Funmurphys: the Blog

Stay On The Path

In the continuing saga of last years summer vacation, we had an amazing experience on our way back from Cub Lake. But first, let me start at the beginning. When we first pulled into Estes Park, our stop after the visitor's center was a crammed local fast food establishment where we sat next to an older couple that was detailing their attempts to see the Elk in the park. They told us how they hadn't seen any in the park after a couple of days looking, but on their way back to town they had seen them. So we were primed to look for Elk ourselves, and didn't see any until we were hiking back from Cub Lake when we came across a herd in a flat area. It was really amazing how big they were and how close we were:

They didn't seem to mind us and paid little attention, although you could tell they were keeping an eye on us. It was just a treat to stand there and look and see how many there were, just munching away on the grass and the bushes, and we were telling ourselves this was the highpoint of the trip, to have just stumbled upon a herd of Elk.

And then we noticed that some were on the path in front of us, and some were on the path behind us, and lots were on the path to the one side. So we couldn't stay on the path and go either forwards or backwards, but no big deal, we were having too much fun just watching them. And then we noticed that the ones behind us were slowly moving down the path towards us, led by a big buck. And the one's in front of us, they were kind of drifting towards us with another big buck in the lead. Now I knew how Lindsay Lohan must feel, mobbed by a pack of wild beasts. The big buck next to us gave us a look like "don't even think about coming this way".

At this point the rest of the family was urging that we go around them, leaving the path and picking it up where it looped around the low hill next to us. I was all in favor of staying on the path and letting them move on, but as they gave no sign of moving on (by this point a lot were just sitting down), and the three bucks were looking decidedly unfriendly as they edged closer, we went ahead and climbed the low hill and picked up the path further on without incident. We did try to step from rock to rock to avoid any damage though.

We were pretty proud of how we "found" those Elk, although the next day we came across a smaller, no male in sight group right in Estes Park along the Fall river, just upstream from the statue in this picture where we had posed just a day before. Sometimes they aren't so elusive after all.

Rocky Mountain High

We spent some time in Rocky Mountain National Park last summer. The second day we went for a hike up to cub lake. We parked the car at the trail head in valley and started walking. You could look up and see where we were going:

At first we were stayed on the valley floor. It really was beautiful, surrounded by the mountains, walking through a pleasant meadow. Then we came to more rocky terrain, and started to wind our way around some rock bluffs:

We started climbing more, the trees and brush thinned and the rocks thickened. We came across this huge split rock, an example that water always wins:

We went from a dirt path to a rock path; we went from gentle ups and the occasional down to a steady uphill climb; we went from joggers to no joggers (at least that we could see). We were in a lush forest and felt good to be alive. My wife gently urged me on when I would stop to take a picture:

Up and up we went. The fruit didn't like all the stops the fearless leaders were making and asked if they could go on ahead. Begone! Still the trail climbed up. "How much further?" we asked people coming the other way. "You're almost there!" they would reply. A young couple passes us as we slowly pick our way ever upward. The rocks give way to dirt again and another jogger comes down the mountain. At last the path flattens, but no lake. But with the flat comes a second wind, and off we go, until at last our destination, Cub Lake, is in sight:

The sheer joy of arriving mingles with the serene beauty of the lake as we simply sit and admire the view. And eat apples and granola bars. A, lunch al fresco!

When we leave Estes Park and RMNP, we leave going over the top of the world via Trail Ridge Road. This road spends an inordinate time at or above 12,000 feet, which aggravates my acrophobia to near fatal levels. I have to admit, when we'd crossed over and were descending on the other side of the continental divide my fear was much less, apparently by giving it to my wife. I'm glad we stopped along the way to breath the frigid air and take in the view, although at the time when my wife would pull off a perfectly good road and head towards the brink of the precipice I thought my heart would stop it was beating so hard. Fortunately it kept going so I was able to get this wonderful shot of the valley below:

We went on to Glenwood Springs that afternoon, but our next installment will be about Elk.

Things of Beauty

John Keats once observed that a thing a beauty is a joy forever. Well, we here at funmurphys want to spread joy, so we like to run pretty pictures. Since we didn't have much of a vacation this summer, and I never did manage to post all the pictures from last year's trip to Colorado, I'll be putting up more pictures of beauty.

When we last left the photos, we were in Denver. We left Denver to go spend several days in Estes Park at a condo at Fawn Valley Inn. I can recommend the Inn to anyone as the people were very helpful and friendly, the accommodations themselves were great, and it's just outside the north entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. My favorite place was on the back deck, listening to the Fall River below and looking at the mountains above. Estes Park itself has quite a dramatic setting, next to a lake and surrounded by mountains. The day we arrived the weather was pretty dramatic, although the clouds quickly moved out while we ate lunch and we had clear skys for the afternoon.

Given how empty all the land around is the crowdedness of Estes Park itself was a bit of a shock. We spent some time rambling about Estes Park itself, riding the tramway to the top of Prospect Mountain, (OK, I didn't because of my issues with heights and falling), and shopping for my son's first pocket knife (and T-Shirts). We stopped and rested after our exertions one day, and after laving our feet in the fall river the family posed for a picture.

Of course these mere representations aren't like really being there, but they are all I have to share with you -- friends, family, and otherwise.

Vacation Act 1 Scene 2

At the rate I'm posting the summer vacation pictures, I won't be done before the next one. Anyway, we crammed a lot into our first full day in Colorado. First, we went to the Denver Botanic Gardens in the morning. Then we went to Casa Bonita for lunch. The pictures from there didn't turn out, but it's a giant (and I don't throw that term around loosely) Mexican restaurant complete with game room, gift shop, and cliff divers. To walk off lunch, we visited Red Rocks state park outside Denver. After the park, we went and visited the Drews at their house in Boulder. They fixed us a mighty fine dinner and it was nice to meet Christina and catch up with Carl again. On vacation, you cram it in until you're exhausted, then you get up and do it again the next day, and the next day, until finally you get home and go back to work so you can rest up.

Yes, this is the location of Red Rocks Ampitheatre:

The rocks were a lot bigger in person:

We hiked down the hill in front of the rocks, and then back up the hill behind the rocks. The trail was only supposed to be a couple of miles, but there was no end in sight of the rocks as we were going down the hill, and we knew we couldn't be more than half way there until we circled behind and started back up the hill. It must have been the thin air and thick lunch:

Thankfully, the day was sort of overcast, or it would have been really hot that day. The rocks sure were impressive:

The Murphy Women are lookin' good through it all:

The trail at last came to an end, and so too do the pictures. I hope you aren't as tired at the end as we were, but the cold sodas on the back patio were delightful.

Whitewater Rafting

When we were in Colorado we went whitewater rafting on the Cache La Poudre river and had a blast. I can recommend Wanderlust rafting -- and try to get Kate as your guide, because she is not only good at the rafting part, she's a lot of fun too (if you value your dryness, don't splash her first) and good with children. Look for the green rafting helmet. They take pictures of your trip and for a fee will provide you with either individual shots or the whole set. I plumped for the whole set on CD so you don't have to. We did the taste of wild as the other trips had age restrictions that would have left the Fruit of the Murphy Loins behind.

Some people always seem to know where the camera is and play to it. The two littlest fruit are mine; I'm the guy with the Pancho Villa mustache (since trimmed, thankfully), and my better half is the gal behind the Foster Grants.

Stroke, stroke, stroke, ... Boy, that Kate sure was a slave driver!

Yeeaaaagghhhhhh!!!!! A trip like this lets your inner Dean out (whether you want it out or not).

The other Fearless Leader and Kate are chatting away like they're in the line at the grocery store. Women.

Whitewater is fun. No, they didn't teach us that display paddle position -- it just comes naturally.

Well, I made it all the way to the end without a gratuitous Clinton joke about Whitewater. Good luck on a speedy recovery Bill!

If you get a chance, you should go rafting too as it is too much fun to be legal for much longer.

Vacation Act 1, Scene 1

We stayed in Denver for 3 days on vacation. We did a lot of fun things there, but the very first thing we did was visit the Denver Botanic Garden. It is a lot more compact than the Missouri Botanical Garden, but still a joy to visit. I'm taking you on a visit through the magic of digital photography.

They had a wonderful Mediterranean garden with these cool pastel washed columns:

I know this is a cliched shot, but this cluster of viburnum berries was too pretty to pass up:

They had a high impact -- more in person than in photo -- red border inspired by Kew Gardens (I'm not sure what all the sculpture was inspired by):

Seemingly every body of water in Colorado had lilies, but at least these were in bloom:

They had an english cottage garden, and this was the yellow section:

These are not giant speakers, but a fountain that wasn't on. The view wasn't much better when it was on, but the sound sure was:

No display garden is complete without a Japanese garden, so here is the Denver version:

I hope you enjoyed the tour.

Back In The Saddle Again

The Murphy Family has returned refreshed and renewed from the mountains. And with views like this one, how else could we have returned? It's not like I had to endure 2 days of hearing the Fruit of the Murphy Loins cooped up in the van tell each other "Don't touch me" a hundred times a day. OK, I did. But just look at the view. And when they went with "Don't touch me in any way, shape, or form", that almost made me smile. Almost.

You can almost hear the wind whisper in the trees. I did.