Two Rivers

Day 1; Boulder to Salina, UT

There is something about the freedom of the road. We haven’t experienced it for a looooong time. When we finally locked up our clean house with clean sheets and empty fridge- because coming home to a clean house makes coming home all the sweeter- it was a feeling we haven’t had in a while. The kids’ first road trip. We’ve been talking about it for weeks, telling them all about each place we’re visiting, who we’re going to see, and how we’re going to pass the time in the car (thank God for the laptop, the ability to charge it along the way, and Matt’s ability to pirate otherwise unobtainable kid shows). We have books, fresh playdoh, art implements, music, movies, lacing beads, puzzles, and a few surprises to be pulled out at critical moments. We have snacks. We have juice boxes. We have 4 different kinds of chargers. I can’t help but reflect on how soft modern society has made us. Pioneer kids had sticks and rocks; but then again, they weren’t strapped into carseats for hours on end.

We left the house at 12:32, which was 32 minutes after our planned departure; not bad. The novelty was very exciting, Ian of course never slept but Maggie finally went down around Vail, 2 hours into the journey. When she woke up right before Glenwood Springs, in time to see the river, the tunnels, trains and spectacular scenery of Glenwood Canyon, then the magic began. We pulled out the iPhones and pulled up some visitor info. Armed with that, a quick hop into the Visitor Center yielded us directions to a great park and a coupon for a free tram ride, provided we waited til 5. We spent some time playing at the playground and visiting with local parents, kids and dogs at Two Rivers Park, where the Colorado River and the Roaring Fork River meet. It was hot; we stuck our feet in the chilly Colorado and watched some boats get pulled out of the water at the boat ramp.

We meandered over to the Swiss tram that would take us up to the Glenwood Caverns fun park. This is the best little secret we’ve stumbled across in a long time. We thought we’d just get a beautiful tram ride up a mountain, but when you get off the tram you are greeted by an old western-style park that is actually quite modern and fun. You can tour the caverns, climb a rock wall, ride a mechanical bull, take old western photos, or ride the alpine slide. Oh yes, the alpine slide. Maggie was too young, but Ian could ride with a parent, and I was extremely envious when he chose Matt to escort him. It’s like a toboggan, where you have working brakes, but you can also go full-throttle for a good thrill. Ian was not one bit scared, though the ride was quite windy he told us, and he agreed to take me down for his second ride. He gave me the go-ahead to let go of the brake, and we flew down this beautiful mountain at high speed surrounded by purple and yellow wildflowers. It was breathtaking, and I was quite satisfied when Ian told us that I was the faster driver. We made our way back to the tram, and enjoyed the spectacular double view of the Aspen Valley, lush with early summer greenery, and the canyon to the west carved by the great Colorado. We got back in the car, and back on the road, feeling like this road trip is off to a good start.