out of the hotel room a little after seven, bound for a local Firestone store to get the oil changed in the car. Strangely enough, I had to drive through a veritable downpour on the way. Bring on the rain. It ended up taking about an hour, but that made it possible for Josh to stop by Walmart and pick up some … spray paint.

 

Why spray paint, you may ask? Apparently, one of his goals this trip is to teach his children the thrill of street vandalism. You know, tagging cars and the like. Actually, they decided a quick stop at the Cadillac Ranch was in order. And how else could they leave their mark than with a can of spray paint?  It is the expected thing to do. We pulled up shortly after them. Zak was already standing tall on top of one of the cars. Even AnnaGrace was loving the new way to paint. She couldn’t imagine why Mom had not yet introduced this into her curriculum. You might say she was fully engaged in a “little” vandalism. Great fun.

 

Lunch happened at a Subway in Clayton, New Mexico. We did make our share of bathroom stops here and there, but miss of the day was spent on the road. We settled on Big Bill’s pizza place in Centennial, Colorado for dinner. We had to take a roundabout way to get there, but Josh finally came through.

 

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

 

Father, that was one long day in the car yesterday. Thank you for your protection. Thanks as well for the new experiences the kids got to have. Amen.

 

August 1 - “Heading on up … north”

In spite of our late night drive, I was still awake at 4 yesterday. I did manage to doze back off, though, and re-entered the land of the living, awake creatures (that’s “awake” … NOT “a woke”) by 5. I got the blog entered online and had one of Christi’s famous biscuits with a cup of coffee. I also had a few moments to ponder that dreaded message we received from the car yesterday: “Change engine oil soon.” I texted our trusted mechanic Dennis to see if it would last 2000 miles. Nope. We checked into places to get it changed here, but the only thing open on Sunday was Walmart, and their techs didn’t show up for work. We decided we could make it to Amarillo, get it changed this morning, and catch up with Josh and Christi later. And here we are.

 

First stop was church, of course. Josh did have to preach before we could leave. We even had time to go to the Sunday School class that has welcomed us whenever we come to Waco. But right after the class ended we made a beeline to meet up with Christi so we could get back to try heir house, get changed, and get everything ready to go for when Josh walked through the door. And we almost did it. A simple little thing threw a wrench in our plans. We all wanted something to eat. Once that urge was calmed with a quick lunch, we hit the road.

 

The trip was a long one, but relatively uneventful. We drove all the way from Waco to Amarillo. Got here about 9:30. We managed a break stop at a Dairy Queen, so Chris and I treated the family to ice cream using the gift cards we received from the retirement bash. Supper was at a Braum’s Restaurant somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Highlight of that stop? Luke ordered a bag o’ burgers. Five of them. He ate two right away. Growing boy, you know?

 

The hotel Christi chose was amazing. It is a brand new one in the Hilton chain. It was relatively inexpensive, but the room had just about every amenity you can imagine. Almost-full-size fridge. Large microwave. Dishes and silverware, and a dishwasher in case you use them. They even had complementary bananas at the desk, as well as a fridge full of complementary drinks and microwaveable TV dinners. Breakfast buffet every morning. I could get used to this. Of course I have to be at Firestone at 7 to get the oil changed. Guess I’ll do my enjoying on the way home. We’re staying here again.

 

Ephesians 3:7 says, “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.”

 

Father, thank you for our safe trip so far. Please ride with us into the mountains. Amen.