Day 14 - Rocky Mtn Natl Park

This morning we were up early to head to the lake for some kayaking and canoeing. The lake was so still and placid reflecting the clouds above. We enjoyed the peace of floating on the lake being surrounded by the mountains. After a while the wind started to pick up so after a few races across the lake we were too exhausted to paddle much longer and headed back to shore. 

The water was like glass, the only ripples - that of our oars breaking the surface and the occasional fish that came up to say hello. It was so peaceful and serene. 

Grace gave the impression she was a strong paddler, but was happier just dipping her paddle to sprinkle water on herself!

Emma gave the impression that she was in it for the ride, however, as with everything Emma does, she put every ounce of herself into it. I encouraged her to take a break or two as she paddled so hard she truly was exhausted. 

Norah did a great job as well. She was pretty good with a double paddle and learned quickly to not rock the boat. 

Check out those beautiful mountains! The wind definitely picked up and gave us a workout as the morning progressed. 

We figured we would rest our arms and give our legs a work out next. We entered into Rocky Mountain National Park and hiked around taking in some beautiful views. We stopped off at Beaver Meadows to complete our Jr. Ranger booklets and also watched a really neat film on the history of the Rocky Mountains. 

Topographical map of the Rocky Mountains, getting a lay of the land before we set off hiking. 

Check out these beautiful views...Grace found her sweet spot. 

Like hiking the mountain wasn't enough, Emma had to get to the top of the tallest rock. 

Ready for a cool down and a quick film about the Rockies before we got back in the car to continue our travels eastward.  

This is what our rearview mirror looked like on the drive home. The girls did great with their Jr. Ranger booklets (this free program is a must if you are doing National Parks with children) and they learned so much about what we were seeing, all while keeping them busy on our long drives. Since we were doing well on time and continued to stay entertained in the car, we decided not to push it. We didn't want to end our vacation exhausted and crabby, so we added an extra day to get home. Originally we had planned to drive like crazy from Estes Park and push the 14 hours home. We were enjoying vacation so much, we decided to keep it going. We drove a few hours to North Platte to enjoy Nebraskaland Days and tried to savor every last moment of our vacation and break from reality.