Moraine Park

Albeit a crazy turnaround, after being home for about a week we drove to RMNP to go camping with my husband's family.  We were so excited to be camping with cousins. The children had so much fun climbing rocks near our campsites together and were good little hikers when we took them places. Wednesday we did two short jokes around Sprague and Bear Lakes and rode the shuttle bus a lot. What a route to get from point A to point B!

The four 8 (and almost 8) year old girls shared a tent, so we were down a child in the camper. It was so fun to hear them giggle. And after our first hideous night of sleep, I was just hoping K slept better than we did. M had to go to the bathroom twice and D once and N was the a terrible sleeper all night long and they all got thirsty, blah blah blah. I tell you what, my precious 2-year-old may be the death of me yet. Either that or I'm going to have to start drinking caffeine regularly again for the first time since high school.

Our second day included seeing a moose, hiking Tundra Communities Trail, and visiting the Holzwarth Trout Lodge Historic Site for the first time. I cannot believe it took us so many visits to see and do these great things!  I got such a kick out of the children using an old time washing machine with glee and it warmed my heart to watch my father-in-law teaching the grandchildren how to lasso a wooden horse. Certainly a hidden gem of the park.

Friday we rode the shuttle to the Moraine Park Discovery Center in the morning. It was all right. In the afternoon our family drove to Estes Park to jump on a bungee trampoline, slide a huge slide, and play mini golf with Grandma.  At night we attended "Stories Behind the Moon and Stars."  The stories and facts and especially looking through the telescopes at the moon, Jupiter, and Venus was great. I think everyone would be up for participating in that program again!  Plus, the children had a ranger booklet that was quite well done and when finished they earned a special badge. Our son was much more interested in that than the normal RMMP booklet and pin. (M loved earning both and was our only one who chose to do so.)

As a side note, here's a funny little story. After getting settled in the camping trailer we were asked to make up stories. Dan told a good one about marmots, pikas, and rabbits. I decided to tell one about children in the future reporting about their summer vacation and visiting the moon. At the end K asked if that was true. D simply stated, "I'll be dead."  M reported she didn't think there would ever be a place like that in outer space. We got a good chuckle out of those responses.

Our last day it was sad to say good bye to the family. The older kids found our neighbors from back home to play with while Dan and I packed up. We watched the centennial film and walked around the Beaver Meadows visitor center area before heading home. It was a fun trip!  Every day we ate well, enjoyed the company of family, did something new, and the kids climbed on the rocks by our camp site over and over and over. How we love this place!  And it was so nice have family willing to do the long distance driving for us.