Farewell for now...

And so we arrived home safely on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm.

That's how the story ended...here are the gaps filled in...

We left Pagosa about 9 on Friday morning.  First, we headed over to the boys condo (a Peregrine unit B-side) to take pictures of it while it was semi-clean.  Then returned a movie, turned in our card keys, washed the winshield, refilled our gallon jugs of water - and then, we were off.

It was a hot drive on a hot day across Southern Colorado - we took Highway 160 over to Walsenburg.  We arrived in Colorado Springs in need of some air conditioning - but were too early to check into the hotel (a new trend we're running into on this trip - no rooms even available until after 3).  We already had a plan B in mind - to go to a movie.  So we hit the Cinemark Imax theater and saw Kung Fu Panda.  Unfortunately - the A/C wasn't that cool in the theater (but the lobby was) - and the movie was OK but nothing to write home about.  But we were thankful for the break from the heat and noise (windows open at 75 mph = loud!)

After the movie - we checked into the Extended Stay Suites hotel.  We cranked the A/C in our room and it was nice.  We stopped in Colo Springs (barely 5 hours on our way home) to rendezvous with Zech Roloff - a cadet at the Air Force Academy there.  We had supper with him and hung around until about 10 PM when we took him back to the base.  

Saturday was our long driving day - so we tried to get out early (about 7:30) and made our way from Colo Spgs (as all the road signs say) to Grand Island, NE.  Another hot and windy trek that ended up at a nice little Rodeway Inn that was very eager to make their guests happy.  Nice little lake out back with a beach and patio.  Very impressive.

Amy and I went out to eat at Red Lobster - and she got to try the winning recipe from "America's Next Food Network Star".  It was unique and pretty tasty.  

We finished the trek on Sunday heading north from Grand Island to Watertown.  We went through Yankton again and got to cross over the dam in a detour as well.  A pretty diversion in the daylight (this time).

And so we bid you farewell for now from vacation-land...back to reality!

Day 8 - Winding down....

View day 8 pictures

It's time. Can't avoid it - our vacation time here is drawing to a close.

Time to start gathering up all our stuff (the downside of such a roomy and homey place is that there's lots of places to put stuff - so it takes a concerted effort to pull it all back together - especially with our limited vehicle room...).

Time to eat all the leftovers and make sure the groceries don't go to waste (or "cash into the trash" as we saw on an infomercial yesterday morning...).

Time to return the golf clubs that we borrowed from a Wyndham employee (nice guy!).

Time to get all the clothes washed and packed (nice to have a washer and dryer in the condo).

Time to take one last photo tour of this unique place (which we did by driving Plumtaw Road - a 12 mile one-lane road - we met one car and 6 ATVs - and no one else).

Time to gas up the van (ouch).

Time to enjoy a brew from the Pagosa Brewery (see the pictures for details).

(FYI - we did not ride the balloon - it was just floating by this morning...)

Day 7 - Missions accomplished

View day 7 pictures

Another relaxed "what do you want to do today" day - ahhh. We've done all of our desired and favorite hikes - so we thought we'd go back and revisit the Piedra River one that we cut short due to hunger on Sunday. We wanted to get to the "footbridge over the Piedra River" that the hiking guide talked about. We gave Ben/Zack/Joe the option to come along - and they opted for snoooooze.

On our way there - we took another shot at the Geocache that we didn't find earlier. Hooray - we found it. Our first geocache. Isaac and I found it just where the clue said it was. (Want to know more - go to http://www.geocaching.com/ and do an advanced search for Pagosa Springs, CO. The cache we found is called "lunch date")

Amy took some spectacular pictures from the cliffs edge while Matt promised not to watch and tell her not to "get back here where it's safe". She spied the trail along that river that we were planning to hike.

With those missions accomplished - we hit the trailhead of the Piedra River hike and made it to the footbridge (built in Alexandria MN) over the river. The "river" is actually several forks of itself that join up in this beautiful mountain meadow. The metal footbridge (suitable for horse and man) spans one of these smaller forks.

This hike was a great combination of up and down, magnificent meadow and craggy cliff, river's edge and hundreds of feet above the river. Shining examples of God's incredible creation were there to see for everyone. Photo ops that didn't appear on the way to the bridge just jumped out at us on the way back.

We took pictures of the ledge Amy was on as she took those initial spectacular panoramic views, too. We tried to use the GPS to tell us how long the trail was - but since we weren't on a road - it just told us the difference between the coordinates (as the crow flies). Some help that is. But the hiking guide says it's 3.5 miles to the footbridge - and we felt every foot of it (except Isaac who led the way and wondered why it took us so long).

When we returned - we picked up our half-gallon of Pagosa Brewing Company root beer. We boiled brats in other Pagosa Brewing Company beer (Honeymoon Ale that we'd bought the day before) and both were delicious.

Wednesday evening was another mission accomplished. Golf in the mountains. We played the Pinon course at the Pagosa Springs Golf Club (they have three 9 hole courses). Ben suggested we play Best Ball to help hurry things along. Good idea - as the 9 holes we did play took us 3 hours!

But it was fun and we got some great pics. The scenery surrounding the course just makes it a very special place to play - even if you don't know how to play.

Sadly - our time here is drawing to a close...a mission we don't really relish accomplishing...

Day 6 - Falls by the wayside

View Day 6 pictures

Today was Piedra Falls day. Piedra Falls is the remotest of our hiking destinations. You head up Piedra Road until the pavement becomes gravel. Then down the gravel until it becomes a dirt road. Then down the dirt road (East Toner Road) until it ends. The 8 miles down East Toner Road takes 20-30 minutes. It's one lane and twists around like crazy. They state very clearly that you SHOULD NOT drive this road when wet.

(FYI - the Day 5 and Day 6 pictures have a little map on the lower left hand side - if you click on the map - we placed some of the pictures on the map where they were taken. The Falls pictures show you where it is, exactly)

On Friday - as we stopped in the Visitor Center - there was a printed email saying that East Toner Road had road construction and was impassable after a certain point (what would you expect with a one-lane road?). They said you could still hike to the falls but had to park before the road construction and detour around it (through the woods). They also said construction was supposed to be finished by June 20th.

We took a chance that it was finished and barreled/inched/carefully negotiated down East Toner Road. No worries - the construction was finished. Though it was obvious what they needed to fix. The road had basically been eliminated for about 50 feet (made its way down the hillside with the spring thaw). So they rebuilt it - pretty neat to see their reconstruction. Felt sturdy to us!

That said - we made it to the trailhead / end of the road just fine. As expected - the water is flowing bountifully. Parts of the trail were a little muddy too - which just added to the excitement. This hike is great - a variety of terrain and obstacles - and such a wonderful reward at the end (the falls).

Piedra Falls is a double falls - with an upper and a lower portion. You have to climb out a bit on rocks to see both falls - but its worth it. There are so many great vantage points for viewing and thing trees/rocks/paths to climb on. We usually spend more time at the falls than getting there (at least hiking there). And there are many great photo opportunities.

Last time we posed some nice pictures on a log below the falls - but this time it was surrounded by flowing water. No worries - there were many other photo spots. The mist kicked up by the increased water flow made some really neat rainbow effects that we noticed and caught on camera. The only downside was that you had to be in the mist to get the picture - so the camera got a little shower (thank goodness it didn't zap us).

Many people of all ages were enjoying this sight today. When we returned to the parking lot (if you can call a sandy rocky space that) there were lots of cars, trucks and otherwise.

There's an area about 1/2 mile before you get to the trailhead where the water comes tumbling down when it rains. Sometimes it washes out and is very rocky. But thankfully they've leveled it out so vehicles with any clearance can make it over it.



After enjoying this hike thoroughly - we headed back to town and stopped at the Pagosa Brewery Co. It's a micro-brewery that was started in 2006. We'd read about their root beer and wanted to get some for lunch with our grilled hamburgers. Sadly - they only serve the rootbeer in-house because they make it in small batches daily. They don't want to get cleaned out all at once. So the boys had root beers in-house - and we put in an order for 32 oz take-out tomorrow. Looking forward to it!

We headed downtown in the evening to smell and touch the "stinky waters" that are the Pagosa Springs. We also did a little souvenier shopping. Found our favorite shirt store had moved farther down the block (again) - but it's still around (Wild Rose Shirt Shop).

Elk Run photo tour

View an Elk Run unit photo tour

We’re staying in Elk Run this time around. I believe the Elk Run units are the second oldest on the property after the Eagles Lofts (which were built originally by Art Linkletter).

The photos bring you in the front door and a mud room area. Then it’s a split level with three levels – upper, middle and lower.
The middle level has a bedroom, bathroom and washer/dryer.
The upper level has a big living area with fireplace (we’re not using it…as it’s 85 degrees out there), dining area, kitchen and very large deck.
The lower level is the master bedroom, walk-in closet and huge bathroom. They just want you to feel like your bathrooms back home are so inadequate with these monster master baths. It’s not fair. Oh – and there is a nice patio out the back, too.

Some quirks too – there are so many light switches and none of them labeled. You always end up guessing which one does what (if you lived here I’m sure you’d get used to it). And the air conditioner is working very well in the master and other bedroom – but hardly making a dent upstairs.

A new feature that they’ve added is wireless internet in each condo now. A very pleasant surprise – and how we’re getting these pictures and blogs out there every day…

Day 5 - Missed it by that much...

View Day 5 pictures

After today - our fifth sojourn to the wondrous place known as Pagosa Springs - one dream remains a dream. Back on Friday - as we crested Wolf Creek Pass our hopes (well - ok - Matt's hopes) were lifted as we actually saw the parking lot of the Continental Divide hike. Oh - the parking lot has always been there but it was either invisible due to mounds of snow or so muddy that we daren’t try it.

This Monday morning we ambled our way to the summit of Wolf Creek Pass. (yay – no funny smells from the engine today!) Our goal - to finally do the Continental Divide hike from the Lobo Overlook. The write-up about the hike said it’s a mile and a half drive to the top of the overlook – and that’s where the Continental Divide hike starts – with 360 degree views of the surrounding San Juan mountains.

Well – we turned into the parking area and started up the road. A sign said “Lobo Overlook – 3 miles”. Hmmm – 3 miles or 1 ½ miles – well – no problem.
Then we saw the “Road Closed” sign. What to do, what to do.

We decided to park it and hike it – hoping that the 1 ½ miles was really what it meant and not 3. We hiked up the road and found several reasons why it was closed. Trees had fallen and blocked the road. Some areas were precariously washed out. And most of all – snowdrifts went from spreading small fingers out onto to the road to “where is the road?”. OK – we get it.

Wolf Creek Pass is already pretty high up there (9,000+ feet) and this hike just goes up from there. Wow – what a terrific workout and view. We were stopped after the 2 mile mark (probably a quarter mile or so) by two things. One – we couldn’t see the road anymore. It was all snow. Two – the sky was darkening and thunder ominously rolled. We just read in USA Today that morning about how all but one of lightning fatalities last year happened outdoors.

So – time to abort the hike - short of the 360 degree views and head back down. There were some pretty spectacular photo ops anyway – where you can definitely see that we’re above the snow line. And the thunderstorm held off – so we walked in sunshine all the way – it was a refreshing 65-70 degrees up at that altitude and sunscreen was a must.

So – the Lobo Overlook remains on our list of “things to do” in Pagosa Springs. Perhaps next time?

We returned to town and definitely felt (literally and figuratively) that we had just done a great workout.

There was supposed to be a mini-golf tournament today but it was called on account of pending thunderstorm. The rain did eventually come and was very welcome – it cooled things down and reduced the fire danger to boot.

We heard a siren go off a couple of times. Not sure what it was. It just started – went through about 4-5 cycles and stopped. Maybe a volunteer fire department or something? The weather didn’t seem to warrant a warning – it wasn’t that bad.

The boys are going to the rec center to lift weights and swim in the pool each evening. Amy and Matt are reading books and doing crossword puzzles. To each their own!

Time to go for a walk and enjoy the post-rainstorm weather.

Day 4 - Ice Caves and other wonders

View our Day 4 pictures.

I was up with the sun - so grabbed some sunrise photos.

It was an unorthodox Sunday for us people who usually spend it in church. We started our day by heading north up Piedra Road with hiking feet at the ready (trying to beat the inevitable heat that's putting this region into Very High fire danger).

We stopped at the Piedra River - and found our favorite "picture rock" under water with the spring and early summer snow melt. The boys skipped and plopped a few rocks (practicing their shot put skills?).

We hit the Piedra River trailhead and went up, up, up on the Ice Cave Ridge hike. The Ice Caves in the name are really large fissures that fill with snow that gets packed into ice over the winter. The snow doesn't melt completely until mid-summer and we saw some dirty snowdrifts at the bottom of some of the fissures. Like every great hike - the reward was the beautiful view from the top of the ridge. And the special bonus that the trip back to the trailhead was all downhill.

And then Matt and Amy decided - hey - we're here - let's do the Piedra River hike which starts at the same trailhead. We've never done this one before - and some whitewater rafters were just getting ready to start down the river. So we followed this great trail along the river - sometimes high above and sometimes near it - a veritable rollercoaster of a trail. Through spectacular rockfalls (which have been there for quite some time - phew), desert-like meadows and towering cliffs - it was great. But our stomachs and empty water bottles were saying it was time to head back.

So we did - with a short stop to try our hand at geocaching - searching for the treasure container that is on our way back. We didn't find it - but our little GPS doesn't take coordinates (latitude and longitude) so even though we had the exact location - we couldn't find it. Sounds like a really fun neat game to play, though.

We hit the grocery store and picked up lunch. Then it was time for church! We read a sermon from Pastor Gabb at Atonement in Texas and joined in the Lord's Prayer.

After church - we treated the unintiated to the wonder that is the Choke Cherry Tree store. Some members of the party spent about 30 minutes sampling all their home-made delights.

Day 3 - Ahhh - treasure that vacation time...

View Day 3 pictures

Ahh - settling into the agenda of not having an agenda.

This morning we headed back down Highway 160 to Treasure Falls. This picturesque wonder of God's creation looks great from every angle.

The picture here is from the parking lot at the base of the falls. The hike takes you within soaking wet distance of the falls. The other pictures tell that story.

This winter was bountiful in its snowpack and the first full day of summer has Treasure Falls drenching the "misty overlook" area. The spray/shower is COLD - as it was snow only a few hours before... It felt wonderful.

The Tres Amigos found the McDonalds for lunch and checked out the details on the golf course. Matt and Amy took the obligatory "visit with the condo people" and procured 2 18-hole passes so the boys could afford to enjoy the unique course that winds through our condos.

Tomorrow on to the Ice Cave Ridge and the Piedra River. We'll try not to fall in to either one...

Day 2 - Into the Mountains

View Day 2 pictures

Breathe deep and smell America

When the air conditioning isn't working - you can't help but breathe deep and let your olfactory sense do what God intended it to.

Alfalfa just mowed, sharp ozone from a thunderstorm, the distinctive differences between cow, chicken, sheep and turkey manure. FYI - Nebraska off the interstate is really fragrant in that respect...

And surprisingly - as we made our way from Denver up into the Rockies then south to Pagosa Springs - the air didn't have any smell at all. Clean and refreshing. Breathe deep, O travelers!

But the van had other ideas. As we labored up steep grades - the engine was producing some funny smells (though we can't figure out exactly what - since the fluids are all in great shape). And going down those same grades let us know that our brakes were working very very hard.

All slept well at the Day's Inn in Denver. Nice and cool and spacious.

We made our way up I-70 and took a recommended route down Colorado 91 - a road called the "Top of the Rockies" drive. Lots of "fourteeners" all around (mountains over 14,000 feet).

A very beautiful change of pace for us flatlanders. As we were driving through the very sparsely populated landscape - reminiscent of desert scrub landscapes seen in movies - someone said let's play the alphabet game. And the alphabet letter has to start the word - not just be anywhere in the word.

Well - the remaining 2 1/2 hours of the drive were taken up by this endeavor. Q for Quality, X for Xpress and Railroad X-ing.

We stopped at one of our favorite pictures spots just after crossing Wolf Creek Pass. It's an outcropping on the top of the valley that offers spectacular views and photo ops galore. Treasure Falls was plainly visible from this spot as the snow is still melting and providing lots of water. (More on Treasure Falls tomorrow).

We stopped to load up on brochures at the Pagosa Springs welcome center - then checked into our condos. The Tres Amigos (Ben, Zack and Joe) dived into their accomodations with gusto and the leftovers (Amy, Isaac and Matt) took welcome respite from the heat in a spacious 2 bedroom condo. We'll get you pictures this week (though it's already too late to get you "neat and tidy" pictures of the Tres Amigos abode...) - we promise.

Tomorrow the hiking begins in earnest - but first - some high altitude rest (about 7900 feet here in Pagosa Springs).

The journey bgins - westward ho!

The pictures that accompany this blog are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/matt.weseloh/PagosaVacation2008_Day1

Our day began at midnight (as truly all days begin) but this was a special day. Because our journey began at the same time. The passengers (Ben, Joe, Zack and Isaac) were buzzing with anticipation - two of them having just been released from their Taco John's shifts shortly before. The copilot (Amy) had been getting everything piled up and ready to pack. The pilot (Matt) had been trying to "pre-sleep" in anticipation of the night driving.

(A word about the unorthodox departure time - the air conditioning on the van was not working - so traveling in the cool parts of the day was the plan. Our destinations have been having unusually warm temps for this time of year.)

So off we went. A new father's day present - a GPS - was a welcome companion when we hit Yankton, SD. There's a very unique over/under one-lane bridge that had recently failed. So our detour took us over top of the dam on the river. The GPS didn't even have a road there - so we were "walking on water".

The passengers watched movies on a portable DVD player and played video games and generally avoided sleep until after 4 am. The driver avoided sleep altogether (phew!).

Daylight crept in as we made our way across the plains of Nebraska. Sunrise fired up the sky at Grand Island, NE. We made in impromptu breakfast stop at a beautiful HyVee store in Grand Island. Largest one we've ever seen.

Finally - sleep overtook the passengers (see photo for proof) and I-80 became our new home. A thunderstorm cleaned the accumulated bugs off the car (and luggage carrier) around North Platte, NE.

Upon entry into Colorado at Julesberg - we got some pictures at the birthplace of the Pony Express. The interstate was closed - so we got an impromptu journey across a landscape that looks less and less like South Dakota more and more.

Back on the interstate - we leisurely picnic lunched at another rest stop. As the temperature rose the van got louder as we opened the windows. So the nice breeze and reduction in volume was a welcome break.

We caught our first hazy glimpse of the mountains just outside of Denver. Our hotel was on the south side of Denver - and the easiest way to get there was to take the interstates that run right through it. We were re-acquainted with the concept of 8 lanes of traffic (and the cars to fill it) that we hadn't enjoyed (!) since Texas.

Our little GPS failed us - as the hotel was new and in a new part of town that didn't yet exist in its tiny mind. It tried to calculate us a route - but couldn't. Time to resort to the old-fashioned way - the map (and a phone call to the hotel). We arrived - but too early to check in - so we went to a brand new shopping mall to enjoy the air-conditioned comfort. We wandered about looking at scads of clothing stores we've never heard of and daren't go into! But Bath and Body Works was having a sale (surprise surprise) and we just HAD to go in. And HAD to buy stuff.

(and we'll HAVE to put it in airtight bags because the pressure change tomorrow - from past experience - will pop those tops and have them oozing all over...)

We checked in shortly after 3 pm and the new day's inn had absolutely gorgeous rooms. After a little chilling out it was time for dinner.

Well - it took us about an hour to find the place. Since our Trusty GPS didn't know where the hotel was (or where it was) it wasn't very helpful in telling us how to get to the restaurant. It was nigh upon rush hour and traffic was very heavy - and we were very hungry.

Then the pilot didn't want to listen to the GPS when it was telling us where to go (and it probably knew what it was doing)...so we basically happened upon the restaurant (after calling them for help). South Yosemite Street in Denver has a life of its own - let me tell you.

O'Shea's Tavern and Grill (http://www.osheastavern.com/) was the destination. If you are ever in Denver - we highly recommend it. See the pictures for proof of the fun and fare we had. An Irish lass was our terribly attentive waitress. We started off with Irish Nachos (home-made potato chips with corned beef, Swiss cheese, cabbage, green onions) and Herb-Crusted Calamari (even the little tentacle-ly ones were super).

Then we ordered all different items so we could taste each other's. It was all magnificent - Shepherd's Pie (with lamb), Mulligan Stew, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Angus burger, Salmon and Fillet Mignon (oh my goodness). We had a Dining Dough certificate that gave us $50 off if we spent over $100. Awesome.

Amy and I had some Irish beer that was superb (and powerful). Can't remember what is was called but it was terrific. Our waitress brought us samples so we could decide which one we wanted.

Finding our way back the hotel was much easier - and we were treated to some spectacular cloud formations (and a pending thunderstorm) on the way back.

Tomorrow - to the mountains!

Vacation info

Hi to both,

It was good to talk to you in person.  Here is a hard  - well email copy of what we talked about.  

First - if we could have you send along an insurance card - or a copy of one and a note that gives us permission to seek medical treatment for your boys - we'd greatly appreciate it.  Thanks so much.  

Second - Clothes wise - it looks like it is going to be summery temps out there - so shorts - tees - maybe one pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.  The condos have washers and dryers. Laundry can and will be done often.  (I run a load almost daily when we go on these vacations - and am bringing along detergent for the boys' condo so they can do it too).  They should also bring a swimming suit as there is a pool as well as a weight room they can use.  I can provide the towels.  

Any shampoos or face-washes that are in bottles - you will want to have in a plastic bag.  We learned the hard way - as you climb the mountains - pressure builds up.  Sort of like flying.  When you first open the bottle - be prepared for a little pop of air (and sometimes a pop of whatever was in the bottle :-) ) 

There is a Wells Fargo in town. So if anyone needs to get cash - there are atms available.   

We do like to go hiking in the woods.  Sturdy shoes(matt wears hiking boots, I wear my sturdy tennies) - and hats.  Matt said he is not sure if this is tick season or not.  We go to see nature and take lots of pictures.  He tries to upload to a web site as much as possible.  He has started a blog today. It tells a little, so far, about what we are thinking about leaving and traveling etc.  Here is the link:

http://weseloh-vacation.blogspot.com/

hopefully you will be able to see what we are doing.   

We have packed bug spray and sunscreen.  

We are bringing sandwich meat, water-bottles, bread, cheese for sandwiches, fruit, carrots.  I usually pick up some pretzles and one kind of crackers or chips.  If the boys want anything else to eat or drink snack in the car - they are welcome to bring it.  We eat at rest areas during the day and Matt usually picks the restaurant in Denver for our supper. (Same for on the way home.   At the condo we usually have one big meal a day and sandwiches for the other.  Depends on what we are doing that day.  If you have any other questions - just call or email me.  I'll be checking often the next couple of days.  

Our Sprint plan for cell phones is supposed to have nation wide coverage.  Of course some times we may be in a no tower spot - but since 5 out of 6 of us in the car will have cell phones - we should be covered.  :-)  

I'll call tomorrow to be sure - but I believe the condos have DVD players or at the very least they had vcr's when we were there last in 2006 and were going to be upgrading to dvd players.  They do have activities onsite that change monthly.  Some are free and some have a low fee and some cost more.  We'll get more about that when we get there.  Or I can call and get that if the boys want to know ahead of time.  

We are looking forward to a fun vacation.  Thanks for letting the boys come along!

vehicular update from Matt

As of this writing - our van doesn't have working air conditioning...

So a thought is to possibly leave Wednesday night after the Taco John boys finish their shifts...

So we travel in the night and cool hours of the day...

Amy and Matt are pondering the wisdom of this thing...

Vacation Itinerary

Info from Google Map for this trip

Matt Cell: 605-520-5931 
Amy Cell: 605-520-5932

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Travel from Watertown to Denver, CO

6/19 - Days Inn, Englewood, CO 

9719 E. Geddes Ave.
Englewood, CO 80112
(303) 768-9400

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Travel from Denver, CO to Pagosa Springs, CO
6/20-6/26 - Fairfield/Wyndham - Pagosa Springs, CO

 42 Pinion Csway
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
(970) 731-4123

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Travel from Pagosa Springs, CO to Colorado Springs, CO
6/27 - Extended Stay America, Colo Springs, CO 

5855 Corporate Dr
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
(719) 266-4206

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Travel from Colorado Springs, CO to Grand Island, NE
6/28 - Rodeway Inn, Grand Island, NE

3205 S. Locust St.
Grand Island, NE 68801
(308) 384-1333

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6/29 - Travel from Grand Island, NE to Watertown, SD