Rocky Mountain Highs (a non-Disney Trip Report) - COMPLETE 2/17

[wasnotafan]

Tasty looking donuts.

 

[KatMark]

Chapter 3: Holy Cheetos!


In this case, Priceline worked for us. I had made most of the hotel reservations for the trip using Priceline’s Express Deals tool. It’s supposed to be a step between normal hotel reservations and bidding on rooms—here, Priceline does the bidding for you. You get offered a few rooms at discounted prices, and the hotel name is hidden from you until you book it. But if you look through the amenities, star rating, and customer review scores, you can usually figure out which hotel it is (or narrow it down considerably).

I never knew this...good to know. Do they do this with car rentals too?


The Best Western Tech Center turned out to be a good deal. We started early Thursday morning (still somewhat on East Coast time) and got downstairs to the hotel breakfast around 6:30 a.m.


One of the key features I look for in a hotel is a free breakfast. With a family of 6, I need all the free food I can get. Hotel breakfasts all have pretty much the same ingredients, but for some reason vary greatly in quality. We’ve all had that unfortunate breakfast experience where the rubbery “eggs”(that taste more like recycled tire treads), greenish potatoes, stale bread and unripe fruit means you pack everybody into the van and head for the donut shop. I always hate doing that because it weakens the food budget. I mean, I usually feel a little better after eating a donut, but it’s still money I wasn’t planning on spending.

I love free breakfasts...and we are only a family of 2.

Anyway, the Best Western did breakfast right. Most items were very fresh, and even the fake eggs were somewhat edible. That was a win.

Glad to hear this.

We immediately climbed into our rental van and headed south into the pressure of I-25. But that’s ok. I eat pressure for breakfast. Along with fake eggs. We were heading here:

That’s Pikes Peak, near Colorado Springs. It stands 14,110 feet tall. And when I say we were heading here, I mean we were driving all the way to the top of the mountain. We’d wanted to get going early in order to have the best chance of a clear view from the top, before clouds developed later in the day.


The drive down to Colorado Springs took about an hour, and it’s a gorgeous drive. Let’s face it, when you can turn to your right and see the Rockies out the window, well…that doesn’t suck. We fell in love with Colorado very early on.


Along the way, near the Air Force Academy campus (which looked like a beautiful place), there was a pullover with a view of the Academy air field. It’s very difficult to see in this photo, but just over the mountain on the right we could see a plane pulling a glider. Eventually the plane let go of the tow cable and we watched them lazily circle the mountains.

Gorgeous.

Before long, we reached the Pikes Peak Toll Road. There are four ways to ascend the mountain: by foot, by bicycle, by auto, and by train. I had ridden on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway when I was a kid and remembered it as a fun experience, so I’d begun my planning by assuming we’d all ride the train. After all, you don’t get a chance to ride a cog railway very often. However, my enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that it was going to cost us $135 for my family to ride the rails. Also, we’d only get 30 minutes at the top and if we weren’t on the train by then, it would leave without us.

I'm going to have to ask my son how he got up there. I am assuming they drove.

We’d talked with Jill (jedijill, our friendly DIS Denver resident) about our plans, and she recommended driving up the toll road. She felt it was both cheaper and offered better views than the train. At $40, it was still steep (see what I did there?) for a toll road, but saving us close to $100 was appealing. As for the views? Well, we all hoped Jill was right.

$100 wil get you a lot of PBJ sandwiches.

The toll road is 19 miles long, with approximately 162 turns and switchbacks and an average grade of 7% on the way. It climbs over 8,000 feet from start to finish. It’s 2 lanes (one in each direction) and clings to the side of the mountain most of the way past the tree line, with guardrails somewhat scarce.


Map:

Of course, we were no strangers to danger—uh, adventurous drives, having driven to the top of Mt. Mansfield in Vermont, the top of Haleakala on Maui, and conquered the Hana Highway there as well. And then we even conquered the second half of the Hana Highway, with its unpaved roads and PVC-rail bridges. If you recall, that was the drive where Julie called her divorce lawyer and put him on retainer.


If we made it to the top of Pikes Peak, it would be the highest we’d ever been. In terms of elevation, wiseguys. I’m too cheap for any other kinds of thrills. Julie pretended to be excited, but I think she was nervous, thinking: it’s too steep. I only have one rope, and you don’t know how to climb mountains. My only fear was that I’d burn up the brakes on the way down. Not that I really cared about abusing the van, but I needed those brakes to last another couple of weeks.


We got off to a good start. Even with dire warnings posted, everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Even Julie was doing a good job of faking enthusiasm.

Nice family picture.

…and then Scotty happened.

Oh Scotty (and in his flip flops too).

We took our time going up (you kind of have to when you’re climbing a 7% grade the whole way), and it turned out that Jill was right. Once we got above the tree line, the views were stunning in every direction. Clear skies meant we could see for miles all around. Julie wasn’t having any of it, though. She preferred to just stare straight ahead. Mostly because the road looked like this:

And this:

I'm sorry...but I would be freaking out on that drive.

We cruised slowly, content to take our time and carefully navigate the curves. As we climbed above the tree line, we oohed and aahed at the views surrounding us. I made a couple of very tight turns around switchbacks. All of a sudden, there was a loud “BOOM!”


I had a quick panic attack and started trying to figure out what had happened. Did we blow a tire? The thought of changing a tire on that road at that elevation was enough to give me a second panic attack on top of the first one. But…the van seemed to be riding just fine. Had the engine backfired? Was it another car? Had I mistakenly eaten a bean burrito for breakfast?


Sarah spoke up from behind me. “The bag of Cheetos just popped open.”

Wow!

As it turned out, it was simply a reminder that as you climb in elevation, the air pressure changes all around you. And this, of course, may affect other items already packaged under pressure. Although we’d picked the Holy Trinity of snack foods in our supplies (Doritos, Fritos, and Cheetos), only the Cheetos were affected. Which led Sarah to the following conclusion:


“Mom?” she asked. “I think God really wants us to eat these Cheetos.”

Love it!

I’m going to call it right now. That was the Quote Of The Trip. And really, how can you refuse what God wants?

Would have made a great TR title as well.


In due time, we reached the summit. And yes, it did feel like an accomplishment. It also felt very cold. There was a constant breeze up there, and plenty of snow on the ground. But we’d conquered the mountain (locals call them “fourteeners”).

Another good family picture.

Good thing we’d brought sweatshirts. And proper footwear.

Oh Scotty.

We’d made our Target run the night before in order to pick up PB&J supplies, before finding out about Scotty’s shoe problem. And we hadn’t had time to go back, so Scotty was stuck with his flip flops. We tried not to stay in the snow too long.

Poor kid.

Another concern was altitude sickness. The air is very thin at 14,000 feet, so your body has to work harder to get its normal amount of oxygen. Not only that, but the air is very dry (since it doesn’t hold moisture well at that altitude), so it’s much easier to become dehydrated. If you’re not acclimated (and having traveled from the East Coast the day before, we probably weren’t), prolonged exposure can cause “altitude sickness”. This is usually marked by fatigue, dizziness, and possibly nausea. You’re gonna start to lose vision in your left eye. Oh, and you’re gonna get a really bad headache and flopsweat. You combat this condition by taking it easy at high altitudes, not trying to over-tax your body, and by drinking plenty of water.

Gotta watch it with that water though with your two boys always needing to go to the restroom.


We’d bought a couple of cases of water at Target and were doing our best to follow the advice. We also told the kids several times, “Don’t run around like idiots.” We say that a lot at home, actually. Just about every time we have to go to the store.


But enough about blowing chunks. You want to see these views I keep talking about.

Drew didn’t seem very impressed. Actually, he was upset that we weren’t letting him wander into the snow on his own.

Southwest, we could see more of the Rocky Mountains:

Looking north, towards Denver:

This was the end of the Cog Railway tracks. You can see the center rail with the “teeth” that catch the cog wheel on the underside of the train. This helps pull the train up the steep slopes of the mountain.

Absolutely breathtaking.

There was also a display commemorating the song, “America the Beautiful”. This song was actually inspired by the view from atop Pikes Peak.

I can see why.

We took our time at the top, and between the scenery along the drive and the unhurried, uncrowded views at the top, we were very glad we’d taken Jill’s advice and driven up instead of riding the train. Thanks Jill!

Way to go Jill.

There’s a small visitor center at the top that houses a gift shop and a snack bar. We had one more mission to accomplish at the summit.


Ok, two more missions. First, to take goofy photos:

I adore goofy pictures.

And second, to try some donuts. This was another tip from Jill. Apparently they have to cook them differently at that elevation in order to get them to turn out right. Don’t ask me what the details are, since I don’t mess with cooking unless it involves a grill or a microwave. But in any case, these were nice, warm, crispy, and very tasty.

I am officially drooling.

Right about the time we were finishing our donuts, the train arrived. And just like that, the shop was swarming with people. It was definitely much more enjoyable being one of just a handful of people at the top prior to the train’s arrival.

Not only were the sudden crowds bothersome, but after an hour we were actually starting to feel the effects of the altitude. We hadn’t run around, but I’d been carrying the baby off and on, and none of us were really acclimated. We were starting to feel a bit light-headed.


So, we took our final looks and began the drive back down. And as it turned out, my fears about burning up the brakes were unfounded. I shifted the van in to low gear and just allowed the engine braking to keep our speed down for the most part. Every once in a while, I’d have to apply the brakes, but doing so in very short bursts and staying in low gear made it easy. All in all, the drive wasn’t that bad at all. I’d happily do it again.


What I wouldn’t do, is attempt to ride my bike up that road. I salute you, brave soul.

Um...no....wouldn't happen!

If nothing else, that downhill ride gives you excellent gas mileage.

Nice.

A couple of family shots at a pull-off on the way down.

Where's Baby Drew?????

Coming Up Next: Our first PB&J stop, the neverending attempts to get that perfect Christmas card photo, and a DIS Meet!

Oh, I know who the DIS meet is with.

 

[afwdwfan]

One of the key features I look for in a hotel is a free breakfast. With a family of 6, I need all the free food I can get. Hotel breakfasts all have pretty much the same ingredients, but for some reason vary greatly in quality. We’ve all had that unfortunate breakfast experience where the rubbery “eggs”(that taste more like recycled tire treads), greenish potatoes, stale bread and unripe fruit means you pack everybody into the van and head for the donut shop. I always hate doing that because it weakens the food budget. I mean, I usually feel a little better after eating a donut, but it’s still money I wasn’t planning on spending.

Just choke the nasty, free stuff down anyway. A little mold never hurt anybody.

The drive down to Colorado Springs took about an hour, and it’s a gorgeous drive. Let’s face it, when you can turn to your right and see the Rockies out the window, well…that doesn’t suck. We fell in love with Colorado very early on.

It really is a beautiful landscape.

Along the way, near the Air Force Academy campus (which looked like a beautiful place), there was a pullover with a view of the Academy air field. It’s very difficult to see in this photo, but just over the mountain on the right we could see a plane pulling a glider. Eventually the plane let go of the tow cable and we watched them lazily circle the mountains.

Cool!

There are four ways to ascend the mountain:

Is helicopter one of them? Because that would be awesome.

by foot

You've got to be kidding me.

by bicycle

Um... no.

by auto

Ok, I can handle this one!

by train

Train!!! Awesome!!!

However, my enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that it was going to cost us $135 for my family to ride the rails. Also, we’d only get 30 minutes at the top and if we weren’t on the train by then, it would leave without us.

Well, so much for that idea. Driving in the mountains and taking it at your own pace is always a good idea anyway.

If you recall, that was the drive where Julie called her divorce lawyer and put him on retainer.

I'm sure she also double checked that all life insurance premiums were paid as well.

If we made it to the top of Pikes Peak, it would be the highest we’d ever been. In terms of elevation, wiseguys. I’m too cheap for any other kinds of thrills

Oh... I assumed that was why you went to Colorado.

All of a sudden, there was a loud “BOOM!”

Uh oh!

Sarah spoke up from behind me. “The bag of Cheetos just popped open.”

That's a relief!

As it turned out, it was simply a reminder that as you climb in elevation, the air pressure changes all around you. And this, of course, may affect other items already packaged under pressure. Although we’d picked the Holy Trinity of snack foods in our supplies (Doritos, Fritos, and Cheetos), only the Cheetos were affected. Which led Sarah to the following conclusion:


“Mom?” she asked. “I think God really wants us to eat these Cheetos.”

Amen!

We’d made our Target run the night before in order to pick up PB&J supplies, before finding out about Scotty’s shoe problem. And we hadn’t had time to go back, so Scotty was stuck with his flip flops. We tried not to stay in the snow too long.

So what was Julie's excuse???

We’d bought a couple of cases of water at Target and were doing our best to follow the advice. We also told the kids several times, “Don’t run around like idiots.” We say that a lot at home, actually. Just about every time we have to go to the store.

Only at the store? This is one of those phrases I just feel like I'm repeating constantly. In fact, I don't even need to look up to see what is going on to know that it is actually a pertinent instruction to give the kids.

This was the end of the Cog Railway tracks. You can see the center rail with the “teeth” that catch the cog wheel on the underside of the train. This helps pull the train up the steep slopes of the mountain.

Cool! And it makes me think of the broken track section of Expedition Everest.

So, we took our final looks and began the drive back down. And as it turned out, my fears about burning up the brakes were unfounded. I shifted the van in to low gear and just allowed the engine braking to keep our speed down for the most part. Every once in a while, I’d have to apply the brakes, but doing so in very short bursts and staying in low gear made it easy. All in all, the drive wasn’t that bad at all. I’d happily do it again.

What I wouldn’t do, is attempt to ride my bike up that road. I salute you, brave soul.

Brave soul... I'm not sure those are the 2 words I'd use to describe them...

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I eat pressure for breakfast. Along with fake eggs.

Studies have shown that this combination tends to shorten the lifespan a mite.
Skip the eggs…


(substitute more bacon)

That’s Pikes Peak

Have been there…
But not since I was eleven.


So, so long ago…

Let’s face it, when you can turn to your right and see the Rockies out the window, well…that doesn’t suck.

The view to the east however…

At $40, it was still steep (see what I did there?)

Don’t under estimate your audience.

for a toll road, but saving us close to $100 was appealing.

Must agree. The train was interesting, but way too pricey and limiting for y’all.

As for the views? Well, we all hoped Jill was right.

Can’t see how this would miss. Now, being as you’re the one driving, I’m not certain just how much of it you’ll have time to see (as being inattentive on that road might be construed as somewhat unwise).

The toll road is 19 miles long, with approximately 162 turns and switchbacks and an average grade of 7% on the way.

A mere walk in the park.

And then we even conquered the second half of the Hana Highway, with its unpaved roads and PVC-rail bridges.

And just to be clear… you didn’t actually use the rental vehicle for that portion of the drive.
So far as the rental company knows.

If you recall, that was the drive where Julie called her divorce lawyer and put him on retainer.

But yet, did not follow through.
Dodged that bullet.

If we made it to the top of Pikes Peak, it would be the highest we’d ever been. In terms of elevation, wiseguys.

You’re in Colorado…
How could we not pick that one up and run with it.

Even Julie was doing a good job of faking enthusiasm.

A skill she’d had time and occasion to hone (regularly being in such close proximity to you).

Had I mistakenly eaten a bean burrito for breakfast?

Memory failing you?
Pretty sure the entire side of the van would have blown out, were this the case.

Sarah spoke up from behind me. “The bag of Cheetos just popped open.”

Your practical physics of the day …
Class dismissed.

“I think God really wants us to eat these Cheetos.”

Clearly

Good thing we’d brought sweatshirts. And proper footwear.

“Fortune favors the prepared.”

And now y’all have Doritos, Fritos, Cheetos and Chillytos

You’re gonna start to lose vision in your left eye. Oh, and you’re gonna get a really bad headache and flopsweat.

“You call this a favor?”

We also told the kids several times, “Don’t run around like idiots.”

One may as well demand that the mountains bow before them.

There’s a small visitor center at the top that houses a gift shop and a snack bar.

This is where I first tasted coffee.
And where I learned that fresh, hot, plain donuts are delicious.

And second, to try some donuts.

I see y’all learned about those as well.

It was definitely much more enjoyable being one of just a handful of people at the top prior to the train’s arrival.

A bit like being in a port before the cruise ship arrives.
I’ll be driving if I get the chance.

What I wouldn’t do, is attempt to ride my bike up that road. I salute you, brave soul.

Not happening.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Oh that drive! How scary and beautiful at the same time. I'm so scared of heights that I would have been like Julie and looking straight ahead the majority of the time. When we visited my sister (who lived in Durango, Colorado at the time), we took the train to Silverton and I'm so glad that we did 'cause there's no way that I could have gotten through that drive.

I'm with Sarah on the Cheeto situation. I mean, seriously, who are we to go against the Man Upstairs' wishes?

 

[pkondz]

In this case, Priceline worked for us. I had made most of the hotel reservations for the trip using Priceline’s Express Deals tool. It’s supposed to be a step between normal hotel reservations and bidding on rooms—here, Priceline does the bidding for you. You get offered a few rooms at discounted prices, and the hotel name is hidden from you until you book it. But if you look through the amenities, star rating, and customer review scores, you can usually figure out which hotel it is (or narrow it down considerably).

I used to have great luck with Priceline. But I suspect the hotels wised up. You could get a $200 room for around $40-$60.

One of the key features I look for in a hotel is a free breakfast.

That's one of the reasons why I like Country Inns so much.

you pack everybody into the van and head for the donut shop. I always hate doing that because it weakens the food budget. I mean, I usually feel a little better after eating a donut, but it’s still money I wasn’t planning on spending.

I'll never forget staying at a Days in just outside of Minneapolis.
It advertised "Free continental breakfast"
They had watered down orange juice and stale cello wrapped donuts.
That was it.

We were heading here:

An empty meadow at the base of that mountain?

That’s Pikes Peak, near Colorado Springs. It stands 14,110 feet tall. And when I say we were heading here, I mean we were driving all the way to the top of the mountain.

Oh. Okay, then.

We’d wanted to get going early in order to have the best chance of a clear view from the top, before clouds developed later in the day.

Smart.

Let’s face it, when you can turn to your right and see the Rockies out the window, well…that doesn’t suck.

but just over the mountain on the right we could see a plane pulling a glider. Eventually the plane let go of the tow cable and we watched them lazily circle the mountains.

Reminds me of my experience with tow planes and gliders.

When I was working one day, the cadets were going to be flying all day long.
So every few minutes, the tow plane would launch the glider, break off and circle to land. The glider would stay up for a few extra minutes while the pilot let the cadet try the controls for a bit, then circle to land, coming in from the opposite side of the field. Add in the regular traffic and it made for a very, very busy day. Plus, I had to make sure I was doing everything by the book, since my supervisor was flying the tow plane.
So I was in the middle of talking with the glider, the tow plane, inbound and outbound aircraft and miscellaneous vehicles when it happened. An itinerant aircraft, that was flying by about 30 miles to the south, asked for a time and distance estimate for practice. That just happens to be one of the most time consuming and labor intensive things we can do. Normally, I would've told him (given the current workload) that I couldn't do it at that time. But... my supervisor was flying and listening! So I sucked it up and did it.
I must admit that it was pretty tough, but I got it done.
Later, when the gliding was all done, my supervisor came up to the tower for a visit.
"So." He says. "It got pretty busy there for a while."
I'm not going to tell him that it was, so I just kinda shrugged.
And then he says it.
"I was really surprised when you gave that guy a time and distance. I would've told him no!"

There are four ways to ascend the mountain: by foot, by bicycle, by auto, and by train.

Really foolish, foolish, semi-sane, self-preservationist.

However, my enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that it was going to cost us $135 for my family to ride the rails.

Ouch.

Also, we’d only get 30 minutes at the top and if we weren’t on the train by then, it would leave without us.

Yeah. Skip the train.
I get the necessary evil of being on a schedule, but I prefer not to.

We’d talked with Jill (jedijill, our friendly DIS Denver resident)

Hey! I know her. Is @jedijill still around?

ETA I see she is. Hi Jill!

At $40, it was still steep (see what I did there?)

You wrote forty dollars as $40?

The toll road is 19 miles long, with approximately 162 turns and switchbacks and an average grade of 7% on the way.

Wow!
Sounds like fun, actually.

If you recall, that was the drive where Julie called her divorce lawyer and put him on retainer.

Before my time, but....

If we made it to the top of Pikes Peak, it would be the highest we’d ever been.

Oh, really? Well...

In terms of elevation, wiseguys.

Aw. Shucks.
So many possibilities there.

Not that I really cared about abusing the van, but I needed those brakes to last another couple of weeks.

Nice shot!

…and then Scotty happened.

Julie wasn’t having any of it, though. She preferred to just stare straight ahead. Mostly because the road looked like this:

Yep. I get that.
Some folks are a tad worried at the possibility of driving off a cliff.

All of a sudden, there was a loud “BOOM!”


I had a quick panic attack and started trying to figure out what had happened. Did we blow a tire? The thought of changing a tire on that road at that elevation was enough to give me a second panic attack on top of the first one. But…the van seemed to be riding just fine. Had the engine backfired? Was it another car? Had I mistakenly eaten a bean burrito for breakfast?


Sarah spoke up from behind me. “The bag of Cheetos just popped open.”

I had a similar thing happen to me.
Well... not "me" exactly.
A plane was coming in and the pilot radioed that he'd had some kind of loud bang.
So we scrambled the emergency trucks. The pilot thought maybe he'd blown a tire.

Nope. He landed safe. Turns out he had one of those helium balloons in the back. Forgot all about it.
But it reminded him of itself.

“Mom?” she asked. “I think God really wants us to eat these Cheetos.”

Perfect!

I’m going to call it right now. That was the Quote Of The Trip. And really, how can you refuse what God wants?

to both statements.

Good thing we’d brought sweatshirts. And proper footwear.

Tootsies got a little cold, did they?

Another concern was altitude sickness.

Other than getting a little light headed, any problems?

We also told the kids several times, “Don’t run around like idiots.” We say that a lot at home, actually. Just about every time we have to go to the store.

But enough about blowing chunks. You want to see these views I keep talking about.

And they're gorgeous by the way.

Drew didn’t seem very impressed. Actually, he was upset that we weren’t letting him wander into the snow on his own.

Aw, poor little guy. I know just how he feels.
Columbia ice fields... about a hundred years ago.
Yep. I get it.

This was the end of the Cog Railway tracks. You can see the center rail with the “teeth” that catch the cog wheel on the underside of the train. This helps pull the train up the steep slopes of the mountain.

Interesting.

There was also a display commemorating the song, “America the Beautiful”. This song was actually inspired by the view from atop Pikes Peak.

You hear that song often enough, you forget that something had to inspire it.
Thanks for that.

That shot of Drew, especially, cracks me up!

Apparently they have to cook them differently at that elevation in order to get them to turn out right.

Huh. Didn't think that'd be an issue with oil.

If nothing else, that downhill ride gives you excellent gas mileage.

So you should only go downhill then.
Sounds like a plan.

Coming Up Next: Our first PB&J stop, the neverending attempts to get that perfect Christmas card photo, and a DIS Meet!

Can't wait! Thanks for the update!

 

[jedijill]

I'm here! Pikes Peak got its first snow of the season yesterday! Can you believe that they race cars up to the top every summer? http://www.ppihc.com/ The top 1/3 of the road used to be dirt. They just paved it in the last 5 years or so.

Jill in CO

 

[MEK]

So I get an instant headache just reading about your ascent on Pike's Peak. The last time I was in Colorado I got horrible altitude sickness and ended up in the ER. Not good. Honestly - I have been afraid to go back.

So glad you decided to drive. They have a similar setup at Mt Washington in NH and the drive up is spectacular, although the drive down is a bit scary.

Gorgeous pictures of the view - and, of course, the family!

Too funny about the cheetos blowing up. Much better the cheetos than a flat tire!

Interesting concept on Priceline. Glad it worked out well for you!

 

[Leshaface]

Chapter 3: Holy Cheetos!

I really want cheetos now. In particular, the lime hot cheetos

In this case, Priceline worked for us. I had made most of the hotel reservations for the trip using Priceline’s Express Deals tool.

Did you ever need to call to adjust the amount of guests? I used to use Priceline a long time ago when it was just for DH and I and then when we started traveling with DM, I noticed there was no place to adjust the guests. It was all based off of double occupancy. Just curious, cause I wouldn't mind going back to Priceline.

Let’s face it, when you can turn to your right and see the Rockies out the window, well…that doesn’t suck.

there was a pullover

I'm sorry but I have to




Okay, promise i'm done.

At $40, it was still steep (see what I did there?)

If we made it to the top of Pikes Peak, it would be the highest we’d ever been. In terms of elevation, wiseguys.

Way to go Scotty

Had the engine backfired? Was it another car? Had I mistakenly eaten a bean burrito for breakfast?

I thought it may have been baby Drew.

“Mom?” she asked. “I think God really wants us to eat these Cheetos.”

Yes! That's the only logical explanation. Aside from the altitude change that is.

Well this is your Summer vacation right? Summer vacation is filled with shorts and flip flops. This is a great win!

That is beautiful!

Naked donuts?! Blasphemy! Cover them up with chocolate icing and sprinkles like now!

That is cool!

I love that you trained your kids to take proper pictures.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Well, yeh. Actually I know how time consuming a TR can be, but worth it when you finally type THE END!

EDIT: you beat me too the punch and posted the next chapter.

Totally ninja posted on you there.

Woot Woot! Glad my suggestions worked out! Sorry Julie! Pikes Peak really is stunning...we drove by the base Sunday...not nearly as much snow in August but still some up there.

Jill in CO

We were very glad we followed your advice! So there's proof we actually do listen once in a while.

I also drove up the peak. Remember the American Beautiful display, and the shop at the top. We didn't take the train either. Put the miles on our rental van also. My favorite picture is of the Rockies.

That's good, because there will be plenty more!

Nice thing about visiting in summer, not as cold at the top. My kids would have been in flip flops without having loosing a shoe.

It was still in the 40's up there. And breezy. Definitely not summer-like.

All over, some great pictures!

Thanks!

And yes, while we have a family of 4 not 6, with teens and a DH who can do a buffet justice, free breakfast hotels are at the top of our list too.

Those breakfasts add up quickly if you have to pay for it.

Fantastic pics. The only time I was in Colorado was winter and the Peak was out. Worth a trip back for the view. Cool about the Cheetos and congrats to Sarah for knowing how to make lemonade out of lemons.

I don't think she was sorry at all that the bag popped open! And yes, definitely worth a trip back. Such a beautiful state.

And think about what the MPG would be if you put it in neutral and let it fly. Fly is the appropriate word I think.

Hey, honey, I know a shortcut!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Tasty looking donuts.

They were tasty-tasting, too!

I never knew this...good to know. Do they do this with car rentals too?

I haven't tried it with car rentals. I've had such good luck with Costco that I haven't really branched out.

I love free breakfasts...and we are only a family of 2.

Free food seems to be a big winner around here.

Glad to hear this.

I'm going to have to ask my son how he got up there. I am assuming they drove.

I hope they didn't bike!

$100 wil get you a lot of PBJ sandwiches.

Yes, it will. I'll leave it up to you guys if that beats a train ride or not.

Nice family picture.

Why thank you!

Oh Scotty (and in his flip flops too).

That's my boy.

I'm sorry...but I would be freaking out on that drive.

Don't feel bad. I don't think you'd be the only one!

Love it!

Would have made a great TR title as well.

I actually thought about that, but I decided I wanted to save it for the appropriate time in the story.

Another good family picture.

Oh Scotty.

Poor kid.

Well, he did bring it on himself.

Gotta watch it with that water though with your two boys always needing to go to the restroom.

True, but I'd rather have that than deal with sickness!

Absolutely breathtaking.

Agreed. Just a gorgeous spot.

Way to go Jill.

She came through big time!

I adore goofy pictures.

Really? I wouldn't have guessed that.

I am officially drooling.

Mmmmm...donuts...

Um...no....wouldn't happen!

Not for any of us! I'd be passed out after the first turn.

Where's Baby Drew?????

Sitting in the car seat. Do you know what a pain it is to keep getting him unbuckled and re-buckled every time we stop? So mostly that didn't happen.

Oh, I know who the DIS meet is with.

I kind of gave it away.

 

[franandaj]

OK, I'm so far behind, this last week really kicked my butt (see most recent TR update), but at least I'll have some great new updates to post!

So back to yours, I was two installments behind because I forgot to comment on the second installment before you were on to the third! Lookout Mountain sounded like a good runner up or Plan B choice. I'm glad that I missed Poopapalooza 2015!

I'm sorry that you didn't get the hat in the tourist trap, it really added to your look! Although I think the Budget Committee was actually pretty wise in putting the kabash on any of those purchases.

Glad the hotel was nice and had decent breakfasts. I think I remember seeing that dinner spot on DDD and the part about keeping the garage bay doors. That's pretty high praise if it's better than Café Orleans! The deep fried apple pie sounds absolutely decadent!

Uh-oh about the shoe!

I can't do powdered eggs. I'm happier eating the cold cereal, but love me a place with the make it yourself waffles. Hampton Inn is one of my favorites! I'm glad you could eat the pressurized fake eggs for breakfast!

I read this update from my phone, but now even on the computer, I still can't see the glider in the photo. I think you made the best choice on the way to get to the top of the peak, monetarily and sanity-wise! Well except that I would have been biting my nails the entire way up and down, and the Cheetos bag may have put me over the edge! I'm thinking that the train only stayed up there for 30 minutes to keep people from passing out due to altitude sickness.

I do have to say in all the updates, it's great how your boys are all wearing different T-shirts and jackets with different cities, it's obvious that you get them out and around! The donuts look yummy, and it's not the oil that needs to be adjusted at the altitude it's the flour/oil/eggs ratio (if donuts even have egg in them)

You guys got some great mileage on the trip down and I would have been freaking out!

 

[GoofyFan1515]

One of the key features I look for in a hotel is a free breakfast. With a family of 6, I need all the free food I can get.

You mean there's something else acceptable besides pb&j?

Anyway, the Best Western did breakfast right. Most items were very fresh, and even the fake eggs were somewhat edible. That was a win.

Hey, anytime the hotel breakfast eggs don't taste rubbery, that is absolutely a win!!!

The drive down to Colorado Springs took about an hour, and it’s a gorgeous drive. Let’s face it, when you can turn to your right and see the Rockies out the window, well…that doesn’t suck.

Even the air rapidly disappearing out of the car cabin???

After all, you don’t get a chance to ride a cog railway very often. However, my enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that it was going to cost us $135 for my family to ride the rails. Also, we’d only get 30 minutes at the top and if we weren’t on the train by then, it would leave without us.

Hey at $135 that's only about 0.3746 cents per cog.........

The "leave without us" theme must be something native to that part of the country. I was told the same thing on the Grand Canyon Railway. I'm just glad it took them a little extra time to get that wheelchair loaded...........

The toll road is 19 miles long, with approximately 162 turns and switchbacks and an average grade of 7% on the way.

7%? Í thought you said steep??? Liesa averaged higher grades than THAT!!!

If we made it to the top of Pikes Peak, it would be the highest we’d ever been. In terms of elevation, wiseguys.

…and then Scotty happened.

I always pictured Big Foot being a little taller............

Had the engine backfired? Was it another car? Had I mistakenly eaten a bean burrito for breakfast?

I'm going with the latter...........

It also felt very cold. There was a constant breeze up there, and plenty of snow on the ground. But we’d conquered the mountain

I'm guessing your attire had a little to do with it.......

Southwest, we could see more of the Rocky Mountains:

How did you manage to catch a flight that quickly???

Ok, two more missions. First, to take goofy photos:

Umm, Goofy looks nothing like that..........although I may have seen them in one of his feature "films." Or maybe it was in Country Bear Jamboree...........

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Just choke the nasty, free stuff down anyway. A little mold never hurt anybody.

No, you never make that mistake more than once.

It really is a beautiful landscape.

It doesn't get old!

Is helicopter one of them? Because that would be awesome.

Very true. I knew this trip was missing something.

You've got to be kidding me.

Apparently people do hike to the top. They are called, "crazy people".

Um... no.

See above.

Ok, I can handle this one!

Train!!! Awesome!!!

That was my first thought as well.

Well, so much for that idea. Driving in the mountains and taking it at your own pace is always a good idea anyway.

Part of me still wishes we had done the train. Or that it was cheaper. Riding a cog railway would have been cool. But overall I think it worked out for the best.

I'm sure she also double checked that all life insurance premiums were paid as well.

That's standard procedure on our vacations.

Oh... I assumed that was why you went to Colorado.

Mmmm...brownies...

That's a relief!

So many ways that could have been worse!

Amen!

So let it be written, so let it be done.

So what was Julie's excuse???

I was wondering if anyone would notice that. I guess she was just going to tough it out.

Only at the store? This is one of those phrases I just feel like I'm repeating constantly. In fact, I don't even need to look up to see what is going on to know that it is actually a pertinent instruction to give the kids.

Spoken like a veteran dad.

Cool! And it makes me think of the broken track section of Expedition Everest.

It does, doesn't it? I didn't see a Discy Yeti anywhere, though.

Brave soul... I'm not sure those are the 2 words I'd use to describe them...

I'm cutting them some slack. That's just a brutal ride.

Studies have shown that this combination tends to shorten the lifespan a mite.
Skip the eggs…


(substitute more bacon)

Fake eggs don't really do anyone any good.

Have been there…
But not since I was eleven.


So, so long ago…

Time to go back!

The view to the east however…

Looks a lot like Delaware. Hence, no photos.

Don’t under estimate your audience.

It's never been a problem before.

Must agree. The train was interesting, but way too pricey and limiting for y’all.

Can’t see how this would miss. Now, being as you’re the one driving, I’m not certain just how much of it you’ll have time to see (as being inattentive on that road might be construed as somewhat unwise).

Well, you can see a lot if you take it slow. Hard to imagine they do a road rally on that road every year.

A mere walk in the park.

No problemo.

And just to be clear… you didn’t actually use the rental vehicle for that portion of the drive.
So far as the rental company knows.

Exactly. That part is a little hazy in my recollection.

But yet, did not follow through.
Dodged that bullet.

You’re in Colorado…
How could we not pick that one up and run with it.

I figured as much.

A skill she’d had time and occasion to hone (regularly being in such close proximity to you).

Well, yeah.

Memory failing you?
Pretty sure the entire side of the van would have blown out, were this the case.

Those fake eggs can do some damage, too.

Your practical physics of the day …
Class dismissed.

See? These trips are learning experiences. The school shouldn't have any problems with this.

Clearly

Let us do what is right in the eyes of God.

“Fortune favors the prepared.”

And now y’all have Doritos, Fritos, Cheetos and Chillytos

Still yummy at 14,000 feet.

“You call this a favor?”

+1 I'm glad someone is on their game.

One may as well demand that the mountains bow before them.

Yeah, I know. But we feel like we have to say it anyway.

This is where I first tasted coffee.
And where I learned that fresh, hot, plain donuts are delicious.

I didn't drink coffee for 30 years. And then Dave happened. Anyway, that hot, fresh donut thing sounds like a good business plan...

I see y’all learned about those as well.

Mmmm...donuts...

A bit like being in a port before the cruise ship arrives.
I’ll be driving if I get the chance.

That about sums it up.

Not happening.

Can't seem to find any takers for some reason.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Oh that drive! How scary and beautiful at the same time. I'm so scared of heights that I would have been like Julie and looking straight ahead the majority of the time. When we visited my sister (who lived in Durango, Colorado at the time), we took the train to Silverton and I'm so glad that we did 'cause there's no way that I could have gotten through that drive.

I'd love to do that train ride sometime! It looks beautiful in the photos.

I'm with Sarah on the Cheeto situation. I mean, seriously, who are we to go against the Man Upstairs' wishes?

I certainly was not going to test His wrath!

I used to have great luck with Priceline. But I suspect the hotels wised up. You could get a $200 room for around $40-$60.

I was getting rooms in the $80-90 range, so I suspect they have wised up a bit. But it still beat the normal rates.

That's one of the reasons why I like Country Inns so much.

They're a good one. I also like Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express. They seem to charge a bit more, though. I guess they figured out they were slightly better in quality.

I'll never forget staying at a Days in just outside of Minneapolis.
It advertised "Free continental breakfast"
They had watered down orange juice and stale cello wrapped donuts.
That was it.

Ugh. Why bother?

An empty meadow at the base of that mountain?

Wiseguy, eh?

Oh. Okay, then.

Good thing I clarified it.

Reminds me of my experience with tow planes and gliders.

When I was working one day, the cadets were going to be flying all day long.
So every few minutes, the tow plane would launch the glider, break off and circle to land. The glider would stay up for a few extra minutes while the pilot let the cadet try the controls for a bit, then circle to land, coming in from the opposite side of the field. Add in the regular traffic and it made for a very, very busy day. Plus, I had to make sure I was doing everything by the book, since my supervisor was flying the tow plane.
So I was in the middle of talking with the glider, the tow plane, inbound and outbound aircraft and miscellaneous vehicles when it happened. An itinerant aircraft, that was flying by about 30 miles to the south, asked for a time and distance estimate for practice. That just happens to be one of the most time consuming and labor intensive things we can do. Normally, I would've told him (given the current workload) that I couldn't do it at that time. But... my supervisor was flying and listening! So I sucked it up and did it.
I must admit that it was pretty tough, but I got it done.
Later, when the gliding was all done, my supervisor came up to the tower for a visit.
"So." He says. "It got pretty busy there for a while."
I'm not going to tell him that it was, so I just kinda shrugged.
And then he says it.
"I was really surprised when you gave that guy a time and distance. I would've told him no!"

Lesson learned. But I bet you were secretly proud that you looked incredibly competent at the time.

Really foolish, foolish, semi-sane, self-preservationist.

Sounds about right.

Yeah. Skip the train.
I get the necessary evil of being on a schedule, but I prefer not to.

Agreed. And I can use that money for more Cheetos.

Hey! I know her. Is @jedijill still around?

ETA I see she is. Hi Jill!

Of course she's here! She reads only the finest TR's. And this one.

You wrote forty dollars as $40?

I also did that.

Wow!
Sounds like fun, actually.

It's one way to go, I guess.

Before my time, but....

Let's just say it wasn't our first white-knuckle highway adventure.

Aw. Shucks.
So many possibilities there.

Sometimes you have to head the commments off at the pass.

Nice shot!

Thanks!

Yep. I get that.
Some folks are a tad worried at the possibility of driving off a cliff.

Like that would even be an issue. With no guardrails. And me driving. I mean, come on.

I had a similar thing happen to me.
Well... not "me" exactly.
A plane was coming in and the pilot radioed that he'd had some kind of loud bang.
So we scrambled the emergency trucks. The pilot thought maybe he'd blown a tire.

Nope. He landed safe. Turns out he had one of those helium balloons in the back. Forgot all about it.
But it reminded him of itself.

That'll get your attention!

Perfect!

to both statements.

We must carry out our sworn duty!

Tootsies got a little cold, did they?

Maybe just a tad.

Other than getting a little light headed, any problems?

Um...we'll get to that.

And they're gorgeous by the way.

Aw, poor little guy. I know just how he feels.
Columbia ice fields... about a hundred years ago.
Yep. I get it.

We are the Fun Police as far as he's concerned.

You hear that song often enough, you forget that something had to inspire it.
Thanks for that.

Sure. Just reporting on what we found.

That shot of Drew, especially, cracks me up!

He did a great job of learning how to pose!

Huh. Didn't think that'd be an issue with oil.

I guess it's more the combination of ingredients. I'm just going by what I heard from others.

So you should only go downhill then.
Sounds like a plan.

It sure does make things a lot easier.

Can't wait! Thanks for the update!

I guess I'd better get to work, then!

I'm here! Pikes Peak got its first snow of the season yesterday! Can you believe that they race cars up to the top every summer? http://www.ppihc.com/ The top 1/3 of the road used to be dirt. They just paved it in the last 5 years or so.

I don't know how they even stage that race. Crazy!

 

[glennbo123]

Oh, all right. Only 2 of the 5 are within theme parks.

One of them is a frequent destination of yours, if I'm not mistaken.

3 of them can either be found within Epcot or within walking distance of Epcot.

2 of them are buffets.

None of them include visits or photo opportunities with named characters, although one may involve "characters" of a different sort.

Only 2 feature primarily "American" cuisine.

I'm having a hard time coming up with other hints that aren't dead giveaways. So I'll save those for later.

Okay, for the frequent destination of ours I'll say Biergarten. That also satisfies clues regarding a buffet, in Epcot, not "American" cuisine.

For others, I'll go with:

Beaches & Cream
Trattoria al Forno
50's Prime Time
Cape May Cafe (I'm having trouble coming up with another buffet, outside of the parks, and I think I've broken the clue of only 2 featuring primarily "American" cuisine)

I had ridden on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway when I was a kid and remembered it as a fun experience, so I’d begun my planning by assuming we’d all ride the train. After all, you don’t get a chance to ride a cog railway very often.

Judy and I took the cog train up in the "time before kids". Very cool.

“Mom?” she asked. “I think God really wants us to eat these Cheetos.”

That's awesome.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

So I get an instant headache just reading about your ascent on Pike's Peak. The last time I was in Colorado I got horrible altitude sickness and ended up in the ER. Not good. Honestly - I have been afraid to go back.

Yeah, I remember you saying something about that. Don't worry about it, just stay hydrated!

So glad you decided to drive. They have a similar setup at Mt Washington in NH and the drive up is spectacular, although the drive down is a bit scary.

We almost did that drive, but on the day we arrived, the mountain was completely socked in with clouds. So we saved the money.

Gorgeous pictures of the view - and, of course, the family!

Thanks!

Too funny about the cheetos blowing up. Much better the cheetos than a flat tire!

Amen. I don't even want to think about changing a flat on that road!

Interesting concept on Priceline. Glad it worked out well for you!

Overall, it was pretty good. But we did have a couple of issues later on.

I really want cheetos now. In particular, the lime hot cheetos

Lime hot? I'm not familiar with those!

Did you ever need to call to adjust the amount of guests? I used to use Priceline a long time ago when it was just for DH and I and then when we started traveling with DM, I noticed there was no place to adjust the guests. It was all based off of double occupancy. Just curious, cause I wouldn't mind going back to Priceline.

Well, it's interesting you should bring that up. All I can say is, stay tuned!

+1

I'm sorry but I have to

Okay, promise i'm done.

Never apologize for Dumb & Dumber quotes! Always welcome here.

+1

Way to go Scotty

That's my boy.

I thought it may have been baby Drew.

No, Poopapalooza was the day before.

Yes! That's the only logical explanation. Aside from the altitude change that is.

Agreed.

Well this is your Summer vacation right? Summer vacation is filled with shorts and flip flops. This is a great win!

Uh...sure. Let's go with that.

That is beautiful!

It really was!

Naked donuts?! Blasphemy! Cover them up with chocolate icing and sprinkles like now!

Well, we didn't have a lot of options. But they were hot and fresh, so that counts for something.

That is cool!

I love that you trained your kids to take proper pictures.

They did a good job, didn't they?

 

[pkondz]

They're a good one. I also like Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express. They seem to charge a bit more, though. I guess they figured out they were slightly better in quality.

I've stayed at a few Hamptons. Carbon copy of Country Inns.
I've only stayed at one Holiday Inn Express and it was pretty nice too.

Ugh. Why bother?

I think it would've actually been better if they advertised "No breakfast".

Wiseguy, eh?

Where?!?!?

Lesson learned. But I bet you were secretly proud that you looked incredibly competent at the time.

Agreed. And I can use that money for more Cheetos.

Exploding or non-exploding variety?

Of course she's here! She reads only the finest TR's. And this one.

Well that would explain why she stopped reading mine!

Sometimes you have to head the commments off at the pass.

Sometimes it's fun to watch the unwary tumble over the cliff.

Like that would even be an issue. With no guardrails. And me driving. I mean, come on.

Exactly! What could possibly go wrong?

Um...we'll get to that.

Whoops! Sorry!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Still yummy at 14,000 feet.

Well…
Maybe except for the Chillytos. You can have those.

+1 I'm glad someone is on their game.

Everyone else must have Numb Tongue

I didn't drink coffee for 30 years. And then Dave happened.

It took until Dave? Sara must have been an absolute angel by infant standards.

Can't seem to find any takers for some reason.

Can’t imagine why that’d be.

Sometimes you have to head the commments off at the pass.

Especially given the caliber of you audience…

Like that would even be an issue. With no guardrails. And me driving. I mean, come on.

I think I’ll just let that one alone.
As Darth would say: “All too easy…”

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

OK, I'm so far behind, this last week really kicked my butt (see most recent TR update), but at least I'll have some great new updates to post!

Sounds like you need a vacation!

So back to yours, I was two installments behind because I forgot to comment on the second installment before you were on to the third! Lookout Mountain sounded like a good runner up or Plan B choice. I'm glad that I missed Poopapalooza 2015!

I'm glad I missed it too.

I'm sorry that you didn't get the hat in the tourist trap, it really added to your look! Although I think the Budget Committee was actually pretty wise in putting the kabash on any of those purchases.

Sometimes the Budget Committee is known as the Fun Police.

Glad the hotel was nice and had decent breakfasts. I think I remember seeing that dinner spot on DDD and the part about keeping the garage bay doors. That's pretty high praise if it's better than Café Orleans! The deep fried apple pie sounds absolutely decadent!

So good! I need to go back now.

Uh-oh about the shoe!

That's my boy.

I can't do powdered eggs. I'm happier eating the cold cereal, but love me a place with the make it yourself waffles. Hampton Inn is one of my favorites! I'm glad you could eat the pressurized fake eggs for breakfast!

I can't blame you there. Hampton Inn is a good one. And the cinnamon rolls at Holiday Inn Express are awesome.

I read this update from my phone, but now even on the computer, I still can't see the glider in the photo. I think you made the best choice on the way to get to the top of the peak, monetarily and sanity-wise! Well except that I would have been biting my nails the entire way up and down, and the Cheetos bag may have put me over the edge! I'm thinking that the train only stayed up there for 30 minutes to keep people from passing out due to altitude sickness.

It really wasn't so bad on the drive. Much easier than I thought it would be. And I think you're probably right about the train!

I do have to say in all the updates, it's great how your boys are all wearing different T-shirts and jackets with different cities, it's obvious that you get them out and around! The donuts look yummy, and it's not the oil that needs to be adjusted at the altitude it's the flour/oil/eggs ratio (if donuts even have egg in them)

I like seeing the shirts from around the country too!

Thanks for chiming in on the donuts. I couldn't remember exactly what the difference was.

You guys got some great mileage on the trip down and I would have been freaking out!

You mean there's something else acceptable besides pb&j?

For breakfast. We're not talking about lunch here.

Hey, anytime the hotel breakfast eggs don't taste rubbery, that is absolutely a win!!!

It doesn't happen very often!

Even the air rapidly disappearing out of the car cabin???

Nah, I can replace that with hot air of my own.

Hey at $135 that's only about 0.3746 cents per cog.........

Well, when you put it that way, it's a bargain.

The "leave without us" theme must be something native to that part of the country. I was told the same thing on the Grand Canyon Railway. I'm just glad it took them a little extra time to get that wheelchair loaded...........

Always testing the limit, aren't you?

7%? Í thought you said steep??? Liesa averaged higher grades than THAT!!!

I don't think I could drive up an 88% grade.

I always pictured Big Foot being a little taller............

Was Bigfoot wearing flip flops?

I'm going with the latter...........

Maybe it was the fake eggs.

I'm guessing your attire had a little to do with it.......

It wasn't too bad with sweatshirts.

How did you manage to catch a flight that quickly???

Umm, Goofy looks nothing like that..........although I may have seen them in one of his feature "films." Or maybe it was in Country Bear Jamboree...........

Everyone's a comedian.