Always Be Prepared

Even in just four short days, we have already learned several important lessons. Perhaps I should keep a running list so that we can remember for next time… Granted, I think they may be due in part to the mushy overload that is our brain right now – a combination of pre-trip planning & packing, travel weariness, beginning of the trip childlike giddiness, and disconnecting from our everyday lives. However, they are important lessons nonetheless. Here’s what we have so far:

1. Always bring a backpack with you wherever you go.
2. Be prepared with more snacks/food than you think you might need.
3. Keep sunscreen in the truck for use whenever you leave the vehicle for any length of time and do not have your entire body covered with clothing.

And the lesson of the day…

  4. Put four new tires on the camper before leaving on a long road trip.

Let me explain. On our trip to Garden of the Gods, we were all so excited to be out hiking that we temporarily lost our sense for a brief moment – left the camper without a backpack to carry water and snacks and didn’t even think about sunscreen because we were all wearing a fleece outer layer. Then we decided to do a 4-mile hike (which turned into 5-6 miles) and left our lunch in the car, thinking we would be back in time for a picnic. Then, of course, we shed our fleece layers as it warmed up and ended up with pink arms by the end of the day (poor Abby got the worst of it). From now on, we will definitely be following the Boy Scout motto of “be prepared.”

And yesterday… the tires. Thankfully, it wasn’t an emergency situation – but rather a routine check that led us to put three new tires on the camper in Gunnison, CO (we replaced one before leaving). Matt had been checking the others, and they still looked good… until one didn’t. So, he changed a tire in the parking lot of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument while the kids worked on their Junior Ranger program booklets, and called ahead to Gunnison to have three new tires waiting for us upon arrival – just to be safe.

It was a long day of driving yesterday through the mountains of Colorado – longer than we had anticipated, but the scenery was absolutely breathtaking all the way to Grand Junction. The stop at Florissant Fossil Beds was a great opportunity to learn about life 35 million years ago. Did you know that there used to be TseTse flies in Colorado? Our Junior Paleontologists-in-training now know. We were fascinated watching the Richardson ground squirrels that looked and behaved very much like miniature prairie dogs. And we made the best of our stop in Gunnison by treating ourselves to a lunch of Chinese food across the street from the tire shop – which led to leftovers for dinner (fabulous for a later-than-anticipated arrival time in Moab).