Morraine Park

Camping the second time around went much more smoothly.  We camped at Morraine Park up in Rocky Mountian National Park.  I always forget just how extroidinarily beautiful it is up there.  We met our friends the Westers up there that evening.  By the time we got up there we could see that it was going to rain, so we hurried and set up the tent/bouncy castle.  It was good we hurried because as soon as it was done, it started to pour.  The boys had a great time bouncing around to wait out the rain. 

A little testing out of their sleeping bags.

After a good wait of maybe 45 minutes, Cal and I looked at each other and easily decided that we didn't want to cook in the rain and mud with the boys.  So we jumped in the car and drove the short distance to the edge of Estes Park and found a most delicious BBQ place to eat.  Roughing it.

On the drive back to camp we lucked out and saw some good wildlife.  Below, Zach and I are checking out 5 baby coyotes in the rain.  We also saw elk, deer, and two brown bears.  I was just happy the bears were on the side of the road and not in our camp, as they told us they have been having some problems. 

Finally meeting up with the Westers for a little campfire and smore making.  The boys were getting tired.  In fact Zach was begging to go to bed.  Um, okay?

After some wrestling in the tent by Austin not wanting to get to sleep, Cal took Austin on a short drive to get him to sleep, and Zach passed out.  They did well until 5 when Austin decided it was time to get up.  We let him play in the tent awhile, hoping he would go back to sleep, but no luck.

We had the perfect campsites.  There were some great rocks for the kids to explore and they all had a great time together.

While we were packing up the kids decided they were looking for "aminals" and "rescuing" them.  These "aminals" were little pieces of broken knotted branches.  So Cale Wester told the kids there was an "elk aminal" that needed help (or something like that) and the kids went running to see.  When they got there they were very dissappointed.  "That's not an aminal!!  That's just a stump!"  Oh.  We thought any old piece of wood would qualify, but we were wrong.  Here they are looking at the stump.  I love their imaginations!

Zach and Kira trying to pose for a picture.  Neither has a very natural camera smile right now.  Cute, though.  These two are good buddies.

Austin was exhausted and fell asleep within a couple of minutes back in the car.  We had hoped to go on a little hike, but were all pretty tired.  So the Westers headed on home and we stopped to throw rocks and sticks and anything that could be picked up into a very full stream next to the road so Zach could play and Austin could still sleep.

Great fun!