Orr Family Colorado Vacation 2017

The BEST TIME EVER..... Let's go back in time to how this all started. The summer or maybe fall before Brent said that it was his "dream for all of us to take a family vacation." He went on to talk about how he has wanted to do that for a very long time. I said, "Well, plan it and I'll make it happen."

For the longest I thought it would not work out. Schedules did match. Grandkids were in sports. Jess had started a new job and it was too hard for her to take off. After over a month, it started coming together. Jess's family was already having a Colorado vacation in July 2017 so we decided to piggyback on her family vacation. Her family was vacationing at Grand Lake. I found a great campground in Estes Park, Colorado. I never dreamed we would have so much fun.

On July 26, 2017 Gary and I headed out in the Open Range fifth wheel. We left at 8:03 a.m. We drove to Seibert, Colorado to the Shady Grove Campground to stay the night. It's a good place to stay "just the night." In fact, that is what was happening with everyone there. Our neighbors were from New Orleans. It's just a "passing through" campground. However, we had full hook and wifi!

We arrived at Estes Park on July 27th. It was 65 degrees and rainy. We stayed at the Spruce Creek RV Resort. I would definitely stay there again. Very nice park, swimming pool, walking distance to restaurants. Shuttle comes to take you to downtown. Gary and I were in the RV. Jess and Shane had the bedroom and Gary and I slept on the air mattress. Very comfortable. We also rented a very nice log cabin and Brent and family stayed there. Our activities: Downstream Adventures Whitewater Rafting, ATV rental, Gondola, Trail Ridge Parkway. Elk were a daily occurrence in the campground. Our favorite restaurant was "The Other Side." It was walking distance from the campground.

Anna Claire in the log cabin.

There were so many elk in the campground. This is the first day we saw them. Sutton grabbed the camera and started taking pictures. He kept getting closer and closer.

Picture taken from inside the camper.

Bennett at the fishing pond in the campground.

Ma (Betsy) with the grands at the campground

The second day we had a whitewater rafting trip planned. Shane and Jess were still with her family. Shane had a sprained ankle so we tried to do as much of the adventurous activities we could before Shane arrive.

This was a blast. 

 Another day of fun....ATV rentals.

 Granddad (Gary) and Bennett.

 Brent and his family and Shane drove the Trail Ridge Parkway.

 

 Betsy, Jessica and Anna Claire went downtown while the boys were fishing. 

 Hanging around at the campground. Family time. Jess and Sutton and Bennett.

 Jess and Anna Claire.

 Ma and Anna Claire.

 Ma bought Sutton a leather Dallas Cowboys bracelet.

Shane. Enough said. He had a hard time walking. Probably not the best time for an action-packed vacation. We will have to plan this again.

 Believe it or not, Bennett wore this shirt everyday. I had to take it off him one night to wash it.

 Painting rocks.

Gondola activity one day. Shane and Jess did not go. It would have been too hard for Shane to get around.