Home Sweet Home

We are home and yearning for the perfect Colorado summer weather. Ugh...it is so humid! 

Thanks for following our journey via this blog and Happy Independence Day!  We live in a great nation with an incredible landscape...go check it out!

Cheers!

Colleen

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Vail, Colorado

"The best things in life are the people we love, the places we've been, and the memories we have made along the way."

Today was a day that I did not want to end.  Vail is so incredibly beautiful and makes me miss living in the mountains.  Ronnie and I met at Plymouth State University in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  I attended Plymouth to ski and get an education, of course.  At that time all students could ski the White Mountains of New Hampshire for FREE.  Vail is like Waterville Valley (one of the White Mountain ski resorts) on steroids.  The town is bustling but doesn't feel too crowded.  The lodge architecture is warm and inviting and this place oozes some serious wealth.

This morning we slept in then headed out to tour Vail Village and Lions Head Village.  There are shops and restaurants that wind throughout the pedestrian only streets.  The mountain is within a stones throw and I tried to envision the surroundings covered in a blanket of snow with skiers bundled up in gear.  The kids must have asked fifty times, "When can we go skiing/snowboarding?".  Having grown up skiing almost every weekend with my family, I wish that my kids had the opportunity to do the same.  Living in Atlanta makes that quite a geographical challenge.  Maybe this winter we will head to the mountains in North Carolina for a fun weekend.

Today went by so incredibly fast and the weather was nearly perfect.  The morning was cool, then the clouds built over the mountains which resulted in a 5 minute rain shower in the afternoon.  The clouds quickly cleared and we decided to purchase the after 5 pm gondola tickets to the top of the mountain.  The sun was shining and as we reached the summit we passed a bride on her way to her mountain top wedding.  We pulled out the selfie stick one last time and tried to capture the beautiful scenery behind us.  Although, the photos simply cannot capture the intense beauty that we have seen throughout this entire journey.  

Tomorrow we will make the two hour trek to the Denver airport to head home.  I asked the kids at dinner if they thought the trip was too long or short.  They all thought it was just right and were so thankful to have seen so much of this great country.  Me too...feeling incredibly blessed!

 

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Durango to Vail, Colorado

Durango, Colorado is a college town with a quaint downtown area. We shopped and found a t-shirt shop that screen printed our personally designed shirts right in front of us. I am particularly fond of my shirt with the hot pink elk adorning the back. 

We left Durango just before 1pm and decided to take the scenic route to our next destination, Vail.  About an hour outside of Durango, we traveled through Wolf Creek Pass (elevation 10,856 ft) just after a hail storm hit the area.  The smell of pine was intense; it was like Christmas in July! 

Our route took us through 3 National Forests today, all offering very different landscapes and terrains.  There were so many different varieties of pine trees with multiple hues of green.  I thought of my dad and how he'd enjoy painting the scenery.  But as for me, the strong pine scent is what I'll remember from this scenic ride.

We stopped for dinner in the little town of Buena Vista, Colorado.  We could definitely feel the altitude traveling the windy mountain roads at elevations above 10K feet.  It feels as if you cannot take a deep breath and simply walking drains your body.  

Finally arrived in Vail around 8pm tonight and fell in love with our hotel immediately!  The rates were surprisingly very reasonable and within seconds of arriving, a cute boy came to retrieve our bags from the car.  Cailyn and Heather immediately perked.  It's amazing how a cute boy can put a new bounce in their step...good grief!  
The girls and I decided to take a stroll through the village this evening.  Ron relaxed in the jacuzzi and the boys crashed early.  Vail is beautiful and the full moon shone over the mountain as we walked through the winding streets.  I cannot wait to explore tomorrow!!!

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Grand Canyon

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Words we used to describe the Grand Canyon...big, unreal, amazing, scary, majestic.

We enjoyed our time so much at the Grand Canyon today. It was warm but the air was so dry it took quite a while to develop a bead of sweat.  Although, with every step you can feel the high level of altitude; it actually takes your breath away. 

We entered Grand Canyon National Park from the south. The road to the Visitors Center is a gradual climb with trees lining both sides.  Not much of a view.  We arrived at the South Rim and walked about 5 minutes to Mather's Point. Wow! The mom gene instantly kicked in, wondering where the ducklings were at all times. The cliff edge had drop offs of hundreds of feet.  No surviving those falls. There were fences that protected my babies, so I was able to take in the views. It was simply beautiful.  As we drove along the South Rim, there were stunning views all along the way.  You would think the views would be similar, but each one was different.  We saw some wildlife munching some grass along the side of the road and took some great pics.  Upon exiting GCNP, we again saw very different parts of the canyon that made us all stop and say, "WOW!"

We eventually left heading east on Route 64 towards Cameron, Arizona. We made a quick stop at the Four Corners Monument where Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico meet. It was blazing hot in the sun, but we managed to get a few photos. 

We got back in the car for the last miles to our destination for the night, Durango, Colorado. We arrived just as the sun was setting. It looks so cute and we cannot wait to check out the area in the morning. 

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Hoover Dam and Route 66

Hot Dam(n)!

We left Vegas and headed to stock up on some lunch supplies, then we were off to the Hoover Dam.  Holy moly...I have never felt hot air like that before. It hits you like a blanket. It is a different kind of hot than Hot-lanta, for sure!  We walked to the top of the dam, took a couple photos and then proceeded right back to the air-conditioned car.  I did read online that the tours of the dam are quite good, but the majority vote was to keep moving. 

Moving on meant heading towards Kingman via Historic Route 66, then on to Williams, Arizona where we spent the night.  Ronnie really liked Route 66. It was really funny to see all the little local roadside nuances that were transformed into cartoon-form in the Pixar movie, Cars.  Few details were missed.  We arrived in the late afternoon and ate dinner at the restaurant next door called Kicks on Route 66. Fun restaurant with many local craft beers on tap.

We headed to bed early last night and are now off to see the Grand Canyon.

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Las Vegas, Nevada

Good Bye LA.  Hello Vegas!

This morning we went to dim sum (Chinese brunch) with Bill and his girlfriend, Audrey.  It was quite delicious but the MSG coma hit us all pretty hard about 30 minutes later.  The girls ended up sleeping about an hour into the 3 hour trek to Vegas until we merged off the highway towards the nearest Starbucks.

The smog cover leaving Los Angeles was thick and brought a gloomy glow over the mountains.  After spending 2 days traveling all over the city, I found very little to be appealing (other than spending time with Ronnie's brother, B).  The city is always crowded, the roads are not well kept, the power lines always seem to be looming overhead and unlike NYC, there really isn't a mass transit system that works for tourists.  Sorry LA, but no thanks!

The road to Las Vegas introduced us to freaky hot temperatures.  Black Betty's dashboard read 113 degrees and at one point the air conditioning flickered.  I started to panic a bit thinking that the last 30 miles might be crazy HOT in the car!  It was a fleeting warm spell, thank goodness!!

We checked into Planet Hollywood around 5pm, chilled for a few and then went out for a nice steak dinner...cha ching!  Welcome to Vegas! Then, it was time to check out the action on the Strip.  We walked from hotel to hotel taking photos along the way.  

This city is exceptionally clean and I'd compare it to Disney World for adults.  The Bellagio Fountains were the last hurrah of the evening.  It's almost 1 am and we've had a full day of new experiences.

Tomorrow we head to Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.  I am so incredibly grateful for this time together! 

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Los Angeles, California

Tourists in LA

We awoke to an amazing homemade breakfast from B. After being on the road for over a week that certainly tasted yummy and it was fuel for our busy day ahead.

First stop, Griffith Observatory.  We were a little disappointed with how far away we were from the Hollywood sign, but the overview of Los Angeles was impressive. Heather asked, "What is that haze over the city?" Honey...that is called pollution.  Los Angeles is HUGE and I feel like driving anywhere in this city takes forever because of constant traffic (much worse than Atlanta). 

Since we were disappointed with the view of the Hollywood sign we used our trusted friend "Google" to find a better spot.  (1024 Canyon Lake Drive, Hollywood, CA). Thanks Google! 

Next up, the Walk of Stars at the TCL Chinese Theatre (Manns). It was CROWDED!  While here, Cailyn, Heather, Cole and I signed up for a Celebrity Homes Tour while Ronnie and Zach decided that was too intrusive (whatever!). We saw over 60 homes of famous people, like Ferrell, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Gwen Stefani among others. Well...we saw many garage doors, overgrown hedges and trash cans of celebrity homes.  But hey...we got a great overview of the area with amazing views along the way.  Ronnie and Zach headed down Sunset to Amoeba Music where Zach purchased a record (Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavilion). Each group had fun!

Then, we all checked out Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum together.  The wax figures were amazingly accurate. The museum workers encourage you to hug the figures (but don't touch the hair and face) which allowed for multiple photo opportunities. Hilarious!

By this time is was 6 pm and we were STARVING!!! Mmmmm....Fat Burger! Post dinner we drove Mulholland Drive at Sunset, then down Rodeo Drive. The stores were closed. "Sorry girls." Whew!!!  We then drove down Sunset Blvd one more time (10pm by now) looking for some interesting characters.  Not too much excitement happening...it was probably too early for prime people watching. 

Overall it was a fun day, but I think the girls thought they'd bump into at least one famous person. I think they have watched too much "Keeping up with the Kardashians".  Although, we did almost get hit by a pimped out white hummer on our tour.  The girls said it was some famous person on Twitter and the Swedes on our tour agreed. So there...

Headed back to B's for the night and tomorrow we are off to Las Vegas.  All but Ronnie are Vegas first timers (Correction: Heather has been multiple times since she lived in Arizona when she was little).  Everyone keeps telling me..."You've got to see Vegas at least once".  I'm thinking this will be my one and ONLY time unless a comped venture. 

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San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles, California

It felt great to sleep late this morning. We left the hotel in San Luis Obispo around 11am and drove down the PCH through Santa Barbara and Malibu towards the Santa Monica Pier.   The pier was crowded with tourists and street performers. But...when in Rome....you've got to ride the Ferris Wheel and Roller Coaster, right? 

We jumped back in the car for a short trip down the road to Venice Beach.  We immediately got hooked into watching a street performer who front flipped over 4 grown men. Of course he begged for money from the onlookers and we obliged (10 bucks).  It WAS pretty impressive.  We walked down the boardwalk and passed muscle beach, hit a few shops then quickly decided that we had seen enough. 

Ronnie's brother offered up his home for us to sleep for the next two nights. We are so grateful! We met B at Gen Korean BBQ in Cerritos where we cooked our own food at the table and the restaurant was hoppin'.  Zach described it as having the perfect LA vibe.  

We finished the night with some karaoke back at the condo. Funny!

Tomorrow...Los Angeles!

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Monterey to San Luis Obispo, California

Pacific Coast Highway

Monterey, California reminds me a bit of New England. The kids thought that the smell of the ocean was a bit stinky, but it reminded me of my home town of Beverly, Massachusetts.  That smell makes me smile as it brings back memories of growing up so close to the beach.  I miss the North Shore. 

We shopped around a bit this morning in Monterey then headed south to 17 Mile Drive through Pebble Beach.  The fog was a bit persistent along the coastline but when it cleared the views were stunning. Although filtered by the fog, Ronnie stopped to see "The Lone Cypress," an iconic visual known in this area. We stopped to grab a quick pic at the gates of the famed Pebble Beach Golf Course and then we were on our way to Carmel.

We continued on through Carmel, which was PACKED with tourists, so we bailed and drove back to PCH and headed south. The road hugged the mountainside and overlooked the stunning seaside vistas. With each twist and turn a new view awaited us. As the fog rolled over the shoreline, we would catch glimpses of the spectacular coastline. We found ourselves pulling off the road to grab photos between the fog. 

First stop was Bixby Bridge, a great view of where the steep mountains dump into the ocean below.  The ocean waves looked fierce and powerful. The water was bright blue, much bluer than I expected. 

We drove on for a bit and found ourselves at Big Sur. Again the fog was fighting us for the view but we managed to capture a few moments. That's when the wheels started to fall off the bus for Cailyn as she became "Hangry" due to lack of food. With every turn she wanted to know where the closest Wendy's was located. Silly girl. We did come across a great little roadside cafe that offered made to order sandwiches. After it was all said and done it was actually less expensive than any Wendy's and so much better. 

Continuing on, we stopped here and there taking photos and standing in awe of the shoreline. As the shoreline slowly leveled out we saw signs for elephant seal viewing. And that's exactly what it was...a beach full of elephant seals sunning themselves and groaning loudly for dominance.  Impressive mammals and extremely large, but the one thing everyone noticed was the smell. Every once in a while, the wind would shift and well...let's just say it wasn't pleasant. 

Ronnie's brother kept telling us to stop and tour Hearst Castle but we simply ran out of time. We could see the castle way up on a peak and it was quite impressive even from that distance. But as we drove past the property, we noticed about a dozen cars pulled over on the side of the road and everyone with their cameras out. We could see what looked like horses but as we got closer we realized it was a herd of zebras. Funny what people with unlimited funds will collect. 

We're staying in San Luis Obispo tonight and surprised the kids with a movie, a Drive-In Movie (Inside Out). Thanks Trip Advisor for the great evening activity. 

Off to Los Angeles tomorrow to see Ronnie's brother and to play tourist among celebrities. 

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San Francisco to Monterey, California

A Day in the City by the Bay

This morning we attempted to go to Muir Woods...but so did thousands of other people.  The parking situation was bleak, we decided to bail and head to the city.

We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and parked at Fort Point to get the best view at the base of the bridge.  We just happened to bump into the NFL on CBS Crew, Boomer, Phil, Coach Cowher, Tony Gonzales, Jim Nance and James Brown. They were filming promos for the upcoming season. The local station was also there setting up for a broadcast interview.  Cailyn and Heather volunteered to assist with the lighting check and were certainly in their element. Just picture two overly dramatic newscasters trying to share interesting facts. There were more giggles than facts and this provided the best laughs of the day. 

We also covered the following sites: The Painted Ladies, Lombard Street, Union Square and Chinatown. Again, the kids were very impressed with the SnapChat filters that San Fran had to offer, as well as the "bangin" Thai food that we had for lunch. We got caught in rush hour traffic heading out of the city, but made it to Monterey just as the sun was setting.  Having dinner at Cannery Row; Steinbeck would be proud.

Looking forward to the 17 Mile Drive, PCH1 and Big Sur tomorrow. 

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Reno, Nevada to Lake Tahoe then San Francisco, California

Today was a great day!

We are pretty accustomed to the up the mountain then down the mountain type of driving and we are always prepared with our cameras since the views have been amazing.  Coming in to Lake Tahoe, the tall pine trees appeared so green compared to the Nevada dessert mountains that we left behind. The color of Lake Tahoe was shockingly blue and the water was clear (a stark contrast to Lake Lanier...ew). But of course, the first thing the teenagers noticed were the Snapchat filters (lol). 

Tahoe is a place that I could live in a heartbeat. The condos were within a stones throw of the gondola to the top of the mountain. The lift tickets were quite pricey but after hitting the observation deck and then up another chairlift to the summit, we realized it was worth every penny. We could have stayed there longer, but we were all so eager to hit San Francisco. 

If you are prone to car sickness, sit in the front when heading out of Tahoe towards Sacramento. Ronnie enjoyed the drive but the rear passengers were a bit green.  It took about 3 hours to get to our hotel in Berkeley, CA. We dropped our bags, grabbed sweatshirts and headed to Fishermans Wharf and Pier 39 to see the seals. We had dinner at another Diner, Drive-In and Dives location, Pier 23. It was....OK. 

Then, one last surprise for the kids.  We took them to Twin Peaks which overlooks the entire San Francisco Bay Area. It was gorgeous lit up at night...and cold! Important reminder:  Do NOT laugh at your daughter's pain when she gets hit by an out of control skateboard.  Karma is a B!$#@H!! I took a major spill at the top of twin Twin Peaks last night when trying to get one last photo of the view.  I'm bruised, but fine.

Tomorrow we are headed to Muir Woods, then on to more touristy stuff in San Francisco downtown.

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Salt Lake City, Utah to Reno, Nevada

Surrounded by Mountains

This great country has so much land and the views out west are incredibly expansive. Thinking about the pioneer days and how patient the travelers must have been is mind blowing as we travel at 80 plus miles per hour on this well paved highway. Where is the drinkable water out here? How did they survive? 

Today's drive was long, but we did have a couple of stops planned to break up the 500+ miles.  Driving past the Great Salt Lake was not what I expected.  We really couldn't see the lake since the land was so flat but we did see expansive white fields of salt and even passed Morton Salt Company.

About 115 miles west of Salt Lake City we stopped at the Bonneville Salt Flats which was conveniently located at a rest area.  "The flats are a broad, salt-covered lake bed and one of the flattest areas on earth."  The salt flat was bright and white and it was nearly impossible to keep our eyes open without sunglasses.  The field was wet and the salt stuck to the bottom of our shoes.  We took a couple of photos and were then on our way.

Our next planned stop was at the little town of Lovelock, Nevada.  I read about Lovelock on Roadtrippers.com and thought it would be a fun stop.  Behind the Pershing County Court House is a little area dedicated to the "locks of love".  We purchased our locks at the ice cream shop on the corner by the courthouse and even engraved our names on the locks.  Silly, touristy, but fun.  Although, the best laugh of the day came when 2 kids from Lovelock nearly wiped out on their skateboard.  The skateboard came flying at Cailyn just as she was admiring the lock that her and Heather placed on the chain.  It nailed her in the ankle as she exclaimed "What the!!!!!!!?????"  The 2 kids retrieved their skateboard swiftly and we headed to the car.  Cailyn has quite the bruise on her ankle, but man, did we laugh!!!

After dinner, we drove down N. Virginia Street in Reno, otherwise known as "The Strip".  I'm so glad we are not staying downtown...pretty seedy but worth the photo.

This trip has been so much fun!  Car game of the day...Headphone Karaoke! Tomorrow we are headed to South Lake Tahoe, then on to San Francisco.  California here we come!

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Jackson, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah

Happy Father's Day Ronnie!

This morning we headed west out of Jackson over Teton Pass (Elevation 8,431 feet) towards Idaho.  We passed many potato farms.  The landscape was hilly and green with larger mountains in the distance.  We are continually amazed at the changing landscape as we drive.

The kids played Uno for almost 2 hours of the 5 hour drive to Salt Lake City.  Actually, the drive didn't seem too difficult from the passenger seat (Ronnie might think differently).   We stopped once for a little stretch and "relief"and it appears as if we are being followed by tour buses with passengers of Asian decent.   Don't really know what to say about that...other than the line to the restroom was LONG.

We checked into the hotel and had just enough time to change out of our long sleeve shirts to something cooler (97 degrees) before heading to the 2 pm organ performance at the Tabernacle.  It was nice, but having just come from Yellowstone, it was a bit underwhelming.  We got a few pictures from Temple Square and headed back to the hotel for a much needed break.

Tonight we will try out the Red Iguana for dinner which is highlighted on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives.  Salt Lake City is a ghost town on Sunday's (makes sense) and many businesses and restaurants are closed, but this place looks yummy!

Tomorrow we will have another long drive to Reno, NV.  We are planning to stop and check out the Bonneville Salt Flats and maybe even Lovers Lock Plaza.  

The kids are really looking forward to getting to California, me too!

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Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park

The day of the selfie stick!

No judging...it was a freebie from Ronnie's company event.

Old Faithful

Midway Geyer Basin

Upper and Lower Falls

Artist Point

West Thumb

All photos from our amazing day in Yellowstone can be found here.

Tomorrow we are headed to Salt Lake City!

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