The Parrs In Colorado
Day One

The Parrs forlornly said their goodbyes to other Reid family members as the Reid Reunion came to an end. However, we were excited about spending the next five days relaxing, riding, shopping, hiking and sightseeing in the spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and Estes Park (EP).

The first thing on our agenda was a picnic.

We drove toward EP; then turned toward Mary Lake to avoid downtown as we headed for the RMNP.

We wanted to picnic somewhere new to us, but close. We were hungry.

The Upper Beaver Meadows picnic area was a short drive down a gravel road. The view from our picnic table was like this.



We watched horse riders silently string along the tree line across the meadow.

There were only three or four other people even in sight in the small picnic area.

After the picnic, we drove over to Fall River Road to check in to our cabin.

From there Dia and Al made the needed trip to EP to find a laundromat. (If you stay more than a week, you have to do laundry. At least we do, I don't know about you.)

If you have heard Adam and Carrie talk about our vacations, you have heard stories about Mom and Dad's visits to the laundromat.

There was the talkative drunk in Worland, Wy.

There was the sixteen year old girl that operated the full service laundromat in Waterton, Alberta that was full of stories of bears and Waterton.

The most fun we had at a laundromat was watching the volunteer fire department drive slowly all the way around the little town of Lone Pine, Ca. with the sirens blaring looking for the fire. (Turned out there was none.)

The trip to the laundromat in EP was no different. The folks there were friendly. They offered all cleaning services including showers for trail weary campers.

The visit was going quietly. In fact, we were folding our clothes and nearly ready to head back to the cabin, when a van load of teenagers pulled up outside. The first person to exit the van sailed in the door. The young girl stopped in the middle of the room, flung her arms wide, and loudly and desperately proclaimed, "I NEEEEED A SHOWER!"

Go To:

The next day at Adam's Falls

Al and Dia in Big Meadow

Fun at Never Summer Ranch

Driving Trail Ridge Road

To the shore of Lake Hiayaha