Family Day Trip

Yesterday, we took a day trip to Estes Park as a family. I didn't take many pictures, so I decided I needed to write about it preserve the memory. For the most part, we all had a lot of fun. I idea behind this trip was that we wanted to do something that Sean would enjoy since he is the one that graduated this year just like we went to Georgetown and tried to plan activities Eric would like the year he graduated. 

Our first activity was a one hour horseback ride at Sombrero Stables. (We had considered booking a two hour ride, but we were glad we chose only one hour by the time we were done.) When I booked the ride, I was asked the age, weight, and experience of each rider. With this information, they were able to pair us with the best horse. When we got there, we signed our waivers and mounted the horses and followed our guide along the planned trail. Our guide was friendly and patient as we trotted along. My horse wondered off a few times, and I had to make sure she followed and stayed on the trail. Sean's horse brought up the rear and every once in a while would just stop and look around. They were the only two that would decide to do their own thing every so often. Noel's horse stayed close the the guide horse and only got testy when Chad's horse, who was supposed to be behind mine, got two close when we stopped for a short break and saddle adjustment. Chad's horse was calm for the most part and stayed close to mine. When we stopped, he didn't like that and nipped a bit at Chad's foot and at Noel's horse when it backed up and pushed Chad's. The scenery was beautiful. The chose the perfect spot on their land for this tour. We all had fun, and I would love to go again in the future. 

Then, we went into the town to shop and eat. We had lunch at Penelope's World Famous Burgers and Fries. It was really good and very filling. The atmosphere was cozy, and the staff was friendly. I hope to remember this place next time we go up there. Then, we walked around from shop to shop and collected various souvenirs. It was such a blessing that this trip coincided with Chad's bonus. I hope everyone felt important and got to look at everything they wanted to look at. After few hours of walking around and two trips back to the car, we went to Bob and Tony's Pizza. Chad and I went there on our honeymoon ten years ago, and I was hoping to have the same experience again. The pizza was good, but it has become more of a distillery  since we last went and lost a lot of its charm. I would maybe consider going back, but not as excitedly as I went this time trying to recapture a memory that apparently is now gone. At this point, we had about another hour to kill before our Stanley Hotel Ghost Tour. We got in the car and headed over to go to that gift shop and wander around for a while. Chad and Sean got a few last souvenirs, and we went up and down in the elevator. Finally, it was time for our tour. It was fun, and our guide did a wonderful job telling the ghost stories in a way that made the tour feel like it was over too soon. I couldn't believe we had actually been listening to ghost stories for an our! 

By the time we were ready to go home, we were tired and all had said that other than having too much time between tours, it was a fun day.