I've written 3 different versions of our vacation. Guess in the comments which is correct and those people who guess correctly will be allowed to come up with a future "Random Question"! Good luck guessing!
VERSION 1:Wow, what a trip! It all started with our planning...things couldn't have gone more perfect. We found all of the equipment and clothing we needed at a fraction of the cost. AND the kiddos helped pay for theirs out of the savings each of them have from their allowances.
Both cars were checked out, front to back, top to bottom, and deemed safe and in great shape for the drives. Tires were filled and tanks were topped off!
We packed both cars the night before we left. It all fit, with room to spare! We were even able to pack the kids homework and extra reading materials.
The day we left was gorgeous. We picked up the twins at school (they had to stay until 10am to be counted present) and hit the road. We sang, played car games, and generally had a blast all the way to Dumas, where we stayed in a fabulous NEW hotel for the night. The reservationist felt so bad they got our reservation wrong (but fixed it!) that they gave us our second room for free. In the morning we had one of the best continental breakfasts you've ever seen at a hotel...for FREE!!
Our second day of driving was just amazing! It was only a few hours from Dumas to Red River and the scenery was fabulous. Snow, trees, and lots of wildlife! The kids identified deer, sheep, antelope and all kinds of horses and cows. They even asked to do their homework!
When we got into town we picked up skis and equipment at a local shop. They were glad to see us and gave us a HUGE discount...they love Aggies!
We skied for 3 days and the kiddos took ski school. The instructors even asked if we are from the area...they wanted the kids to join their ski team! It's amazing how quickly young children can pick up on something when given the right opportunities. The pictures they took of the kids have been framed and are now hanging in the ski lodge...the kids look like little models!
Our last day of skiing we went tubing on the mountain. They have a fabulous lift to pull the tube up the mountain for you as you hang on. Very little work and tons of fun!
We drove back the entire way from Red River to College Station and made it in record time. The children were the best behaved they have been, we ate healthy foods, and were in bed at our regular times.
SKI TRIP 2010 to RED RIVER WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!!VERSION 2:Not quite sure what to think of our trip! It all started with our planning...things went okay. We found most of the equipment and clothing we needed, but it was fairly expensive. We borrowed a few things, but for the most part we paid top dollar for what we needed.
Both cars were checked out, front to back, top to bottom, and ours needed minor work. It seems that every time we turn around we are in need of huge repairs and this time, at least, it was reasonable.
We packed both cars the morning we left. It didn't all fit so we had to rearrange quite a few times. In the end we were able to fit most things we wanted to take, but some of the extras that we would have enjoyed had to be left behind. At least we didn't have to use the turtle on top!
The day we left was nice and rainy. We picked up the twins at school (they had to stay until 10am to be counted present) and hit the road. The kids watched movies , argued, played video games, and argued some more all the way to Dumas, where we stayed in a fabulous NEW hotel for the night. The reservationist got our reservation wrong (but fixed it!) and it was still wrong when we got there. In the morning we had one of the best continental breakfasts you've ever seen at a hotel...although the coffee tasted like burned water.
Our second day of driving was the same boring as the first. It was only a few hours from Dumas to Red River, but the kids argued over which movie to watch and who could play the video games the entire drive. There were snow, trees, and lots of wildlife, but it was hard to see through the fog and steamy road. We were glad the drive was over when we got there.
When we got into town we picked up skis and equipment at a local shop. A friend had told us we should go to a certain shop and they would give us a discount...we did and they didn't. Oh well.
We skied for 3 days and the kiddos took ski school. The instructors were decent to the kids, although they watched quite a few movies and let them go inside the first time they said they were cold. It was expensive, but what about skiing isn't?
Our last day of skiing we went tubing on the mountain. The tubing was fun, but the tubes weighed about 1,000 pounds and you had to pull them all the way up the hill each time. The kids loved it the first few times but ran out of steam early on. Once again, an expensive endeavor that wasn't a complete washout but wasn't quite the fun we thought it would be.
We drove back the entire way from Red River to College Station. It had snowed the night before so it took several hours longer than we had anticipated. We were all crabby and tired when we climbed into bed just after midnight.
SKI TRIP 2010 to RED RIVER...Maybe do it again in 3 or 4 years?
VERSION 3:Wow, what a trip! (And NOT in a good way, mind you.) It all started with our planning...we begged borrowed and begged some more. We ended up getting some of what we needed, but not until the last minute.
Both cars were checked out, front to back, top to bottom, and ours ended up needing major repairs. Major. And I didn't even get to get the tires checked...so much for trying to make our trip safe for everyone!
We packed both cars the afternoon we left. With all of our planning, we hadn't planned for The Doc to end up in the ER the morning we were to leave. Or that he wouldn't be able to help us pack and load. Two women arranging and rearranging...
The day we left was rainy and wet. We picked up the twins at school (they had to stay until 10am to be counted present) and hit the road several hours after we had planned. We struggled through fog and rain all the way to Dumas, where we stayed in a fabulous NEW hotel for the night. The reservations were wrong, we called and had them fixed. When we got there they were STILL wrong. And to top it off Flower vomited all over herself in the car just before we got there. Despite the fact that it was a new hotel, the showers leaked and the heaters ran out of control. In the morning we did have one of the best continental breakfasts you've ever seen at a hotel...although the coffee was definitely not Starbucks!!
Our second day of driving almost didn't happen! While we were reloading the car the kiddos played in the snow. As we got in the cars E vomited. A second kiddo with the pukies. It was only a few hours from Dumas to Red River and the scenery was fabulous. Snow, trees, and lots of wildlife! But when we stopped just outside of the passes leading into Red River the locals told us we would need snow tires or chains on our way out...we didn't have either!
When we got into town we had planned to pick up skis and equipment at a local shop. We went to the condo first, though, and found out when we got there that E was running a huge temp. The FLU.
The Doc drove to Taos our first day of skiing to get Tamiflu. It's over 30 miles away and he had to go to more than one pharmacy to get enough of the med.
We picked up equipment and dropped off the other 3 kiddos at ski school. They only take 4 years and up so we had to lie about JMonster's age. We prepped him that they might ask and he was to tell them 4. First question they asked was, "How old are you little man?" "THREE." Oops...we then had to lie some more. I hate to lie.
We didn't take the kiddos to ski school the second day. Too expensive. Also, The Rev started feeling bad our second day of skiing. He skied a few hours, but ended up back at the condo with E. The three of us skied the rest of the afternoon...
Our last day of skiing we really wanted the kiddos to go to ski school. It's the only way to get any decent skiing in for the adults. The Doc and The Rev didn't want to spend the money, though, so M and I went down to the ski school to try and make a deal. The sweet woman in charge let us take all 4 kiddos in for an entire day of ski school for FREE! Lunch and all! That's about $250 worth for nothing. (It only took a few tears on each of our parts...tears we didn't plan but that happened because the trip had been so tough.) We called The Doc and The Rev to have them bring the kiddos up to the ski school...they were stuck. They couldn't get the car up the front drive because of the ice! The sweet women at the ski school ended up calling a shuttle to pick them up and they arrived about an hour later.
The adults went skiing together, but after one run The Rev felt horrible and he and The Doc ended up driving into town to get snow chains. Ouch! Who knew how much those flimsy little things could cost?
That afternoon we went tubing on the mountain. It was a ton of fun, but the kiddos got tired walking up the hill so we ended up pulling them most of the time! All in all, very enjoyable, though.
We drove back the entire way from Red River to College Station and it took 17+ hours instead of 13+ hours. It had snowed the night before and both passes were covered in ice and snow. Beautiful, but we could only drive 30mph at the fastest. The children were so tired by now that they just watched movies and played their video games. Not much fussing. We were home and in bed by 2am.
SKI TRIP 2010 to RED RIVER ...a Bust or a Blast? Both!!!
Pics to follow...
Here I am, in labor, and you can see my "coach" The Rev in the back. 
