Our big family vacation this year was to Denver Colorado for two days, and Estes Park / Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado for six days. This was a fantastic vacation, full of new adventures for us, and the kids were in complete awe of the mountains.
We started at the Denver Aquarium, where the sting rays were very popular.
Best picture ever!
Tigers at the aquarium seemed a bit of an odd choice to us.
The kids enjoyed the aquarium's mermaid dinner show.
On our second day we attended the Rockies vs Brewers game at Coors Field. As huge of a Cardinals family that we are, we agreed that this baseball experience was one of our most fun games - the kids were each thrown a ball from the Rockies, Olivia was on the jumbo tv, and Ethan did an amazing job calling all of the Rockies' homeruns - so much so that the fans around us began calling him their good luck charm and high fiving him constantly.
The kids loved meeting Dinger the Dinosaur mascot.
Coors Field center field was beautiful. Instead of fireworks, the fountains would be turned on very high after each Rockies homerun.
Next up was Estes Park / Rocky Mountain National Park area. We stayed at the YMCA of the Rockies - a fabulous place for kids (if you don't mind horrible food and not so clean accommodations!). Here is Joe and I posing in front of Long's Peak - we did not climb it this trip, although we climbed Long's Peak our previous Colorado vacation.
Olivia and Ethan on our easy starter hike - Lily Lake.
The family in front of Copeland Falls.
Not all of the chipmunks were this tame!
We made it to Calypso Falls! What a beautiful hike!
Lunch at Calypso Falls is one of legend - stale bagels we took from the cafeteria and Joe sliced open with our pocket knife, peanut butter spread on with a spoon, cheezits, and dried cherries.
Suckers were the kids' treat for hiking to Calypso Falls.
YMCA statue at the lodge. Gorgeous views everywhere on the property.
We completed a two hour horseback ride through Moraine Park. Such a beautiful ride - and the kids did great on their first horseback ride! The trail was not exactly easy for the first ride, either - very steep and very rocky, but the kids guided them wonderfully.
View of Rocky Mountain National Park from taking the Estes Park air tram.
The Stanley Hotel - the kids were a bit nervous visiting when we told them it is haunted!
An elk in the Estes Park town square. The locals were less than impressed, but the tourists were taking many pictures.
Next on the vacation agenda was to drive Trail Ridge Road - ranked one of the prettiest highways in the US, and we agree with this! We stopped many times along the way to enjoy the scenery (and for Joe to calm his frazzled nerves of driving a road with no shoulder or guard rail with very steep drop offs!).
We made it to the tundra - a full 20 degrees colder than it was in Estes Park!
We were lucky enough to see about 10 male elk during our drive, so we parked the car to watch them.
Joe and Ethan enjoying the tundra view at the Alpine Visitor Center.
At the top of the Alpine Visitor center hike. Absolutely beautiful every direction you turned.
We made it to the Continental Divide on Trail Ridge Road before turning around to return to Estes Park.
It seemed to rain a bit each day that we were there, but nothing that ruined our trip.
Enjoying the view at Nymph Lake. Stunning. So many lily pads to look at.
Next on the hike was Dream Lake. The kids were in awe of how clear yet green the water was. You could clearly see the bottom of the lake, no matter where you looked.
The final hike destination - Emerald Lake. This is my favorite hike and destination in Colorado (Bear/Nymph/Dream/Emerald Lake hike). Absolutely beautiful, with a waterfall crashing sound echoing.
Ethan and Olivia enjoying the view of Bear lake.
Getting ready for the YMCA Marshmallow Hayride.
We did this hayride on Olivia's birthday, so we lit a marshmallow on fire and we all sang Happy Birthday to her, and then she blew out the "mallow" for her wish.
YMCA mini golf with the mountains in the background.
