And then we went to Carlsbad

After driving ALL night, he sauntered into the lovely little town of Carlsbad, NM. I imagine the majority of people in Carlsbad work in oil, somehow and most do not live there. Perhaps you can imagine my surprise when I see this on the sign of our hotel. I am sad to say, we missed the Hip Hop in the lounge.

 After failing to check into our hotel, we headed out for breakfast. We found a lovely little diner, and sent Jeff in to check it out while I changed the kids out of their pajamas (in the parking lot.) Jeff came back to the car and announced, "We're leaving."

Now, I wish I had written down more, I can't even remember the name of the place. And when I looked on google, I couldn't find anything that even sounded right.

I think Jeff's reason for leaving went something like this, "There is no cash register, no menus. Just 6 guys, with guns, sitting at a table."

The diner down the street seemed to actually be serving food, so that worked out better for us anyway. Plus we got to meet the nice 'cowboy' (Zoe was calling anyone with a hat a cowboy. And that was everyone in the restaurant) who told the the furthest he had ever been was San Antone. I've never felt more like a city slicker.

Off to Carlsbad Caverns we went! If you're wondering, it's VERY cool.

We bought the ultra cool headlamp hats. 

If you look close, you can see Zoe has had yet another bloody nose.

Zoe made her  beloved bat mask. 

It was lost and never to be found mere hours after this photo.

I had to wear a mask too. Such a good look for me.

Here is Jeff completing Robert's Junior Ranger workbook for him. 

Here is Robert and I hiking out of the caverns. We decided waiting for the elevator was BORING. We could walk up that little ol' hill out. I slightly underestimated.

 Robert after the hike.

 There we are hiking back down the next day (much easier.) 

AND we're being filmed. Look for us on some nerdy documentary somewhere!

 Wearing the hats eating pizza for dinner...

 We wear the hats for breakfast.

 We eat pizza for breakfast too. Keep an eye on this pizza. 

I believe this is Friday morning. The pizza was still being eaten, in the car, on Sunday.

Then we went to the drag races

Where we did really awesome kid things like ride chain link swings...

 And eat overpriced cotton candy

Watch really fast cars

And dance. I'm sorry Robert, but I had to put it up here.

This is going to take me forever

But now I can't stop... More photos from the memorable Colorado trip-

In Glenwood Springs, the kids learned to 'blow the conch.' I'm sure all of Glenwood was glad to see us go.

 Then we had some boring photos of Jeff playing golf...

Another makeover by Zoe. Doesn't Aunt Julie look just like a princess?!

Zoe's first car... a classic Corvette. Thanks Uncle Wendell for setting the standards high. Someone better start a car fund for this girl.

Panning for gold. Otherwise known as, playing in the dirty water.

And playing with rusty old equipment. I mean, appreciating classic pieces of historical mining gear.

Jeff sings the blues in jail.

I think she's having fun.

It's a giant buffalo (I think) of course we stopped to touch it.

Zoe strolls downtown Golden with a My Little Pony and a Rapunzel doll shoved down her shirt.

Robert insists on a photo with the famous chicken truck of White Fence Farm (this was Robert's idea, not mine.)

While everyone sleeps, Zoe and I take our balloons for a walk to Burger King. In our pajamas. Because we're classy like that.

Colorado trip, continued...

I realized as I was thinking of our upcoming road trip, that I hadn't finished the last road trip (perhaps I blocked it from my memory.) For the sake of complete reporting, I will continue on-

Day 4-
Zoe does beauty kit with black eyeliner. What a sense of style that one has.

Ah, look. A stop at Camp Gunnison. The kids aren't fighting, and they're both almost looking at the camera!

 

Touring through the Black Canyon of Gunnison. I think the Acura fits right in with the Jeep brigade don't you? 

Robert takes my picture. Proof that I am actually on this vacation.

Robert takes a picture of our new Jeep friends

Hooray! We made it to the gas station before running out of gas! Of course we'll be taking pictures on that old crusty dinosaur with a bandana and American flag lights on it!

Pitstop #12 of the day. Jeff looks thrilled doesn't he?

Beautiful views? Eh, mom this dirt looks pretty interesting...

Colorado Trip Day 3

12:01am.  Zoe hits me and screams, "No, mommy! No nail polish!" This is when I realized that Zoe not only talks ALL DAY LONG, she also talks ALL NIGHT LONG. And I get to sleep with her for the rest of the trip :)

2:00am. Zoe's third bloody nose.

7:45am. We head down to the bar (a real, beer on tap, full selection of whiskey, pool tables and all bar) for our free breakfast.

8:00am.  Zoe discovers the hardboiled eggs and insists she have one. I peel the egg while Zoe excitedly exclaims, "I hope it's a dinosaur egg!" She was disappointed.

8:30am.  Swim the in the mineral water and dip in the hot tub while Jeff packs and repacks the car. AGAIN.

9:15am.  Zoe works on her 'beauty kit' before we hit the road again.

9:17am. Robert attempts to eat as many Fruit Loops from a styrofoam cup as he can before we leave. Then spills them on the floor while bouncing from bed to bed. Then crushes a few, just to make sure he left his mark.

9:30am. Jeff leaves an extra tip for housekeeping after seeing the hotel room post-Hoke children.

11:02am  On the wrong road. AGAIN.

11:20am.  As we drive through amazing scenery, "Would you like to live here Robert?"
Robert answers, "No"
"Where would you want to live?"
"Nowhere but Texas."
It appears that he's been converted.
  
11:30am. Found the @#$% atlas.

1:00pm. Passed a young blonde girl at the gas station on her cell phone. Her tire was nearly driving on the rim. When Jeff mentioned it, she was truly surprised. I momentarily felt sorry for blondes everywhere.

3:30pm.  Checked into the next hotel room. Robert squeals in delight, "Oh man! This is a NICE hotel room! Double lamps!"

Colorado Road Trip, Day 2

7am. First roadside pee break for Zoe. This was 15 minutes after leaving breakfast, and 5 minutes before the next rest area. But at least we made it 10 hours in the car before having to pee on the side of a highway. That's something right?

8am. Robert starts insisting that we drive ALL THE WAY to Colorado before stopping again.

2pm. Set up camp at Abiquiu Lake, New Mexico. Views from campsite are amazing, but stakes for tent are not so amazing. Jeff and Robert position large rocks over stakes, as well as inside tent corners.

2:30pm. Take exceptionally road-trip cranky kids for a swim in the exceptionally cold lake.



3pm. Hmmm... Does that look like rain?

3:02pm. Are those clouds black?! Do you see the dust rolling like a tornado?!

3:11pm. Tent blows over into a tree, upside down, despite the 150 lbs of gear and rocks inside.

3:31pm. Robert runs excitedly around our trashed tent, singing the Darth Vadar theme song... which for once is strangely appropriate.

3:45pm. Begin bribing kids with chocolate and cookies to get them back in the car instead of eating dirt at the campground.

4pm. Pack up the car, and begin heading north toward Colorado. Again. Also fulfilling Robert's one wish of the day- to get to Colorado.

4:59pm. On the phone with a hotel for the night, now that we've lugged camping gear across 3 states.

5pm. Zoe's first nosebleed. She is now wearing only a Princess Leia tee-shirt and underwear, and is covered in campground dirt, cookie crumbs, chocolate and blood.

5:11pm. Zoe's second nosebleed. She then cries, "I want to go home!"

5:15pm.  Enter Colorado. Kids start cheering. I attempt to get the cheers on video. Here's what I get instead

6pm.  I sneak a dirty, covered in chocolate and blood Zoe in through the side door of the hotel and straight into a bath. Although I'm not sure the girl at the front with dreads and a the Kermit the Frog tee would have minded.

6:15pm. Zoe starts singing, "I feel better! So much better!" while Robert bounces back and forth between the two beds.

6:20pm.  Robert says (of the mediocre, aging hotel,) "This department is REALLY nice."