Paddleboating

This being our last day @ Keystone, you would think we'd try to fit as much into the itinerary for the day. It turns out this has been our most lax day so far. The kids were promised a morning of paddleboating and feeding the ducks and geese, and we were eager to comply. The condo came with coupons for free boat rentals, all we had to pay for were the $1 bags of fish/duck food (I guess they eat the same thing?).

Of course, Sophie ran out of food first. She would throw handfuls of pellets at a time.

Liv, still annoyed with her life vest had a good time nonetheless.

We didn't do much else today. We were planning to rent some bikes and head over to the nearby villages, but the weather turned pretty fierce for a moment, so we ditched that idea. Instead, we spent the rest of the afternoon napping and then heading over to River Run Village to have some ice cream. Now, I am waiting for the laundry to be done so I can pack AGAIN.

Tomorrow, we are headed over to Denver for the last leg of the trip. It's sad thinking the end of the vaca is coming near. But Louie just reminded me that now, at least, I can start planning for next year's trip to the Outer Banks!

Lake Dillon & Breckenridge

Look at that view!!! Just a short five minute (maybe not even) drive from our home base is the little town called Dillon, named after the lake it is perched by. Dylan was so excited that there was a lake much like his name, he kept boasting of knocking on the mayor's office to demand a spelling change to match his.


Here is the marina on Lake Dillon. After picking up a ginormous sub, chips, and drinks from the local market, we hopped on our rented runabout and headed out to explore the waters.

Dylan kept bugging us to let him steer the boat, we finally gave in.

And of course, Sophie-So will never allow to be outdone. Shet got a turn also.

As excited as she was at first, her midday nap won out. Liv...always falling asleep.

After the boat trip, we headed down to Breckenridge. Unlike Keystone, which is primarily a ski resort, "Breck" as locals call it, is a real town. Despite it being the low season, the streets were still populated. Don't get me wrong, we like the solitude we have at Keystone, but we didn't want to walk around today as if we were the only ones who survived a nuclear holocaust.

This cute little ice cream shoppe only served the homemade variety. It was absolutely heavenly. The kids got the chocolate pudding and vanilla flavors. Louie and I ventured to be a bit more adventurous. (Ya, I know, Louie, too!) Instead of the usual cookies 'n cream, he got the Oreo Speedwagon, much like his fave, but with a twist: Kahlua flavor mixed in. AND he liked it! I got the Black Walnut flavor, much like butter pecan, but with a richer, stronger essence to it. My fave ice cream treat so far.

This was a first. Apparently, many people suffer from altitude sickness. Because of the high altitude of these resorts, there is significantly less oxygen than most people are used to. And so these little oxygen lounges are a staple at Breck. I kinda just "whatever'ed" the whole notion until Dylan started complaining of a headache and nausea. So we headed in thinking to try it out.
Here's Dylan hooked up to some lavender-scented oxygen.
It seems to have helped him quite a lot.

Awesome day again. We did a lot, but we relaxed in the condo until noon, so we still feel relaxed and well-rested. Tomorrow, we will explore more of Keystone and do a little paddleboating.

Bighorn Steakhouse

Keystone is pretty much a ghost town between September and the start of the ski season, so there were only a few eating establishments open for business when we were strolling around last night. Louie has been salivating for a hunk of steak since the start of the trip, so we decided to go ahead and splurge this time.

We must have been a spectacle, walking into the dimly lit, stained-glass-ceiling, restaurant, pushing a bright red stroller, in sweaters and flip flops. But they were gracious enough to take us in, as if we were spiffed up for the dining experience.

We were seated in a floor-to-ceiling windowed alcove, strategic enough that Liv could escape from her highchair and run up and down by the windows without bothering the other customers.

Lou had the Top Sirloin rubbed down with hickory campfire seasoning and whiskey butter. He was VERY satisfied with his meat, so to speak.

I had the rosemary roasted top sirloin lamb, fired up to a perfectly juicy medium rare, sitting atop a honey-gold jus drizzled with whole grain dijon. YUM.

View the menu.

If you are ever in the Keystone area...this is a can't miss establishment. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

KEYSTONE!!!

We made it a point to have lunch, a nice (albeit short) visit with the Frost Family in Cheyenne, WY, before heading back down to CO. This lovely girl, Jessi, is THE reason why LIFE IS GOOD for the Ochoa's. Or should I say, THE reason there is even an Ochoa family? She had known way before I even visited her at FWB, FL that Lou and I would hit it off. So she made it a point to introduce us once a TDY opportunity brought me over their way. The rest is history.

We luv u, Mizz Jess!Jessi, Andrew, and Steve

And onward to Keystone we go! The actual trip TO the place was probably THE most tense moment of the whole trip. You see, despite my fear of heights, I have this peculiar affinity for cool mountain destinations. It never fails to get my heart racing a bit (or a lot) during the drive up the steep and windy roads. It is a sacrifice I am usually willing to pay in exchange for the experience up top. HOWEVER, I am accustomed to driving up roads with GUARDRAILS. And, I, assuming it would be common sense for THESE roads to Keystone to apply such safety measures since it is a ski destination, was proved unequivocably WRONG!

This section of the road was tame enough to unhinge me from my tense total-body state and snap a quick shot (and this section to my right had a pullout overlook). Most of the climb, there was at most a total of two feet between the lane and the straight-to-your-death drop-off. The 30MPH speed limit was thrown out the window as we crawled as close to the median as possible at a turtle pace of 10MPH. It didn't help much that Dylan, seated right behind me, kept yelling, "I can't help but look down! We're gonna die!" I broke out into a cold sweat, my heart thudding in my throat, as I leaned over the center console to be as far away as possible from the window and the terrifying view.

Obviously, we didn't careen off the edge, but to make the point more crystal for you, Louie, who loves to laugh at my acrophobia, admitted at our safe arrival that he had to run to the bathroom b/c driving that road gave him the chills and want to pee his pants.


And again, the sacrifice was well worth it (although we'll be trying the other way down the mountain come time to drive to Denver). We made reservations for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo at the Seasons in Lakeside Village. That unit depicted above is our awesome awesome awesome digs for the next four days.

This was on the short and sweet five minute walk to the lakeside town center.

Keystone Lake

Sophie, enjoying the time out of the car. (Ya like the new haircut?)

We'll be visiting Breckenridge and Lake Dillon today and taking advantage of the awesome hikes in the area. More updates to come!

Ochoa Vacation: Part Three

Colorado Springs exploring is now over. We visited the Air Force Academy Chapel and U.S. Olympic Training Center for one last hurrah @ CS. We grubbed down on Buffalo Wild Wings before heading out of CO for the meantime and onward to Sidney, NE to visit with Lou's family.

The chapel was exquisite. It sits on the mountainside, overlooking the valley below. Of course, the kids didn't take well to the need for quiet, so the interest for this place waned VERY quickly.

Dylan and Sophie had more interest in the U.S. Olympic Training Center, especially because of the timing. There were performance machines that measured visitors' physical abilities against the average Olympian. The Spirit Store was loaded with Beijing Summer Olympics merchandise. Dylan had his heart set on buying a gold medal of his own, and of course, Sophie-So had to be JUST like her big bro.

Dylan now considers himself a gold medal olympian. (smile)

On the road to Sidney (travel time 4 hrs).

Isn't it funny how a parent is suddenly all too willing to give whatever junk the kids want all for the sake of quiet?

It's total R&R over here in Sidney now, catching up with the rest of Lou's fam. (There's not much to see here in this humble little town.) Although, I have undertaken ANOTHER project and have rummaged through boxes and boxes of old photos in the hopes of printing out a heritage album for the Ochoa family. We'll be here until Sunday, when we will head back over to Colorado's Keystone Resort and a visit to Lake Dillon and Breckenridge.

Day Trippin'

Day Two in CS,CO. I am SOLD. We WILL move here when Lou retires. As much as I love love love Utah, a couple issues that have arisen recently have re-ignited my nomadic nature, and I have found THE place to satisfy it.

Itinerary for the day?

Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Ghost Town.

Lou and kids in front of Balanced Rock.
Garden of the Gods, CO

We really just stopped at Balanced Rock and went straight to the Trading Post afterwards. This was our last stop of the day, and we were all getting a bit tired. It was a beautiful place. Maybe it's because Utah has more grand rock formations at Arches NP, I wasn't that impressed.

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We stopped at Manitou Springs for lunch. Dylan made it a mission to find all the springs in town and taste them all. It was believed by the Native Americans that water from these springs had healing qualities, which intrigued baby boy even more. In all, we were able to try five of them, with each spring having its own unique taste. Dylan's fave was the Stratton spring; he said it was fizzy and sweet.

Lou and Dylan tasting the water @ Navajo Springs. Fizzy and slightly bitter.

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Another stop was the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Much like the ones in Mesa Verde, these villages carved into the canyon wall were by the Anasazi.

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When Dylan found the brochure for this place, there was no turning him down. The preserved Ghost Town in Old Colorado City was small, but had enough to keep the kids entertained.

Gold Panning @ GhostTown

It was a day full of activities, but we were still able to make it "home" by six with enough time to make lasagna for din-din. Tomorrow, we will be checking out (sniff, sniff) and making our way to Sidney after checking out a couple of necessary sights here at the base and downtown CS.

Transformed

When I married L, he was a constant black t-shirt-wearing, meat-and-potatoes-eating, bachelor-set-in-his-ways kind of guy. Six years later, he now has a wardrobe with a multitude of colors (although he refuses to wear low-slung jeans (no matter how sexy I say his tush looks in 'em)), and a more pronounced transformation in food preference that I have only realized today.

As a kid, L told his mother, "I am NEVER marrying a Filipino girl. I DON'T like their food." This is a story M-I-L loves to laugh and tell. Joke's on him. Buddy boy not only married Pinay, but now loves fried rice for breakfast, chicken adobo for supper, and lumpia whenever I'm ambitious enough to make 'em.

Now, his mom shakes her head in disbelief, saying, "If I had tried to feed you the food you're eating now when you were a kid, you would have never agreed to it," whenever L tells her about a new recipe we've tried.

But even through the drastic expansion of his food repertoire, he still hates blueberries (who hates blueberries?), absolutely refuses to eat shrooms (he claims they're too slimy and just made out of fungus anyway), and won't eat sweet pastries unless it's a donut for breakfast.

He's been very guarded and wary whenever I pushed a plate of new food towards him. Yesterday, we were driving in Woodland Park, CO, and scouting for a place to eat. Knowing how picky my man is, I just surrendered, "There's a Mickey D's right there..."

Instead, to my surprise, he swerves into a parking lot in front of a cute little place called "Sweet Tea Cafe." He says, "This looks interesting. Let's eat here." One word = IMPRESSED.

Sweet Tea Cafe

It was an excellent choice. The interior had typical log cabin decor. The hostess was incredibly friendly and called everyone "darlin'." The sweet tea was delicious and served in little mason jars with handles. The hot butter rolls were something to die for! Slightly crisp on the outside and steaming soft on the inside: perfection. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

Anyway, today, on the way to Manitou Springs, I was leafing through a brochure of the place, asking L what he felt like eating for lunch. And surprise, surprise, he said, "I don't know. Why won't we just walk around and find another cute new place to eat?"

Wow. Who says you can't change a man?

Goodbye, Pueblo! Hello, Colorado Springs!

Family reunion: check. Rafting trip: check. Holy Cross Winery to buy a bottle of Colorado Nouveau (yum!): check. Royal Gorge Route Rail Trip: Check.

Time to move on to Family Ochoa Vacation Part II. On to Colorado Springs!

I, with my trip planning prowess, was savvy enough (isn't this pat on the back SO obvious?) to score a TLF (temporary living facility) at the Air Force Academy during parents week. So long, Pueblo Ramada Inn, with your two double beds that were not nearly enough to cushion us for a restless night's sleep. Hello, one bedroom suite complete with washer and dryer, fully stocked kitchen (with a flat-top stove), port-a-crib (yeay!), and pull-out sofa beds for the kids (hallelujah!)...And note this: ALL for $41 bucks a night. Booyah! God bless the Air Force!

The trip to the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Center was a dream for our budding paleontologist, Miss Sophia. She has been obsessed with dinosaurs for the past year, and the obsession isn't giving any signals of dying over anytime soon. She got to "dig" for fossils and look at her fave dino fossil, triceratops. AND, she found a fossil of a tylosaurus named "Sophie", which totally made her day.

Sophie was quite tickled that she and a fossil of a tylosaurus shared the same name.

The next trip of the day was the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the only zoo in the nation to be ON the mountainside. Cool, breezy location with spectacular views = steep walkways and stairs = sore and aching thighs the next morning! The kids totally loved the fact that they could feed the giraffes and get THIS close. Even Liv, who I thought would be bored for this segment of the day, was absolutely entranced by the animals. She kept pointing at each animal saying, "Look! Look!" over and over again.

Look at that lion Dylan is sitting on!

Liv feeding crackers to the giraffe.

We haven't thoroughly explored the grounds of the academy yet, but we were driving past it and came across a lookout point with an excellent view of the whole campus.

After seeing the impressive Air Force Academy, Dylan has decided (for now) that he will become a cadet and a geologist.

Royal Gorge Route Rail Trip

After a day of rafting the Arkansas the day before on a family float trip, we needed a more relaxing way to spend the day. The Royal Gorge was definitely on the checklist, but my slight phobia of heights would more than likely keep me from walking it anyway, so we decided on the train route through it instead.

Above: The front of the train as it enters the Royal Gorge.

Me and the girls watching the more adventurous rafters ride out Class V waters.

One of these guys fell out shortly after I took the pic.


Dyl-mo and Soph excited for the train to start.

Lou and Sophie on the open car, with the Royal Gorge Bridge overhead.

The Royal Gorge Bridge.

I wasn't about to cross that on foot. No thank you.

The train ride took about two hours roundtrip, and ran right alongside the Arkansas River. Beautiful, beautiful scenery. Definitely worth the trip (especially after Liv fell asleep).

Pueblo Riverwalk

Contrary to the common misconception that Pueblo, Colorado is a piece of s town, it is actually quite charming. Sure, it's not as classy as Denver, but the old-town ambience of the historic district and the new riverwalk downtown was still a worthwhile visit.

Hamming it up

Why are kids always obsessed with these "penny" souvenirs?

Poor Liv, she's always missing out. Shortly after arriving, she was zonked out in her stroller. Thankfully, she woke in the middle of the boat excursion and was able to enjoy at least part of the ride.

Family Reunion: Beaner Style

I tell you what, no one else in the world can throw a rockin' party like a bunch of beaners. With the weekend festivities kicking off the night before with a dinner "mixer" to get re-acquainted with one another, Saturday night involved the formal party.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't too optimistic about the whole reunion deal. I had never attended one with my own family, and frankly, the thought of Lou's just didn't appeal much. I take it all back. The venue was at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Cultural Center in downtown Pueblo--classy. Edibles were traditional standard-fare Mexican. And of course, the pre-requisite live band.

I guess the thing that amazed me was the lack of the need for alcohol to get the festivities of the night started. People were mingling, taking pictures, chowing down on the yummy grub...and then the band took the stage with some authentic Mexican polkas...and by josh, clan Rosales swarmed the dance floor. No sitting it out to see who'd be brave enough to step foot on the floor. None of the downing a couple shots to get the nerve to dance. Inebriation not required. It was an instant party.

Everyone danced. EVERYONE. I think dancing, and dancing well, mind you, is an inborn quality in all beaners. Of course, my husband, the best dancer ever was out there as much as he could. Sophia and Olivia took turns with me as his partner. But amazingly, Dylan finally came out of his shell and agreed to dance with his momma...and then his grandma...and soon enough, HE was the one asking ME to dance! That was my personal highlight of the night.

The Ochoa family called it a night when Sophie, of her own accord, laid herself down on three chairs she had scooted together. I hobbled out of there, high heels in hand, barefoot to the car, exhausted, but smiling. What a night.

OCHOA VACA: Take One

And so the trek to Colorado began yesterday. And as planning goes, things change. No worries, Och and I, regardless of the control freak monster in me, always live by "SEMPER GUMBI" during trips, especially with the kiddies.
The 0530 departure time got moved back to 0630 (in our sleep deprivation delirium, there were SO many things we forgot to pack the night before). And instead of our grand plan of having the first couple of hours of the trip to ourselves while the kids slept soundly in their car seats, it seems the three, including Baby Liv, could feel the charge of "something-big-is-happening" in the air. They had already taken over the speaker system with the playing of Shrek III in the rear DVD player before we Lou and I even buckled up to pull out of the garage. Not one of them took a nap until after our first stop.
Liv was screaming bloody murder about 20 minutes out from Little America; her diaper had leaked and she was soaked. After changing her from the heavy diaper and wet jammies, she had a chance to show off her prowess at a playground.

This girl's motto is "No Fear."

Across the shaky bridge.

Down the curved slide. All by herself.

Least fave part of the trip? After going 80 thru I-80, we hit the outskirts of Denver during rush hour. Being SO close, and stuck in crawling traffic is LOVELY. The kids were frustrated, too.

Note the drool sliding down the chin.

She was VERY vocal about her opinion on traffic.

The 9-hour drive turned into 13. Not TOO bad. We made it all in one piece AND in time to catch some of the festivities of the reunion dinner. Hugging and shaking hands with people whose names I instantly brain dumped was a bit overwhelming, but they were good times, nonetheless.

Keep checking back. More Ochoa family adventures to come!