About a Joy: Colorado: The Vacation in Pictures

We just got back from a very MEMORABLE vacation in Colorado Springs with Jason's family. We have tons of pictures but they are nothing without the stories that go with them. Let's start at the very beginning, shall we?

Tuesday morning, the 17th, we got up early because our flight was leaving from Indy. We're safely on our way and we're almost to the airport when Jason smells poop. No big deal, as I know sometimes big cities just smell like poop. I look back at Dawson for good measure. Sure enough, he has poop edging its way out the side of his diaper and is threatening to take over him and his car seat. So I panic. I grab the wet wipes and start cleaning what I could until we can get stopped at a gas station. It's pouring down rain outside. Who wouldn't want to start a vacation this way? I stripped Dawson down, changed his outfit, rinsed out his old one and Jason begged for plastic bags from the gas station clerk. His poopy outfit stayed in the Jeep. We decided not to bring it on vacation. Now we're off.

(Dawson on the "momo" aka motorcycle at the airport.

Dawson did wonderful on the plane. As worried parents we packed several toys Dawson had never played with or seen so that actually kept him pretty busy. No screaming. No getting kicked off the plane. All good. We had a direct flight into Denver and that was great.

Greg met us there.

When we got to their house Grammy and Grandpa had stocked up on toys so Dawson just sort of took over. They got him this little toddler car to ride around on that made siren noises. And he got a toy motorcycle which he didn't let anyone touch.

We decided this year to visit parts of Colorado we hadn't been to before. WE had made plans to stay in Durango for a couple of days...

The night before we left for Durango I got really sick. I was up all night puking my guts out and no one heard me because of loud air conditioners and fans and bedroom doors being shut. Jason slept through the whole thing. Maybe I'm a silent puker. The next morning bright and early at 6:00 both cars were loaded and ready for the 8 hour drive. I mentioned I probably shouldn't go but Jason insisted since neither of us had been to Durango. Sooo... they had warning! I took some Mylanta and hoped we wouldn't have to stop every few miles. I actually did okay. We go to McDonald's around lunch time where I had a cheeseburger and pooped my pants. Twice. Thankfully I brought my bathing suit along because I had to wear it under my clothes for the next few days.

We were getting close to the Circle S Lodge

I don't want to tell you what I thought the "S" stood for. It's about 20 miles from Durango near Lake Vallecito. Not on. ABout 10 miles from there, Jason radio's to Greg's car and says to pull over. Jason hops out of the car and pukes on some guys tractor that's parked alongside the road. The guy comes out and wonders what is going on, but we told him everything was under control-he's just puking on it. That's not a crime is it? He was nice about it. Then we were back on the road and finally came to the lodge...

This is not what I would call a "lodge" per say. See for yourself.

We waited in the parking lot of the Circle S for about 1/2 an hour. The owner said he couldn't find the keys to our room. He said he would be ready for us at 2:00 and we didn't arrive until 4:00.. hmm... The management office is located in "Virginia's Steakhouse" so Greg was inside waiting for someone to find our keys and Jason ran inside to find a bathroom. The owner came outside, though I can't remember why. He had one sock on and his other foot was barefoot. Another hmm... A nice lady came out and said they found our keys and to follow her -but not too close because it was looking stormy and she had been struck by lightning. Twice.

Dawson's ghetto playground.

Dawson loved Jenessa's dog Sidney.

A boy after my own heart.

We go up to our rooms hoping that the stairs we walk up to get there don't break in half. One did, but it was the very bottom stair so no one died. The nice lady shows us around the suite and we notice there are square glue marks on the walls. She said a wedding party they recently had stay there stole all the pictures they had hanging up.

On a side note-one afternoon, Jason and I had met a nice couple who were evidently staying just below us. They came up to us and asked us if we were staying there and we said yes. They said the only reason they asked was because they had actually booked ALL the rooms in that building for a family reunion for the entire week.(it just so happened that some of their family wasn't going to make it until after we left so they wouldn't need our rooms anyway). When she asked the owner about the mix up, he claimed he "didn't have it written down on his cocktail napkin". and so he over booked.

Anyway, we get all situated and decide to head to Durango for some dinner and shopping. Surprisingly, Jason and I gave it a shot. I was feeling better but Jason didn't look so good. But he didn't want to be left behind. Not that this was the rapture or anything. it was raining pretty hard so we nixed the shopping and looked for some place to eat. We found a nice pizza joint. AT this point, Greg says he's not feeling so hot. Greg and I ordered a baked potato. Jason got nothing, Gloria and Jenessa ordered food but not pizza. Time to head back to the "lodge". Greg is driving like speedy gonzalez to get back and I'm figuring it's because he's sick and doesn't want to pull over. He made it back to the lodge and puked in the driveway. He was sick all night. He has a brontosaurus bar. When he pukes, he ROARS. So between that, and the band "Wolf at the Door" singing 'Yeah You, Rock Me All Night Long' that was playing at Virginia's steakhouse right across from us, we didn't get much sleep.Well, other than Dawson. Apparently he can sleep through anything.

The next morning Jason and I are feeling great. She he and I and Jenessa and Gloria head into Durango for some lunch and shopping. We found a cute little French style restaurant. Jenessa is saying she doesn't feel real well. Gloria, on the other hand, is feeling great and determined she will NOT be getting any sickness that we've got! We order our food and Dawson is acting up so I take him out. When it's time to pay, I'm waiting and waiting and Jason says he has to go find Jenessa because she's gone and Gloria can't find her. She headed for the bathroom but she's not in there... Jason checks the Men's room and finds Jenessa's shoes. He calls her name and Jenessa says "brother what are you doing in here?!" To which Jason replies "This is the men's room". We wanted to get Jenessa back to the lodge (stopping a few times along the way for Jenessa) and we realize Greg had headed into Durango. He wasn't feeling well, but didn't want to sit at the lodge all by himself. We met Greg and Jenessa waited in the car in steaming hot weather while we walked around. Not sure how that happened. We did get her a Hawaiian ice which she puked up later. It was blue. We called it a day and went back to the lodge where we have one more night's stay. We all wanted to go home but the drive is too long and with Jenessa not feeling well it wasn't going to happen. I'm spraying Lysol all over the room like it's incense from a Catholic church. Fast forward to evening where Gloria wakes up sometime after midnight to begin her good night puke. By the way, she and Jenessa also got diarrhea so that made me feel better. The next day was the drive home and after much discussion we took the longer scenic drive through Silverton and Ouray.

I'm so glad we did. It was a gorgeous drive.

We're halfway home when Jason and I smell poop.

Once again, Dawson has an explosive poop. (he never did get sick and boy are we thankful). Jason gets him out of the car when the poop falls to the ground and Dawson steps on it. By now he has poop up and down his leg.

This would take the work of 4 people. 3 of us cleaning him up and Greg taking pictures.

And... that is the story of Durango.

After that big adventure, Dawson needed a nap.

We got back to Greg & Gloria's safe and sound and thus begins the story of a more normal vacation.

Sunday:

Jason and I took the day for a date and headed to Denver to the museum of nature and science to see the Titanic Exhibit. Amazing!! Over 300 artifacts on display resurrected from the grave of the Titanic. We each got a boarding pass with a person who actually boarded the ship and at the end of the tour we checked a list to see if we lived or died. I lived. Jason died. Afterward, we got to watch the awesome IMAX movie of the exploration of the inside of the Titanic. I highly recommend seeing this in a museum near you.

Tuesday:

We took Dawson to the zoo where he got to feed the giraffes. It was very hot that day and most of the zoo is uphill. The animals were just lounging. It was worth the giggle we got out of Dawson when he felt a giraffe tongue.