Vacay, Part Deux

Rocky Mountain National Park

2 Stones in the lake.

Not pictured: Stone's Adventures With Leaches.

Elk butts.

Hard-earned stubble. A sure sign that we're on vacation. Landing.

Um, a robot?

A huge thunderhead cloud.

This is something that just happens in Colorado. If we saw this over the Golden Gate Bridge, security at SFO would get raised to "burnt umber" and people would start buying canned goods. Aspen grove at sunset.

I was there, too.

We left Boulder on Wednesday afternoon to spend the rest of the week in a little town at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Now, let me just say that nothing has made me feel like more of an Official Grown-Up than renting a car and taking my little family to a national park for vacation. I mean, wow. How did this happen? I used to hate this kind of trip, and as the child of an educator, I have been dragged along on this kind of trip countless times.

Okay, so 16 times. But that's a lot of times.

National parks haven't changed since I was a kid.They still give out the little rectangular folding maps with the block lettering across the panoramic picture on the front.
Those signs are still all over the place-you know, the beige ones with the sketches of the local wildlife and the commentary on the fragile nature of the wilderness. Except now I stop to read them instead of rolling my eyes, and now I think the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful- not just something to be endured until Jeb and I can climb back into the station wagon and play "I Spy" until we get to our economy hotel, bellies full of clam chowder, and enjoy the exciting possibility of a jacuzzi, a pool, kids from New Zealand, or maybe- just maybe- magic fingers on the bed (not pervy, regardless of how it sounds).
I loathe to admit it, but I even expressed admiration for the pioneers at one point.

I think a mention of the pioneers while in a national park in your rented mid-size car is punishable by immediate revocation of your last shred of street cred. Rats.

It's nice being the mom, though.
Really nice.