Grand Lake

Stacey and I took a few days and had a weekend away together in Grand Lake. We left the kids at home as a test run for leaving for Spokane a week later. I had a race in Kremmling not far away, so it only made sense for us to add another night or two to the trip and make it a weekend.

We didn't do very much outside of my bike race except chill, walk around and enjoy some good food, and then an early morning hike before driving back home. It was nice to get away for a few days. It's a really pretty place and not very busy since it's out of the way for most people living on the front range.

Tucson or Bust

This year was a bust! I drove down to Tucson early again and got in a few rides. However, the night of the Superbowl I got sick, so I decided to leave early and drive back home. I missed the team camp later in the week, but really only missed Saturday and Sunday, since Friday was a rainy and wet day. Next year.

DECA Orlando

Rocky Mountain National Park

Today we drove into RMNP. Surprisingly, I don't think I've ever been all the way around the park on Trail Ridge Road. Or even spent much time at all in the park itself.

Several weeks ago we all had to log in to their website right at 8 a.m. to get limited car passes to drive up Bear Lake Road and to the trailhead. This was the main attraction, and although it was a decent drive all the way around to the other side of the park, it was definitely worth it.

Not much else happened on the drive there and back. There were a few stops, but being locals, it was just another pretty view and one similar to what you can see on any number of 14er hikes. However, the trail to Emerald Lake and back was exceptional. We had lunch out of the back of our cars before catching the shuttle to the trailhead.

Grandma stayed behind with Huey while the rest of us hiked past Nymph Lake, Dream Lake and Emerald Lake. Dream Lake was my favorite of all of them. It had crystal clear waters and the best backdrop. We all found a good spot for a family picture down by the water. I would definitely recommend doing this hike.

4th of July in Granby

This year the entire family planned a short vacation over the holiday weekend. There were lots of festivities for the 4th, a gravel race for me, and Rocky Mountain National Park all within a short drive of the Air BnB we rented for the long weekend. Michelle and Huey even joined from California.

The first event on the calendar was s traditional small town 4th of July Parade. There were lots of horses, big vehicles, and even a few Denver Nuggets Cheerleaders were involved. Near the end we were treated to an unexpected flyover by two F-16s. In the end, the dogs were even involved.

Stacey also took a nice picture of the kids in front of Grand Lake, which was closer to where we were staying. This area on the backside of Rocky Mountain National Park is one of my favorite places in Colorado. It's harder to get to, so quieter, but it has some of the best water and scenery around. I'd like to go back again and do some exploring on my bike.

Jungle Tour and Snorkeling

The other activity we chose to do was speed boats along the water out to a snorkeling point (and back). I had a lot of fun driving a boat for the first time.

We took the local bus from the hotel to Aqua World a few miles away. I think it was $1 a person and a pretty short ride. The bus was either filled with local hotel workers or tourists.

The group of us were taken along the waterways by a guide. It was simply follow the leader after learning a few common hand signals such as slow down and speed up. We got to go past a lot of other hotels, a really peaceful lagoon, followed by a James Bond-esque high speed chase out to the snorkel point.

The snorkeling was fun, but average, if you happen to have lived in Hawaii and done a lot of snorkeling. But I think this might have been the first time for the kids. I ended up buying the professional photo and video they made of our trip and us. It was a little pricey, but these guys had a boat and a drone out there taking footage of us and I couldn't pass that up as my souvenir from the trip.

Parasailing in Cancun

One of the activities we did on site (or on beach) was parasailing. 

Jonathan and I did it together while the girls preferred to stay on the soft sand. It was a little nerve racking, and seemed pretty short, but it was a good time. I didn't have the courage to take pictures of the views for fear of accidentally dropping my phone. I wonder how many phones are at the bottom of this ocean?

We had an exciting ride through the waves on a jet ski just to get out to the boat. Sometimes at the start the bench we were sitting in tilted left or right just enough to make you feel uncomfortable that it might tip hundreds of feet above the ocean. Otherwise it was a blast. Included: a few other pictures in portrait mode.

Cancun Mexico

Spring Break! This year we decided to do something very different and book an all-inclusive resort in Cancun. We stayed at the Wyndham Alltra in the Hotel Zone for about a week.

The sunrises were amazing and the food was pretty good. Although we talked about the possibility of doing some activities elsewhere, and/or renting a car, we mostly just stayed at the hotel and played in the pool, sat on the beach, and took advantage of what we had available close by.

I'll make a few posts with pictures grouped by type. Here are the pictures of the sunrises, which were great to wake up to, along with coffee from the in house coffee shop.

Tuscon Team Camp

I headed down to Tucson for the second straight year for some riding and some fun. Getting outside in the sun and riding my bike with a bunch of teammates is such a nice change.

This year I drove down, stopping in Albuquerque both ways. The drive was pretty easy and I preferred it to flying in many ways. You can bring pretty much whatever you want.

The team camp this year was similar to 2024. Since I have a lot of pictures to share, I'm breaking it up into three posts so I can talk a little bit about the trip.

Justin and I went down separately, but earlier than most people. I drove down over the Super Bowl weekend, which meant a nice long ride around The Loop on Sunday before the game. We met up with Justin's friend, and former Colorado resident, Nate at his property for a ride on Wednesday. Erik joined us for the windy spin too. Most of these pictures are of the route out to Silver Bell Mine or at the BnB that he runs and manages.

A few of these other pictures are of me and Justin riding around The Loop the day Justin arrived or up around Dove Mountain where I stayed before joining the team house.