We had a "down" day today which meant we slept in, took our time getting ready, and really had no planned activities. After breakfast in the cabin, we wandered downtown to check in with our rental hosts (since we arrived after they closed the previous night). They gave us even more restaurant recommendations and made us feel quite welcome. On our way out of town, we pulled off to the Grand Lake Lodge which offered a terrific view of the town and lake. We had our first chipmunk sighting in the parking lot. "Moose Sighting 2018" officially kicked off as we ventured north on Highway 34 into the Rocky Mountain National Park. Right before we entered the park, we detoured off to the west as it looked to be good moose spotting territory. No moose, but we did come across a pristine, private lake with a kayak fisherman on it. The air was crisp, pine smell wafted in the breeze, and we were mesmerized watching him cast again and again. Just as we were about to leave, he snagged a fish much to the car's excitement!
After stopping at the park's visitor center, we continued north for a bit into the Kawuneeche Valley. Sadly, no moose sightings today, but we'll be back. We headed back to Grand Lake with a lunch stop at Sloopy's which is known for its fried chicken and hamburgers. The staff even proclaimed that folks from Denver come all the way here just for the hamburgers. The meal was great and with full bellies we headed to the Go-Kart track in town. The kids loved the bumper karts which allowed them to ram each other in an effort to trigger a spinning mechanism on the kart. All of us rode the go-karts and I'm happy to report that Franklin and I took the checkered flag. An early afternoon hike was then in order so we drove over to the trailhead for Adams Falls and made the short .6 mile roundtrip hike. This altitude sure does make you lose your breath when going uphill! The falls were excellent and the height provided some nice views of the lake below. After returning to the cabin, we opened the windows and everyone laid down for rest time. Some storms blew through and it was quite lovely to hear the rain and thunder while going in and out of a nap. Ah...
Caroline and I visited another of the local grocery stores today and we have to say it's an experience. Obviously it's a small town, so these are locally-owned stores that are doing their best, but it's quite a limited shopping experience. We did buy steaks for dinner along with potatoes to bake. Of course, this whole area is under a burn ban, so no charcoal for us. After we got back to the cabin, the crazy kids decided they wanted to swim, so they donned their suits and off we went. They enjoyed building sand castles, sand volcanos, and rivers all the while reporting that the water wasn't cold, even though their teeth were chattering. It was a gorgeous afternoon! Before it was time to cook, I even enjoyed a brief moment in our hammock we strung between two cottonwood trees right outside our door.
As Caroline and I started cooking, we turned on the TV in the cabin (shock...we NEVER do that) for the Home Run Derby since 2 Cubs players were in it. We Googled how to cook steaks in the oven and off we went. A short time later, we were noshing on an excellent dinner followed up by equally tasty s'mores made with marshmallows toasted in the oven. Once the Derby was over, we wandered into town for an evening stroll and Franklin of course made friends with a group playing whiffleball in the town park. Another fantastic day from the mountains and tomorrow, we have big afternoon plans. Stay tuned!
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