We were supposed to go to South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, Wall Drug, etc.) on vacation this year. This was going to be the first vacation EVER that I planned where we had NO reservations made, for anywhere. We were just going to "wing it" every day and every night. I had a general idea of where about we might end up each day, but if we didn't make it that far, or if we chose to go further, that would be fine. One of the reasons for this "careless" sort of trip is that our girls both play softball. And their playoffs might last a couple days or over a week. Last year, we ended up missing B1's last game of the playoffs, which her team lost 4-3. We wonder if she would have been there, would it have made a difference? Who knows. We simply didn't want to be in this same boat this year with either one of our daughters. Knowing that in previous years, the playoffs are usually over shortly after the St. Jacob Homecoming, we felt confident in saying that we would leave sometime this week, but preferably early in the week.
Well, that's not going to happen. Thier playoffs were supposed to begin last Wednesday. It rained that day, which pushed everything to Thursday. B1's team lost on Thursday; B2's team won. It's a double-elimination tournament. After Thursday, B1 played again on Sunday (won) while B2 played again on Saturday (lost). Now they both had one loss. Another would end the season for either one of them. Next games......both on Monday night (tonight). B1's team won tonight, knocking out a team that I thought might have a good chance to be champions. B2's team lost, knocking our team out and honestly, I thought we might have a good chance to be champions. Anyway.....we are still playing, B1 at least. And the next game is now Wednesday. If they win, they would have to turn around and play the same team again the following night. If they win then, they would be the champions. Whew! So.....this could take us all the way through Thursday night.
Knowing all of this, I determined that our big family summer vacation would continue to be pushed back more and more. And although we are both teachers and have the whole summer "off", we still need to be back by a certain date so that B1 can prepare for middle school softball tryouts. Also, Bruce and I have a concert to go to in Metropolis, IL on August 1. I saw it coming and began speaking to Bruce about what we might do. Do we just up and leave, and leave the girls' teams without them? Not that they couldn't survive without our girls in the least, but still, we are trying to teach some sort of teamwork and commitment here too. Tough decision.
What to do, what to do? So here's what we came up with: scratch South Dakota altogether. Instead, let's FLY to Colorado! Yeah, fly! The girls have never flown before and B2 is a little freaked about it. But she'll be OK. We are going to leave on Friday, fly to Denver, rent a car, and drive, drive, drive. We are going to see A LOT of the state in one week.....Vail, take a mountan jeep tour in Salida, go to the 4 Corners, see Mesa Verde National Park, ride an alpine slide in Durango, do the Durango/Silverton narrow gauge railroad trip, go to the Royal Gorge, gamble in Cripple Creek, see the Garden of the Gods, go to a chuckwagon dinner show, ride the cog to the top of Pikes Peak, see Seven Falls, and see the Air Force Academy. Some of these things may change and some others might be added, we'll just have to see.
Colorado had always been on my list of "vacations I want to take the girls on" so this change is completely fine with me. It's another that I will get to check off my list! In fact, I think I might be more excited about this trip than I was the South Dakota one......which, by the way, is now slated for 2010!
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