We made it to Colorado!

It has been a very long day, but such a memorable one! We left Rob's grandma's house at 5:30 this morning and we headed North. We thought about which route we wanted to take and we ultimately decided to take mostly interstates and go up into Oklahoma and then head West back into Texas and New Mexico until we got to Colorado. The kids were so excited about this. They were wanting to go through Oklahoma so bad because it was the one state we were going to be skipping in our original plans. As we headed North, we drove through the Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma. Of course, this was just a small taste of what would be to come, but the kids were oohing and aahing at the scenery. Considering the fact that we live along the coast, all we ever see is flat land. This was a real treat for them. They also think it is hilarious that every time the word "Oklahoma" is mentioned, I break out into song. I just can't help myself.

OOOOOOklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain...

After we went through Oklahoma City, we then headed West down I-40. Well, as we all know, this is the highway that replaced the old Route 66. It has always been a dream of Ethan's to one day travel down Route 66. It just so happened that as we were driving along, my dad called me on my phone to tell me that there was a little town that he remembered along that route that still kept a lot of the old time charm of Route 66. Rob and I decided that we had to make a stop there if we saw it. It wasn't 10 minutes after I hung up the phone from my dad that we started seeing the signs for the old Route 66 museum and town in Clinton, OK. We took the exit and Ethan was more excited than I think I have ever seen him before. We drove down the road for a little bit and he kept saying, "I can't believe I'm on the REAL Route 66!!!!" It really was one of the best moments ever. We stopped at the old museum there in town and took a long break. The kids had so much fun looking at all of the stuff and we bought a few souvenirs. It really was a highlight of not just our day, but our lives.

After we got back on the road, we were good and refreshed and were heading towards Amarillo. And again, I couldn't help but to break out in song. The kids found it quite funny this time, too.

Amarillo by mornin', up from San Anton'... (Everybody loves George Strait, don't they?)

We made several more stops along the way for eating and rest area stops to stretch out legs. Once we got to Amarillo, we turned North and then Northwest toward New Mexico. The drive north of Amarillo was so stunningly beautiful! I can't even explain it. Even Emily was amazed and made a comment about how the sky looked painted. It was such a sight to see.

But nothing really prepared us for the beauty of when we were getting into New Mexico and started to really see some beginning small mountains. Ethan and Emily couldn't believe their eyes and we pulled over at a small rest area and got out just to enjoy the beauty for a few minutes. The kids thought it was so funny when we saw a sign that said something like "Warning: Watch for Snakes".

As the drive continued, we were entering the beautiful Raton Pass along the New Mexico and Colorado border. Our hotel that we are staying at is in Trinidad, CO and we have a view of the mountains from our room. The drive through the pass was breathtaking. I was able to also pass along the story to the kids that my dad used to tell me when I was little about the old Indian chief Falling Rock. As you drive along the rocky cliffs, you see the signs that say "Watch for Falling Rock". Well, my dad used to tell me that Falling Rock was an old Indian chief who stood on the top of the cliff and would throw rocks down at the cars that he didn't like. I can remember always staring out my window as a child looking and searching for Chief Falling Rock and the kids loved the story and they had fun looking out their window, too. Of course, my kids are way smarter than I suppose I ever was because when I told this to them Ethan immediately told me that it sounded like a legend to him. I replied that that was the funny thing about legends, you never knew if they were true or not. So now they intend to call their Papa tomorrow morning and ask him about Chief Falling Rock.

Tomorrow is a big day for us. We will leave early in the morning and head to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. After exploring around there for a bit, we will then go to Santa's North Pole Village (where we have free passes thanks to Ethan's Magic Moment wish from Give Kids the World Village). After enjoying the day at these places, we will make the last two hour drive on into Greeley where Ethan and Emily are dying to see their cousins, Ashley and Blaine. We can't wait!!!!