Friends, Gondolas, Caves, Swings, Slides, and Hail Storms

Day 42, Colorado Springs, CO, miles 7867, states 15,

Driving in to Colorado on HIghway 70

Wow, seems like it's been non-stop action since our last post.  I will apologize up front for what will be the longest post on our blog to date.



From left to right (more or less) Barb's kids Taylor and Alex (our Alex behind), Tammy (with twin #1 Samantha below), Barbara (with George behind and twin #2 Hannah below), Tessa, Andi, Natalie, Kirk



Glenwood Springs, CO

After our brief resupply stop in Grand Junction, we once again met up with Tammy and her twin girls in Glenwood Springs, CO.  Tammy had just driven down from Breckenridge with her friend Barbara, and Barbara's two kids, Taylor (14) and Alex (12).  Together we formed a good-sized mob of 12 people.  We met everyone at the hot springs, where Tammy and Barb's kids were having a blast.  Then we all had dinner at a local brew pub.  The food was good enough that we wound up going back the next night.  Natalie especially loved the root beer floats with root beer made at the pub.  It was nice to spend an evening socializing with some other families again.  We found a pretty good little RV park on the side of the mountain just south of town.  The nice dinner with everyone had kept us out later than usual, but I managed to snake the RV up the winding road at night and find our spot on the side of the hill, and we called it a night.

Natalie prepares for another gondola ride up a mountain

Tammy and Barb had our next day planned for us at the Adventureland Park on the mountainside overlooking Glenwood Springs and the Colorado River.   This is a beautiful amusement park that includes a cave tour, a mountain roller coaster, zip line, and many other activities--including an amazingly thrilling giant swing ride (more on that later).  Transportation from the parking lot in the valley up to the rides is provided by a gondola lift.  We had seen the gondola cars gliding along the slender cable up the side of the mountain when we were exploring the town.  Natalie was not too pleased when she found out we would have to ride them to the park.

After having breakfast in the RV, we drove to the park and found a spot in the parking lot for our RV.  We bought our tickets and climbed in the gondola for the ride up the mountain.  Natalie did fine on the way up.  Going down later was tougher for her.

Thanks to lots of coaching from Barb (and a little peer pressure from Tammy and Barb's kids) our kids actually tried most of the rides and had tons of fun.  vonHilsheimer kids are not known for their love of scary amusement park rides.  I'd like to blame this on Natalie's "chicken" gene, but Tessa has always been just as big a chicken about rides even without any of Natalie's DNA.  Maybe they got it from me, because after seeing the giant swing flinging riders out over the 2,000 drop to the valley, I had no interest in trying it out myself.  Even after jumping out of airplanes, repelling from cliffs, flying helicopters and getting bombed and shot at, I was put to shame by a couple of ten year old girls who hopped on this monster without a thought.  The swing consisted of a basket attached to the bottom of an 80-ft arm that swung the riders up, out and over the cliff looking down into the valley.  At the top, the arm went nearly vertical, then plummeted back down, hurtling the riders in the basket toward the valley at free fall speed.

Andi and Tessa on zip line

Kirk and Hannah head out on roller coaster

Unlike the vonHilsheimer's, Barb and her kids have huge appetites for thrilling rides, and they eagerly jumped on everything--including the menacing swing machine.   Tammy and the twins also eagerly tried just about everything (although even Tammy wasn't up for the swing).  Barb was so enthusiastic that she got Tessa and our Alex to try a 70-foot bungee jump, and after a full-day of persuassion she even got Alex on the dreaded swing.  Kirk tried the mountain roller coaster, but wasn't going for the swing unless there was a serious bribe involved (truly he is  his mother's child).  Andi did the roller coaster and the zip line.  We were proud of everyone, and glad they had fun.  I was very impressed with Tessa for overcoming her fear of heights and with Alex for facing the Swing of Death.    Before leaving the mountain, we also did the tour of the cave, which, thanks in-part to an awesome young tour guide, was very interesting and fun.

Tessa on bungee line

Alex on "Swing of Doom"

Andi climbs the rock wall

Nat and Tammy in the cave

We had so much fun with Tammy and Barb and the kids that we decided to spend another day together.  After leaving the amusement park, we convoyed to Breckenridge, where Barb has a condo at a resort.  The drive along I-70 following the Colorado river was spectacular, but we only had light for the first third of the way.  Barb got us a parking spot for the RV at the resort, and we enjoyed a hot shower at her place before turning in.

Andi had been dying to go to a water park during our trip, and she had researched a couple along the route.  We finally relented and agreed to take her to "Waterworld" near Denver, which is advertised to be the largest waterpark in the country.  After getting some laundry done at the condo (thank you, Barb!), we loaded all of the kids (and I do mean ALL of the kids) in the RV and headed out for Denver.  Tammy and Barb (minus any kids) followed in their rental car.  The drive leaving Breckenridge was once again stunning, but as we got closer to Denver, some ominous clouds began rolling in.  The hills on I-70 were pretty steep, and the RV was straining to pull all of us plus our extra passengers and full tank of gas over them.  On the down side of the hills, I had to downshift to avoid burning up the brakes.  We even passed a big rig who had pulled to the side with smoking brakes.  Then it started raining.  Then it started raining hard.  Then big chunks of ice started falling out of the sky and Andi started screaming.  Boy, there is nothing so fun as driving through the mountains in a hail storm in an RV with eight kids, a nervous wife, and two whimpering dogs.  I was ready to head back to the Swing of Doom.

Kids at "Waterworld" in Denver

Andi and Dad at end of slide

Fortunately, the sky over Denver was blue (at least for the time being), and we were able to find a spot for the RV at the waterpark.  After being put to shame by Tammy and Barb as an amusement park parent, I was determined to show some enthusiasm and go on all of the rides with the kids at the giant water park.  So off I went with Andi and Tessa.  Barb came along (to make sure that we would try all of the biggest slides, no doubt).  But we only made it on a couple of things before the storm we had encountered in the mountains caught up with us.  The dark clouds, thunder and lightning rolled in, and the staff cleared out all of the pools.  We waited for an hour or so for the park to reopen, but the weather did not cooperate, and the park was closed for the day.  It was too bad because it really was a nice waterpark, and Andi had been so excited to go.

Making it out of the parking lot in the RV during the mass exodus in the storm was another adventure in itself.  But we weren't leaving Denver without stopping at the Hard Rock Cafe to let Alex get another t-shirt for his collection.  His rule is that he has to personally go to the restaurant and buy the shirt for it to be a "valid" addition to his collection.  The storm subsided to a light rain and, amazingly, we were able to find a spot to park the RV in downtown Denver only two blocks from the Hard Rock.  Tammy and Barb arrived ahead of us and got us a table at a better restaurant (thank you, Tammy!), so after collecting Alex's t-shirt, we were able to enjoy a nice dinner with the whole mob. 

"The Gang of Friends" in Denver

Alex heads to the Hard Rock for another t-shirt

We bid farewell to Barb and her kids after dinner (we have more adventures planned with Tammy and the twins), and parted ways.  Barb and Tammy and their kids headed back to Breckenridge, and we drove the RV down to Colorado Springs where we will spend three days camped at the military RV park on the grounds of the Air Force Academy.  Tammy and the twins will meet us here today, and we are planning on doing some white water rafting tomorrow.