Trip Report: The Perfect Family Trip!
EDIT: I wanted to add this link here at the beginning. Ragusa's Summer 2014 Trailer Hello friends! We have been home for two months, but I am just now feeling like getting to the trip repo...
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Bonus Footage: #2
At Sunset Crater, the campsite was a playground in itself. Each morning, we'd sit and have our coffee and the kids would wander into the woods. They carried a 2way radio, which worked great for doing spot checks. They kept coming back showing us pieces of lava that they wanted to keep. We obviously said no. Then, the host came by the site and encouraged them to take some. He said that we were outside of the park boundaries and not to worry. I didn't much care that he was encouraging it, but we took a piece anyway. I think the one in my hand here. Being a science teacher, it will touch many kids, and that's how I justified it.
One morning, the boys came across this. Could be a mountain lion print? Or maybe we're seeing things?
A good shot at the GC. I really like that it captures the excitement the boys were feeling.
The shuttle services were fantastic at all parks. Here's an early morning shot at the shuttle stop. You can see that we start off early enough that no one else is there with us. Just getting up early cuts the crowds by a huge amount.
I like this one for two reasons, first, the boys enjoyed this model because it related to things they learned in school the prior year. And second, they look so grown up. It was yesterday that I was changing diapers! I just can't wrap my head around the passing of time...
One morning, I got up extra early to hit the laundry. I took the truck, and passed by an elk. I called back to the camper and let the family know that she was just a short walk from the camper. So my wife took one boy and went for a look. While there, the elk started stomping her hoof and threatened several charges. They jumped behind trees and eventually a car drove by. They got behind the car, but the couple didn't speak english. My wife was asking that they drive slowly and let them walk behind the car to get away. The couple got nervous for some reason and sped off, leaving them in the road alone. Fortunately, the elk became more comfortable and left them alone after that. After this little scene, we cringed every time we saw families getting so close. With this story as background, you can see the groundwork was laid for us to be extra alarmed at the story told earlier when my son and I found ourselves next to a bull elk in RMNP.
At Sunset Crater, the campsite was a playground in itself. Each morning, we'd sit and have our coffee and the kids would wander into the woods. They carried a 2way radio, which worked great for doing spot checks. They kept coming back showing us pieces of lava that they wanted to keep. We obviously said no. Then, the host came by the site and encouraged them to take some. He said that we were outside of the park boundaries and not to worry. I didn't much care that he was encouraging it, but we took a piece anyway. I think the one in my hand here. Being a science teacher, it will touch many kids, and that's how I justified it.
One morning, the boys came across this. Could be a mountain lion print? Or maybe we're seeing things?
A good shot at the GC. I really like that it captures the excitement the boys were feeling.
The shuttle services were fantastic at all parks. Here's an early morning shot at the shuttle stop. You can see that we start off early enough that no one else is there with us. Just getting up early cuts the crowds by a huge amount.
I like this one for two reasons, first, the boys enjoyed this model because it related to things they learned in school the prior year. And second, they look so grown up. It was yesterday that I was changing diapers! I just can't wrap my head around the passing of time...
One morning, I got up extra early to hit the laundry. I took the truck, and passed by an elk. I called back to the camper and let the family know that she was just a short walk from the camper. So my wife took one boy and went for a look. While there, the elk started stomping her hoof and threatened several charges. They jumped behind trees and eventually a car drove by. They got behind the car, but the couple didn't speak english. My wife was asking that they drive slowly and let them walk behind the car to get away. The couple got nervous for some reason and sped off, leaving them in the road alone. Fortunately, the elk became more comfortable and left them alone after that. After this little scene, we cringed every time we saw families getting so close. With this story as background, you can see the groundwork was laid for us to be extra alarmed at the story told earlier when my son and I found ourselves next to a bull elk in RMNP.
