Glenwood Springs Colorado

Kefford and I really wanted to have a short little get away before we met up with my family in Utah for Thanksgiving and he found the perfect trip. Kefford booked us train tickets to travel to Glenwood Springs Colorado for a two day get away that was all part of a package deal. Neither of us have traveled by train before and it was a new adventure. After the football game we drove to Salt Lake City and stayed the night at Kenedy and Ty's. We left Rylee with them and Kefford and I got up at 2 in the morning so we could be at the train station by 2:30. We waited there for a bit until the train came in and then we boarded and found our room. When we first looked in I was taken aback by how tiny it was. The beds were already pulled down for us and Kefford and I squeezed our stuff in, he took the top bunk and I got the bottom. I really liked sleeping on the train, it was comfortable and not a bad way to travel. The issue was at 7:00am they started the wake up calls and announcements. I would have liked to have laid in the bed for a couple more hours relaxing but they wanted us up and out so they could turn it over to seats. Kefford and I got up and got dressed and went over to the dining car where we were served breakfast. What was amazing to me was the realization that people still travel by train. I thought this was a train used for cute little get aways and assumed everyone at the train station waiting with us was doing the same thing we were. But people were actually traveling by train to get to destinations because it is cheaper then plane tickets. There was a coach section on the train which had seats that reclined more then a plane but did not go completely down and from what I heard those seats were super cheap. Because we were in a sleeper car our meals were included in the price of our trip but those in clash if they wanted a meal had to pay about $20 for breakfast and Lunch and $40 for dinner. From what I saw most people brought their own food. I was very happy that Kefford booked us the sleeper car and after I got over how tiny it was I enjoyed the cosiness of it.

Kefford took these really pretty pictures of the outside while we were on the train. This train had an observation deck the we could go to and look at the passing scenery which was really nice.

When we reached Glenwood Springs we walked to our Hotel, it was a little bit of a hike but not too bad. I liked the walking after being on the train for so long and I had beautiful scenery to look at.

Kefford and I arrived on Sunday and by the time we got to the hotel it was 4:00ish and we were tired and just wanted to chill so we stayed in our hotel and hung out watching tv and eating snacks I brought. We had a big lunch on the train so we were not super hungry. Kefford did venture out to look around a bit but mostly we just chilled.

The next morning we ate breakfast at the Hotel and then we rode the Gondolas up Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, GCAP was part of the package deal we got and for an up grade of $12 we were able to add unlimited rides on the Alpine Coaster as well as both Cave tours and laser tag. I liked it because it was the off season and so it was not crowded at all, we rode on the Alpine Coaster and it was a lot of fun, it was cold but it wasn't terrible, I wasn't freezing. Because it was the off season we did not have to wait in line longer then a couple of minutes which was nice.

I took a picture of myself on the coaster and I tried to get a picture of Kefford who was behind me but he was too far back and I was not able to turn around to see him because of how I was strapped in, he got a picture of his feet though, so I guess that is something. I didn't get the no picture memo and when I got to the end one of the workers told me I was not allowed to be taking pictures. I wondered if they had cameras watching us and that is how they saw me taking pictures. I really did not know I was not allowed to be taking pictures and I felt bad and made sure the next times we rode that I kept my phone put away, I really try to be a rule follower, I get anxiety when I have people getting after me about anything I do wrong. 

The Adventure Park had some fun picture taking areas and we took a couple of pictures and explored a bit before we went on the cave tours.

GCAP has two caves that you can take tours of, the kings Cave and the Fairy Cave.It was recommended that if you were only going todo one tour that you do the Kings Cave Tour. We had time to do both and so we started with the Kings Cave and then we did the Fairy Cave tour. The same girl did both of our tours and she did great job, I really liked her and her personality, she made it fun and interesting and was easy to listen to. We learned about cave bacon which is formed on the ceilings of the cave and it actually does have the look of bacon just more pale, you can kind of see it in the first picture. The cave also had a lot of stalagmites and stalactites which were pretty cool to see. Towards the end of this tour the girl leaned down and picked up what she said was a bat. I had no reason to not believe her but didn't really care much about it. She held it tight in her hands up against her body and you couldn't really see anything. One of the ladies on the tour was really into it and wanted to touch it and the guide let her with her finger and she was so exciting about touching a bat. After the tour Kefford and I debated about if the bat was real or not, he had his doubts but I said it could have been who was to say. 

One part of the tour was lit up with lights and it was really pretty in the cave to see it lit up.

The second tour was the Fairy tour and I think it was named that because the lights shining from the lanterns the early explorers used made it look like fairy lights all throughout the cave. What gets me is someone looking at a small hole in the earth and thinking to themselves I want to squeeze myself inside and see what I can discover. They found a cave which is cool but it took many hours of squeezing through tight spaces to discover it. The cave was discovered many, many years ago and the first people going on these tours had to squeeze themselves through but luckily for us at some point the owners blasted it more open so we could just walk in. No way would I have ever done it if I had to tightly squeeze my body in through small spaces, I don't care enough about what I could possibly find to go through that torture. This tour did solve the mystery of the bat. At the end of the tour the guide "found" another bat so then I knew it was fake but she fooled the same lady wo was in this tour with us. This lady was so excited about another bat being found, it was pretty comical.

One cool thing about the second cave was one pathway led you through to an opening where you could stand on the side of the mountain and look out. It was beautiful scenery and fun too see. In one of the pictures I took it shows the rollercoaster the Adventure Park has that goes out on the side of the mountain, no thank you. Most of the rides were closed for the season with that being one of them. I might have tried it if it were open just to be adventurous and not a wussy but I guarantee my eyes would have been most likely closed throughout the entire ride.

There were two of these funny men/troll/goblin/giant sculptures at the park but this one was the only one we had access to. He looks kind of cute and friendly, I don't know anything about him but it was a fun picture taking spot.

After we were done with the caves we rode on the alpine coaster again and this time it was not as fun for me. It ws starting to snow and the ice was pelting me in the fave and it stung, I did not like it. After that we went and did laser tag, it was just Kefford and I and I did my best to get a lot of points but Kefford did end up winning. I liked it being just the two of us inside, it made it more fun.

Once we explored all we could explore at the Adventure Park Kefford and I took the Gondolas back down and walked into the city to look around and find someplace for lunch. We passed this Elk statue and Kefford had me take a picture of him with it to send to the kids to see if they could find him.

Glenwood City has a beautiful natural Hot Springs Pool that we heard about on the the train but we did not know about it beforehand to bring swimsuits. I wish we would have because it looked like so much fun and definitely something I wanted to try out. 

After perusing the different places to eat we settled on Slope and Hatch which was a taco place. I got fries with my tacos instead of the chips, if a place is serving fries I have to get them because I love French fries. The fries were good and the tacos started off really god for me but by the time I was halfway through the second one the flavor became too much and it was making me gag a little. Each meal came with two tacos and you had to get the same kind of taco, it would have been nice to have been able to have had two different kinds or even just to be able to get one. I liked the flavor when I started but it was not good by the time I was done and I don't know why.

When it became dark we headed back up the Gondolas because I wanted to see the Park and the view with  the Christmas lights on. It was beautiful and worth going up again to see them. We did ride the Alpine Coaster one more time and my experience was the same as the second time I rode it, being pelted in the face with ice does not feel good, it stung so bad, one of the ice pieces got me in the eye and that really hurt.

The next morning we had to check out of our Hotel by 11 and so we ate breakfast and then packed up and walked back to the train station. Our train was not due until 2:30 so we had a wait at the station. Kefford wanted to go check out the cemetery because it was supposed to have Doc Holliday's grave but my back was hurting and we didn't know how long it would take so I opted to stay at the station. 

It was a lot further then I was expecting and he had to really rush to get to the gravesite and then rush back to the station.

The train got to the station at about 2:30 and we boarded and settled into our sleeper car. For dinner we had the option of eating in the dining car which we weregild it would be crowded and we would have to share tables with other travelers or we could order our food and have it delivered to our room. We liked the second option and we were told we had to let the person in charge of our car know but Kefford had a hard time locating her. He finally found her and put our order in and we had a really nice dinner in the privacy of our own room. I ordered the steak dinner and Kefford got the chicken option. After we ate we asked each other couples questions we found on line and when we got tired Kefford put down the bottom bed and we both tried to lay on it and get some sleep. It was not big and it was a little too crowded with the two of us so we didn't get any rest nut it was nice to stretch our legs out a little bit more. 

We got to Salt Lake at about 11 and once we unloaded we found our car and we headed to Lehi to Emily's house. It was a super fun trip and one I would do again. I really liked the adventure of traveling by train and I liked going to Colorado and exploring a small part of a state I have never been to.

 

Utah State vs Boise State Football Game

 Kefford had some extra time off before Thanksgiving and we talked about how to use it. One thing Kefford wanted to do was to go to Logan to attend the Utah State vs Boise State game. We thought it would be fun to meet up with Ryker and go to the game so Kefford got tickets for me, Rylee and himself. When we got to Logan Ryker was busy with schoolwork so we walked around campus and went into the bookstore where we got Ryker a Utah State beanie, I also found a Utah State puzzle that we got for Kelsey and Brit for Christmas. They met while attending Utah State and I thought it would be a fun gift for them. 

When we got to the game we were pretty hungry so we got some food before we got our seats. It was really cold and Rylee and I were both happy that we brought blankets to help keep us warm. Ryker was going to the game with a date and we saw him when he came in but he didn't come up to talk to us. Rylee went down with him to be with him in the student section but came back up after about a quarter because she wanted the warmth of the blankets.  

It was a good game for Boise State because they won by a lot, Utah State did not do very well and had a lot of interceptions and did not play very well which was a bummer for Ryker.

Fishing, Feet Detoxing and Pumpkin Puree

Kefford got to take a morning and go fishing with his Uncle Brad. He had a good time and I love the pictures he brought back for me

Feeling grateful again for Covid enabling Wards to use Zoom for their meetings. I was able to watch Ashleighs primary do their sacrament meeting program and got to see Atticus as he did his part. He did awesome and I love being able to be a part of it.

I wore the earrings Stephanie gave me for my birthday because they matched the dress I was wearing really well. I took a picture so I could send it to her so she could see them in use.

Last year at the end of year recital my Tiny Tots moms gifted me a pedicure and foot detox at a Spa in Eagle. I just had my toes done so I didn't use it right away and planned to use it over the summer. Over the summer I hurt one of my toes and it resulted in my toenail falling off. So I decided I needed to wait until my toenail grew back. Which brings us to November and the gift certificate expiring on the 15th so I needed to use it, luckily my toenail had grown in and I was ready to go. I have never done a foot detox before and did not even know what it was so I was curious about what was going to happen. Turns out they stick your feet in a bath of water with a pump like device in the water with a cord that attaches to your wrist. It is supposed to have magnets or something in it and it pulls all of the toxins from your feet. I took a picture of the explanations and the water throughout my 30 minute detox. The water progressively got darker and darker and by the end of the detox it looked pretty gross and really disgusting. Do I think it really was pulling toxins from my feet...not a chance. I am not a believer and would never pay for this on my own. I think the little black device was putting stuff in the water. Maybe it really was doing something but I am very doubtful.

I signed up to make a pumpkin cake for Thanksgiving and when I went to make my cake I realized I didn't have any cans of pumpkin puree. I was frustrated about needing to go to the store but then Kefford said why didn't I use one of the pumpkins on our porch and make my own puree. I thought that was a great idea and I looked up how to do it and I did it. It was actually pretty easy and I was really excited that it worked and I successfully made a pumpkin puree that I used to make a cake and I even had enough puree over that I was able to freeze it for later.

 

Happy Birthday Elizabeth and Ryker!

Avynlea got to go on a lunch date with two of her favorite people, Kyle Lyons and Danny Ricks. She had fun visiting with them and they really enjoyed being able to hang out with Avynlea!

My Birthday was a good day. I got lots of phone calls and messages from family and friends which is always fun and appreciated. Avynlea posted a really sweet message on Instagram that I took a screenshot of because I loved it and wanted to save it.

She started calling me Glizzy a while ago when we were talking about what my Grandma name could be. She suggested Glizzy and liked it so much she started calling me by the name and put that as my contact name in her phone. When we were at Girls Camp her and Rylee's group of friends, Brynn Givens, Leah Farris, Allie Hansen and Saylor Shoemaker, heard what she was calling me and have all adopted it as my name. Anytime I see them they call my Glizzy and I have accepted it and kind of like having a nickname from some of my favorite Young Women. My birthday fell on a Wednesday and even though it was my Birthday I still had my Young Women meet at my house for our activity. Brynn and Saylor stopped by to get Rylee for their activity, I am with class 14 and Rylee is in class 16, and brought me birthday brownies and hugs, I love those girls.

It was just Kefford, Rylee and I together for my birthday and I chose to go to Tin Roof Tacos for my Birthday dinner. I didn't have a lot of time because I did need to make it back for our Young Women activity so I chose Tin Roof because I love it but also because it is close.

When we got home Rylee presented me with all of my gifts, she also wanted a picture of her giving me the gift she got for me, A "Nightmare Before Christmas" Advent calendar. I love it and am excited to use it this Christmas and every Christmas from here on out.

Kefford got me the Ivy City dress I have been wanting and it is beautiful, I love the color and the tulle and it just gives off Princess vibes.

Kenedy and Ty bought me a Hair Plop towel. I do have natural curl in my hair and have been wanting to try letting it go natural just to see how it looks. This towel is supposed to help with the curl so they don't end up frizzy.

Heathers gift to me has been sitting in my closet unopened since she gave it to me this last summer. I was excited to finally open it and found a Hufflepuff Hair bow, Harry Potter washi tape and the UK version of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. All of these items she bought for me on her trip to Europe and it was all so fun and I loved them.

When I was in California visiting Stephanie gave me my Birthday gift from her but I told her I was going to save it and open it on my Birthday. She gave me a beautiful pair of earrings she found in Hawaii, they are really pretty and I was happy to get them. 

Ashleigh sent me a sunflower trivet and a really cute apron. I put the trivet in my Kitchen and love that it reminds me of her whenever I see it.

Brit sent me a gift which was a box of her favorite things. It was fun that she took a tradition I have with my sisters and wanted to do it as well. I enjoyed opening it and seeing the items and reading about why she picked them and what she loves about them.

While we were at Disneyland I saw this box that had figurines of all the princesses as babies and thought it was so cute. I told Kefford how much I loved it and he asked me what I would do with it, I told him I would play with them with my Grandkids :). After he and I left he had Kenedy get it for me and she got it to him. I love it and am really happy they got it for me, someday these little Princesses will get played with.

Erin sent me a $20 amazon gift card and Mom sent me a Red Robin gift card which I loved and appreciated both. 

Ryker's friends threw him a birthday party and I was so happy when his friend sent me the picture of all of them. I was worried about Ryker being alone on his Birthday but he has some good friends that take care of him.

Ryker is in the back row 4th from right