Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Latest vacation...part 1

So here it is, part 1 of a 2 part photo log of the vacation we just got back from.  An old friend of our was getting married in CO and that was just the excuse we needed to go out on a camping trip and good old family road trip.

Before we left, we had to strip the garden of the ripened fruit.  The Raspberries were awesome this year and we got about 3 gallons off of the bushes.  James has gotten really good at picking the ripe ones, but has yet to grasp the idea of putting the berries into a bucket.  That kid can really eat when he gets a mind to. Take note of the long hair...more on that later.

Double handed picking technique at its best.

He also likes to work with tools.  Any time James sees a tool he basically screams until he can get a hold of it.  Pretty annoying and usually gets him into a bit of trouble.

Before we left Brenda thought it prudent to get him a haircut.  He was getting quite the mullet and I agreed, but he looked so much different with the haircut.

Still super cool though.

On day one we left Spokane and headed to Jackson Wy.  We made it about 10hrs and then found a state park outside of WY in Idaho which was recommended by a friend.  It was the perfect time to stop and we got to try out the new tent.

Camping is such a good time.

But, even camping is no excuse for not brushing your teeth.

This is the only night we had a campfire the entire 5 nights of camping.  Most of the time we were too tired or in the National Park, where you cannot scavenge wood, but have to buy it.  I refuse to buy wood, so that settled that.

The next day in Jackson we forgot that it could be so touristy.  I don't think I would ever want to live in that town, but soon we were off to Pinedale...the old stomping grounds.

James liked the old school park toys in Pinedale.  He is a sucker for a steering wheel. 

Dad and boy walking around.

We decided to get a hotel for the night and in the meantime went to Half Moon Lake Resort where we used to work.  It is shut down and for sale now (if you got 1.5 million or so and want to buy a resort, this would be a great deal), but we did take a hike that brought back some good memories.

I do love this lake and it appears that James does as well.

Had a great time throwing rocks.

The wildflowers were awesome along the trail and we really enjoyed ourselves.

That night were went swimming in the hotel pool and I commented to Brenda that the chlorine content was high, which would come into play later.  About 1 day later James got a rash and fever that would spell trouble for camping...lots of sleepless nights.

The next day the way to Medicine Bow NF we stopped for some rest.  James loved to run around.

In the old town on Centennial we checked out some historic artifacts and had a great time.

This night we camped in the middle of nowhere in Medicine Bow NF.  All of the campgrounds were clearcut to "protect the public" from falling trees since the pine beetle had killed so many trees.  There was no chance of me staying in a war zone when on vacation, so off the beaten path it was.

Q: Who needs a picnic table, running water,or a man made bathroom?
A: Not us!

Summer in the mountains is all about taking in the sights, sounds, and smells and we did all three.

The next day we headed to Rocky Mountain National Park and part 2 of the vacation.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lots of good memories.

Laura E said...

Awesome! James looks adorable with the new haircut. It always makes them look older. Sounds like camping was just plain sweet. And so glad you could make it back to Pinedale! Didn't you propose to Brenda on that lake?

Unknown said...

I did propose to her at the lake and the pic kind of showed the beach in the backgroud, but you have to know what you are looking for.