Rest Stops and Postponements

We had to get to Colorado for an appointment after leaving Nebraska so we allowed ourselves just enough time to visit one of Joey’s work buddies in Cheyenne. When we walk into his mobile home Jacob was a little bewildered. He said it looked like a tiny box from the outside and was shocked how big it was on the inside. I was shocked after all this time of going from place to place, visiting homes after homes, mixed with the wide diversity of friends we have, that the kids have never been in a mobile home! I spent quite a few years living in a double wide as a kid so I never thought much about them. Apparently to Jake (as he likes to be called now, opposed to Jacob), it was pretty darn fascinating. We’re here to show you the World, Kid.

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The thought of driving through Wyoming was not very thrilling, but  I’m here to say that Wyoming is one gorgeous, highly underrated, overlooked state. Almost as soon as we crossed the border, I was scrambling for  photos.  

Eventually we pulled into a rest stop where we learned our appointment had been canceled and postponed until the next week. Now what are we going to do?

I make lunch while we try to figure out where to spend the next week, and then I step outside to catch a shot of the storm rolling in. Then a little while later and we’re still just hanging in the rest stop, absolutely loving the views we decide to stay longer and watch the storm build some more.

Right around this time Jake is saying, “Okay, I’m cool with getting an RV spot now”. Only, we weren’t.

What Jake really wanted was to play on the XBOX so Joey set it all up for them in his truck with a power inverter, since we have no generator and without XBOX and Wii, have no need for one, and let the kids play for a few hours. And we got to enjoy this big, peaceful, wide open country, with it’s view of Elk Mountain……..all from the comfort of our home.

And So Began The Rest Area Tour (Part Deuce)

We drove into Minnesota only two miles after nearly escaping Iowa without a Highway Patrol seeing the Bus's expired plates. When we left Colorado two months ago I completely forgot the Unskool plates were expired. When I tried to register them by mail last year my check was sent back saying they couldn't register them anymore since they knew we moved! (Curse small town living.) Not wanting to give up the Unskool plates I figured it was best to ignore the problem, and maybe someday it would miraculously work itself out. It hasn't, and I have an $89.00 ticket to prove it.

We spent the next couple nights in two different rest areas within the first thirty miles of Minnesota. We'd have gone to our location, but that whole Memorial Weekend thing and my inability to look at a calendar thing, has made us outcasts.

We're alone and forced to run hidden trails behind all the Minnesota rest areas we happened along. Most of the trails looked like this:

And like this:

But every once in a while they'd spice it up a bit:

I wasn't having a hard time keeping up with walking everyday, that's for sure! I did these stairs quite a few times.


Jewel did this slide even more.

During breaks of playing in the water faucet, Jewel was posing and loving being an only child....

at least for the moment.

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Hanging Lake Trail

After our day in Rifle Falls State park, it set a chain reaction of more and even better days. We've already been up here about six weeks, which is about the average length we spend in one area, why should this time be any different? The weather's getting better and Joey's work weeks are getting shorter.

On the advice of the satellite installer we drove past Glenwood Springs into Glenwood Canyon to find the Hidden Lake. Jay told me it was pretty easy, so even though we got a late head start we'd still have plenty of time to make the hike before dark, while wearing flip flops.

Jay might not be the best judge of difficulty.

No, we were not properly prepared, and by the way, don't leave your water in the car.

The trailhead to Hidden Lake can be found at a rest area six miles East of Glenwood Springs, on I-70. It appears to be a typical rest area and unless you do some exploring you'd never even know it was there. We walked a ways down the 16 mile bike path that leads through the canyon, until we got to the trailhead. Jewel was already tired and wanting to be carried.


If you look close you can see I-70.


The trail starts at the creek, working it's way up the waterfall. Working it's way steeply up. Up boulders. Lots of boulders.

Notice Jewel in front of Joey with her walking stick? Suddenly she's not tired anymore.

The boys are loving the challenge and couldn't feel more alive, or ape like.


I'm usually falling behind, taking pictures and all, giving Joey plenty of time to test the water.


We hiked quite a ways up, crossing the creek several times,

attempted some rock climbing,

and soaked in the mountain air, but Joey had reached the limit that he felt he could safely get everybody out in case of an emergency, so we didn't make it all the way to the Hidden Lake. We will be back.

But first, we gotta go back down.


After coming back down we continued to walk around and enjoy the surroundings, and sometimes I'm lucky enough to capture the Joy.


Believe it or not, that's not all the pictures. Go ahead, check 'em out. They're even in a slideshow, just for you.

Hidden River on Dwellable