"Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover."
~Mark Twain

  Trip to the Colorado Rockies - Aug. 25 - Jun 3, 2007

Our trip to the Colorado Rockies, including Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, included the two of us and our 11 month old daughter, Kaitlyn, for her first outdoor adventure. It was a bit calmer than some of our other camping trips. For starters, we flew first class instead of driving, and we rented a condo instead of pitching a tent. But we were still able to see some of the Rocky highlights, and we were able to do some of our favorite hobbies, this time with our little girl.

   

Unfortunately for us, our trip to the Rockies started off, well, rocky. Kaitlyn picked up a wicked stomach bug and passed it on to the rest of us just before the vacation started. We barely made our flight, and none of us ate a whole lot the first day. However, the first class experience was well worth it, traveling with an infant. We used our miles for the upgrade, and since Kaitlyn was riding in our lap, it gave us plenty of room and a very comfortable experience. It was Kaitlyn's first flight, but overall she seemed to enjoy the ride. Day one of the trip was a travel day. We drove from Denver to Estes Park and checked into our condo at Mary's Lake Lodge. The Estes Park community is a cute mountain town, with a vibrant downtown and plenty of outdoor activities. Our condo was very comfortable ... a good choice for young families.

~Trail Ridge Road and Copeland Falls~

Our first full day in Colorado took us to Rocky Mountain National Park. Since we were recovering from the stomach bug and were low on energy, we took the first day easy. We began with an overview of the park by driving the very scenic Trail Ridge Road. Named one of the best scenic highways in the United States, Trail Ridge Road is a 48-mile winding drive that crosses the Continental Divide and climbs well above the treeline. We stopped for our photo opps and a quick lunch, but decided to go beyond the car in the afternoon. Kaitlyn's first hike was a very simple half mile trek to Copeland Falls, located off the Wild Basin Ranger Station. Pictured below: Trail Ridge Road, Kaitlyn with Daddy, and then Kaitlyn with Mommy at two different Trail Ridge Road overlooks, the scenic Rocky Mountains, part of the "abundant" wildlife, a scenic spot in the Alpine Tundra, and photos of cutie-pie Kaitlyn during our Copeland Falls hike.

          

~Rock Climbing - Take 1~

Day 2 in Colorado Ian headed off to a full day mountain climbing lesson as a follow up to our beginner lesson in the Grand Tetons. His lesson, through Estes Park Mountain Shop, taught him top roping, anchoring, knots and all that fun stuff. And he managed to get a couple pictures. Kelly had a mommy-daughter day shopping downtown, saving her rock climbing experience for later on in the trip. Below are a couple artistic shots of Ian's lesson ... basically what he was able to do with a small camera while up on a rock.

  

~The Alpine Lakes~

On Day 3, we returned to Rocky Mountain National Park for one of the most popular hikes: the Bear Lake Trailhead to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake and Emerald Lake. Starting at 9,475 feet, the 4-mile roundtrip hike climbed 600 feet through rocks, pines and fir to three distinctive lakes. Kaitlyn was a trooper through it all, but she also had a great way of getting there ... packed safely in her baby carrier. Pictured below: the tranquil Nymph Lake, Kaitlyn trying to eat the rocks at Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, family photo op, and the alpine Emerald Lake.

    

~Alberta Falls and Mills Lake~

Day 4 was Kelly's turn for fun, with a spa day at our hotel, while Ian did some daddy-daughter shopping. It was perfect relaxing before heading back to Rocky Mountain National Park on Day 5 for another popular hike. This time, we headed from the Glacier Gorge Junction to Alberta Falls, one of the most impressive falls in the park. The short hike was very beautiful and peaceful (although a bit crowded). From the falls, you have several choices of where to hike next, but we decided to go with the very scenic 5 mile hike up to Mills Lake, named for Enos Mills, a naturalist, guide and tireless campaigner for the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park in the early 1900s. Our guide book promised that this lake would not disappoint, serving as the perfect memorial for the Park's early hero. And it was a beautiful hike to a lake with a superb backdrop. Although, we will probably always remember it as the scene of the very chatty senior citizen's group that had reached the lake just before us. Pictured below: Part of the Glacier Gorge, a morning family photo op, Alberta Falls, a cool tree where the trail splits, Mills Lake, and more family fun.

        

~Colorado Springs~

On Day 6, we packed up the car and headed to Colorado Springs for the remainder of our vacation. Ian's brother, Erik, and his family just relocated to Colorado Springs, so it was a good opportunity to see their new house, and for Kaitlyn to meet her cousins. Ian's parents met us for the weekend to complete the family bonding time. While there, we made a trip to the zoo (excellent giraffe exhibit), went rock climbing with the kids, and attended a balloon festival. Pictured below: Feeding the giraffes, Kelly hanging out on a rock, the nighttime balloon light show, and colorful daytime balloon shots.

          

Colorado is an adventurer's playground, with plenty of hiking, climbing, and photography to keep you busy for quite some time. We had an excellent time to relax and enjoy the outdoors with Kaitlyn, and we left a little jealous of Erik for having all of this in his backyard. Some resources that helped us plan:

 

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