Vacation to the West

My family and I left over a week ago for a vacation we’d planned last summer. We drove. First to Arkansas and oklahoma to visit cousins, and then to Arizona to stay there for a week and now we’re in Colorado. It has been so nice to have family time so far out in the beautiful western U.S. It’s amazing how even though this world was marred by sin, it’s still sooo gorgeous. We’ve driven well over 55 hours (talk about getting tired of your car!) and have driven through so many different climates and landscapes. From deserts, to sand dunes, to lush green forests, to pine forests, and red canyons, and finally out here where we currently are in CO its the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

 

In Arizona we did some hiking in the beautiful red rock canyons and there were spectacular views. We went cliff jumping and sliding down natural river water slides, visited the grand canyon, and took an amazing off roading jeep tour. That tour was uuunforgettable. We asked the driver to give us extreme after the first hour and a half and so he took us way out in the valley between the canyons and took us off roading. Crazy offroading. If we weren’t buckled we literally would’ve been ejected! We had to keep re tightening our seat belts because they kept loosening, but even though, some of us suffered bruises and dad smashed his head suuper hard on the bar on the roof of the jeep. Five days later he still has a lump on his head! We were covered in the red arizona dirt, throats sore from inhaling all the dust, and completely satisfied. 🙂 All of us had a blast. From mom to Alissa right down to our cowboy driver who had a blast hearing us screaming. haha. It was awesome.

 

Currently we’re staying in the rockies at an elevation over 9,000 ft. About 40% of the guests here at the resort get altitude sickness during their stay. They provide medicines and medical help for those people, even up to oxygen tanks you can borrow for your stay! haha. I can’t imagine having to be connected to an oxygen tank for vacation. That would ruin it. There are snow capped mountains rising up all around us. There is still skiing here about 20 minutes away! We may do that. It’s warmish out so we could ski in jeans and tshirts or sweatshirts probably! It’s awesome. As we drove through the valleys and mountains there were so many gorgeous homes and ranches. Just what I’ve always dreamed of living in. Maybe someday… but i’m not crazy about their long winters! In the valleys its different though. It so gorgeous with the lush green valleys and their log home ranches rising up to snow capped mountains. … Anyhow I promised my little brother and sister to swim with them so hopefully I can write more later.