A Week at Rodanthe, NC

Well, Papete and Mamere survived 10 days at the beach with my three girls. And might I say the three girls survived Mamere and Papete!!!! They all had a good time.
Mamere and Papete left after lunch on Sunday, and all of us went to the beach. It was high tide, so no real good surf riding; but we had fun. It was good to be back with the girls after so long away.
On Monday we went to the beach in the morning til early afternoon. Then we played some games and then got ready for the Lost Colony. The production this year was noted by many new costumes due to the fire in the costume shop last August. I would say that the new costumes brought a new vibrancy to the play. As always it was good. I especially appreciated the different directorial take this year.
On Tuesday we went ot the beach in the morning and had a wonderful sail in the afternoon. The wind was blowing 15-20 mph, and Madison and Kinsley were with me on the Sunfish. We all sat on the high side and enjoyed an energetic sail.
On Wednesday we took our annual trip to Ocracoke to shop and eat. We stopped by Teach's Hole and many of the other shops. All three girls came home with new webkinz and other goodies. We finished up the day eating at the Dolphin Den.
Today will see another morning at the beach and afternoon sailing. We are trying to decide wether to go home tomorrow or Saturday.
Grace and peace to all,

Lee

Home, Sweet Home

Well, It is 8 a.m. Colorado time, and we are packing to leave. Once we get everything together, we will head north and stop in Frisco for brunch. Then on to the airport in Denver.
We have had a wonderful time, but are anxious to see our three beautiful daughters. So, tomorrow we will have a happy reunion down in Rodanthe. We will go from 9600 feet above sea level to sea level in 24 hours.
Well we love you all.
Till tomorrow.
Dad

Lazy Thursday

After our non-stop going of the last four days, we enjoyed a slower paced Thursday. We woke up late, ate a leisurely breakfast in the room, and mom did some laundry. Once the laundry was done, we headed into town for some shopping. We had a number of items we wanted to purchase for our loved ones. I actually broke down and purchased a few things for me - a new bathing suit and a rash guard. We ate lunch at Kenosha Steak House and finished our shopping.
We had a 3 p.m. appointment to hear a time-share presentation by the Grand Timber Resort people. As time share presentations go, it was fairly low pressure. Still they made sure we knew that we were missing out on the deal of a lifetime if we said no. The reason we went to the presentation was for the $100 in resort gift certificates we received. All in all it was worth the 2 hours we spent.
Following dinner, we came back to our room to pack and get ready to come back to North Carolina tomorrow. We are anxious to see our girls on Saturday! We really do miss you.
See you soon!
Love,
Dad

Wednesday's Ride to the Top of the World

On Wednesday morning, we drove down Rt. 91 past Copper Mountain Resort to Leadville...a town the ski industry forgot. It definately is a place that gives you a real feel of what Colorado mining towns once were. There were no fancy condos or greenway revitalizations...just an aging town struggling to carve out a tourist niche.

One asset they have is proximity to the Continental Divide. The divide is that part of the Rockies where water flows in one of two directions, either to the west and the Pacific Ocean or to the east and the Atlantic Ocean. Just outside of Leadville is a public use area with trails for hiking or in our case ATV riding.

Our excitement for Wednesday was to join the Contiental Divide ATV Tour Company to ride an ATV up to the top of the Divide. It was great fun riding these off road vehicles on rocky paths to over 13,000 feet. The views were spectacular as we looked over the town of Leadville and at the surrounding peaks jutting up over 14,000 feet.

On one part of our tour, our guide took us past abandoned mining villages where miners worked and lived as recently as the 1940's. Here is a picture of Mom considering purchasing a "fixer upper." It was fascinating to imagine what this area was like in its hey-day.

The weather in Colorado is unpredictable. On Tuesday, it was warm and sunny...a perfect day for a horse back ride. On Wednesday, it was overcast and chilly. Thankfully we had brought our sweatshirts. By the end of the ATV ride, a cold rain had begun to fall. Fortunately, it was at the END of the ride rather than the beginning.

Following our great adventure, we stopped by Frisco on the way back and had a delicious lunch at the Butterhorn Cafe. Their cheescake alone is worth a trip to Colorado. After lunch, we headed down the mountain to Boulder to spend some time with our friend Norma who is in Boulder for some missionary training. As always it was a blessing to spend some time with her.

We arrived back in Breckenridge at 11 p.m. tired from a very full day.

We love you and miss you!
Dad

Sassy Meets Her Match

We got up early Tuesday morning to drive an hour north of Breckenridge to the Rusty Spur Ranch. The drive took us out of the Rockies into the surrounding hilly planes of Colorado. It was a beautiful drive.

The ranch was 4-1/2 miles off the paved road, and it felt like we would never get there. We obviously were not the only ones who wondered how long it was going to take. Thus this sign:

Once we arrived, they fitted us with our horses. My horse was named "Nonami." Mom's horse was rightfully named "Sassy." Sassy had an attitude. You see she didn't feel like taking the ride, so she would stop and eat all the time. Mom had to keep yanking on the reigns to get her moving. So the battle of the wills was on. Who was going to win? Well, you know your mother...Sassy finally came to see things mom's way.

The nice thing about this ride was that we were encouraged to control the horses - not just hang on for the ride. We rode over pastures, through woods, and found ourselves on top of a rise that gave us a 360 degree view of Colorado. Our group was also small - just four of us with the guide. We shared the ride with Jan and Val, a couple from Colorado.

Our guide was named Bart. Bart was an experienced horseman whose regular job is riding in the Wild West Show at Disneyland Paris. He was home visiting family for the summer and was picking up some extra work.

Mom and I can't say enough about this ranch and our experience. The staff was inviting, friendly, professional, and fun. We had a taste of the joy of riding and ranching. If we had the time and money, we'd go back again and again.

Well, that's all for now.

We love you,

Dad

Like A Bat Out of Hell

Ok...imagine 60 degrees, a cold rain, a lightning storm, and a bike outfitter that doesn't give rain checks, and you'll have our Monday afternoon. Since bad weather has a tendency to crop up in the afternoons here in Summit County, outfitters don't make weather exceptions. We had scheduled this bike trip, and it was going to happen no matter what.

The outfitters drove us to the rest stop in the Vail Pass and dropped us off. Over the crest of the hill, lightening was lighting up the sky. Mom and I put on our sweatshirts and took off.

Now Mom didn't like the idea of biking in a thunderstorm, so she decided she was going to get off the mountain as fast as possible. She would have given Lance Armstrong a run for his money if he had been present. All I saw of her was a blip in the distance way in front of me.

The bike trail is completely paved and runs 14 miles down the mountain to the town of Frisco. It winds along mountain streams and through the tall pines.



Now, this is America, and so, of course, halfway down the mountain trail is a Starbucks in the resort of Copper. On any other day we would have passed by, but by this time our hands were so cold we needed something to warm us up. Two hot chocolates did the trick.
We continued down the mountain with the rain picking up. The water from our rear wheels made an interesting pattern up our back. We arrived in Frisco cold and wet...and yet surprisingly satisfied. I do think we would have enjoyed it much more had it been sunny and had we ridden the trail at a slower pace. But nonetheless, it was worth it.
Mom is headed for a massage, and I am going to swim a little. Then off to dinner. Tomorrow is our horse ride...in the morning this time when the weather is much more predictable.
Love you,

Dad

Sunday Late Afternoon and Evening

This Afternoon, we took a hike on some of the ski trails around where we are staying. Of course, none of the ski lifts are running, so we were able to find one to sit on for this picture. In the right of the picture is a sign that we just ignored!

The wildflowers are abundant, and there are snow melt fed streams that pop up out of nowhere.

Hiking at 9600 feet can be a challenge, but we took breaks to enjoy the scenery.

After our hike, we went to the Hearthstone restaurant courtesy of Mr. Robin and Miss Katherine. The food was delicious. Mom enjoyed the Alaskan Salmon, and I had farm raised New Zealand Elk. Yummy!





I know it seems like all we have done is eat; but the food is so wonderful! Tomorrow starts our adventure time. Monday afternoon, we will take a ski lift to the top of one of the mountains near Vail and ride mountain bikes down. On Tuesday, we are going to take a 2 hour horse back ride through a big ranch. On Wednesday, we are going to tour the Continental Divide on ATV's. We'll tell you all about it.

We love you all!



Dad

Sunday Morning & Afternoon

Well, Sunday morning dawned early especially after a restless night caused by some loud neighbors above us who sounded like wrestling elephants. I am pretty sure it was some kids playing Wii with stomp pads.
We got dressed and drove 30 minutes north of Breckenridge to the Dillon Ampitheatre where the Dillon Community Church holds services during the summer. They had a worship band that led some familiar worship tunes. The pastor preached on Proverbs 2:7-20. It was wonderful to worship outside in the shadow of the Rockies.

Following worship, we took a scenic drive back to Breckenridge.

We stopped for lunch back at the Breckenridge Brewery and then home for a nap to sleep off the lack of sleep from the night before. We are just about ready to hike on some of the ski slopes that are just right out our door. We have 6 p.m. reservations for a restaurant that was recommended by Mr. Robin and Miss Katherine. They are treating us to an anniversary dinner.

We love you and miss you!

Dad

Saturday Evening

After a much needed altitude adjusting nap, Mom and I hopped in the convertible and drove south along Rt. 9 for about 11 miles.


We had wonderful views of the Rockies. We then turned around, headed back into town, took a road that looked interesting, and found ourselves way up about 11,500 feet over looking Breckenridge. The light wasn't good for a photo, but it was breathtaking.






After our drive, we parked and walked to the Mother Loaded Tavern. We had red beans and rice and roasted pepper hummis.


We then walked some more.



On our short walk we found a new friend for your mom....








This carving reminded us a little of the picture of Madison and Kinsley with the Tasmanian Devil who used to live beside the Christmas Shop in Manteo.

Well, that's our Saturday. We are turning in to get ready for a 9 a.m. worship service in Dillon tomorrow. We love you.

Dad

Saturday Afternoon

Following lunch at "Fatty's Pizza," We spent the afternoon walking around town. Breckenridge is an old mining town that saw its mining "hey-day" in the late 1800's. By around the 1950's, the town was close to abandoned. In the 1960's, they began to discover "white gold" - that is snow and snow skiing. The town has put a lot of effort over the last 20 years and renovating everything. It is a beautiful and quaint little place.








Here's a picture of me down by the river that runs through the middle of town.

Here is mom down at the river walk eating a homemade peppermint ice cream cone. (Kinsley's favorite. We're sorry that we can't bring some home!)


The weather has been great. 72 degrees during the day and 40 degrees at night.




More to come.
We love you all,
Dad

First Day in Breckenridge

Well,

We arrived in Breckenridge on Friday, July 19th around 6 p.m. Mountain time. Our flight was uneventful. Our rental car is cool. After checking in, Mom and I walked down to the Breckenridge Brewery to have dinner.

The biggest issue was had this first day was adjusting to the altitude. Breckenridge is at 9600 feet above sea level. The oxygen level is only about 75% what it is in Rodanthe. Mom had a headache, and I had a lot of trouble sleeping as my heart kept pounding to get the oxygen through my body. We both are doing better now.

On Saturday, we walked back into town. This is a beautiful place. Here is Mom with the Rocky Mountains in the background.

Well, I'll write more later.

Love,

Dad