Colorado Vacation: Camping

View from the dirt road before we got to our campground.

Camping was most definitely the highlight of our vacation.  It was our kids first real camp out.  Prior to this camp was always set up in the backyard.  We stayed at Golden Gate Canyon State Park.  It was beautiful and our accommodations at the Aspen Meadows campground was pretty nice.  Our camp looked out onto a meadow where we had been told that it was common to see deer, elk and sometimes even moose.  I think we were far to noisy for anything to bed down or travel near while we were there.

The meadow.

We went camping with my sister Julie and her family.  Our oldest brother Scott even joined us for a night.  It was a lot of fun and the best part (at least for me) was to be completely disconnected from technology.  I was the only one with intermittent cell phone service and I didn't care.  The boys I know were feeling the disconnect and wanted to leave the first day until we  busted out the s'mores!

After a few rounds of roasting our marshmallows and eating s'mores, the kids didn't want to leave.

The funny part about our camping trip was the weather.  My sister, she is cursed!  It either rains or snows every time she camps.

Within minutes of the above photo being taken, it started to rain.  My brother-in-law, Joey had a tarp handy to cover our stuff with.  Thankfully, my luck with great weather must have been countering my sister's bad luck and the rain never seemed to last too long.  It did cool down the air though.  Good thing we could all keep warm near the fire.

Joey and Julie

It was nice to kick back and relax.  I did a few paintings and took a lot of photos, my husband likes to relax with books.  He finished that in the two days we were camping.  Seriously, a little jealous sometimes, it takes me forever to read a book!

The boys did get pretty soaked when they went to go explore the wet field, but I don't think they minded at all.

My nephew Jonah.

Good thing we kept a good eye on Colton, he blended a little too well in his dinosaur jacket and camo pants.

We tried our hand at fishing, but we all failed pretty miserably at that, even though we were assured the fishing hole had been recently stocked.  Jonah caught a small grass carp, but that was it.  Maben did get pretty good at casting his line.  I will have to take him fishing again at one of the near by ponds. 

My family is pretty good at being silly.  The last day while packing up we all were still having a lot of fun and loving life.

Colton, my niece Jordie, Maben and Uncle Scott's bunny ears.

My brother Scott and I.

My boys, right before we left camp.

This week, after returning to our normal lives, both my husband and I are longing for the slower pace, lack of technology and the beautiful view of the mountains.  Having grown up in Colorado and my husband spending much of his adolescence in Colorado and Wyoming, when we get a taste of those Rocky Mountains, we usually long for them for quite some time.