With a resolved look, Ollie said “I love you, mommy.”
Those four words made me repent very quickly. I held on to my son and hugged him as long as he would let me and looked at my husband for the okay to bring the kids with us. He looked at me like there was no way they would be joining us for our 10 year anniversary trip as they are not qualified to celebrate. So, I gave my kids one more kiss and then ran out the door because Harper started crying.
Our van usually has sounds of songs from a kids’ radio station that about farts and giving bananas to wolves named Keith, as well as constant chatter from a four and one-and-half year old. The sounds were replaced with quiet conversations and a comedy station we haven’t listened to since becoming parents.
Day 1
An hour later, we enter a code to open a gate and we arrive at an inn called Three Falls Cove where we had the whole place to ourselves. We walked along the pond that had paddle boats for rent and turtles diving in and out of the water. We greeted the wild turkeys and watched the local puppy chase them and asked the snakes and spiders not to make themselves known.
Attempted a selfie on top of a cliff.
We came back a day later to retake a picture in front of the cove filled with waterfalls because I’m really bad with selfies.
Rebecca, the owner, made us a charcuterie board for dinner with mint lemonade and our breakfast was irresistible despite us still being full from the night before.
Not my photo
Not my photo
Day 2
Back to our designated seats in the van, we drove to our next destination, which was not exactly what we were expecting.
When an Air B&B says they are close to a city, figure out what “close means.” We got to Colorado Springs, and our maps kept having us drive, and drive, and drive up winding mountain roads with no shoulder. Higher and higher and farther and farther away from stores and restaurants we drove. We laughed at the unexpected adventure and embraced our new location in Victor, Colorado.
We dropped our stuff off at this adorable cabin that used to host a local newspaper in 1913.
Victor, not technically a ghost town, seemed to have remained untouched since 1891. We walked around the museum got spooked by a room filled with old dolls and another room full of mortuary tools and panned for gold.
I was getting hungry and was about to become a different kind of person if we didn’t find some kind of food soon. My mother wasn’t there, but I could hear her getting on to me for not always packing a cooler full of snacks wherever I go. We drove to the next town over, Cripple Creek, to find food, after which we walked an old mine trail.
At one point Cripple Creek and Victor were biggest producing gold mine. It didn’t take a special kind of imagination to put yourself back in 1890.
They still mine to this day, but it looks a lot different. The mountain was completely stripped of any landscape.
Day 3
Both of us were so excited to start the day, we beat the alarm clock.
First, we went to Garden of the gods and took a tour on the trolly. This was nostalgic for Aaron as he visited it with his family when he was a kid. The group we were with were pretty witty and the tour guide was experienced and knowledgeable.
Not only was it beautiful, I was taking in all the history. For example, “America the Beautiful” was written by a teacher after she took a trip up to Pike’s Peak in 1893 and the person Pike’s Peak was named after never actually made it to the top of Pike’s Peak.
I love that man’s inclination is to make pictures out of things. For example, that rock looks like a maiden with a papoose on her back.
Do you see it?
We time traveled even more and saw ancient cliff dwellings of the Taos Pueblo Indians of New Mexico (the dwellings was transported to Colorado Springs to better preserve them in 1904).
Onward we went to Denver. I wanted to go to an art museum. Aaron wanted the baseball museum, so we compromised and chose the botanic garden.
After, we went to the Rockies’ game.
Basically, we were not kind to my husband’s very Irish skin.
Day 4
Waiting for the zoo to open, we went down town and I geeked out over all the old architecture.
I told Aaron to give me “stoic and genuine” but I got more “quit taking pictures of me.”
We got to the zoo before it opened, but our enthusiasm did not match the groups of preschoolers who were their on a field trip. Our favorite part was the sea lions showing off all their tricks.
I made this photo extra large because you cannot convince me the guy in the background is not Chris Evans.
We walked through the zoo, but the sun sizzled our enthusiasm and we dragged ourselves back to the van.
We drove our way through old neighborhoods and Aaron was excited to see me just oohing and ahhing over all the old Victorian houses in Denver because we got to stay…
In this beauty that was built in 1902 and was renovated in the ‘80s.
I know you can’t tell because of my amazing photoshopping skills but I did add a skirt. You’re welcome.
Our room happened to be named “Cripple Creek.” This was such a dream to stay in a Victorian house. I wonder if Freud would say my obsession with Victorian houses are because I didn’t play with my doll house enough as a child.
Day 5
My desire to reunite with my babies trumped any desire for more adventure so we headed home. Of course we had an amazing breakfast delivered to our room and had no other option but to savor every bite.
And like turtles, we left. I assume Colorado Springs had a “test your airbags” day because we drove through several wrecks. Our map got tired of the stop-and-go and took us on a detour where the speed limit was so slow that I’m not sure we saved time. We did get some pretty views. It was a nice fair well to Colorado
Back to our lives we went: sticky hand holding, slobbery kisses, silly songs that talk about the floor being lava, constant questions, endless book reading, littles explorers, and booboo-kissings. However much I loved our adventure. There’s no place like home.
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