Holy Hail!!!- An Independence Day Trip Report

[HouCuseChickie]

Sorry...we were out of town again for more softball. No fun trip report kind of stuff with that, but we did get to spend 4 days watching games in 103-105 degree temps. The most excitement was when a large dust devil crossed the field. Thankfully, nobody was hurt by the canopies, but that one that flew across the field was too close to Sam for comfort.



Back to Colorado...

I did take a number of videos and pictures on our drive out of the park, but I just didn't take as much as I normally do. It's this bizarre mix of feeling like we'd just been here (since it had only been a year) and feeling like I'm going to miss it as soon as I'm gone. So, I'd take a little and then stop...and then feel bad and take some more...and so on. It was a relatively uneventful drive out of this part of the park, so I'm just going to break it down into videos, camera pics, and phone pics.

First up...videos:
(hopefully, we don't sound too ridiculous in the background)

 

[Swissmiss]

I love your TRs - you always take so many awesome pictures and add really informative commentary that I almost feel like I am experiencing it myself. Thanks so much - because I know this takes an amazing amount of time to do!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I love your TRs - you always take so many awesome pictures and add really informative commentary that I almost feel like I am experiencing it myself. Thanks so much - because I know this takes an amazing amount of time to do!

Thank you! While it's a bit of work to put the reports together, it really does help ease me out of those post trip blues.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

These are some of the camera pics as we were exiting the park. It'll probably take several posts, but it's usually nice to see pictures anyway. I guess I should also be grateful that we all are good with making this drive. I'm still amazed at the number of people who are scared off by Trail Ridge Rd. I wish I could have packed some of her team families in my vehicle so we could bring them up, but the results probably would have been the same. If they were scared in their own vehicle (driver or passenger), they'd probably be scared in mine as well. At least there were tons of elk out on the drive down. So…here are a bunch of camera pics!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

 

[HouCuseChickie]

 

[HouCuseChickie]

 

[HouCuseChickie]

As I go through my phone pics, a lot of it feels a bit redundant. Still, I think I was doing it for wider angles without having to swap out lenses on the camera.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

So, I think that’s it for park pics. We weren’t completely finished with the park, but I took the wheel and nobody else seems to take pics for me any more. Well, unless there’s a lot of begging and pleading mixed in with people getting confused. That’ll come later!

 

[MinnieM123]

I love the photos of the snow at the upper altitudes. Cools me down a bit, just looking at it! (It's hot and humid here, and I can't wait for summer to get over with.)

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I love the photos of the snow at the upper altitudes. Cools me down a bit, just looking at it! (It's hot and humid here, and I can't wait for summer to get over with.)

Me too! It's super humid in the mornings and evenings, but heats up like a furnace during the day. I'm at a point where I'd be fine with low to mid 90s, if we could just see some rain. The snow pics do help the mind think cool!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

When we got back to Estes Park, I was given a route option we’d never taken before. It’s probably because our first visit kept us in Estes Park and our second visit was back and forth from Loveland. This trip, we were Boulder area, so the options were different.

The route took us past the park entrance to the Longs Peak trailhead, among other park hiking spots. At the very least, it was interesting to see parts of the park outside of the main entrance points. The road we were on eventually joined up with the Peak to Peak highway (a scenic byway). It was lovely… until my NAV had me turn onto a dirt/gravel road. It had me pretty uneasy at first, but we then passed some camps as well as another car. Signs of life! The relatively normal looking sedan style vehicle also signaled that the road shouldn't get any worse...like the gravel road I was routed onto in Glacier. The road eventually was paved after several miles, which made for a much smoother ride. We went through the tiny mountain town of Jamestown before getting into a downhill section full of super tight twists and turns. I even saw marmots along the way, but I was in no position to stop for pics. We knew we were close to Boulder when we saw a bunch of mega homes nestled into all of the nooks and crannies of the foothills.

It was around rush hour and the high traffic parts of Boulder all seem to be filled with traffic lights. Normally I’d be totally annoyed, but I was happy to be on a better road. As we approached our hotel, Sam asked if there were any other Drury’s. One of her social media apps was showing a teammate at our hotel. We didn’t know anyone else had booked the same place, so that was a fun surprise. Most of the team clustered up in VRBOs. We were offered a spot in one, but the food and drink covered by Drury made the hotel a better deal. I still presented Sam with the option, since it's always a lot of fun to stay with people on the team, but she wanted the hotel. Several of those people who rented homes also had air conditioning issues. We had a couple of warmer days during our stay (including a couple in the 90s), so it was definitely not the time to be in the Denver area without decent air conditioning. The home we were invited to stay in only had swamp coolers and the new owner offering the rental didn't even know how to use them. They managed to get one working, while the other leaked into various parts of the house throughout their stay.

Sam saw her teammate pretty much right after we walked in, so now she had a friend. David and I went in to get some cocktails and food while K went to work on her soil project for environmental science class. I love that she took these great classes, but lab related projects on the road aren't easy. We told her she couldn't take dirt from the national park, so she was left to dig with a cup on the undeveloped areas around the hotel not tied to the nature trail. Of course, this also meant giving up the container I brought for snacks at the field for her project...on the condition that she clean it when this was over (that turns into a mess in several days). Tonight for dinner...meatballs, mashed red potatoes, and steamed veggies. I also had several bloody mary's during the kickback time.



Kendall was all out of sorts when she came in from collecting dirt, but did inform me that there was a prairie dog town along the side of the hotel. So naturally, I had to go check out the prairie dogs. She also said that there was some massive trail connecting everything, which I recalled seeing from the room.









We went up to the room afterwards and upon further inspection, I could see that there was quite a bit that could be walked out there and the prairie dog town extended a decent distance in the area. I also noticed that there was quite a bit of bike traffic.





So, I went back down to check it out. It took me a little bit to figure out how to get where I wanted to go and I wound up taking the long way around the hotel.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Still, it was such a pretty spot. It wasn't until I got down there that I realized that there was a small stream running between the properties and feeding this little area.















I was also treated to an amazing sunset. Things had been relatively clear for us, but there were some spots that had nasty afternoon storms. In fact, it was the first of several times hail would come up as a concern during the trip. I guess at least a little bit of weather can make for pretty skies.











We did take a quick trip out to scope out the field locations. We were at least super close (another reason for the hotel), so it would be an easy drive in the morning. There was also evidence that we'd be seeing a number of prairie dogs along the way. I know they're novel to us, but I would have to think that they can become pests for residents.

Oh well, it was time for bed. We had an 8am game, which means being at the fields no later than 7am. There were also tons of other softball players staying at this hotel, so we'd need some extra time to make sure everyone was fed before a morning of ball. Again...at least we didn't have far to drive!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Chapter 2: June 27th- The Shortest Chapter in the History of Trip Reports!

I woke up feeling wheezy and stuffy again. I still hadn't made any connection and was still thinking it was a blend of exhaustion and getting sick. We all pulled ourselves together and went downstairs for breakfast. At least there were no burned out vehicles in the parking lot today. This was parked right near me the previous day. It wasn't there the night before, but must have happened overnight. At least nothing happened to the other vehicles in the lot. With all of the construction and workers all over the hotel, the lot was kind of crazy during our stay.



Then it was off to the fields for a couple of games. On tap today...a team from New Jersey and one from California. I have no idea why I even took this, but I know it's before the games because those white pants look clean!



While it's a different uniform, this should give you some perspective on the laundry challenges I face with this kid. Hey, at least she plays hard! It's tough enough at home, but this trip, I'd be attempting to clean her whites with a hotel laundry room. I'd later learn that there would be more challenges with this than anticipated, but we're a few days from that.



We grabbed some late lunch after the games, cleaned up, and then rested for a bit. We were having a team building dinner at one of the rental houses (with four of the team's families- full team in attendance). We have one family that lives in Louisiana and they were treating us to a huge pot of crawfish for dinner. I can't remember if it was etouffee or gumbo, but we just had to bring sides, snacks and drinks. We brought some loaves of French bread, a veggie tray, and these amazing cream puffs.



This happened to be the other rental house with A/C issues. They'd gotten it fixed, but it was still uncomfortably hot inside. We lasted for longer than I expected (probably because the kids were having a blast). I eventually convinced everyone to go (lots of people were leaving at this point) and we headed back to decent A/C. I felt bad that they were all roasting, but after the long drive in traffic to get to this house, I also felt bad for how long their travel time was to the fields. It's tough though. I believe Taylor Swift was playing the area and hotels were at a premium. We got lucky with our pricing.

At least we had later games the next day, so I had a few drinks back at the room before going to sleep. It's not like I ever really sleep in and it's even more challenging in CO with those early sunrises, but still a nice relaxing night.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Chapter 3: June 28th- Who needs ballin' when you've got books!?!?!?

Today's games were late afternoon/early evening, so we had a good chunk of the day to do stuff. That being said, you never want to take any risks of getting stuck and being late, so you have to plan modestly.

I really wasn't feeling up to breakfast, but ate a little. I will say that while this hotel wasn't perfect, there were a couple of regulars on the food service staff who were incredibly sweet and provided super service. One wanted to know why I wasn't eating much today and if there was anything they could do. It became one of the highlights of our mornings. Surprisingly, it also wasn't all out madness with all of the other teams in the mix and the number of states represented at our daily breakfast.

This morning/early afternoon's plans were bat testing. I know...it sounds like the most riveting activity on the planet. It's really serious business though. Sam is about to move up in bat size and we wanted to make sure she has the best bat for her. With the price tag on these things and the no-return policies, it's critical to find places to test. We started out at a certain sporting goods chain (begins with a D) that will get flagged as profane if I try and type in the name. They had a 20% off coupon tied to the tournaments, so it would be worth it if Sam found something she liked. They have a cage where you can test bats by hitting foam balls off of a tee and it'll measure things like estimated distance with each hit. The store had just opened, so it was absolutely dead in there. Unfortunately, they were pretty picked over and only had two bats Sam could test. While we waited, K and I played with little kid gloves. Notice how her hand still fits into these tiny things!





While we had a super helpful sales guy, neither bat was right for Sam. For the life of me, I cannot recall why we ventured out into the mall, but we did. It's always a bit creepy to me to be in a mall when it's quiet like this. We wound up in the food court area though and got to see everyone starting to prep for the lunch crowd. Ultimately, these two just decided to play while I marveled at a "new to me" style of vending machine.





We had lots of time left, so we decided to drive north to the Loveland/Johnstown area to visit Scheel's.



Yes, the same one that was right next to last year's CO softball tournament lodging.



We would not be riding the ferris wheel this year!



Scheel's bat testing experience is far superior to what you get at D's. Yeah, it was a bit of a drive, but totally worth it. I didn't take a pic of D's for comparison, but at D's you can hit foams with whatever they have in stock. At Scheel's, they have this huge room of everything they sell in every size PLUS you can hit with real balls. It makes a massive difference. The guy helping us was great and so patient. When all was said and done, I think Sam tested 10 different bats, a few different weights, and he even had her swing a heavy practice bat in the mix to help her reset a bit and get a true feel of certain ones. I really wish they'd open a Houston area location. We tried a new D's House of Sport after we got home and it was really no different than a regular D's. Heck, their new "House of Cleats" in the store only had a limited selection. Sam's faves were redesigned and I was hoping to try the new ones...but again...outside of Scheel's, nobody seems to stock these things in store. So, trial and error anticipated in the future.



The final result of bat testing...Sam wants to stick with her current make and model, but in a larger size. I guess at least she now knows a good back up option if those sell out before we're ready to buy. Our wallets are also a bit happier, because her favorite bat (as well as the backup plan) is about $100-150 cheaper than the others in the mix and it's known to be far more durable. Long side story, but a few of the hottest bats crack really easily.

We said hi to all of the fish on the way out.



Before leaving Loveland, we took a drive through the sculpture garden and down by the lake. No pics, but it made me want to just stay there and never come back. LOL! We did make our way back to the Broomfield area and grabbed a snack at a local Wendy's. I still wasn't feeling great, so I just got a kiddie meal...and K stole my toy!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We headed over to the fields for warm up. Parking was interesting over there, which made our challenges different for each day of play…at least when we were at this complex. There was one section you had to drive through to get to certain fields that was prime foul ball territory. We all know not to park in foul territory, but being forced to drive through it during live games is like playing Frogger! Thankfully, I never got hit, but we saw a few people that got dinged. The other issue was spaces...they were limited. Thankfully, there were adjacent lots for the pool/waterpark, city hall, and the library that were also available. We got a decent spot today, without having to encroach on the adjacent skate park, but there would be other days where we wouldn't be so lucky.

While day 1 of play went well, day 2 - not so much. It was a mix of poor officiating and us being flat at times. Sam also didn't play as much this day, so it's not as fun to watch when your kid isn't in the mix. These were all pool games, so everyone gets shuffled around a bit more to give all of the girls some time. In light of this, I decided to indulge Kendall a bit. K has now been volunteering at a local library for over a year and has a great love of libraries. The nearby library caught her attention, so we decided to go check it out. I had a feeling it might be an above average public library as it was the "Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library."

Upon entering the building, we were greeted by a large fossil slab full of dinosaur tracks.





I would be lying if I didn't say that I was happy to visit so that I could use a clean and air conditioned bathroom. The one in this area was single person. So, I took some pics of the art while I waited on Kendall (who was also enjoying AC potty benefits). I just love mosaic work!





It was after hours, but neat to see that they also have an extension of the Colorado State library system.



We ventured upstairs to take a deeper look at what was on their shelves. We found seating areas with nice views of the mountains, reading spots with stone fireplaces, and K found The Beatles! OK, really just Paul pictured, but he's a Beatle!





If you happened to read my December 2018 trip report (Vegas/Death Valley/Grand Canyon), you might remember that I took the family to see Love. It's the Beatles themed Cirque du Soliel show. Kendall fell in love with the Beatles after that and they are her everything in the music world. I have a fun little thing to share later in the report that will tie back to this.

While Kendall was exploring everything Beatles they had to offer, I was checking out the pieces on display from Mamie Eisenhower’s estate. I know it's mostly books, but I've been obsessed with china and love seeing plates! It wasn't at the library, but the Eisenhower china pattern is fabulous!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

They also had some interesting WWII objects on display.





On our way out, we checked out the hydroponic lettuce.



If only my little home version had been as successful. Oh well, it was time to head out to check out the pond area and the 9/11 Memorial.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

There were a bunch of geese in several different spots, and they can get kind of nasty. So we tried to keep our distance.





K also made friends with one of the sculptures





As you can also see, the skies suggest rain is on the way. The previous night, I had mentioned we’d be having cooler temps after this day, but coach noted that rain was coming with it. Rain at home often means getting rained out, so all of this was being viewed as both a blessing and a curse…at least at this point.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We next stopped to view the park's 9/11 Memorial. I've noticed that Colorado is one of the states with such memorials in a number of their public parks. While I've seen pictures, this is our first time where we've had the opportunity to stop and explore one of these memorials. It's so touching to see all of the artistic emotion poured into such a somber display. It was also a good chance to answer questions from Kendall, as she obviously was born several years later and sometimes hears things about the day/time that aren't quite right.

 

[cgersic]

Oh I'm so glad I found this!! So nice to see another report from you and it's always a heart smile to see photos (and videos) of home My sister is out there now and up in Estes today, I'm so jealous! Trail Ridge Road was always a hard one for me - even as a toddler, it would make me sick. The car ride alone was bad, but then add in not being able to breathe up there, I would always be laid out in the back seat with the doors opened when we hit the Alpine Center and parked. Everyone else would be walking and taking pictures, and I'd be in the car doing my best to not throw up. I couldn't watch your vides of up there as it made me queasy even seeing it in a video. Brilliant that you got to see a moose and with a baby to boot!