Our 6S Full Life

Rocky Mountains

By this time no one is surprised that our next stop was another national park. We drove through Wyoming to our campsite in Colorado. Our campsite for our time at Rocky Mountain was Hermit Park Open Space. This was a secluded camp area run by Larimer County. Everything was clean and well kept. We had a large camp area in the bobcat campground and were very happy with the it. In fact we felt pretty at home here. This mountain range is the closest we have seen to our home range of the sierras.

Someone was feel particularly tired and crawled back into bed on the way.

We got up early to get into the park toenjoy a day of mountain hiking. Under the advice of a ranger we decided to make our way to the Alpine Visitor Center first before it got to crowded. We are so glad we did because it got crazy by noon. We enjoyed watching the forest turn to the alpine. We stoped (and put on layers) as we went up in altitude. We hiked the Alpine Ridge Trail and although short, we had to stop to catch our breath. The high altitude was difficult for us lowlanders. We made it to the 12,005 ft elevation peak before returning to the visitor center.

After picking up some souvenirs we ate lunch before trying to leave. There was a crazy amount of people around, we heard the restroom line was 40 min long. So glad we brought our bathroom along. Getting out of the parking lot in the beast took some patience and Jen blocking traffic. Once we escaped we enjoyed the views coming back down the east side. The west side of the park was not in the plans for this trip. We made our way to Bear Lake road and parked in the shuttle parking lot. Parking is difficult around the area so the park offers free shuttles to the popular spots along the road. There are an incredible amount of trails and amazing things to see in the area. We decided to hike to Alberta Falls then to Bear Lake. We did about 2.5 miles of hikes through the forest before heading back to the RV. We saw many chipmunks and a few birds. We spotted some Elk and Mule Deer while driving but the Moose have eluded us on every trip we have been on. Guess we need to plan another trip to moose country soon. Maybe when we finally get to Canada.

After our Rocky Mountain adventures we headed back to camp. It was a rainy evening but we enjoyed the distant thunder and raindrops as we ate dinner and played card games before bed.

Wind Cave

Adding to our national park adventures we headed to South Dakota and Wind Cave National Park. Through our travel and local adventures we have visited many caves, each with its own unique features. Wind Cave is no different, it holds 95% of the boxwork in the world. This is a special type of cave feature that looks like honeycomb, spiderwebs, or cardboard. There is also flowstone, popcorn, and other cave features. Since the tour areas are in the drier parts of the caves there are none of the usual stalagmites and stalactites. This made the cave feel very different from many of the others we have visited.

With the new found love of national parks in America we knew we had to arrive early to get a tour. Before the kids woke up we started our drive into the park. By 7am while Stephen made breakfast in the parking lot Jen stood in the forming line. there are some perks of traveling with your house and mornings like this are a big one. It worked great and we had our pick of tours. We choose to do the Fairgrounds and the Garden of Eden Tour. The Fairgrounds is labeled strenuous and they really push that is is hard. Besides stairs, that we took very slowly, it was really no big deal. As long as you can climb stairs you are good. The Garden of Eden Tour was the easiest tour with very few stairs and half the distance. Both were good tours and we ended up with the same tour guide for both. She was informative and nice but it would have been great to mix it up and get a different perspective from a different guide. We learned about the cave history a formation from our guide and the visitor center, as well as the Jr. Ranger program.

After our cave tours we drove the park to get in some above ground hikes. We did two small hikes the 1 mile Ranken Ridge Trail to the lookout tower and the 2.4 mile Cold Brook Canyon Trail through a prairie dog village. With these two trails we were able to see the diverse nature of the area. While the cave and tours were very crowded the above land drive and hike we almost empty. Wind Cave is located where the prairie meets the woodlands and is extremely beautiful land. It is a diverse area with plants and animals from both areas converging together. We saw prairie dogs, bison, pronghorns, chipmunks, and heard an eagle. Watched the grass flow in the breeze and stood at breathtaking overlooks. It was a good day both above and below ground.

Solving the problems of the world on a hike.

After all our hiking during the day we drove back to camp at the Black Hills KOA. It was a good place with a little rec room the kids enjoyed and a playground. It was somewhat smoking during our time there and we did not spend much time outside. The kids did their usual Saturday thing, working off time owed to us (chores) or using the time they earned (screens). This week only one kid owed time so the rest enjoyed their screens. We all enjoyed dinner and then played the new Guess the Park game we found at the visitor center that day. Since we have been to a lot of the national parks it was a fun game. Especially as we shared memories of the parks.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

When looking for things to do as we travelled through Nebraska we found the Omaha Zoo ranked as one of the best in America. With no other zoo on our summer list we knew we had to go. Our day in Omaha ended up being during an extreme heat dome. The temperature was 90F but with humidity the feels like temperature was close to 107F!! Luckily the zoo has a lot of indoor exhibits and a splash pad.

We were excited to see it all but our first few moments did not start well. When trying to purchase tickets, which included all rides and attractions we could not. Apparently we were told when it is hot they may shut down their train and skyline ride. In order to not have upset people they don’t sell the all day passes. Instead you have to purchase each thing separately. What!? Instead of a discount on the movies, sting ray petting, train, tram, and all else on hot days you have to pay more. Umm no thanks. So we bought our much less expensive basic ticket and nothing else, mostly on principle. We were willing to spend over $100 more for all those things we were not going to then spend over $200 more because they might shut down a couple things. By the way we never saw them shut down anything. Not cool Omaha Zoo! Our day was not ruined although we were frustrated. There was still plenty to see and do and we never felt we needed those other things.

As we walked in we asked for a map this is when we found our they no longer have paper maps. This new trend of online maps is a bit irritating to our family. First the kids love looking over maps together. Second we don’t keep our phones out during family activities, except for pictures. Third our maps come home and go in a box to look back on. We walked in the gates and turned right then just went around the zoo. It is in a nice big circle which meant we did not have to worry much about the maps they no longer have. We entered the aquarium a bit irritated but hopping the day would turn around.

After a few exhibits we could see why this zoo has such high rankings. Everything was really well done. The signs told us exactly what we were looking at, all animals were well cared for, and they had so many great animals. Almost all of us found our favorites. They do need to up their ant game, poor A, our myrmecologist, found none of his favorite creatures.

We went through the Aquarium and found jellyfish, penguins, puffins, and lots of fish. There were tons of butterflies in the Butterfly Pavilion. The Giraffe Herd Room was great for up close encounters. We saw all the animals rooming the safari elephants, zebras, ostrich, and in their own inclosure lions. The koi and catfish were entertaining and we spent way more time then expected feeding them. We then visited the Asia area, unfortunately with the heat most of these animals were not out. We did get a great view of the tiger though. After walking through the aviary we stoped for lunch of the barbecue chicken quesadillas Jen made that morning. Yum!

After lunch we ended up at the splash park. Even though we did not have our suits the kids had a great time and ended up soaked through and through. With the heat though they were mostly dry by the time we left. It would not have mattered though since our house was in the parking lot.

We finally made it to the Dessert dome and Kingdom of the Night. This dome is huge and the most recognized part of the zoo. It is climate controlled and even though it is the dessert it was cooler then the real outside. The dessert exhibits were great, but the Kingdom of the Night was the real jewel of the dome. This space is all for nocturnal animals. It is dark and the animals which we usually never see in the day are busy enjoying the “night”. We saw porcupines, naked mole rats, bats, and other night time animals. Everyone’s favorite though was the beavers. They were so active in the dark coming in and out of the water. One was right in front of C and Jen just hanging out. It was a unique experience.

Our last stop was the jungle. Another large indoor exhibit featuring jungles from around the world. We liked so much of it especially the fruit bats just flying around. One buzzed us, we thought it was a bird until it landed upside down. By the time we left the jungle it was around 4pm we were exhausted from the heat and the miles of walking.

We headed to an early dinner at Spin! Pizza, where we enjoyed some yummy mostly clean eating cauliflower crust pizza and really great service. Then to E. T. Mahoney State Park for the night. It was a nice park by a lake. The State parks we have seen as we travel have made the California parks look terrible. It is amazing what other states offer and ours lacks. The Omaha Zoo was a cool place the policies may have frustrated us, but over all it was a great day.

50 States?… Well almost

We have always had a great desire to show the kids the great diversity and amazing sights of the world. One goal we set was to get in all 50 states with the kids by the time A was 18. We started with beach trips to different states and hit a lot of the coastal states this way. We then did our first big summer trip and drove through 38 states in 8 weeks. Between all those trips we had been to 41 states at the beginning of this summer. Our current trip has taken us to the remaining states in the lower 48. Our little family of 6 has now been to 49 states together!

Our RV map is almost complete. Our 6S clan has been to Oregon and Washington but to complete the map we need to drive the beast there.

In our 49th state we ate lunch at the Omaha Zoo in “Glacier Bay” we could not go without snapping a picture of the kids in their 50th state. 😁 It was mid afternoon with a feels like temp of 107F, we are confident that this is an accurate Alaska experience.

It is amazing to think of all we have seen and learned about in the United States of America. After all our travel Delaware odd the only state we only drove through and did not stop or stay in. The US is an amazingly diverse nation, yet everywhere we go we see similarities and the American spirit. We feel more people need to travel, especially throughout the states. Unfortunately most people do not take the time to see that their voice is one of many, that there are so many experiences in life they do not know, and that one idea, one thought, one way of life will not work for all. We see a lot of conflict right now with the idea that if you do not see the world as I do you are against me. It is so sad that we are not able to see each others perspectives in an open way. Travel opens ones eyes to more then their everyday life, there is no better way to see it all then by driving through big cities, small towns, farms, industry, forests, beaches, prairies, deserts, and everything else the US has to offer.

National WWI Museum and Memorial

We woke up with a flat tire and had to make a stop back at the mechanic. After an hour they had it fixed and we were on our way. With only a short two hour drive to our next stop we went searching for something to do on the way. we decided to stop at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO. We have been to museums on many wars but never WWI. This is a very well done museum with tons of information, a couple short films, lots of artifacts, and a memorial tower overlooking the city.

We started with the introduction film to understand what lead to the war. Then we headed to the tower. It was predicted to be very hot that day and the tower shuts down in the heat. The views were great from the top of the 217 foot tower.

Next we went to the museum. They had a family guide with games, a scavenger hunt, and questions to keep the kids interested and searching for information. The museum was divided up into pre American involvement and post involvement, with a video in between about why American joined the war. A already knew a lot of this information, but the rest of us knew very little about WWI. We have been to a few museums, both in the states and in Japan, on WWII but none on WWI. We learned a lot and had some good discussions on point of view, government propaganda, and the realities of war.

After learning as much as we could we got back in the beast and drove to our site. We did not have much planned for Kansas except picking a site in the middle of nowhere and enjoying a star filled sky. We called Sycamore Springs Resort in Sabeth, KS and asked about night sky viewing. They recommended a couple of open sites and said they had great night skies. We were excited for a night of campfires and stars. Unfortunately we were extremely disappointed when we arrived. The entire place was covered in large trees, in a mostly empty campground our site was squished right next to their empty trailer so our windows were a couple feet from it. Also at night we were right under a large super bright street light. Seriously!! To say we were angry was an understatement. It was late and we did not want to try to find somethings else. We never even saw the owners, the only staff we saw was a young girl on her phone painting the mini golf. Not a place we would recommend anyone ever going to, over priced, run down, and bad ownership was our impression.

We still had a campfire and saw some stars, no more then in our backyard. The next morning the kids played on the mini-golf area until we headed out. Super disappointed in our Kansas experience. Hopefully tomorrow in Nebraska will be better.

Catching frogs and fireflies instead of looking at stars