Days Thirteen - Fifteen: Denver

After Colorado Springs we went to Denver for two nights. We had the pleasure of spending Easter weekend with Tyler's aunt and uncle, Sally and Steve. This was our second time staying with Sally and Steve, as we spent a night with them on our way to Alaska.

We thoroughly enjoy spending time with them, and look forward to our next possible visit. Caroline sure did love the extra attention and the ability to be in a home for a few days. She was Sally's snuggle-bug while we were there, and I don't know who was more excited!

I did not take any pictures because we just simply enjoyed our time with them. I hate, hate I didn't bring out the camera, but oh well. I do have a video of Sally and Caroline playing on the floor. The Easter Bunny visited and left a chick that hopped when wound ... Sally would wound it and Caroline laughed and laughed. It really was a treat for everyone. (Sorry the video is a bit blurry .. thanks, iPhone?!)

Everyone awoke on Monday morning to get back to the grind. Sally and Steve went off to work, and Tyler, Caroline and I got on the road. We headed straight through Kansas as fast as we could. More on that later. 

Days Eleven - Thirteen: Colorado Springs

Although I was most excited about the Redwood Forest, Tyler was most certainly most excited about Colorado on our journey across America. We spent three nights in Colorado Springs, Tyler's birthplace. We arrived on Wednesday evening and just got dinner and headed to our hotel ... lodging on the Air Force Academy. This lodging was the nicest lodging we'd ever seen; it was a welcome home for three nights!

On Thursday we went to the Garden of the Gods and hiked around for a bit. The park was really beautiful, and it has quite a neat history. The land was given by a man who died in the early 1900s who willed the land to the city of Colorado Springs. It is to remain free to the public, clean, uninhabited and alcohol free. From what we could see, those wishes are still granted today.

After that we drove through Fort Carson, a US Army installation that is high on our wish list of places to be stationed. It was a very nice installation with many new houses, a new commissary and a large, beautiful parade ground. I wouldn't mind be stationed there because the installation looked nice and there is plenty to do in Colorado Springs. We had dinner with Tyler's god-parents that night. I had never spent time with them, so it was nice to get to know them a bit better.

On Friday we tried to go up Pike's Peak, but the winds were too strong and the train didn't go. Although we were super bummed, it was kind of nice to just tool around for the day. We hung out in Manitou Springs, a charming town at the bottom of the peak and just outside of Colorado Springs. Friday afternoon we all napped and just enjoyed some downtime after nearly two weeks of traveling. Late in the afternoon we toured the Air Force Academy, which was not at all what I expected. The Academy is small, and has very robot-y looking buildings. Aside from the chapel, which is gorgeous, the buildings are grey squares that sit on pillars with passageways underneath. It was different than the old, beautiful buildings and landscape of the Naval Academy and what I imagine West Point to be.

Saturday we awoke, checked-out and headed to Denver to spend Easter with Tyler's aunt and uncle. More on that tomorrow!

Caroline's First Visit to the Quad!!

In many respects Caroline has no choice where she will go to college ... I kid, I kid ... but really her only choice is Wake Forest. She experienced Wake in all her glory last month for graduation day. We went to North Carolina for my sister Katie's graduation from WFU. Although Caroline will not remember that day, I look forward to taking her back in years to come!!

Caroline sat in the shade (of super little trees) and played for a while. We walked, and she took everything in!