Hollen Family Getaway | Estes Park

Be prepared for lots of pictures.....

We’ve been back for over a week now but I’m still holding on to our time in Estes Park. I can’t believe how much I needed just a few days away to breathe, spend time with family, and relax. The past few months have felt like a whirlwind of events: job changes, growing kiddos, trying to take better care of myself. If there was ever a time that we needed a vacation, this was one of those times.

We took this trip last year around this time. Last year, I was pretty pregnant and Marin spent her first night in a hotel with us. This time, things looked pretty different. Now we have Sullivan with us, no longer in my belly but on the outside living life to the very fullest. Grandmadoo and Grandpadoo also went with us this time.

We ended up staying somewhere different this year because last year’s location was already booked. But, I loved the place we stayed. It’s called the Appenzell Inn. We booked the suite with 2 bedrooms, a living space, and small kitchen. It fit all of us perfectly. The main reason we booked there was because of the indoor swimming pool. Last year, all that Marin could talk about was the swimming pool so I knew I needed to find a good alternative for her this year. The Inn met our expectations and so much more. We will definitely be staying there again sometime in the future.

Before we drove up to Estes, we went to church at a different church than usual. Now that I am no longer on staff at church, I felt that we could switch things up a bit and visit our old stomping grounds. We spent a few years at Timberline Old Town and I even met Ryan within those walls. It was a nice change of pace and it was nice to see people we haven’t seen in far too long.

After church we stopped for coffee and then headed up into the mountians. We truly couldn’t have asked for better weather while we were up there. It was in the high 50’s most of the time we were there and only started to snow on the drive home. We made it to Estes and had lunch before checking in. We ate at “You Need Pie,” which is a little diner style place that serves diner favorites and amazing pie. We discovered it last year when we went and knew we needed to go back. We ate our pie out in the sunshine surrounded by mountains. 

We drove into Rocky Mountain National Park to a spot that the Hollen’s frequent. Marin was so daring and wanted to climb every single rock. She was fearless on this trip and I am so proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone. Sully loves to be outside any chance he can get. That night we went back to the hotel and Marin, Ryan, and Grandpadoo went and took a little swim in the pool. After that, we brought in New York style pizza that consisted of pizza slices the size of our heads. Thin crust, just enough cheese and pepperoni, goodness. Even Sullivan enjoyed little pizza bites.

Once the kids were in bed we ended up staying up much later than I usual do and talked and talked. It was nice to just have a conversation with adults, drink some wine, and  then wind down reading a book, all by the fire place. Both bedrooms had big king size beds with tons of amazing pillows. I slept so well there. Sullivan was in his pack n' play in our room and Marin slept in Grandmadoo and Grandpadoo's room. 

The next morning we woke up and headed downstairs for breakfast in the hotel. The rest of the morning was spent walking around town with the double stroller. The weather truly couldn't have been more perfect. Gorgeous sunshine, about 60 degrees. We walked through the little shops, played on the playground, climbed some more rocks, bought some delicious candy, and ended up on Poppy's for lunch. After lunch, we headed back to the inn, had some quite time and naps, and just took it easy. 

After nap time, we all got in our swimsuits and headed down to the pool. This was Sullivan's first time in a pool and he was having so much fun. I bought him a little floaty for the pool and he just kicked his chubby little legs to his heart's content. I bought Marin a little life vest as well and she would stay in the water forever if we let her. After the pool, we all hopped in the outdoor hot tub and relaxed. 

That evening, the grandparents offered to watch the kiddos so Ryan and I could have a little date night. It was so welcomed and so wonderful. We began the evening with eating bbq-- pulled pork, ribs, hush puppies, baked beans, corn bread, a beer. Hello, full. After that we went and saw a movie at the little theatre in Estes Park. We saw "A Quiet Place" and I was on the edge of my seat the entire film. I highly recommend it. 

The next morning, we went to breakfast back at the pie place. After our meal was finished, we picked out some more pie for the road. By this point, it was starting to snow. We packed our bags, checked out, and took the nice drive back down to home and back to reality. 

My heart is still full from this trip. We needed this trip so much for our little family and I am very thankful that we live close enough to a place like Estes Park. It was exactly what we needed and I look forward to another trip much like this one in the future. 

Our Little Vacation | Estes Park

Our family! Soon to be four!

A few weeks ago, we had ourselves a little vacation or getaway to Estes Park. We knew that I was only going to get more pregnant, so it was now or never. This is probably our last trip as a family of three, which is really surreal to think about. Very soon we will be a family of four and our lives will never be the same. 

This was the first time our little one has gotten to go on a little trip like this. In the past, she has stayed with grandparents. We talked up the trip for weeks and I think she had a very good time. We ended up taking a little drive up to Estes Park, CO for a few days. Nothing crazy. Still pretty close to where we actually live. Long gone are the days of relaxing on a beach somewhere with a margarita, but I'm alright with that. This is the season we find ourselves in. 

We stayed at Murphy's River Lodge and were very pleased with it. The breakfast was great. Marin would have swam in the swimming pool all day if we would have let her. Our little room was right on a river. We were able to check out a bunch of movies and just hang out with each other for a few days. We ate a lot of wonderful food. It snowed quite a bit while we were there but it was still very enjoyable. 

New reading material from the book store on Main Street. 

Out on the back porch of our room, on the river. 

Traveling with a toddler is always an adventure. She did so great for the most part. The hardest part was getting her to wind down for the night and sleep in the same room as us. She wanted to just stay up with us and not miss out on anything. We missed nap time completely the second day which actually worked to our advantage that night because she fell asleep almost immediately. 

It was a refreshing way to unwind for a few days. Work has been crazy. We've been prepping for the arrival of our son. We are gearing up for maternity leave and for our lives to change. I wish the little trip could have been longer and maybe a bit warmer, but it was just what we needed. 

We brought lots of things to keep her entertained. 

We stayed at the Murphy's River Lodge.  We would most definitely stay there again. It was nice and relaxing. 

Some places we ate: 

Dinner the first night was here. I had an amazing burger with jack cheese and guacamole with sweet potato fries. 

Lunch on the second day was at a little diner with amazing pie, called You Need Pie. Perfection. I had a reuben sandwich for lunch. Dessert was a slice of s'mores pie and blackberry, split between all of us. Seriously amazing pie. 

Dinner the second night was at our normal place when we go to Estes, Poppy's!  You can never go wrong with pizza. 

Right before it snowed a bunch.

Marin would have swam forever. We need to get her swimming lessons.

Someday we will get our tropical beach getaway as a family but for now escaping to the mountains for a few days was wonderful. Until next time, Estes Park. 

The Great Road Trip | Day 3 & 4

The past two days have been a good blur. Full of friends, super great food, and scenic drives to the coast. Vacation is being very good to us and now we are half way through our trip. As I write this, we are sitting in our hotel room in Seaside, OR. The ocean is right outside our balcony. This is the life. This will probably be a long winded post, so prepare yourselves. 

Day 3 was our full day in the wonderful city of Portland. Aside from the weather being pretty hot, we have enjoyed ourselves. After our pretty decent breakfast at our hotel, we hopped in our car and drove downtown again. The one place we will always stop at while in Portland is Powell's Bookstore. It's a must. It's like a rite of passage when you come to the City of Roses. You have no excuse not to go to this book haven. We bought far too many books and wandered through the isles for a good chunk of time. 

Next, we perused Buffalo Exchange and didn't find a single, awesome piece of clothing. That's a first. For pretty much every thrift store we've gone to on this trip, we have left empty handed. Our wallets are ok with that I guess. 

After the thrift shop, we found the Food Truck Mecca of Portland. After debating about which two trucks to choose from, we decided on some excellent eats and were not disappointed. The first place we went was the Grilled Cheese Grill where we split The Cheesus (two grilled cheese sandwiches as buns with a hamburger and fixin's inside.) Oh my. Our second choice was The Bento Box where we had grilled chicken, brown rice, veggies, and lots of delicious sauces all tossed into a glorious box. We were told that we could go sit and eat at a park a few blocks away. It was wonderful. I'm going to have to detox my diet when I get home. So much goodness. 

We visited a dear friend at work only a block away and got coffee in Pioneer Square. I walked down memory lane so much on Day Three. 

Later that evening, we met many of our wonderful friends at no other place than The Montage. Any place that has amazing mac n' cheese is a place we will go. If you have leftovers, which you usually try to have leftovers, they mold your leftovers into foil sculptures of awesomeness. I loved sharing a meal with people I love and miss so dearly. The night ended with drinks at a pretty awesome dive bar. Good drinks and good conversation. I love this city. I love the people that I call my friends even after all of these years of not living in the northwest. 

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Day Four started with checking out of our Portland hotel and heading to the coast, Seaside, OR. The drive included everything I love about the northwest: cooler weather, lots of trees, and lots of green. We ate delicious sandwiches once we made it to Seaside. Since we weren't able to check into our hotel room until 4pm, we decided to head to Astoria, OR. 

In Astoria, we split a beer flight at Rogue on the Pier. We went to a few more thrift stores and found nothing. We walked around. We drove back to Seaside, OR and walked on the beach, getting our toes sandy and the bottom of our pants soggy. Later we had delicious gelato before finally checking in. (Do you notice a pattern...we eat. We eat a lot of great things.) 

Our room is amazing. We are right on the beach. We have a balcony and a jacuzzi tub. We are planing on ordering in this evening and relaxing since the last few days have been such a whirlwind of craziness and wonderful friends. I can't wait to take a relaxing bath later and look at the ocean. 

We are half way through our trip and I feel the insatiable need to soak it all in. We will be back to reality before we know it. I can't wait to see Marin. I can't wait to take her on a trip like this some day. 

Day 3 & 4.