03 September, 2018

Two Weeks Full Of Firsts!

A few weeks ago we were on the road, for a few weeks. Mr. Goodneedle was making a presentation to at our National Church body's annual Convocation, which happened to be held in Denver this year; we decided to take in the sights and pack in some activities along the way, there's always time for yet another road trip! We took the l-o-n-g way from NC to CO. and began our westward drive along the gulf coast with the car headed in the direction to San Antonio, eating some amazing seafood along the way!  I had never been to San Antonio before and loved every minute of strolling along the River Walk. Since today is Labor Day and the un-official "end of summer" I am offering this post as a summer wrap-up from me. C'mon along in this super-condensed photo journal of "How I Spent My Summer Vacation"-- crossing items, one by one, off of my bucket list.
The Alamo-- another first and an historical site to remember.  
We spent the next day driving across Texas. Oh, yes; all day.
We broke up the monotony with lunch at Whataburger. Another first.
One of their slogans: "Hours of operation: all of them." 
Finally, the scenery began to change by nightfall. 
We cut off the corner of New Mexico and entered Colorado. 
Speaking of scenery changes: who expects this so far away from the coast? 
Yes, the Great Sand Dunes are all that and more. Hiking to the tops of the dunes is a workout!
We rented boards to ride down, I felt much more confident riding on my widest part.
It really was fun-- the hiking back up was the hardest part of all.
Mr. Goodneedle was much more adventurous and truly showed off a great sense of balance!
Even after all these years, he continues to amaze me; he rode all the way down without wiping out.
The next morning we were off bright and early to the Royal Gorge. 
The bridge spanning  is spectacular; open to pedestrian traffic, 
we walked across before the Royal Gorge park was open for the day.
Each state is represented on the bridge, ours was in need of refastening. 
 Not content to merely stroll across, Mr. Goodneedle found his place to zip-line across the gorge!
I may have accomplished a lot of firsts, but chose to keep my feet on the ground for this one; he loved it!
The next day we went white-water rafting out of Buena Vista on the Arkansas River. This is the only photo that I have of that day; we left our phones and cameras behind where it was dry. Suffice it to say, it was a fabulous experience! We joined up with church friends from back home at this point, and for the next few days, they were also attending the same Convocation, as delegates. Our guide on the river expedition was great, and we all stayed in the raft; but none of us remained dry!
This is truly a first; a big one for me! Although I think horses are beautiful, they have always struck fear in me. I cannot tell you why. So, agreeing to go riding, for me, was truly a conquer-your-fear-by-digging-deep-(really DEEP)-moment! I don't know at what point on the trail ride that I began breathing again, but it did happen. We rode out of a stable in Estes Park into the Rocky Mountain National Park. The weather was perfect and the horse (mine was named "Last Call") proved trustworthy. 

When I choose to recall a memory of a perfect day, this may just be the one. I have changed my tune about horses; I can no longer use the excuse that I think they've outlived their usefulness. Oh, no! 
 From the Rocky Mountain National Park we traveled with our friends up to Greeley for a tour of his brother's farm there. We had a wonderful time being escorted over all the acreage and learning about his Holsteins.
I could appreciate the farm from an entirely different vantage point while sitting up in one of these!
The Convocation-- Mr. Goodneedle on stage making his presentation. What a week we had. At this point we bid our friends from North Carolina good-bye and headed out for our final week of firsts.
To be continued...
Life is Good!

 

5 comments:

Quiltdivajulie said...

LOVE the downward trips on the dunes!!! What an adventure . . .

cityquilter grace said...

wonderful photos...anxious to see the rest!

LizA. said...

What a great adventure. Can’t wait to hear where else your travels took you.

Janet O. said...

Looks like a grand adventure!
I am glad you got up on the horse and found it to be a good experience after all.
Looking forward to more!

Unknown said...

Very much enjoying your travel blog and especially my state of Colorado. You were also in the town I live in, Greeley. Estes Park is certainly a favorite in Colorado all year long.

Thanks for sharing, Sharon in Greeley, Colorado