After a summer of "staycationing" we were very happy to get out and have a family vacation for a week in beautiful Vail, Colorado with Josh, Mary, Connor and baby Alec. At first Jefferson asked if we could leave Carter with grandparents but then okayed him coming. On Saturday we broke up the 7ish hour drive by brunching in Grand Junction and then exploring the Colorado National Monument. It was like a mix of Moab with Grand Canyon like views. Super fun for the kiddos to climb and explore. We stayed at a lovely resort/condo. Our rooms were right across from each other and Jefferson referred to them as "Connor's house" and "My house." The boys enjoyed playing air hockey and we had a lovely Sunday afternoon playing in the park. On Monday we played in the outdoor pool and hot tub and then explored Vail Village and loaded up on chocolate for the week. Tuesday we rented mountain bikes and took turns on the trails while the kiddos had a picnic and played in the park. Brad and Josh were pro's on the black diamond trails and Mary J. and I survived the blue trail but preferred the scenic comfortable green trails. Everyone but Brad fell at least once and we ended the night with an exquisite sunset. Wednesday we took advantage of still having the bikes and took turns as couples biking the 16 mile scenic trail in Glenwood Springs along the Colorado River. The kiddos practiced their rock skipping skills and we rewarded everyone with artisan icecream. Brad and I got to have a date night and we chose a romantic German restaurant. On our way back to our car we were quite surprised to find a bear on the roof of one of the shops. We quietly walked by and let him be. It then made sense why every garbage in the area (even in shopping areas) was bear proof. Thursday we explored the science center and played in the park nearby and then had a movie night with the kids so Josh and Mary could have a date night. Friday we headed back to Glenwood Springs and went up the tram to check out the amusement park, some caves, and fantastic views. After a yummy lunch at Smoked and a little shopping for souvenirs (our magnet) we played some pickleball and games and started packing up. Saturday we trecked back to Utah discovering some authentic taco trucks in Green River, UT for lunch which reminded us of our time in Mexico. We meant to meet up at a trail head in Helper, UT but our GPS took us to different locations so we did some scenic exploring and headed back to SLC. Such a fun family trip! Thanks Josh and Mary for inviting us!
