PTA VII: Day #7, Wednesday, July 29th...Rocky Mountain National Park

Day #7..."This place is ridiculously beautiful!"  This was Leah's comment nearly one mile into the park.  This is after she was grimacing at the prospect of hiking in the mountains all day.

It was stunning, we knew we had a lot to cover in little time.  Keep in mind the Rocky Mountain National Park is ginormous!  However, we wanted to make sure we hit the big landmarks and sites.  Ironically, we drove right up to the "Old Fall River Road."  It was a road that was 11 miles long, with countless switchbacks and steep grades AND it only goes one way!  It was terrifying to drive, but the majestic beauty that we got to experience was stunning.

This is just a sampling of the very narrow dirt roads that we had to drive up to the top of the mountain.

The road did have a number of pull outs near the switchbacks, where we could stop enjoy the view and take a break.  The kids especially enjoyed the breaks and the short hikes, it was a kids climbing paradise.  

We all really enjoyed the Rockies!  The climbing could go on forever, but there was so much to see!

The water was sparkling, the weather was perfect and we really enjoyed the landscape variations.  

At the top, the kids continued look out to the mountains, to see what else may be hiding out there.  According to Leah's handy journal entries, she noted 30+ animals, including, Moose, Elk, Mule Deer, Squirrels, Marmot, Ground Hogs, Beavers, etc...  

It really was an amazing day, full of stunning sights, which we finished off with a visit to Grand Lake.  Since it was dinner time, but we were not ready to finish our sightseeing, we found a highly recommended sandwich shop:  Cy's Deli.  Ordered some of their specialties and headed back out exploring.  

While the views and the lake were stunning, we decided to start our journey back to Estes Park.  

Here are some additional highlights from our drive back home.  We did make one stop to hike back to the beginning of the Colorado River.  Since we went rafting in it, we figured we should see where it started.  

We also saw a couple of additional animals in the park, on our way out...

Finally, the road didn't become any less forgiving on the way out of the park.  Here is a picture of one of the passes at the top, that we had to drive through.  

PTA VII: Day #6, Tuesday, July 28, 2015 ...Last Day in Vail and Heading to Estes Park, Colorado

Day #6...We couldn't leave Vail, without taking the kids up the Gondola and checking out the top of Vail Mountain.  (This is one of our favorite memories, when we went skiing in Vail).  So we headed out in the morning to "Gondola One." The kids loved this experience, Leah wasn't even scared.  Now the thought of riding up one of the open chair lifts, was terrifying for her.

(This will have to represent the air travel portion of our summer adventure).

When you get to the top, all you see are countless mountain biking trails, hiking trails and lots of ski signs.  (We are warming Leah up to coming out in the winter sometime).  We decided to take things easy and take one of the less strenuous hiking trails:  Upper Fireweed.  Well, lets just say, less strenuous doesn't mean the same thing to all people.  Leah was wiped, and "hangry."  (Our new word we started using to describe someone that is hungry and angry.  However, Guy did great considering he was on a conference call while on the hiking trail.

This is the trail we headed out on...

Noah and Leah head off...

Leah and Noah at the top of Vail Mountain

We did get to snap a couple extra shots before heading back to the hotel, wish we could have spent more time at the top of the mountain.  We had no idea, there was so much going on up top!

As you can see, Noah didn't want Abby River's to pass him.  The thought of Nate's younger sister lapping him was unthinkable.  (Kidding-Abby!)

After checking out of our hotel, we headed on to the next leg of our adventure:  Estes Park, in the Rocky Mountain National Forest.  Ironically, we learned that some good friends-the Rivers Family were also visiting Estes Park.  We were able to rendezvous with their family for Dinner.  We met up in Lyons, Colorado at a very cool and hip joint for dinner:  Oskar Blues.  (The chicken lettuce wraps and Pinner Beer were FANTASTIC!)  It was so great to visit and catch up with them, somewhere OUTSIDE of the baseball fields.  

Steve, Sam, Nate, Abby and Jen Rivers with Guy, Leah, Penny and Noah.  (Yes, I must be shrinking, not sure why all of the boys are taller than me now?)

We then headed out to check into our cabin (for the next two days).  Guy found a great spot at River Stone Resorts in Estes Park for us.  However, the kids were quickly reconnected with the Rivers family.  We met up at "Fun City".  A place where the kids could hang out a bit more, and Guy and I could get some touring advice from Steve and Jen (who were clearly experts in our minds).  They have done this hiking stuff before and could give us some tips and tricks.  

PTA VII: Day #5, Monday, July 27, 2015 ...Colorado River, here we come!

Day #5...Whitewater Rafting on the Colorado River!  We did it, check that off our bucket list.  Yes, it is true, we took the entire family rafting down the Colorado River.

Our concierge at our hotel recommended Timberline Tours and their trip down the Soshone Rapids on the Colorado River.  Leah was VERY apprehensive, so he spent some extra time trying to convince her this would be ok.  (Note:  He was an expert raft instructor himself.)  However, he did make one mistake of showing her a YouTube video of the rapids that freaked her out.  She was a trooper and didn't bail out, instead she was going along with the adventure as the rest of us were so excited to do this!

They suited us all up in the proper safety gear and gave us our instructions, before dropping us in the river with our guide.  It was at that point--Leah said, "NO WAY!"  Needless to say, I was disappointed, but our very special driver, assured us that he could take us to another spot to meet up with them after the wild rapids.  So, in the end, we all had the opportunity to experience rafting down the Colorado River.

Dad and Noah heading toward the Soshone Rapids, without Leah and Mom!

Leah and Mom waiting to be picked up at Grizzly Creek.  (Just happy Leah agreed to get into the Raft!)

Noah was NOT going to miss the opportunity to jump into the Colorado River!  He remarked...BBBRRRRRRR!

In the end, a great time was had by all!  Guy and Noah are looking forward to doing it again soon!

We headed back to the hotel for a nap and quick dip in the pool.  (Leah wants to be in the pool every second!)  We ended the evening with a great dinner at La Bottega a wonderful Italian restaurant in Vail Village.  We would all highly recommend it!

PTA: VII Day #4, Sunday, July 26, 2015 ...Watch out Mountains, the Cierzan's go off roading!

Day #4...We head off into the Rockies on an ATV!

Hard to believe, but true, we wanted to really get into the mountains and experience the rugged terrain with the kids.  We were referred to a great company right outside of the city, Sage Outdoor Adventures.  While Leah said she was excited to do this, she wasn't real excited when she saw the machines.  "They look just like Uncle Dan's."  However, Dad assured her with his "superior" driving skills, she would enjoy the ride.  (I think she was secretly hoping for a golf cart that she could drive).
Our guide didn't put her at ease when he excitedly announced that he had seen a mountain lion recently on one of the trips.  I assured her, this would be fun!  Also, with Dad's superior driving skills he could certainly outrun a mountain lion, right?!

Leah making sure she is all buckled in!

 While the ATV was a lot like Uncle Dan's, all 4 of us could ride in one machine.  It was rugged terrain certainly evidenced by all of the photo's of our dirty faces!  Can you tell who was sitting in front and who was sitting in back?

Noah, Mom, Leah and Dad with our ATV in the Rocky Mountains!

The sights were amazing!  It was much like looking into the Grand Canyon, from some of the locations.  

Dad is showing Leah some of the unique features of the landscape, while Mom is stressing out about them standing right on a cliff!

Noah couldn't get over how grand the view was, I am certain he is going to fill up his phone with photo's on this trip.

At the end of the trip the kids both remarked...THANK YOU!  That was great, however, we were flithy!  Oh...apparently Leah is the only one that "thinks" she saw a Mountain Lion.

We headed back to the hotel, in typical Griswold fashion, filthy dirty and ready to jump into the pool at the Four Season's Hotel in Vail.  Guy and I couldn't do it, we insisted on quick showers before heading to the pool.  After a quick bite poolside (because that is all Leah really cares about is being in the pool as much as possible).  Noah and I convinced her that we should rent some bikes and check out some of the bike trails in Vail.  So the three of us headed out for a little more exploring.

We took a few stops, to check out the river running through the city.  It was crystal clear, and Noah (the germ freak) actually wanted to taste the water, it was clear and cool.  I didn't think it was such a great idea, but later I learned-it isn't a good idea.  So fortunately, he didn't fill up his water bottle.  So, far there are not side effects.  

Leah on the other hand, liked climbing around by the creek.  She did NOT like biking up the hills!

We decided to head back after a couple of hours to check on Guy.  He needed a little more rest, as the altitude stuff was bugging him again.  However, as we have now come to expect from the Four Seasons, the service is superior!  Matt from the front desk, actually sent up an "altitude sickness" assistance bag.  It had snacks, ginger ale and some Altitude Adjustment Supplements that they assured us would help Guy acclimate to the altitude.  In addition, they also loaned us a Mercedes SUV to go pick up some things at the grocery store nearby. The kids thought that was REAL cool.  As did I, kind of fun driving a different car that is NOT packed with junk all over the place.  I might add, that is another cool added value of staying at this property.  

The kids finally wore us out and we hit the sack, after watching Paul Blart Mall Cop 2.  (Sorry, Uncle Dan, Leah waited as long as she could, she wanted to watch it).  Good family flick!

PTA: VII Day #3, Saturday, July 25, 2015 ...Wow, the Colorado Landscape is amazing!

Day #3  Heading to Vail, Colorado...

We finally checked out of our hotel in the Denver area.  We let Guy get a little extra sleep, as rest is often the key to beating altitude sickness.  While not a 100% yet, he doesn't like to give up the driving responsibilities.  We started our trek into the mountains...the kids finally began to appreciate the beauty and vastness of the mountains.

The drive into the mountains was much like I always remembered as a kid.  Many cars off to the side "cooling off" and semi trucks cruising into the mountains in the right lane with their flashers on.  While the truck didn't have a problem with the drive, you could certainly tell it was working harder than normal.  However, I reminded Guy how my Dad would always drive in a lower gear, and baby the truck.  We followed Dad's rules and the ride was smooth.

We really enjoyed the ride with the kids, especially the ride through the Eisenhower Tunnel.  If your kids are anything like ours, they like to hold their breath in the tunnels.  This tunnel is over 1 1/2 miles long!

This is what it looks like as we enter the tunnel...

This is what it looks like inside when the kids nearly pass out after holding their breath!

I always remember being impressed by this tunnel and happy to see it still impressed the kids!  Guy and I were a bit evil...we did not warn them how long it was when they announced they were going to hold their breath for this tunnel.  We did smirk, when they were holding their breath.  

Our destination for this leg of the trip was Vail, Colorado!  Dad had really hooked us up on this leg of the trip, our destination is the Four Seasons in Vail.  The Four Seasons didn't disappoint!  What an amazing full service resort.  Leah on the other hand was disappointed that our room did not have the large leather lounge chair that the website bragged about.  However, in true Four Seasons fashion, we arrived back to our room in the evening to find a large leather lounge chair!  

Sad but true, we were exhausted after our travels for the day.  We hit the pool and freshened up and finally headed out to check out Vail Village and grab a bite to eat.  We lucked out and found a nice pizza shop, Pazzo's Pizzeria right in the village.  It was delicious.  Perfect ending to our day.  Note:  Guy was most impressed by the music being played...The Who, Robert Plant, etc...  he was of course testing the kids musical aptitude.

If you have visited Vail Village you know how quaint it is, it looks almost like something out of a Disney movie.  This is one of the reasons, we wanted the kids to see Vail in the summer, it is so unique and beautiful.  A place we are certain to visit again, however, likely during ski season next time.

PTA: VII Day #2, Friday, July 24, 2015 On the road again...tackling Nebraska!

We set off early today to conquer the state of Nebraska.  What I mean by conquer, is that it has a very flat terrain, that doesn't give you much in terms of distractions for a long day of driving.  Our goal for the day, was to reach Denver, Colorado.  So, it was certain to be a long day!

As the kids finally could appreciate the state of Nebraska is very flat!  Hundreds of miles of this can get a little boring.  So we were always looking for some unique architecture, sign or landmark.  We were certainly not disappointed.

One highlight for me, was this very unique structure off the main highway, but entirely visible from the highway in Gretna, Nebraska.

As it turns out, it is a church. The Holy Family Shrine, it is fairly new.  It appears to have been built in 2002.  It is so unique looking, worthy of a peek! We also saw some unique road signs.  However, they came up so fast we couldn't take a picture, so you will have to take our word for it.  My favorite in Sterling, Nebraska:  "Correctional Facility:  Don't Stop for Hitchhikers."

We ended up making great time to Denver, special thanks to the change to the mountain time zone.  (Turn your clocks back an hour).  We were able to meet a long time childhood friend of ours.  Someone that both Guy and I grew up with; Chris Kissell.  To those of you that are wondering who he is, Chris is the fool that packed up and moved to Florida and never came back home.  He claims it was too cold here.  I think his blood must be thickening, because he has moved to a bit cooler climate now, Denver, Colorado.  We figured it was a great night and we had not yet experienced a game at Coors Field, so we invited Chris to join us for the game. (Ironically, it was his first game as well).

What a game it was, the Rockies actually pulled a rabbit out of their hat and made it a game! An exciting one at that.

Chris AKA "George" & Guy at Coors Field

Leah and Noah (note his 2nd new hat of the trip)

After the game, we said our goodbyes to Chris and headed our separate ways.  Our separate way, included walking through clouds of cannibis smoke.  Not sure how healthy it was for the kids, but they seem unaffected by the 2nd hand smoke.  However, certain there will be warning signs up in Colorado soon.   Warning people of the dangers of 2nd hand smoke.  My favorite line of the night came from Leah, as we were driving through downtown Denver, in the very busy, loud and open doors everywhere, bar scene..."Wow, it is crazy around here.  They (the Rockies) must not win very often."

We finally made it home, but the elevation was starting to bug Guy, so a good rest is what we planed before our next adventure.  

PTA: VII (Planes, Trains and Mostly Automobiles) July 23, 2015 Cierzan's Explore the Midwest...

July 23-August 1, 2015

We decided to head out to explore more of the Midwest.  You can do it this time of year, as the weather is spectacular.  We don’t have to hop on an airplane and travel thousands of miles to soak up some rays and fill up on our vitamin D.  Which as a true Minnesotan, I realize we are ALL terribly deficient in. 

Day #1, Thursday, July 23, 2015

...Cierzan's depart Minneapolis, with our totally stocked truck.

I am so excited to share my special purchase for this trip, an electric cooler.  It is amazing, it can plug into a cigarette outlet and we have a special outlet in the back of the truck.  No more buying ice and always certain to have chilled beverages and snacks.  (Is it lame, that I am so excited about this?)  If anyone else likes gadgets like this and would like one of their own, take a peek at at the Igloo Iceless 28 quart cooler. Guy thinks this is crazy, but I am certain by the end of the trip, he will be on the same page with me.  This cooler ROCKS!

We were able to see so many unique roadside sights, on our first leg.  The trip through Iowa was quick.  We did stop for a bite at a roadside restaurant:  Seven Stars Family Restaurant in Clear Lake, Iowa.  We figured the full parking lot was a good sign.  We had a quick bite and everyone gave it the thumbs up!

Another unique roadside sight was all of the "Windmills" in Iowa.  Did you know...the state of Iowa generates nearly a quarter of all of its energy from wind.  In fact, Warren Buffet was so inspired that he made one of the largest donations to their economy to continue to expand on this endeavor, funding windmill farms all over the state.  Ok, all of you windmill haters out there, I think they may be on to something in Iowa, perhaps we should add a couple back in Minnesota.

We also went through DeSoto, Iowa.  The birthplace of John Wayne.  I had no idea!  Neither did Noah...he remarked: "Who is John Wayne anyway?"  Seriously, I couldn't believe he said that. Looking for a John Wayne flick for him to watch on the way home.

Our goal for this leg of the trip was to make it to Omaha, Nebraska.  In typical Cierzan fashion, we have everything scheduled a head of time.  (Special thanks to Dad!)  Guy is always on top of our lodging, as a frequent traveler, he always seems to know how to arrange the best and most efficient options to meet our every needs. We were able to get a room at the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Papillion, Nebraska.

I am sure you won't be surprised when I share that we were staying a mile from Werner Park.  An amazing new ballpark in the middle of a cornfield, that is a AAA ballpark for the Kansas City Royals.  Werner Park is also home to the College World Series, it was quite the ballpark.  They even had a game scheduled the night we were there, so we had the special treat of being able to relax and watch a game.

Oh, I might add some highlights from the game.  Guy lucked out and sat next to someone with a hat with his favorite saying on it.

The slang version of "America" drives Guy crazy.  Noah on the other hand couldn't leave without adding a hat to his baseball hat collection.

The hometown team name is: Storm Chasers!  Notice the tornado with a bat on his hat.

Finally, Leah toured the entire ballpark and settled for sampling a: "Oma-Dog."  It is a hotdog, with pulled pork, bacon and cheese.  However, we weren't sure where the bacon was on this one.  It was pretty good.

We finally headed back to our hotel, to catch a couple of ZZZ's!  No, we didn't cave and let the kids go swimming.  Sleep is valuable!  Some things never change, like Guy and I remember demanding when we were young, we always wanted to stay where there was a pool.  Our kids are no different, but we didn't have anytime left in our day.  Besides the pool was nearly as big as our bathtub at home, Leah called it L-A-M-E!