It might be hard to believe, but no one in the family learned to ski when we were living in Germany. I don't think any of us were even remotely interested in learning. The boys did learn to snow board while they were going to college in Arizona. Then one year, Scott and Ryan talked Leslie into a snowboarding trip to Colorado. They all talked about how much fun it was and how beautiful the mountains were. Ron and I had always wanted to go, so part of the family decided to spend Christmas there one year. It was a winter paradise complete with post card views of sparkling snow, crisp temperatures, bundled up people, and cold noses, fingers and toes. I don't believe Ron and I will ever go back there in the winter time. Our Texas blood is a little too thin. However, I was curious about what the summer might be like.
When we were planning the road trip, Leslie found out that Breckenridge hosts summer fun camps for kids. We decided the girls would probably be ready for just a day of playing by the time we got to the middle of our road trip. Leslie found a hotel just outside of Breckenridge and we spent a day at the camp.
They had a maze, bungee trampolines, alpine slides, zip lines, rope mazes, mountain bike riding, panning for treasure, and piles of snow to play in. The girls had a wonderful time. I think Seth was pretty bored; but, he never complained once! He kept me company while we watch the little ones play. Of course, Leslie and Scott had to try out a few of the rides. All in all, it was the perfect break for a road trip mid-point layover.
 |
| Riding up to the top of the mountain was a new experience for the grands. |
 |
| I think the swaying and heights were a bit frightening for Maggie. |
 |
| Sophie and Seth just seemed to take it in stride. |
 |
| Off to the maze. It was a team challenge between Sophie & Scott and Maggie & Leslie. |
 |
| Sophie and Scott came out first. |
 |
| Maggie came out next; but without Leslie! |
 |
| Leslie finally made it out! |
After the maze, the girls tried out the bungee trampoline. It looked pretty easy but they had a tough time. Although they tried several times, neither of them managed to do any flips.
I don't know who enjoyed the Alpine slide more; Scott or the kids. Sophie wasn't big enough to go on her own; but Maggie was. However, Maggie will never win an award for speed. I think her overly cautious ride was a little irritating for one little guy that was stuck behind her.
The rock wall was one of those experiences that illustrate how important it is that babies crawl. Maggie skipped crawling and has never had very good coordination. Climbing the wall was a challenge for her. She gave it a try and that was all Leslie asked her to do. Sophie got a little scared as she got higher and ended up coming back down.
While the girls were panning for treasure, we were able to learn a little about the background of some of the workers. Most of them share apartments and work there during the summer. There are a LOT of foreign students that work in the surrounding towns. We had so much trouble ordering a meal at Wendy's because the girl at the window spoke limited English. That was another time that we realized having an RV would be a smart investment. Just buying food for this crowd was a small fortune!
When we were planning the trip, I told the girls there would still be snow on the ground in the Rockies. The first time we saw the snow, it was still far off in the distance. Once we started through the mountains, the kids got more excited. Unfortunately, the piles of snow at Breckenridge were very hard and dirty. They didn't seem to mind.
The zip line and rope maze were the most popular events at the camp. That's the only place the kids had to wait in line. Luckily, we found a table in the shade! Otherwise, Seth and I would have been sunburned to a crisp! It took a while for the kids to get into their gear and receive instruction, but that helped the time in the line go by more quickly.
Seth was my buddy today. We just hung out and took pictures. I think he would have rather been playing video games at the hotel but he never complained once. I'm so glad he went with us.
The last thing the girls did was the tube slide. The young man working at the bottom was so good with the kids. He kept them laughing. I started to notice that kids would just go over and stand near him to talk to him after their ride was over. I have no idea who he was, but it is always heartwarming to see a young man work so well with children.
We left Breckenridge a little sun burned, very tired, and carrying a load of chocolate from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. We knew the next day was going to be a long one; driving through the Rocky Mountains and on into Wyoming would only be half the trip. Our final stop would be in South Dakota. I think we're all glad we spent the day just having fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment