We were on the road and talked about our family today. The topic of conversation was whether we felt we loved each other more or less since we left Austin. The kids were unanimous and agreed we all loved each other more. It hasn’t been rosy, but it’s been real. We have had conflict…
Category: Traveling
Visit From the Dewey’s
We were totally blessed by a visit from our friends, the Dewey’s, bringing a little bit of home with them, and “playmates” for all, as Betsy said. They were fleeing the nasty cedar fever in Austin, and found respite in the Southwest. They came bearing gifts – stone jewelry for the kids, bath salts for…
Parents of Friends
Do you ever wonder what you’ll be like as an older parent? Like when your kids’ buddies come back around as adults? It’s hard to picture a 30 year old Sage or Morgan with their wives and kids, but I’d like to think we’d welcome them in at any time for any reason. Our kids…
Walking Around Town
Someone recently asked my kids what is their favorite part of Durango, and they said, “Being able to walk to town.” We live just a few blocks from downtown Durango, and we have all LOVED it. Don and I will often walk to main street for coffee in the afternoon or drinks together at night….
Durango Mountain
In the continued spirit of Dalrymple/Cortez “then” and “now,” here are a few pics from our time at Durango Mountain Ski Resort this weekend and from a YEAR ago. So much has changed within just one year. This time we feel like we are Durango residents rather than just Texas tourists at a resort. The…
Pagosa Springs
Since we still couldn’t snowboard, we took a day trip to out to Pagosa to relax and soak in the healing, mineral waters. This scenic mountain town was a neat gift to a beautiful drive from Durango to Wolf Creek. Before you realize it, you find yourself on their main street gazing ahead at a…
Cortez – A Trip Down Memory Lane
Almost thirty years ago, when I was turning 9, my parents took us on a 10 day trip from South Texas to Disneyland and back. They were careful to plan out every destination, hotel or KOA stay, and every meal, making sure to let us see the major attractions along the way like the Grand…
How We Settle In
We had a new friend over for a visit this morning and offered her blueberry pancakes and coffee for brunch. As a past world traveler and fellow “freejourner,” she made a sweet comment about how we eat “fancy,” compared to the “grub” she fixed when she traveled. It got me thinking. When we thought about…
Mesa Verde National Park
I remember coming here as a young girl with my family THIRTY years ago, crazy to believe. I had these vague memories of walking around inside the cliff dwellings, but I don’t know if that really happened. These ancient ruins of the Pueblo tribe have been carefully preserved here at the National Park. We were…
Arches National Park
This park was a great reminder of the “delicateness” of life. We felt privilege to see these arches which might not always be around. Formed from salt, sand and weathering, the arches are continually eroding. The message at this park was “constant change” – a wonderful tangible symbol of life and reality. We didn’t have…
Sweets Candy Factory
As a “sweet” end to our 2013 year, we felt lucky to get in on the very last factory tour for Sweets Candy in Salt Lake City, UT. They’ve been offering tours for years, but recently decided to phase them out. Our family always enjoys going “behind the scenes” to understand how things are made….
Christmas Snowboarding at Sundance
We had a fun time snowboarding together on Christmas day. Gabe took some video from the back bowl of Sundance Resort in Provo, Utah. You can click below to watch his gnarly production: The kids are amazing with their carving. The footage here is going down some steep blues. Jadyn is also picking…
Freejourners 