Our Colorado Adventure did not start out pretty. Because a 4 a.m. wake up call is not so easy- especially for tiny people- even when they are super excited to fly out West for the first time. So despite our hesitations, we booked that early 6 a.m. flight because when you're flying five people across the country, you take what you can afford!
Two out of three kids were crying when we roused them out of bed to head to the airport. And surprisingly enough- Collins was not one of them! Our girl was too excited I think, and once our ride to the airport arrived, Luke and Addie got excited too. Because a big black van is a pretty cool way to travel...
The airport was literally the busiest I had ever seen it. And I'm not kidding when I say we arrived at 4:25 a.m. Brian immediately went into a panic, worried we were going to miss our flight with the long lines and check-in process. The next thirty minutes were not pretty as we tried to keep track of our kids and Donna and Marty, take items out of our over-stuffed suitcase, navigate a more intense security check, and juggle a lot of carry-ons. Ugh, it makes me stressed just thinking about it.
But finally, we arrived at this moment and could breathe out. We made our flight. But now, we had to survive a 5-hour flight with our kids who had never flown before. Collins flew to FL when she was two, but didn't remember it and it was the first time for Addie and Luke. Luckily, they were excited about the experience and the pilot even invited Luke into the cockpit as we boarded the plane! Now what I didn't tell them was that I was nervous about flying. It had been a long time since I had been on an airplane, and I had plenty of nerves that morning, too.
I sat with Addie and Luke, and Brian sat with Collins. Now someone got the sweet end of that deal, and I'm pretty sure we all know who that was! Of course I was happy to entertain, answer questions, and try to keep my tiny people somewhat quiet, but it wasn't quite as relaxing as watching Collins watch an iPad and down Gingerale and waffle cookies. :) Needless to say, Collins was a BIG fan of flying!
But I did get a little quiet time thankfully...
We actually flew at a really neat time because we got to watch the sun rise...
and that's pretty exciting when you are above the clouds.
And Brian and I loved showing the kids how the landscapes changed as we crossed the country...
Overall, I have to say it was a fantastic first flying experience with the kids. They were great. Of course there were a few spilled drinks, kicked seats, and loud conversations that I'm sure annoyed passengers around us, but for the most part, they sat back and enjoyed the ride. I was quite nervous about the long flying time, but it really wasn't so bad. I didn't love sitting near the bathrooms, or trying to squeeze the kids and me into the bathroom, but it was a smooth flight that went by faster than expected. So when we touched down in Denver, we all breathed out a huge sigh of relief! We had made it!
And it was hysterical when we picked up our bags and took our first steps outside into the extreme Colorado temperatures!
Kids could not believe how cold it was...
Sweet Uncle Charlie and cousin Casey made the long haul to the airport to pick us up. We were so excited to see them!
And wow, the landscape looked so different...
About 45 minutes later, we arrived at Connie and Charlie's super neat home in Golden. They live on a beautiful piece of land right next to South Table Mountain. They have horses, dogs, hoverboards, and a trampoline. The kids were in heaven!
and the skyline of downtown Denver from the front. It is especially cool when the whole city is lit up at night.
"There is a giant mountain right next to their house!"
"I can pet a horse!" Lexi is a horse-lover like everybody else in her family so she was excited to introduce us to the horses.
Meet Chaz and friends...
Collins was hesitant at first...
but warmed up to the animals quickly.
There was still lots more to explore inside Connie and Charlie's house including Isaac's room which had "Dusty the trash truck" which quickly became special to Luke. So much that Dusty not only made the trip from Denver to Oak Creek, he also followed us home to North Carolina. So sweet of Isaac to give up his toy for his cousin!
While the boy cousins bonded over trucks, the girl cousins bonded over a hoverboard. Collins has been begging for one, so getting to try out Lexi's was thrilling for her. And Lexi can do all these aerial tricks on hers so that makes her super cool. But trust me- it's not easy as it looks!
After we hung out for a bit and spent some down time in Denver, it was time to head up the mountains to Oak Creek. Oak Creek is a tiny town near Steamboat Springs where Corey's husband, Greg, has a family ranch. His impressive Grandmother lives there, and his Dad owns a cabin on the property. There is a barn with animals, a giant tractor, and miles and miles of pretty land where you can snowmobile and sled to your hearts' desire. Brian and I went there a long time ago and couldn't wait to go back and take the kids.
It was about a three-hour drive from Denver...and it was stunning. We were all exhausted from our 4 a.m. wake up call, and the warm car made us all super sleepy, but I could not take my eyes off the gorgeous scenery around us. Huge snow-covered peaks, blue skies, Aspen trees, empty roads, tiny towns, mountain tunnels...it was a drive I'll never forget.
I'll just have to show Luke the blog post because he missed the whole thing because little boy was OUT.
He loves a mountain tunnel so I wanted to wake him so he could experience going through one, but it was early on in his nap and I didn't want to disturb his slumber. So I settled for a picture to show him instead.
About 5 p.m. on the final day of 2019, we made it to Oak Creek. We drove through the winding mountain roads, through the tiny Main Street, to the edge of town where we came through the gate of this charming ranch. How exciting to spend a few days in this place! And look what was parked out front waiting for us...and adventure about to happen.
Corey is the ultimate hostess. She had rooms ready and waiting for us and a hot dinner in the oven. But we had just enough time to get out in that snow...Luke looked like the Michelin Man! :)
Sledding they went...
but had just as much fun plopping down in that deep, deep snow. Because it doesn't come down like this in North Carolina!
When the snowball fight broke out and the sun started setting behind the mountains, we knew we had made the right decision to make the trip. It is worth every single penny to make special memories with your family and to soak in new experiences.
We ended the year 2019 with a bang, and it was off to bed early because we had essentially been up like 18 hours. And we needed all the energy we could muster for our first full day at Oak Creek...and the first day of 2020!
When we woke up the next morning to blizzard conditions, I could not conceal my excitement. Tons of snow right away! I have been on too many ski trips where it did not snow at all, and I was super disappointed. That was not going to happen on this trip because apparently Oak Creek is the coldest place on earth. What I didn't realize is that it was snowing so hard that it would be hard to snowmobile and do some of the other outdoor activities...hmmm, didn't consider that possibility. So we hung out, drunk lots of coffee, and waited for the snow to let up.
It was so funny how quickly we adjusted to having three huge dogs hang around the house. Rocket was bigger than Luke, and even he liked the gentle giant by the end of the trip.
Finally, the storm lifted and we got the green light to go outside! Easier said than done when getting three kids into warm enough snow gear to face the extreme Colorado conditions. :)
I was not kidding when I said bundling up...
Look at this winter wonderland...
When I saw this day was an adventure, I am not kidding. The kids got to ride an ATV, a tractor, a snowmobile and a sled- all in one afternoon. It was insanely cool- all of it.
This is one of our favorite images from the trip...watching Addie get a ride up the big hill with her cousins after a fast sled down. The dogs were following along, and Collins was waiting for the next ride.
Wyatt and Chase are pretty lucky that they get to do this whenever they want...
For kids who are not used to snow, our kids did pretty good hanging out all day in that snowstorm.
Then Greg broke out the big guns...the snowmobiles. They are his pride and joy, and he took the kids out for a run then taught me and Brian how to drive them.
Luke was more interested in a tractor tour than a snowmobile one...
We determined that Marty's snow outfit was still going strong after about 40 years!
Look at how deep Rocket is...here goes Brian!
Greg recommended a certain path to start with at first- up the big hill, around the edge of the top of the property, and then gun it down through the open field. Then he said to just open it up and take it wherever! This scene below is the view from the top. Every time I whizzed up there, caught my breath and took in the view, I couldn't believe I was actually getting to do this. And then as I soared down that hill as fast as I would let myself go, I let out a huge scream of joy. It was one of the coolest things I had ever done.
The girls enjoyed their rides, but not as much as their Mama did!
You can't blame a girl for taking a break to warm up with some hot chocolate...
That night we decided to head into Steamboat for dinner. We loaded the whole gang into multiple vehicles and headed toward town, but on the way, it started snowing A WHOLE LOT. Of course, being the seasoned Coloradans that they are, the weather did not throw them. But my husband was white-knuckling it around each bend and was sweating bullets in the driver seat. It was kind of exhilarating driving through that snowstorm, but it was not an easy stretch of road and no longer a visible one either. So about halfway to Steamboat, Corey called to say they didn't feel safe driving any farther.
As luck would have it, we ended up here...the coolest restaurant in America. Welcome to the Colorado, a western restaurant located on charming little snowy main street in Oak Creek. We were about the only folks in there that night, and we ordered massive amounts of burgers, burritos smothered with green chile sauce, and anything else that looked like it belonged out west.
Good thing that we were hungry because the food disappeared fast which gave us time to go get a pool lesson from the professional. Greg schooled us of course, but I couldn't have been happier holed up in that Oak Creek dive with a beer in one hand and a pool stick in the other.
Steamboat Ski Resort was next on the itinerary and something really cool was about to happen. Stay tuned!
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