Wednesday in the Collegiate Peaks

'What are the Collegiate Peaks?' you may be asking.  Well, once upon a time a group of folks from the Northeast came out to survey this mountain range, and they were permitted to name them.  And they were from, you guessed it, Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Columbia.  There you have it.  For free.

Our little trip into Buena Vista last night caused us to oversleep this morning. Our niece came to our cabin in a panic because we weren’t at breakfast, and the girls were due at the barn in 15 minutes. So they quickly got dressed and headed down while I went up to the lodge to see about getting breakfast for us lazy people. Sue and her crew fixed me right up with cereal, milk, coffee, coffee cake and monkey bread. They are the most accommodating group of people I’ve ever seen.


Jeff spent the morning resting and working on his book. I worked a little bit and spent some time in the hot tub. Sage gave my shoulder muscles a work out on Tuesday at Cogan’s Ranch. She kept trying to graze, which is a no no, and I kept trying to pull her head up. So the hot tub was just the thing I needed.

Lunch was a cook out at a neighboring ranch. Wednesday lunch means hamburgers, Sue’s famous Cowboy Cookies, and John demonstrating his stellar watermelon cutting skills. He cuts watermelon faster than the eye can take in. Seriously, he cuts a quarter of a watermelon into even slices in probably 2 seconds. It is a sight to behold. Parker, the founder (pictured here), has been to every cookout lunch that we have been to. He seems to enjoy watching all the guests having such fun. 

After lunch is the Deer Valley Ranch family softball game. John’s son pitches, John catches, and everybody who wants to play can. If a kid under 10 gets out, it only counts as half an out. And I think they get something like 5 strikes. It’s so much fun to watch and probably even more fun to play. I have zero hand eye coordination, so I just sit on the sideline and cheer.

As usual, we had to leave the cookout a little bit early to get the girls back for rides. Today they were doing a Level II Instructional Ride. Level II serves to introduce and improve jogging your horse. The same wrangler has taken out the girls’ rides for a couple of days, and they really do harass him. He’s a good natured guy and seems to enjoy the attention, or at least he seems not to mind it.

One of the options available at DVR every year is to have family pictures taken. They bring in a photographer from Great Outdoors Photography who takes family portraits with no sitting fee. He also comes to Wrangler’s Breakfast on Monday and takes pictures of everyone on horseback. On Wednesdays he uses Mt. Princeton as his back drop. We have some of the most gorgeous pictures of our family from him. Each year we have the girls stand behind the rail fence in front of the lodge and he snaps their picture. That is the picture we use to gauge how much they have grown. He does incredible work. We’ve already seen this year’s pictures – as usual they are wonderful. We usually wait until we’re home and can study the pictures on-line before we order.


During the hour before dinner, the staff served appetizers on the deck. Imagine sitting under a big blue sky at the foot of a mountain having juice and appetizers made just for you. Another one of those small things that makes me feel special and appreciated.


Dinner was trout filet or chicken cordon bleu. Dessert was cheesecake which made Mariah very happy. Our sweet server brought Jeff Peach Punch. They are just too good to us.

Usually on Wednesday nights there are hayrides all around. The kids have one and the adults have one. Mother Nature poured some liquid sunshine on all of us and lit up the sky pretty good causing our hayride to be cut short. The kids had a short ride then went back to Centennial Hall to play kickball. I really don’t know how they did that inside, but I’m just telling you what #2 child told me.

Our hayride got started alright. We went up the ridge in an open bed trailer filled with hay bales. Kent, our singing cowboy from the Wranglers’ Breakfast, serenaded us with some beautiful cowboy songs on the way up. Once the truck stopped we got out and walked a few hundred feet to a campfire, sat on logs, and had hot chocolate and molasses cookies. More music and some entertaining cowboy poetry followed. The poet, Big Dave is a jack of all trades around here. I can’t even tell you what all he does, but my favorite thing he does is recite cowboy poetry. You just have to see and hear him to know why he is so popular with the guests. After he finished his second poem tonight, the rains came. And then the vans came. Always thinking of their guests, the folks got vans from the ranch and came to pick us up rather than having us get soaked while riding in the open bed trailer.

There have been years that we had the hayride on nights that were as clear as could be. On those nights you can see a gazillion stars. Us city slickers don’t get to see a night sky like that too often. It looks like God just threw a handful of glitter out there. So beautiful.

Tomorrow we are supposed to go white water rafting on the Arkansas. With rain in the forecast, it could make for an interesting day.


So we don’t miss breakfast again, I’ll call it a night. Thank you for taking this journey with me. I sincerely hope that you can experience this in person with your family soon.

Two Cowgirls and a Misfit

You would think that in our fourth year here, we would have experienced everything there is to do by now at Deer Valley Ranch. Well, as Trail Boss Harold says, if you try to do everything they offer here in one week, it’ll kill you. So Tuesday morning I got to do something brand new to me.

 Mariah and one of my nieces were going on the Cogan’s Ranch ride. This particular ride is not a trail ride like most other trail rides. The riders are permitted by a local ranch owner to walk, jog and sometimes lope their horses through a huge pasture and into a Pinion Pine forest. The fun thing is that you get to make your own trail. Jeff was planning to go with the girls, but he wasn’t feeling up to it. Early Tuesday morning I made arrangements with the wranglers for me to take his place. (And being the benevolent guys they are, they allowed me to do that. More evidence of how wonderful they are!)


The first thing that happens is that the wranglers load up the horses in trailers to drive out to Cogan’s Ranch. I find that a fascinating part of the whole thing. Horses are naturally claustrophobic, but somehow the ultra-talented wranglers over the years have managed to train Deer Valley horses and mules to just walk right in. Then we riders pile in the trucks for the short ride out to the pasture.


So for two hours, between Mt. Princeton and Mt. Antero, the girls and I got to pretend we were real cowgirls. I think my favorite part was watching these two girls that I love so much socialize with the other girls on the ride, which in itself isn’t too unusual, but they were doing it on horseback. They would gather with a few other girls, talk and laugh for a minute, and the next thing I knew, they would go flying by me to get to the front of the pack. And then they would repeat. Now call me sentimental, but when I see my girlies enjoying themselves like that, and I see the looks of pure delight on their faces, their hair trailing behind them as it is caught by the wind, it really makes me hope that their grandmothers in heaven can see how beautiful they are. It is one of the most sacred moments I experience as a mom and an aunt. God must love me a lot to let me be a part of these young lives.


On the way back to the horse trailer, our two perspective sons-in-law, uh, I mean, wrang-u-lers allowed us to jog some and lope some. I loved watching the girls lope (or gallop). When their horses lope, they revel in it. When mine lopes, I hang on for dear life! Kind of reminds me of one of those roller coasters that shoots out of the loading area at 60 mph. Rock-n-Rollercoaster anyone?


During our ride I was attempting to take some pictures. Since I was mostly snapping pictures while my horse moved, some of the pictures didn’t turn out exactly as I’d hoped. I got some good pictures of the ground, a really clear shot of a horse’s head but no rider, and I have several of the back of Sage’s head and ears. Sage was my horse for that ride. I did manage to get a few good ones, and I’ll post them here.

Shoofly the Mule and Favorite Wrangler #1 having a talk while Dustin loads somebody  into the trailer.

 

Loading the horses into the trailer at Deer Valley Ranch.

Our Super Excellent Head Wrangler, Dustin, giving us 'the talk' before we ride.

My two beauties, their horses, and Sage's head.

For these two, this is what Deer Valley Ranch is all about.

 

Our new friend Brenda and authentic-looking cowboy Matt.

A real horsewoman, Mariah and her favorite horse, Misty.

Cowboy Matt from Texas and a beautiful Colorado Sky.

A Nameless Wrangler who is a fantastic trick rider.
Yes, his horse is moving while he stands there.

One of these things is not like the other.
As promised, Two Cowgirls and a Misfit - me.

Our last picture at Cogan's Ranch.
Notice the future wrangler holding Shoofly, Brenda's mule.

We got back to the ranch in time for Mexican Buffet – a legend in the annals of Deer Valley History. I love all of Sue’s cooking, but if we had Mexican Buffet every day, I’d be happy. Another legend here is Sue’s Peach Punch. Now you have to know that every day she makes a different punch. But every day, Jeff asks for Peach Punch. Well today, one of our super excellent hostesses managed to procure Jeff a top secret glass of Peach Punch. We’ve decided to adopt her.



Tuesday afternoon was a restful time. The rain was falling a little bit, which dictated that I have a nap. So I did. I was able to work up an appetite with my nap. Dinner was homemade pizza. The kids sat at one table, the teens at another, and adults got to sit with other adults and have adult conversation.

We sat with some Texans, a native of Vermont who once lived in Texas (She told a hysterical story about tying dogs around her waist to protect her from snakes while hanging out laundry. It became even funnier when someone at the table with us didn’t understand that she tied their leashes around her waist, not the actual dogs themselves.), and a lady from South Africa. What a great dinner it was. As always, the food was over the top, and the company was just as satisfying. Sitting with a group of adults who share your faith while on vacation is a real treat. There is no profanity, there are no crude and offensive jokes. Just Jesus loving people who know how to have fun.

Guests also have the option to choose the Steak Ride on Tuesday evening. Harold takes riders up the Colorado Trail to a clearing where a steak dinner is cooked and served by the staff, followed by some Harold-driven entertainment. Harold reminds me of Wilford Brimley, the Quaker Oats man, except he has a very good sense of humor. After dinner the group makes its way back to the ranch via a pretty steep path down the ridge – lots of switchbacks, but well worth it when you see the Colorado sunset.


John’s history talk takes place every Tuesday night. We try not to ever miss that. He seems to know everything about every Colorado explorer, every Colorado town, and every Colorado mine there is. Last night was my 4th history talk to hear, and each one has been different. I’m dying to put together a home school field trip out here and let our kids experience a real historian.


After the history talk, we uncharacteristically did not go to bed but went into Buena Vista in search of a high speed internet signal. Never did find a good one, but we got some fabulous ice cream at K’s Dairy Delight.

Oh, one thing about Buena Vista. The lady who named the town was not of Hispanic descent. She named it to be pronounced with a ‘ue’ sound, like in the word Beulah, not with a ‘w’ sound. And Vista is to be pronounced with a short ‘i’ sound, not ‘veesta’. So if you think you hear the locals mispronouncing it, well, it’s us from the outside that don’t know how to say it.


And then we caught some z’s.

Marvelous Monday at Deer Valley Ranch

Monday morning always means an early wake-up time as it is the first of two Wranglers’ Breakfasts. It’s like living in the Old West, except at Deer Valley Ranch, all the work is done by somebody besides the rider. (I’m liking that!)


The basics of a Wrangler’s Breakfast are the following: get on a horse, take a ride to a beautiful meadow, eat breakfast (off of tin plates) that is freshly prepared by the extraordinary young women and men on staff, socialize with the other guests, admire the gorgeous view of Mt. Princeton, then take part in another of my favorite activities during our week here.

Kent, the cowboy minstrel of sorts (who, by the way, was a wrangler here once upon a time, met his wife here, and now works here as the official guitar player and song leader) starts out the gathering time with a song that says something like ‘If God doesn’t live in Colorado, then I guess it’s where He spends most of His time’. Which I happen to agree with, by the way.

And then, here comes Favorite Wrangler #1, riding from a clump of trees yonder with the Colorado flag whippin’ around beside him. (At this point I felt the need to slip into some cowboy-ese.) Once the Colorado flag is in place, Harold and Jake bring in Old Glory, and we have the privilege to pay due respects to her while Kent and a few others sing ‘America the Beautiful’. I just love that part. And it gets even better. Each week a wrangler is selected to share a short devotion. This week, we got to hear from a good ole Georgia boy. His main message was to let God lead, and don’t try to negotiate. He must have known I was in the crowd.

Our family loves the Wranglers’ Breakfast. The staff girls make everything feel so authentic, but they are much prettier than the Cookies of the Old West. And I am sure they are much nicer! It’s an experience that will stay with you for a long, long time.


After everybody rides back to the barn, the wranglers continue their work – they start the hourly rides right after that and work until lunch. Harold does give them the afternoon off since they have to get up so early. The last 3 years we would hear them walking down to the corral around 5:30 or so to start catching horses for the first ride out to Wranglers’ Breakfast. By then they would have already eaten breakfast, so who knows what time they had to get up, and what time the kitchen staff had to get up in order to feed them.


Monday night is Sue’s Famous Brisket night, followed by the Square Dance on the deck of the lodge. Even the kids get to take part in a few dances, then they are whisked away to do even more fun stuff with the children’s counselors. The past 3 years Jeff and I danced as much as we could – last year he gave out early so I had a lady-partner. This year, well, the Square Dance is one of the things we let go of in light of Jeff’s health. But next year – we’re there!


Another beautiful, starry night sky between Mount Princeton and Mount Antero. And another night falling asleep in our favorite place in the world.

Sunday at Deer Valley Ranch

There was a nice hike this morning that Jeff and I intended to take, but instead, we took a short walk and stopped back by the corral to visit with the horses and mules. On the way to the lodge, I snapped one of my favorite pictures here – the American flag and the lodge with the Chalk Cliffs in the background.  I hope it comes out right below here, but who knows?  And here is a picture of Jeff with a very friendly horse.

 

Around 8am the breakfast bell rang and we headed into the dining room. We had French toast and Canadian bacon for breakfast, along with oatmeal, cereal, homemade granola, yogurt, fruit, like last night there was too much to list here. And lest I forget to mention a vital part of the eating here, I have to tell you that the ladies who work in the kitchen and the dining room look like they just stepped out of the Red Door. And they are as kind as they are beautiful, without exception. Some of these young ladies are permanent dining room servers, and some rotate through housekeeping and another job that I can’t remember. I can tell you that no matter what job they have, they do it joyfully and as unto the Lord, just as Scripture admonishes us to do. Can you imagine the amount of time John, Harold, and the nice ladies in the office spend putting together a crew like this?


After breakfast the children’s program and teens’ program had orientations for the parents. Yes, I’d love to have ALL those who work in the kid/teen area as Sparky leaders!


I have to take a minute and gush over the staff. They come from all over the country to work here. And those who can come back year after year, just like the guests do. We were so afraid one of our favorite Regular Wrangulars wasn’t going to make it back this year, but much to our delight, he is indeed back for his 4th year. We have many favorite wranglers. We really love them all, and it is hard to play favorites. (I’ll take any one of them for a son-in-law.) And we love all the staff girls who are models of grace and joy.


Onto the next thing. Now, here is where Deer Valley Ranch differs from most other guest ranches. No horseback riding takes place on Sunday morning. Sunday morning is reserved for worship. Our ranch host, a third generation Woolmington, led us in a worship service right here at the foot of Mt. Princeton. The staff led the music, one of the guests gave a powerful message about being in a valley and how God can turn that around, then there was more food. Sunday dinner is oven fried chicken, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, biscuits, salad and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Yumm-O!


While all the guests were enjoying more of Sue’s cooking, the Regular Wrangulars were already down at the corral, catching horses and saddling them for the rides that began at 1:30. Rides left during this window about every 10 minutes, either instructional rides or trail rides. All rides at Deer Valley are led by one of my potential sons-in-law, and some have a wrangler in the back as well, especially if the ride is a kids’ ride. It boggles my mind to think of how many things these young men have to be good at – riding, encouraging, protecting, nurturing, teaching – it seems like everything I talk about regarding the ranch involves a list of Godly characteristics.


At my insistence, Jeff did not have one of his favorite horses – Hondo or Crockett. He had a nice mule named Shoofly. I am not too keen on the idea of something under Jeff getting easily spooked and throwing him and his thinned out blood to the ground, and mules just seem to be more sure of themselves than horses. I had one of my favorite horses, Steamboat. Our wrangler was the Head Wrangler, and he was assisted by a great wrangler from the state of Alabama, who I had a great conversation with about Milo’s Sweet Tea. This ride was a refresher ride. We reviewed skills we had learned in previous years – walking, jogging, loping, not falling off, etc.


In the kids’ ride, Mariah had Adobe and Evie had Sugar, another mule. That made them both happy! The wranglers try very hard to give folks their favorite horse or mule when they can. Some horses and mules are the favorite of about a dozen people, and to be fair, everyone gets a turn with their favorite. The lesson to be learned here is that the wranglers are most concerned about safety, not with making everybody happy. Believe it or not, guests sometimes forget this and are less than kind to our sweet boys. I feel very protective over the wranglers, and it frustrates me when they are mistreated.


And then, more food. Sue and her ladies had prepared a sandwich buffet with homemade cookies for dessert. Delicious!


And then, more worship. One of my favorite activities here is the Sunday night Hymn Sing. I’ll have to admit that I’m not crazy about some of the songs (I know lots of folks love anything by the Gaithers, I don’t). But I love that the people here share my heart in appreciation for this beautiful setting and the One who created it.


After the Hymn Sing the teenagers, wranglers, some families and one 11 year old (ours) went for ice cream in Buena Vista.


And now, in the coolness of the mountain night air, I’m turning out the lights. Tomorrow is Wrangler’s breakfast. We have to be at the barn at 6:45am. Good night.

Our Deer Valley Tradition

We learned early on in our military career that we needed to establish traditions for our family. So we did. And, of course, our traditions often involve travel. Like this one.


Beginning in 2007, we have spent a week each summer at Deer Valley Ranch in Nathrop, Colorado. Deer Valley Ranch was founded 55 years ago by a Young Life staffer with a dream of a family guest ranch. Parker Woolmington moved his family out from the northeast to work for Young Life, and eventually built this ranch. Parker’s son, John, and daughter, Sue, still run, and own the ranch, along with Sue’s husband, Harold. For the past several years, the third generation has begun taking more responsibility for the ranch. Even after all these years, it is 100% family friendly. There is nothing that goes on here that isn’t morally appropriate for every age.

We love Deer Valley Ranch. To us it is a home away from home. Yes, it is only 3 hours from our house, but it feels like we are half way around the world. (Although this time we’ll be in and out of Colorado Springs and our house due to Jeff’s numerous doctors' appointments resulting from his latest pulmonary embolisms.)


I thought I’d try to bring you along with us during our week here. Because of Jeff’s recent stay at Penrose St. Francis Resort and Spa (that is what he calls the hospital where he was a patient), this year is a little bit different than most. We’re taking it a bit slower for 2010. No long hikes, spirited horses or multi-hour rides for Jeff, and therefore, me.


So here are the highlights of Saturday:


We arrived at Deer Valley in time for the Saturday night dinner, but more importantly, the Saturday night Dessert Buffet. The Saturday night meal is my favorite of the whole year because of what follows. Sue and her staff of gifted college-aged young women whip up, from scratch, Key Lime Pie, Snickers Pie, Oreo Ice Cream Pie, Chocolate Chip Mocha Pie, Raspberry Cream Cake, Chocolate Dream Cake (or something like that – it really IS a dream come true for a chocoholic like me), Buttermilk Pie, Chocolate Covered Strawberries and pretzels – I can’t even remember what else. Oh my goodness, what a spread. And at my age, ‘what a spread’ means two entirely different things as one spread contributes to the other. None the less, it was fabulous, just as it has been the 3 years before.


After dinner we waddled down to the corral to see Harold, Sue’s husband and the Deer Valley Trail Boss. Harold love mules, especially Jake. He also likes horses, but he loves his mules. We had about a 1 hour orientation with Harold and Jake, in which Harold demonstrated some do’s and don’ts of the equine world. Simple things like you don’t kick your horse to make him go forward while pulling back on the reigns. Yeah, that might be simple for some of you, but I, of the novice group of riders, need to hear that at least once every year. We had a chance to be introduced to most of the Wranglers, the young men who handle the horse riding part of Deer Valley. In our family we call them ‘Wrangulers’, and they are either Regular Wrangulars or Irregular Wrangulars. The regular ones are here for the Summer, the irregular ones are here for a few days, having served as a regular wranguler before and just can’t stay away. For the reader’s sake, I’ll try to be normal and write ‘wrangler’.


We love the wranglers. They are incredible with ALL the riders - all skill levels, all ages, and all temperaments, even the really grouchy riders we’ve seen in our 3 years past. Every year, including this one, we are amazed that Harold has managed to put together such a stellar team of wranglers. And, as our Aunt Susan said last year, the wranglers are a potential son-in-law smorgasbord. Between us we have 4 daughters that will, at some point, be of marrying age. We feel it is our duty to canvas creation in search of the perfect husbands for them. And let me tell you, this is a GREAT place to look. Yes, it embarrasses our daughters and the wranglers, but truth be told, we mostly use this as one more way to pay high compliments to these young men who love Jesus and serve Him well. We’re not really serious about the whole son-in-law thing. Sort of.


So, back to Saturday, after Harold’s orientation, we had a meeting all the way up the hill at Centennial Hall with John. His 45 minutes was spent going through the week’s schedule and answering questions from first time and returning guests. Here is a testament to Deer Valley Ranch: This week, all of the guests except a few are returning guests. Many of us return year after year. One of the women here this week drives down from Montana every year that her schedule allows, by herself, to come to the ranch. And she is over 90 years old! I met a young lady last night who told me she has been here 11 times, starting when she was 5 months old. At the end of this rabbit trail we find the point: once you come here, you’ll want to come back, so in John’s meeting, you’ll often know a lot of what he’s going to say before he says it. Things like drink lots of water, give yourself time to acclimate, don’t go hiking alone without telling someone where you are going (I know from personal experience that this one is a good tip to remember), don’t climb the chalk cliffs, etc.


The teens had some sort of activity last night, but since we don’t have teens in our cabin, my family hit the hay around 10pm.


Stay tuned for Sunday . . .

Happy Birthday to Us!

Don't forget our Legacy Family Travel birthday party tonight, Thursday, July 15!  Please let me know if you need details.  We'd love to see you there to help us celebrate!

Two New Ships in One Week!

Very exciting news from the cruise industry this past week. 

First, the Norwegian Epic made her Maiden Voyage, ending in New York, where she was the setting for Macy's 4th of July Fireworks.  You may have caught glimpses of her if you were watching NBC Sunday night.  Her story can be found at   http://www2.ncl.com/ship/epic/overview

Second, and near and dear to my heart, Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam was christened on July 4th.  'Laurie, why is she so special to you?', you might ask.  Because my family and several others are sailing on her in March!  There is still plenty of room if you would like to join us.  Just think, you can sail on one of the newest ships in the fleet, get a little touch of Dave Ramsey-type teaching from an expert, and fellowship with REALLY fun folks.  Plus, since we have reserved group space, you'll get discount pricing AND some freebies not available to individuals.  So if you want to feel special and create loads of memories, join us!  You can read all about the Nieuw Amsterdam at http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=73772

At the most recent conference I attended, I learned that the cruise industry will be christening 26 new ships in the next 2 years.  Please check this blog frequently for practical ways to save money.

Also, don't forget our 1st Birthday Party for Legacy Family Travel on July 15th (next week) at Panera Bread (I-25 and N. Academy) in Colorado Springs.  I would love to see everyone, whether you have booked with us or not.  We just want to have you celebrate with us!!!!  Please come and bring the fam.  RSVP to me at Laurie@LegacyFamilyTravel.com

Thank you all for partnering with us to help all of us leave a legacy of love, laughter and adventure as we create memories through travel. 

Have a blessed day!

Iberostar Rose Hall Suites, Montego Bay, Jamaica

I would like to announce to the world that my sacrifice has paid off handsomely.    You may remember in a previous blog how I was explaining to you all about the great sacrifice I was making to fly to Orlando to attend a travel conference so that I could become a better travel agent to you. 


Well, while I was there I intended a seminar with my favorite tour company, and the nice rep from Iberostar Resorts spoke for a few minutes, then drew a business card to give away a 7-night, all-inclusive stay at the Iberostar Rose Hall Suites in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  The color of the business card was purple - so whose do you imagine that was?????  Yes, me!


So now I'll be taking my family to this 5 star property within the next year to investigate how I can convey to you the joys of Iberostar.  Now I ask you, what other travel agent do you know who is as selfless as I am?  Who else would do this for you?


Seriously, we are very blessed by John at Iberostar to have been given such a nice gift.  And I promise we will make the most of it with pictures and blogs.  I'm not sure when we'll be going.  Jeff actually has a real job that requires him to show up for work most of the time, so it depends on his schedule and of course, our bank account that will be paying for the airfare.


I would LOVE for you to visit the Iberostar website to see what all they offer, not just in Jamaica, but all around the world.  The address is http://www.iberostar.com/.  And you also have a chance to win a free trip at one of their hotels - look for details on their website. 


Remember, if you book through me you will have access to special rates and discounts not available through most other agents.


So for now, Cool Runnings!