Colorado Vacay: Tour Day 3 & Coming Home Edition

Our last day in Colorado was all about relaxing. Charlie had booked some spa services for me which included a massage and a haircut, color and style. I cannot explain how much I love a massage. It is so relaxing and to be on vacation, to have had so much fun already, and then to end it with a great massage was a real treat. While I was getting my spa on, the kids got haircuts too (hello school was starting in a few days) and then Brooke really wanted to see a movie.

We had dinner and there was a fun BIG chess set so the kids played a rousing game of ginormo chess.

We got up fairly early the next morning...

trying to pack up and check out and make it all the way home to Texas in one loooong day. We drove through wind farms...

and decided to head to Santa Fe, New Mexico for lunch.

Miles had info from a friend that this Cowgirl place was good eats. Who is he friends with that knows these things?

Well his friend was right. The lunch was yummy. Miles and Charlie had the ribs...uuuh yeah we like to eat light when we travel.

OK, here's where the trip takes a whacky little turn...if there's one thing Charlie was determined to do once we hit the New Mexico border it was stopping in Roswell for....

You guessed it....the International UFO museum....which pretty much means there are lots of international wackadoos out there. Now I did manage to get some very important info for you all. Such as "what to do if you see an UFO"....

see here's where we differ, the UFO museum and I, the first thing on MY list, would have been "Put down the fifth of Jim Beam" but to each UFO sightings list maker their own. And here are your basic Alien types, for the uninformed....

I'm not sure if the Bigfoot believers would agree that he's an alien. I would love to see a debate between the UFO aficionados and the Bigfoot aficionados...THAT would be interesting!! At any rate, I think we can all agree that this is exactly what we would do if we found an alien...because we would definitely not keep it hush hush, as if it were a military secret {wink} {wink}.

It did make me a little sad that my entrance fee went to fund this little operating room..I mean seriously, has anyone who works at this museum ever watched a medical show....a few suggestions...ER, Emergency 911, or I'd even settle for Trapper John, M.D. For goodness sakes, people, who is the guy in the suit (did he even scrub in???? he looks like the IRS or INS...either way, I think the alien has a lot of explaining to do).

Our final stop, before being happily abducted from Roswell, was the McDonald's, in the shape of a space ship. Believe me when I say that Roswell has most definitely capitalized on the alien theme. We got our ice cream cones and got out of there before the probing started!!!

After getting back into Texas we decided to just get the heck home...and since this guy just got his permit to drive (yes that's Miles)...

we decided to let him help out. The trip home was 19 hours long, including our stops, but it was great to be home and sleep in our own beds again.

I will always remember this trip for:

• the fantastic family memories
• the Big Texan (who can erase that memory) and the Cadillac Ranch
• my kids riding horseback for the first time
• that silly UFO museum
• Miles driving for the first time
• that Charlie made all the plans
• and did I mention those fantastic family memories!

It was a great time and just proves you don't have to be on a cruise or do something totally over the top to have a great time. As long as you have a sense of humor, a sense of adventure, and are with the ones you love, it will always be a great time!!!!

Colorado Vacay: Tour Day 2 Edition

Our second full day in Colorado Springs was an adventurous one. Charlie had made plans for us to visit The Garden of the Gods, and even better, he had made reservations for us to take a horseback ride through the Garden of the Gods. If you aren't familiar with this park it is gorgeous, so beautiful in fact that, America the Beautiful was written atop Pike's Peak while looking down on this beautiful natural area.

When we arrived at Academy stables bright and early we got the bare bones cowboy version of how this 2 hour ride was going to go. Most of us had NEVER ridden a horse before so it was a little anxiety producing (I have ridden before but, the horse's name was Spook, I was 4, it didn't end well.....can't. talk. about. it.) Anyway, they made us sign 17 release forms, in triplicate, handed us helmets, assigned us horses, and wished us luck. Since this was our first peak and it ended up being Pike's Peak we really couldn't complain!

Here we are getting all saddled up. A little help from Cowboy Todd and we were all ready to go!

Whoa...cowboy Todd who helped you get into them there Wranglers? They are a smidge tight....this is a family ride!

Here is everyone patiently waiting for mom to get on her horse. Unfortunately, being the family photographer meant bringing up the rear of the group, and unfortunately, bringing up the rear of the group meant I was privy to all the business going on in front of me...and unfortunately, horses do a lot of business. Not a pretty sight people. Anyway, I looked up and found this amazing view. For two solid hours, we enjoyed, sunshine, family time, beauty and peace that is hard to come by elsewhere.

We were on some narrow and vertical trails, both going up and down the trail and it can get a little hairy sometimes.

But moments like this made it worth the scary parts.

I mean it was just miles and miles of these beautiful red rock formations everywhere.

Definitely worth doing if you ever have the chance.

Upon arriving back at our hotel after our horseback ride, and lunch, we saw this view from our hotel room balcony.

And so, between the lake and the mountain view, we decided to go down and have some fun.

First we did some sailing...

Then we did some kayaking.....

and some more kayaking....

and then Miles and I left the others on the beach and decided to go check out the tennis courts.

We played on the regular courts, their clay courts, and inside on their indoor courts. Super fun!!

When we finished dinner that night we all had the same sentiment...let's get some sleep. We were seriously exhausted from a busy few days of travel and sightseeing.

Rest Brooke, because it's almost time to turn this train around and head back to Texas!