Head in the Clouds!

Yes, we took the long and winding road up to the top of Pike's Peak on our recent trip to Colorado. It was a frightening drive for someone as scared of heights as I am. Once on the top it was worth the drive. The clouds were so close you could almost touch them, and we got to watch a storm come over the mountains. The views of the valley were not as good as we would have liked because of the fog and clouds. It was one of those things I am so glad I did, but I am not so sure I will want to do it again.

Cousins!

While in Colorado, we got to spend an evening visiting with relatives. Hosting the meal was cousin Mary and her daughter, Katie, pictured above. Other family not shown was Joe, Delaney, Casey, Beth, Irene, Kendra, Ken, Chad and Aunt Ellen. Ellen is my mom's older sister. We got to seem them yearly while we were growing up. I wish we were closer!

Giuseppe's Old Depot Restaurant

For lunch the first day in Colorado Springs we chose to eat at this rennovated train station. We had been there before and enjoyed the atmosphere. The food was good as was the company. We met my brother, sister-in-law, nephew, niece and great niece and nephew. It was a beautiful day and a fun place to officially begin our vacation.

Sunflowers!

Kansas is a rather visually boring state in my opinion. However, along the highway on the way to Colorado, this beautiful field of sunflowers caught my attention. I would have loved to stop and take better photos, but alas, photography is not a good reason for my husband to stop the vehicle. I was able to snap this from the car so I could remember the moment and the beauty of it!

Mr. Bobblehead

Let me introduce you to Mr. Bobblehead. He is a friend of ours that went with us to Colorado. He sat on the dash of the truck and was a willing participant in pranks and photo opportunities during the trip. Here is how he came to go along with us: Before the trip, Randy was cleaning out his truck and found this little happy meal pal of the grandkids. He showed it to them and told them that Mr. B (shortcut for a long name) would ride to Colorado with us, and we would think of them everytime we saw him. They liked that idea. Somewhere along the way, I started taking pictures of him. We decided to make a "Flat Stanley" out of him (character from children's books). We took Mr. B with us to the restaurants, hotels and sites. Feeling a little foolish at times, we explained to a variety of people what we were doing and why. With no exceptions, everyone "got" it. Several offered to take our photo with Mr. B along the way. It made the trip extra fun, and we vowed to put a photo album together when we got home to give to the grands. I think part of our motivation for this game was missing Maddison and Mason being with us. In 2009, they drove with us, along with their parents to Colorado. Since they couldn't make it this time, we decided to take a little of them along with us. In the picture above, we are loading bags to take into our first hotel room (Colby, KS). Jessica decided to take a picture with Mr. B, her honorary brother! I now have the Mr. Bobblehead book on order and hope to surprise Maddie and Mason this week with it. I will post a picture later of the book. We are planning a fall trip to Boston, and have a little plastic monkey (a safety monkey from my husband's work) that will be going with us on that trip. I guess it is true what they say about getting older and reverting back to youth!
If you are planning a trip soon, and have children or grandchildren, I would highly recommend this little game. It is lots of fun!

Arthur Bryants of Kansas City

On the way to Colorado, we stopped at Cabela's in Kansas City (KS). Close by was an Arthur Bryant's Barbecue Restaurant. I have often heard of Arthur Bryants and wanted to try it. NO ONE told me how much food they served. My husband got a burned ends sandwich, and I got a pulled pork sandwich. We decided to share fries, and try some baked beans. We had enough food to feed us for several meals. We definitely should have shared a sandwich. The food was good except that neither of us liked the beans much. They were way too smokey for my taste. I am not sure if I will ever go back there, but I am glad that I finally got to try it. I will say that they had the nicest people working for them! The menu said: Bread loaf, $2.50. I asked what kind of bread it was. The employee tossed a whole loaf of sliced white bread down in front of me. (Like wonder store bought, different brand). I guess I was expecting a home made mini loaf. We both laughed! All in all it was fun.

Blog-cation

Just a quick note to say that I have been taking a little break from blogging. Last week we took a road trip to Colorado and spent a great, relaxing week visiting with family and sight seeing. Our trip companions were Jessica and Scott. We had a great time and I will post some pictures and adventures soon. We traveled with a little buddy, Bobblehead, and he will be featured in some of my photos and texts. The great thing about doing a blog for my own enjoyment is being able to step away from it for a while. It is refreshing to take a break every now and again! This has been a week of adjustment as I have returned to work and all things related to work. See yah soon!