Family travel | Life Elevated Mom

Family reunion-ing in Estes Park

April 4, 2016 by Amber

For Valentine’s Day weekend, the entire Johnson clan got together for a grand vacation. YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park generously offered us one of their 8-bedroom reunion cabins for the three day weekend and we had a blast hanging out together while exploring the area. Estes Park is bordered by three sides of Rocky Mountain National Park, which makes YMCA of the Rockies the perfect family vacation with affordable cabins, lodge rooms, meals and family activities.

Read my official trip report at Mile High Mamas with details on our amazing cabin that was larger than many hotels! (Ignore my shaky camerawork).

My family has been to this location several times in the summer but never in winter so I was excited to try out snowshoeing and fat tire biking. It didn’t happen. There was very little snow and the bane to my existence: wind. I went for daily treks around the property but that was it. The weather even kept me from doing one of the most gorgeous hikes in Colorado that is located on property: a quick (but steep) trek up Bible Point, a 1.5-mile round-trip hike with stunning views.

Fortunately, the weather can rage and you can still find plenty of fun; the great thing about YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park is there is something for everyone. We spent Friday afternoon touring Estes Parks’ multiple candy shops (I’ve declared this town the Taffy Capital of Colorado), playing brain-bender games at Frames, Games & Things Unnamed and watching a fascinating demonstration on how to blow glass at Mountain Blown Glass.

Once back at YMCA of the Rockies, we spent hours in the craft center. We headed over to the Longhouse Building where we roller-skated and played pickleball.

We tried our hand at volleyball. Basketball. Shuffleboard.

We became animal detectives and learned about their tracks. We did a craft to create our spirit animals.

Animal Detectives

On Sunday, we planned to drive to nearby Rocky Mountain National Park but it started snowing and blowing so we watched movies in our cabin, played games and completed a 1,000-piece puzzle. The other grown-ups did, that is. Though I made several attempts, I did not contribute even one puzzle piece.

Puzzle from hell

We had meaningful family time as well. Jamie’s dad did a presentation on our family tree and genealogy.

We celebrated Valentine’s Day with a fondue dinner and decorated cookies.

And the twins and I (who were born on my birthday) were thrown a cute little surprise party.

Please excuse my birthday hat; the only way to fit it on my gargantuan cranium is to wear it like a unicorn horn.

We had the perfect, low-key and fun family reunion. The funny thing is my very first family reunion with the Johnsons was at YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center about 10 years ago. It has taken us this long to do it again. Here’s for hoping we’ll do it again. Much sooner.

Filed Under: Family travel

Winter Adventures in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

February 9, 2016 by Amber

One of my family’s goals is to ski all 25 of Colorado’s mountain resorts. We only have a handful left that include several of our state’s smaller ski areas which are perfect for families.

Last weekend, we played in Glenwood Springs, about three hours from Denver. I’ve been a longtime fan of this area in the summer–from incredible hiking to the World’s largest natural hot springs to Glenwood Caverns, an adventure park on top of a mountain with cave tours, thrill rides, alpine coasters, laser tag and much more.

Mile High Mamas has frequently touted Sunlight Mountain Resorts’ Ski, Swim and Stay package as Colorado’s most affordable family ski vacation (normal rates start at just $99 and kids 12 and under ski free). However, it wasn’t until last weekend that we could finally personally endorse this staycation.

Read my full article here at Mile High Mamas!

Two days before our trip, I was contacted by the resort’s PR rep Troy who asked if a camera crew could follow us around for a couple of days. They had been hired by Colorado Ski Country USA to capture family adventures at many of their resorts. Since we’re not exactly media-shy, we were game and I was delighted to learn Heidi was one of the producers, a spunky gal I’d worked with at 9News. Her partner in crime was Juliana Broste, a talented freelance video journalist whose life I should have lived during my single days.

Having your very own camera crew is a double-edged sword. How cool is it that we’ll have this trip professionally documented? But that came with a lot of patience as we waited for them to setup the scene, grab the right equipment and, on the rare occasion, redo a shot.

Of course, that do-over was racing side-by-side on our snowmobiles across Baylor Park’s powder-perfect playground so it wasn’t all bad!

Great love hath no man than when your snowmobling guide Ty offered to warm up Hadley’s cold fingers in his armpits.

Read all about our adventures at Mile High Mamas but something I didn’t go into to much depth about was The Crash. We truly had the most epic snowmobiling adventure ever and were traveling single-file back to our cars on the groomed terrain. Jamie and Bode had fallen a bit behind the group (a rarity because usually he was leaving us in his dust) and there were a couple of tight turns that, had I not been behind the guide, might have landed me in the dunk as well. When you have three feet of powder right off the trail, a misstep is easy and that’s what happened to the boys as they didn’t make a sharp turn and slid down a small slope. Jamie didn’t have enough time to hit the “kill” button, Bode slammed into him (momentarily blacking out) while the snowmobile hit a tree off the trail, throwing Jamie from the machine.

Miraculously, Bode was unhurt, Jamie banged up his lip, jaw and knee and the snowmobile had been wedged at just the right angle to not cause any damage. (Read Jamie’s infamous one-liner about it at Mile High Mamas).

Getting it out was another matter.

We had two guides, A.J. and Tyler. I was near the front with A.J. and when he saw the boys and Ty weren’t behind us, he halted our group and raced back. Minutes ticked by as my apprehension grew. I knew something happened to the boys because it was only them and Ty at the rear of the pack. About 20 minutes later, A.J. rode back, telling us they had crashed, they were fine, but they needed help getting the snowmobile out and grabbed Troy. We were so relieved when they finally emerged. It was such a bummer ending to the perfect snowmobiling day but our guides handled everything like pros.

The real downer was when Jamie couldn’t ski with us at Sunlight Mountain Resort the next day and instead spent it soaking in Glenwood Hot Springs and getting a massage at their Spa (so don’t feel too badly for him). The kids and I fell in love with this 680-acre resort (where they even skied their first double-black diamond!) The weather was perfect, our camera crew was a blast and the terrain was so fun.

First double-black diamond

Hadley had a GoPro attached to her chest while all of us got to experiment skiing with a selfie stick. Tip: don’t look at the camera, look at where you’re going. Seems like a no-brainer until you’re brainless on the slopes holding a camera in front of your face.

We had originally planned to hit Glenwood Caverns that evening but decided it would be in Jamie’s best interest to have another soak. This time, we headed over to Glenwood Springs’ newest hot spot Iron Mountain Hot Springs. With 16 mineral hot springs pools of various temperatures and a freshwater family pool overlooking the Colorado River, we were in heaven as the town’s annual fireworks display was shot from nearby Two Rivers Park in conjunction with the Sunlight Mountain 2015 Ski Spree.

Put this particular weekend on your calendar to visit Glenwood Springs next year. I know we’ll be there.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Jamie, skiing

Ultimate Family Fun at Snow Mountain Ranch

January 29, 2016 by Amber

If you’re going to die (of laughter) I highly suggest bareling into a three-foot grave of snow. My friend Sheree were attempting Snow Mountain Ranch’s new Fat Bkes and were on our umpteenth wipe-out as we sluggishly plowed through the powder playground.

I’ve long touted YMCA of the Rockies’ two locations–Snow Mountain Ranch (between Winter Park and Grand Lake) and the Estes Park Center–as Colorado’s most affordable and fun vacations. My family has been to Snow Mountain Ranch’s 5,100-acre expanse several times but we upped the fun factor by inviting two other families to join us in our revelries. We had the time of our lives–from a free movie (Nemo) in the Programs building to dog sledding to tubing, cross-country skiing and biking at the Nordic Center, to colorful creations at the Craft Shop to late-night Scrabble showdowns at Indian Peaks Lodge to rollerskating, archery, basketball, volleyball, ping, ping pong, archery and rock climbing in the Kiva Center (click top image for slideshow).

All these activities were within a 24-hour period so were intermingled with a few exhausted meltdowns (from parents and kids) because every amazing vacation needs some healthy doses of reality, right?

Colorado’s most affordable dog sledding

Now in its fourth season, Snow Mountain Ranch’s chapelain Steve Peterson has made dog sledding accessible to a broader audience. While most dog sledding outfitters start at $150/person, SMR is just $30. Longer, advanced routes or group sessions are also available but the standard ride is offered twice weekly and is a fantastic option for first-time riders ages 6 and older.

We registered the week prior but were told to arrive at the Doade Library well before the 8:30 a.m. presentation to add our names to the list to determine our riding order. Our 30-minute orientation by Steve is open was as informative as it was entertaining as he reviewed the terminology of mushing such as the gang and tug lines, shared a few entertaining horror stories of his own learning curve, as well as an inspiring message about the importance of the lead dogs, being leaders in our communities and perseverance. Following his overview, we waited. Our group was smack in the middle of the 26 time slots so we stayed entertained by watching a movie, downing hot cocoa, burning s’mores by the firepit and making darling dog sled Popsicle stick and necklace crafts. Even if you’re not dog sledding, anyone can attend the presentation and do crafts.

Each sled can carry up to 250 pounds in addition to the driver so my husband and I went separately. My kids rode together with my son in the front bucket with the musher in the middle and my daughter standing on the back rails. They had the privilege of dog sledding a couple of years ago in Breckenridge so I was worried their experience along this 2-mile loop would be anti-climactic but I needn’t have fretted. Following their thrilling ride, they proclaimed they’re “Mushers for Life.”

As I boarded my sled, the dogs errupted in pandemonium, which was replaced by a sense of sudden, efficient shared purpose. They took off, the tow line snapped taut and I nearly fell backward as I clung for dear life. Almost immediately the pace slowed as the dogs ran quietly, tongues flapping, paws flashing. The weather was idyllic as we soared across that snowy expanse under a chemical-blue sky in a white-flecked pine forest. Our sled dogs obediently responded to our mushing commands “Gee!” “Haw,” first turning right, then left as we flew across those tussocks of tundra-like landscape in a flash of sheer mountain majesty.

Fat Bike Delusions of Grandeur

Every time I bike through a Colorado resort town in winter, I see locals braving baneful conditions on their Fat Bikes with sturdy tires the size of snowcats. In my Canadian-born (insane) mind I think, “that looks like fun!” Fat Bikes are certainly entertaining but are a lot of other adjectives, too. Tiring. Hilarious. Humbling.

Snow Mountain Ranch is in its first full season with their Fat Bike Program. The bikes come in three different adults sizes and are available for rent at the Nordic Center: $60/full day, $40 half day or $20/hour. My friend Sheree and I figured one hour would be enough time to conquer the 10 km of trails dedicated to Fat Bikes and I ignorantly tossed my map to the side. That was my first mistake. Sheree’s first mistaken was following me–guns and Fat Bike blazing–down the steep hill in front of the Nordic Center.

We started strong along the narrow path but not even 10 minutes into the ride, I heard a squeal, followed by silence and turned to see Sheree and her bike buried. “How did that happen?” I wondered but five seconds later, my tire veered an inch off the path and I, too was in the dunk. We learned very quickly that on either side of the soft-pack narrow trail was three feet of softer, fluffy powder that doubled as a sticky mosh pit. As long as we stayed on the trail, we were OK…until we encountered other variables, such as hikers’ footprints and then our wheels got stuck, we would pedal viciously and then our bikes tipped over.

After a particularly difficult patch, I was relieved to see a small hill with smooth trail. “I’ve got this” as I brazenly plowed downhill and all was going well until my tire veered slightly off the trail, it sunk about a 10 inches and my bike and I flipped over in a move only attempted by Cirque du Soleil performers. Besides my pride, I was unhurt but that was when we acknowledged “We have a problem, Houston.”

Sheree and I turned around soon thereafter and continued to slide ‘n slide away. As we we neared the Nordic Center she had yet another wipeout and just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did when we realized we had an audience. Perched atop the hill was our beloved family. Our two sweet boys raced down to greet us and trailed us back up the hill.

We later learned that we had taken the most advanced route possible while our friend Andrew, himself an advanced rider, took a leisurely, hard-packed loop near the Nordic Center and his breezy, easy ride was a much different experience that didn’t include face-plant snow angels.

His loss. I haven’t laughed so hard in years.

Lodging

Many of Snow Mountain Ranch’s activities are free with lodging and day passes are available for those who don’t stay overnight. Accommodation rates vary depending upon the time of year and day of the week. Lodge rooms start at $79, 2-bedroom cabins at $159 and 3-bedroom vacation homes at $259. Guests staying in lodge rooms receive two free breakfasts for each night booked. Yurts are $99/night and campsites start at $49/night.

Parting Words

The only thing that sucked about Snow Mountain Ranch?

The tire swing.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel

January 2016: Eldora, Snow Mountain and Stress!

January 27, 2016 by Amber

My friend Jenny pinged me on Facebook to see if I was dead because I’ve been MIA from social media and life this month. I can’t believe January 2016 is almost over! We’re still undergoing so much financial and life stress but the good news is I’m feeling relatively peaceful about everything. After all, moving into my parent’s basement is always an option, right? 😉

February looks to be even busier with back-to-back trips including a family reunion where we’ll be entertaining Jamie’s family for several days. So, I’m trying to get caught up as I tread water. One of the nice things is we didn’t enroll the kids in any activities except for piano and church commitments so we’re not overextended with our schedule. That’s what spring sports are about.

Following the overindulgent holidays, I announced I wouldn’t be buying any treats for a while and if the kids wanted them, they’d be in charge of making it happen. Little did I know that would motivate Hadley to become a Chef Extraordinaire and she’s always in the kitchen these days making goodies from scratch: cinnamon buns, monkey bread, Rice Krispie treats and gingerbread…completely by herself. Who knew she had it in her? The only downside is the kitchen always looks like a bomb went off.

A couple of fun things: While Jamie volunteered to go winter camping with the Scouts, the kids and I opted for what we thought was the more sane option of skiing Eldora Mountain Resort. Turns out we were wrong. Normally, this is an awesome local’s ski mountain just outside of Boulder, Colo. but the weather, wind and snow did NOT cooperate, causing us to go home after only a half-day. Serious bummer! Maybe we should have worn Jamie’s arctic jacket.

Last weekend, we invited a couple of families from our ward to join us for an amazing weekend at YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch. We dog sledded, tubed, skied, skated, fat tire biked, crafted, movie-watched, game-played, rock climbed, roller-skated and it was truly the highlight of our month. Snow Mountain Ranch deeply moves me in ways I can’t quite describe and I told Jamie it was in my Top 3 Favorite Places in Colorado, with Crested Butte and The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs as my other two top picks.

The only thing that sucked about Snow Mountain Ranch?

The tire swing.

Filed Under: Family travel

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2015 by Amber

What to say about 2015? We had a cram-packed year of work, school, church, travel and pumpkins. Always, always pumpkins.

We have visited Mexico, Canada, Disneyland and Moab, as well as many Colorado camping and ski trips. Hadley and Bode competed in the Kids Adventure Games as they mountain biked, ziplined, Tyrolean Traversed, mudpitted, underground river hiked, slip ‘n slided, climbed and conquered their way through Vail.

This year has had a lot of highs and a few lows (usually health-related) but we feel blessed to be surrounded by beloved friends and family!

Moab, Utah

Banff National Park, Canada

Cancun dorks

Bode. (Age 9, fourth grade)

Lover of soccer, student council, Clash of Clans, Cub Scouts, making movies, skiing, piano, biking, pumpkins, birthdays at the Lakehouse and his buddies. Nicknamed “the human calculator” by his peers due to his math aptitude. Milestones: Spent an extra week with Grandma J. in Utah before flying home by himself. Begged to join the cross-country team at school, to which I responded, “you know that’s running, right?” As it turns out, he’s actually pretty speedy when he remembers not to knock his head around like a Bobblehead.

Avid4 Adventure Camp

Elbow Falls, Canada

Kids Adventure Games

Hadley. (Age 11, sixth grade)

Lover of carbs, drawing dragons, volleyball, Fablehaven books, cross-country, Minecraft, surfing at the Lakehouse, skiing, huge growth spurts, birthdays at AAA Five-Diamond The Broadmoor, overnight horse camp at Camp Chief Ouray, Outdoor Lab class trip and sleeping in. Milestone: She trained and climbed her first 14er (14,000-foot peak) this summer, leaving her altitude-sick mom in her dust. Had the biggest transition of everyone as she transferred from her Waldorf back to our public school. Exceeded expectations, adapting quickly to new friends and more rigorous academics. Except math, which is a bit of a struggle. Good thing she has a human calculator for a brother.

Kids Adventure Games, Vail

Rigorous Ha Ling Summit, Canada

Amber

Lover of all things outdoors, skiing, biking, birthdays at luxury ski resorts and weekly hikes with friends. Still running MileHighMamas.com (Colorado’s social media community for moms), frequent contributor to 9New and area media outlets. Memorable solo press trips home to Canada and New Mexico. Cub Scout leader at church but does more wrangling than leading. Milestone: Survived solo 3,000-mile road-trip to Canada with the kids…and had the time of her life doing it. Traveled to Aspen for a girls’ weekend with friends for a 7-mile Mudderella competition. Also climbed a 14er with Hadley and Jamie and lived to tell the tale. And that story (almost) had a few expletives in it.

14,036 Mount Sherman

Winter media trip to Lake Louise, Canada

Aspen birthday

Jamie

Lover of nada. At least that was his response when I asked him for newsletter updates and he confessed, “I’ve got nothin’.” Works long hours building his successful web development business Pixo Web Design and Strategy while battling a bad back and rheumatism. Fun-loving father, awesome traveler and busy at church as Priest Adviser and Stake Technology Clerk. Had a disappointing year in the patch when the neighbor’s dog (literally) ate his pumpkin, followed by irrigation problems. Still managed to grow a beast but the man will not rest until he has a state record, which means neither will the rest of us. He’s especially not bitter about his December birthdays stuck at home with Fat Kitty.

Delicate Arch, Moab

Surfin’ Okanogan Lake, Canada

Fat Kitty

Still fat. Lover of Jamie.

Aunt Lisa

We’re including Jamie’s sister to our family newsletter because she is currently living with us. Sold her house in the spring, quit her job and went to Europe. Now that she’s back in Colorado, she says the highlight of her year is cohabitating with the coolest family on the planet. Well, that’s a loose translation of what she mumbles when we’re bouncing off the walls at 6:30 a.m. before school.

Lisa speaks her truth

We wish you and yours the happiest of Christmas seasons as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Love,

The Johnsons

Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada

Magical birthday at the Canada lakehouse

Filed Under: Bode, Family travel, Favorite Posts, Hadley, holidays, Humor, Jamie, LDS

Winter Park Resort: The Ultimate Family Vacation

December 17, 2015 by Amber

As I reached the crest of the first hill, I briefly paused to marvel at my exuberant family breaking trail. The snow whirled around them, casting alabastrine shadows that dipped and rose with the terrain as they hopscotched their way on skis down the mountain.

We were in Grand County. As the closest major destination resort to Denver, the Winter Park area is a veritable winter wonderland with a bevy of activities for the entire family–from snowmobiling to free ice skating at Cooper Creek Square to careening down Colorado’s fastest sledding hill at Colorado Adventure Park to warming up at the Foundry Cinema and Bowl. Our weekend was full of fun, laughter and (mis)adventures.

And yes, I’m referring to when I got locked in the bathroom at Zephyr Mountain Lodge and the kids thoughtfully fed me Starburst under the door. It’s weekends likes ours where memories are made.

CLICK TO KEEP READING with many more misadventures along the way. Tree bashing and creek jumping, anyone?

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, skiing

The perfect winter day near Denver: Sledding Meyers Ranch Park + Country Road Cafe

December 2, 2015 by Amber

Have I mentioned how much I love winter and snow? Jamie summarized it best when he said I have a temperate zone of about two degrees and I’m either too hot or too cold…until it’s a chilly 20 degrees F and I’m just right.

On Saturday, we invited our neighbors the Morgans to come play with us in the foothills near Denver. We’ve adored this family since our neighborhood was built 12 years ago but they are always crazy busy–if they’re not working, they’re working harder on extraordinary renovations in their home (it’s Meredith who does the over-the-top outdoor movie nights in the summer).

So we decided it was high-time to relieve them of their overachieving ways and come play. One upon a time, we got into a battle about who had the best breakfast place. We raved about our beloved Country Road Cafe while they boasted McCoys had the best eats in Denver. Eight years ago, we visited McCoys with them (very, very good) and we finally did Country Road Cafe last weekend.

Since Colorado had a glorious dump of snow over Thanksgiving, we decided to hit the hills…the sledding hills to be exact. Meyer Ranch Park in Conifer (about 20 minutes from Denver) has an awesome sledding hill but when we stepped out of the car, we wondered “is it steep enough?” Believe me, when the powder has been compacted, careening down is plenty fast enough.

The kids all had a blast…well, with the exception of 5-year-old Evan who wiped out on the first run and never fully recovered. The rest of us more than made up for him.

Meredith warmed us up with the most delicious hot chocolate as we settled into our cozy outdoor seating.

Hadley soaking it all in. I have an identical picture of her sipping a pina colada poolside at The Broadmoor.

The girls adventured in the forest.

While my little (snow) angel beckoned me, “Mom, you’ve got to lay down beside me and see this.”

The dark green pine forest and pristine white snow field lured me in as I snuggled up to that boy, marveling at the huge frozen bulbs clinging to branches like wasps’ nests against a bluebird sky.

God is an amazing artist.

I somehow convinced Meredith it was a good ideas for us to sled together. With her in front, we barrelled down that hill, laughing ’til we cried as we soared over bumps, her leg got stuck under the sled and a spray of snow gave us a face-freeze near the bottom.

We were such ridiculous fools that we ordered The Husbands to do the same and I wish I’d video taped their run because it was about the funniest thing I’ve ever seen as Andy claimed they set a landspeed record. That wasn’t too far from the truth!

From there, it was onto Kittredge where we played near Bear Creek.

Meredith had an impressive run on the slide at Kittredge Park.

While Hadley was equally as impressive (getting stuck) on the tire swing.

Of course, the climax of the whole day was introducing Meredith and Andy to Country Road Cafe where we devoured fresh cinnamon rolls, fluffy oversized pancakes, breakfast burritos, pumpkin cheesecake-stuffed French toast and the Timber Ridge Tamale Benedict–Two pork filled tamales topped with two eggs, cheddar-jack cheese, green chili, avocado, salsa and sour cream drizzle.

Suffice it to say, our overworked friends are now converts to the playing way of life.

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, outdoors

Season of the Force: Our Foray to the Dark Side

November 18, 2015 by Amber

When Disneyland invites you to preview their new “Season of the Force” where Star Wars takes over Tomorrowland, you GOOO (even if it means taking a big chunk out of your Christmas budget).

We decided to keep our trip a secret from the kids but have spent the last month watching all six Star Wars movies in preparation. On Thursday morning, Jamie and I walked to Hadley’s room at 4:30 a.m. with our creepy Mickey Mouse ears. As we started to sing “M-I-C, K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E,” she groaned and whined as always…until Jamie exclaimed, “Do you wanna go to Disneyland?!”

That kid leaped out of bed, thus confirming that she really is a morning person when properly motivated.

Don’t miss our Foray to the Dark Side (you’ll be surprised just who was good and who was bad), my new love affair with Hyperspace Mountain and so much more to come about our amazingly fun weekend at Disneyland.

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I braced myself for the long, murky descent to the Dark Side on Hyperspace Mountain. “C’mon, Mom. This will be FUN!” my daughter Hadley goaded her spineless mother.

My family was previewing Disneyland’s “Season of the Force,” what Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering Scott Towbridge describes as “it’s basically as if ‘Star Wars’ took over Tomorrowland.” From the new footage of the not-yet released movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens to re-imagined Hyperspace Mountain to Star Wars: Path of the Jedi at Tomorrowland Theatre, fans have a lot of celebrate with new attractions, thrills, dining options and character encounters.

The Season of the Force kicked off on Nov. 16 and here’s what you can expect in Tomorrowland’s galaxy far, far away.

Hyperspace Mountain

The most hyped change is that Space Mountain has transformed into Hyperspace Mountain. As the only person in America who hated this ride (darkness + rollercoasters = my nightmare), I underwent an evolution…and a revolution. Purists can breathe a sigh of relief because the intergalactic experience is still pitch black but the electronic-infused soundtrack is gone and in its place, an order from Admiral Ackbar to explore the presence of an Imperial Star Destroyer outside of planet Jakku (home to new Star Wars: The Force Awakens character Rey).

After being blasted out of hyperspace and into a barrage of imperial fighters (realistic wall projections), I was on a reconnaissance mission, joining a battle between Rebel X-wings and Imperial TIE fighters with the Star Destroyer looming forebodingly in the distance. The ride came to a climactic end as I was caught in the crossfire of red versus green blasters.

The best news is I was so busy having the time of my life that I forgot to be terrified. There may yet be hope for the galaxy.

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Lightsaber construction

What would Season of the Force be without a new addition to Star Tours, the popular 3D motion-simulated space flight? Without revealing too many spoilers, this popular attraction now features a new scene from Star Wars: The Force Awakens on the planet Jakku with cameos from soon-to-be-favorite characters. Step aside R2-D2: BB-8 is giving you a run for your money!

Following Star Tours, we toured the gift shop where we found signed memorabilia and studio models. The kids customized their own lightsabers starting at $25. Not only do their Jedi weapons light up but also make sounds that correlate to their movements…which are usually targeted right at their aforementioned spineless mother.

Star Wars Launch Bay

Credit: Disneyland

Over at Tomorrowland’s Innoventions building, Star Wars Launch Bar has taken over with special exhibits, recreations of props and costumes, visits with Darth Vader or Chewbacca (warning: the lines are long), sneak peeks at the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, shop models and so much more. In the Dark Side gallery, check-out Stormtrooper armor and Sith lightsabers, then head over to the Light Side for Rebel flight helmets and Jedi lightabers.

We could have spent hours exploring the various exhibits but my kids’ energy levels were waning…until my son Bode encountered demos of current and upcoming Star Wars video games. And then we couldn’t drag him out of the Star Wars Launch Bay.

Out-of-this World Eats

Tomorrowland Terrace has been converted to the Galactic Grill with options like the First Order Specialty Burger (angus beef and chorizo patty, fried cherry peppers and spicy-lime aioli on a dark bun) or the Jedi Order grilled chicken sandwich (five-spiced chicken breast, fried green beans, pickled red onions, watercress and Wasabi mayo). The kids opted for the AT-ST Chicken Walker Nuggets, Han Burger and the Pastry Menace (eclaire filled with spicy milk chocolate).

Our fan favorites were the beverages where it came down to good versus evil. My husband and Hadley stayed with The Light Side–all-natural Odwalla lemonade and granny smith apple with yogurt meteors and a souvenir light up Millennium Falcon. Bode and I took a turn to The Dark Side with all-natural Odwalla lemonade and strawberry with a souvenir light up Death Star (both keepsakes glowed for hours).

A family divided yet united in our love for Disneyland’s new Season of the Force.

The Force Lives On

It’s no secret that Star Wars is coming to Disneyland in a big way with their new Star Wars-themed lands. The groundbreaking is scheduled for 2016 in what will be their largest single-land expansion ever.

The park has not announced an end date to Season of the Force. Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple” will open on Dec. 8 with Darth Vader and the Seventh Sister Inquisitor, a new villain from the Disney XD series, “Star Wars Rebels.” Be sure to follow the Disney Park Blog for updates.

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Disney is the Happiest Place on Earth…until you get lost in the chaos. Don’t miss 10 ways to navigate Disney’s crowds from Jamie at Love of the Mouse.

Filed Under: Family travel

Devil’s Head Tower Lookout’s Cut of Fall Heaven

October 27, 2015 by Amber

I’ve wanted to do the 2.8-mile round-trip hike to Devil’s Head Tower Lookout for several years. As one of the last of the seven original Front Range Lookout towers still in service, this hike is a popular one but it’s a 1.5 hour drive from our house. Finding time and willing participants have been issues so 1) we raced over late afternoon after church and 2) I bribed my family to go.

I loved everything about this hike and one advantage of leaving later in the day was we almost had this hike to ourselves. This hike was a new favorite.

From the views of the Rampart Range along the way.

To the fall colors.

To the fascinating tornado takedown.

To the 143 steps to get to heaven.

To the 103-year-old lookout tower that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

If you’re in the Denver area, this hike is a must. And worth the bribes to get there.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, outdoors

Oh Canada: The edition not in Canada

October 20, 2015 by Amber

When you drive 3,000+ miles alone with the kids, there are certain stretches of road that you dread. Mine is the 11-hour drive from Vernon, B.C. through the wastelands of Washington and Oregon before landing in Boise.

The bad: Waking up at 4 a.m. to drop Jamie at the Kelowna airport for his 6 a.m. flight.

The good: There were no suicidal, cliff-jumping cows like last year.

The debatable: Whenever we’ve passed Dry Falls in years past, there’s always been a lot of cars so we pulled over at this pitstop in Central Washington. We learned Dry Falls was once five times the size of Niagara Falls. During the Ice Age. I’m not sure if this was a letdown or fascinating marketing about an enormous waterfall that is no longer there.

Boise

Once we finally arrived in Boise, we overnighted with my former mission companion Katie’s family. The kids pressured me to play BeanBoozled (the worst game ever) where we ate such memorable jelly bellies like booger. Grass. Vomit. And those were the good ones.

Fortunately, the rest of our visit wasn’t nearly as traumatic.

Twin Falls

From there, we did a slight detour to play in the Snake River with my friend Jenny near Twin Falls. Driving along I-84, I thought this area was an arid wasteland but how very, very wrong I was. Unlike Dry Falls (read: NO FALLS), Shoshone Falls is 212 feet high–45 feet higher than Niagara Falls and at its peak, it flows over the rim 1,000 feet wide.

My outdoorsy kids met their match (and were exceeded) with Jenny’s wonderfully wild Idaho kids.

Here, Bode is playing with one of her twins in the Snake River in a stirring portrait I call “Synchronized Mud Flinging.” His sister (on the receiving end) had another name for it.

Salt Lake City

I wish we could have stayed longer but it was onto Utah for a quick two days with Jamie’s wonderful family where the kiddos snuggled with their cousin Darby for the first time.

And I sneaked in a quick hike to the Living Room in my former home.

Normally we’ll stay in Salt Lake City for several days but we were crunched on time. Bode was staying an extra week with Grandma and flying home by himself while Hadley and I were racing back so she could climb her first 14er.