yeti_in_ga
SE Expedtion Society
I awoke too early to tell what time it was, my heart pounding, mind racing, of all things packed or not packed … ready to go. The sun’s light came trickling thru the curtains as to call out “get up , get up , it’s time to hit the road…” I swung out of bed trying not to disturb the wife and our dog who always thinks of feeding time in the morning not unlike me and my coffee no matter what the time… Anyway, I had laid out my driving attire like I normally do before a big trip the night before so less thinking is in order to get out the door. I gently slipped on my goods and worked my way to get the kiddos stirring around. That’s correct 2 kiddos to be exact, ages 9 and 12 both boys, both somewhat concerned that Dad was taking them away from their summer vacation and friends for the entire month of July.
……..o wait let me back up and explain who is embarking on this Expedition Colorado but first a few words..
As a parent we often take our surroundings for granted and some never take the time to leave that familiar path and experience something new, different and unknown. I think to share this with your family is a gift a blessing upon which they may in turn learn to share it with their own families one day. Creating an appreciation for the outdoors and the confidence needed to continue to experience new things, places and people.
I am often asked by non expo families how do we embark on such an adventure with a somewhat envious look from them. I can tell that they are held back, hung up, frozen by some aspects of their daily life and to them they are a mountain with no visible path to proceed. I take it for granted that I grew up camping, hiking and was in boy scouts which ingrained a can do belief that no matter what the challenge we will get through it and look back and no matter how it went, we have memories or have learned something from those experiences which will pave the way for new adventures.
I by no means am a true explorer but a weekend warrior with an occasional larger adventure trek always completing one and dreaming of the next while I sit at my day job counting the hours and paying the bills. Don't get me wrong I like what I do , but it's the dream of adventure what keeps me going day after day.
It's hard to think that this adventure started long ago , maybe as long as 5 years ago. I was reading here on Expo and became enchanted with the west and in particular Colorado. I just knew I had to do a big trip there with the family and see all the wonderful things and big towering mountains. Experiencing the thin crisp air and indulging in the vast scenery. I had researched that July was a great time to go , most high passes would be open and the wildflowers would be in bloom and create for some spectacular views and pictures. All I needed was to get the time off from work , get my two kids excited about the trip and figure out when the wife would meet us out there.
I can also say that preparation for this trip also start about that same time. I already had a vehicle that I believed in even with 238k on the od. A 1999 100s Land Cruiser which would tow my starcraft r/t offroad popup. I have faith in this truck and set up and a community that supports its members if they have problems or questions. This knowledge and belief keeps me driving a land cruiser and I will surely reach 400k plus miles. Again preparation began long before the trip, I will only talk about one modification that made the world of difference for me and the comfort of my crew. This was a dual battery setup and 60 qt electric cooler/ frig. I have to say without this set up , it would have been very hard to enjoy having to worry about ice, water and food temperatures for a family of four for over 3 weeks.
Anyway back to the story at hand…….
So where was I , yes … the crew and the plan. The crew is made up of me and my two sons for the first leg and the wife who plans on flying out and meeting us at the halfway point before we head to western Co. Our plan was to drive from Ga to Co , pulling our popup camper and camping for over 3 weeks in different areas in CO. For the drive out there I only had two things I was shooting for… Make it to CO alive and not eating any fast food on the way. I planned driving about 9 - 10 hours each day staying at hotels with pools to give the boys something to look forward too and to enjoy once we got there and a quick place to heat food and eat. On the last day of the drive we would be staying about 3 hours from camp right outside of Denver , with that it allowed us to get to camp early in the day (on the third day) and set up and still have time to explore the area. Our first real camp stop would be Estes Park Portal East at the foot of the Rocky Mt National Park.
Next installment "The Drive"
……..o wait let me back up and explain who is embarking on this Expedition Colorado but first a few words..
As a parent we often take our surroundings for granted and some never take the time to leave that familiar path and experience something new, different and unknown. I think to share this with your family is a gift a blessing upon which they may in turn learn to share it with their own families one day. Creating an appreciation for the outdoors and the confidence needed to continue to experience new things, places and people.
I am often asked by non expo families how do we embark on such an adventure with a somewhat envious look from them. I can tell that they are held back, hung up, frozen by some aspects of their daily life and to them they are a mountain with no visible path to proceed. I take it for granted that I grew up camping, hiking and was in boy scouts which ingrained a can do belief that no matter what the challenge we will get through it and look back and no matter how it went, we have memories or have learned something from those experiences which will pave the way for new adventures.
I by no means am a true explorer but a weekend warrior with an occasional larger adventure trek always completing one and dreaming of the next while I sit at my day job counting the hours and paying the bills. Don't get me wrong I like what I do , but it's the dream of adventure what keeps me going day after day.
It's hard to think that this adventure started long ago , maybe as long as 5 years ago. I was reading here on Expo and became enchanted with the west and in particular Colorado. I just knew I had to do a big trip there with the family and see all the wonderful things and big towering mountains. Experiencing the thin crisp air and indulging in the vast scenery. I had researched that July was a great time to go , most high passes would be open and the wildflowers would be in bloom and create for some spectacular views and pictures. All I needed was to get the time off from work , get my two kids excited about the trip and figure out when the wife would meet us out there.
I can also say that preparation for this trip also start about that same time. I already had a vehicle that I believed in even with 238k on the od. A 1999 100s Land Cruiser which would tow my starcraft r/t offroad popup. I have faith in this truck and set up and a community that supports its members if they have problems or questions. This knowledge and belief keeps me driving a land cruiser and I will surely reach 400k plus miles. Again preparation began long before the trip, I will only talk about one modification that made the world of difference for me and the comfort of my crew. This was a dual battery setup and 60 qt electric cooler/ frig. I have to say without this set up , it would have been very hard to enjoy having to worry about ice, water and food temperatures for a family of four for over 3 weeks.
Anyway back to the story at hand…….
So where was I , yes … the crew and the plan. The crew is made up of me and my two sons for the first leg and the wife who plans on flying out and meeting us at the halfway point before we head to western Co. Our plan was to drive from Ga to Co , pulling our popup camper and camping for over 3 weeks in different areas in CO. For the drive out there I only had two things I was shooting for… Make it to CO alive and not eating any fast food on the way. I planned driving about 9 - 10 hours each day staying at hotels with pools to give the boys something to look forward too and to enjoy once we got there and a quick place to heat food and eat. On the last day of the drive we would be staying about 3 hours from camp right outside of Denver , with that it allowed us to get to camp early in the day (on the third day) and set up and still have time to explore the area. Our first real camp stop would be Estes Park Portal East at the foot of the Rocky Mt National Park.
Next installment "The Drive"
