Better Than Disney World

It's been over a month since I blogged.  So, it's time to catch up and share some summer memories.  Last August, when we returned from Florida, the girls put a can on the kitchen counter and began saving coins for our return to Disney World.  Every spare coin went into that can and the girls speculated that they might have even saved enough to add Sea World or Universal Studios to the trip.  (Okay, they don't have the greatest understanding of money.  My point is simply that they had been planning to go back to Florida this summer.)  But, we decided that this summer was going to be mainly about family.  Two days after Lacey's birthday, before she even had time to get to know her birthday gifts, the girls and I packed up and headed to Washington state.  

We visited with Aunt Laurie for a week, getting to know our cousins and the beauty of Washington.  We spent three days on Lopez Island, searching for sea glass, enjoying Aunt Laurie's company, shopping for pottery, and not watching TV.  The girls were thrilled when they realized they had gone five straight days without TV.

From Washington, we flew on to Colorado.  We traveled without return tickets because I wasn't sure how long we were going to stay. We ended up spending a month in Boulder.  We met a lot of interesting people and made a lot of special memories.  It was while we were all learning to use a pottery wheel that Cassie suddenly exclaimed, "This summer is much better than Disney World!"  I decided to look back at the photos we took and compare the past five weeks to other vacations.

The views: Amusement Parks offer a lot of unique views.  We've seen Mickey and Minnie Mouse; Cinderella's Castle; parades and fireworks; and giant Lego structures.  We took a safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom and saw jungle trails filled with exotic animals.  Here are a few of the sites we experienced this summer.

The highest point in the San Juan Islands, Washington

With Aunt Laurie at Discovery Pass

A tree house on Orcas Island - it wasn't nearly as crowded as the one at Magic Kingdom.

Checking out a view of the ocean

Hunting for sea glass on Lopez Island

Paddy Paws helping accepting Mom's invitation to breakfast.

Wildlife in my Mom's back yard

Getting up close and personal with a pair of foxes in Mom's yard

An evening prowler - this is not something that Animal Kingdom boasts!

Susan's kitten teasing the backyard raccoons

Every morning I hiked 45 minutes uphill to watch the sun rise over Boulder.  The girls didn't want to get up that early.  So, the few minutes I had to myself were as spectacular as the view.

The boy band, One Direction, was staying on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder.  Here is Cassie photographing the fans who were going crazy as band members came out to board their tour bus.

 

The girls, Aunt Susan and a bear.  Okay, the bear's not real.  But, big surprise, neither are Minnie, Mickey or any of the other characters you see wandering around Disney World.

The girls, Susan and I went to Mudslinger's Pottery and learned how to use the wheel.  I'm not kidding when I say this was one of the most absolutely thrilling experiences of my life!

Water pipes for sale in Boulder.  Clearly something that you don't get to see at Disney World!

 The rides: Of course, amusement parks are known for their rides.  From my perspective this means long, hot, sticky, tiring waits in sweltering heat and rides that are so short they make you feel cheated.  We experienced a couple new rides this summer.

We went on four different ferry rides to and from Lopez and Orcas Islands.  These were real islands that were not connected to land!  We drove the car right onto the boat.  The ferry rides were complete with fog and horns. 

Here's Lacey on the ferry.  Right after I snapped this photo the security officer announced that the woman and child should stop running back and forth.  I blamed Lacey.

Jordan asked the girls if they wanted to try out his new go cart.  Cassie was a little hesitant so I offered to take it for a spin.  After shaking all my teeth loose, I deemed it safe.  Take a look at this video to see the thrilling ride.

 

They finally stopped because Lacey was screaming, "STOP!! I'VE GOT A CACTUS STUCK IN MY LEG!!"  Cassie immediately phoned Les to ask for a go cart.  I wished her good luck with that.
 

Aunt Laurie treated us all to pedicures.  As far as Lacey was concerned, the big chair that reclined and vibrated was a pretty good ride.

The Food:  When we're in Orlando, we taste a lot of different foods, some good and some not so great.  In Washington, the girls tasted fresh raspberries and strawberries.  They roasted marshmallows and had ice cream twice in one day.  In Boulder, the girls had cobbler with fresh Colorado peaches for breakfast; caramel apples from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory; Mexican food from Santiago's Restaurant;  Ed's homemade hummus; sweet potato fries; a lot of fresh vegetables; and a lot of meals in front of the TV. 

The girls picking raspberries for breakfast in Aunt Laurie's backyard

The girls making kale chips

The sounds:  In Florida we listen to dolphins, the sound of the ocean and tourists.  One of our favorite stops is Bongo's Restaurant where we can listen to live Cuban music.   In Colorado, we made our own music.

Cassie gave frequent violin recitals.

Here's Dave, always in search of a laugh.

The girls strumming their hearts out while picnicking at Wanneka Lake

Family:  Above all, we spent precious time with family.

With Aunt Laurie

With Cousin Lori

Cassie and "Oma" cutting quilt squares for a church project

Beautiful cousins KatyAnn and Juliet

That darn cat!

Uncle Al arrived in Boulder a couple days before we left.

Dave, Beth, Dillon and Amanda visited for a weekend

A concert in the park with Mary Lee, Haley, Jayden, Bronwyn, Nicola and Jordan

Well, I deliberately traveled without a computer so I could enjoy family time.  Five weeks without a computer.  Yeah, for me, it was better than Disney too except that we left Les behind for five weeks.  He met us at the airport and I was so happy to seem him that I didn't point out that most people take shuttle buses instead of walking to satellite parking.  I also didn't mention the fact that he hadn't cleaned the shower in five weeks because all in all he did a fine job of staying home alone.  It's all part of the happy summer memories.