Tipi Time in Grand Lake!

We saved the best for last!  We loved Grand Lake and the campground we stayed in, Elk Creek.  I flipped out when I heard they had a resident moose on the grounds!  Emory and I snuck out at night and caught a glimpse of 2 moose from a distance.  And the next morning, a bear ran through the campground!  (Or so we heard!)

The tipi was a huge hit (with the kids).  Clif and I laid awake all night listening to the raindrops fall through the tipi ceiling.  The best photo was taken by Miles as Clif and I moved the queen size air bed into the tipi.  We were really roughing it, just like the Native Americans!

We hiked to Adams Falls on Friday morning, a hike recommended by the Sutton Family.  Then we spent a few hours hanging out in Grand Lake, with lunch and ice cream at Myachi's on the Lake.  I wanted to meet with a relator, but Clif thought that was a little premature.

AHHH, Steamboat!

Although we arrived in a rainstorm after a 6 hour drive on Wednesday night, Steamboat totally redeemed itself on Thursday!  I loved the bike ride on the Yampa river and the botanical gardens.  Clif loved the tacos at Taco Cabo.  He pulled a Guy Fieri and invited himself back into the kitchen to watch the cook make the sauces.

We planned to camp in the tent, but after a soggy night, we decided to take the last available cabin at KOA.  This was an awesome decision!  We rested so well in a dry cabin, and woke up to the sound of the roaring river outside out cabin.  We also did a short hike to Fish Creek Falls, a beautiful waterfall with little effort for maximum results!

Arches National Park

We must come back to this place!  We had such a great time hiking to Arches National Park, but we didn't get to see it all, so we need to come back!  We were lucky it wasn't too hot, as last week it was 108 in Moab!  We hiked to Delicate Arch, one of the coolest sites I've ever been to!  It was only a 3 mile hike round trip, but we went up the wrong way to the arch.  That made it a lot more challenging!  But we made it, and even enjoyed the narrows on the way down.  Enough words, the pictures can tell the story!

Utah!!

One of the best kept secrets in Utah!  We left Mesa Verde in the afternoon and made our way to Moab, Utah.  We found a really cool arch on the way. We climbed to the top, adventurously.  And as I reminded the kids to be careful, Miles said, "Mom, you are turning into Annie!"  The skies were full of storm clouds and rain was all around us when we were in Canyonlands.  But somehow, we stayed completely dry the whole time.  We were in AWE of God's amazing design.  We enjoyed evening lighting as we explored the Island of the Skies in Canyonlands.  Enough words... the photos speak for themselves.