On Vacation

On August 21st, my husband, 2 dogs and I left for a long vacation.  The first leg of our vacation lead us to Estes Park, Colorado, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.  If you ever get the chance to visit here, do it!  Beauty surrounds you from all areas and there are many things do do. 

The town of Estes Park is filled with little bridges like this one that go over beautiful streams, and all of this surrounds a quaint downtown area full of different gift shops and restaurant.  I found some neat little items in various shops to take home and my husband and I hiked all over the place in the 2 days we stayed.

We asked another tourist to snap a picture of us together by this beautiful stream in a park-like setting.  All in all it was a great trip!

The next leg of our journey took us to Gillette, Wyoming where we had made plans to spend some time with our grandson.  Prior to arriving in Gillette, I had to stop at the Fig Leaf Quilt Shop in Ft. Collins, Colorado.  This is a unique shop in that a couple owns it, and the husband has a furniture store while the wife has the quilt shop all in one building.  When you walk in, you first see beautiful furniture settings and then you meander back to the shop, which is huge!  Lots and lots of tempting fabrics, quilts, patterns and notions.  I left with lots of goodies!  The Fig Leaf Quilt Shop was featured in Better Homes and Gardens Quilt Sampler magazine Spring/Summer issue.  You can also visit their website by clicking HERE  They have a very nice web site and also an online store.

Spending time with grandchildren is always fun and this time was no exception.  I just wish I had the energy of a 14-year-old but think I did pretty good keeping up with him!

 Of course I also had to check out the quilt shop in Gillette, Wyoming, called The Quilt Nook.  They don't have a web site that I know of but the shop was very nice with over 5,000 bolts of fabrics so I didn't leave empty handed : D

The next leg of our journey and where we currently are is in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  This is another beautiful place and so far we have seen the Crazy Horse Monument. 

 

The Crazy Horse Monument is still in progress and when finished will look like this: 





 We've also seen the Mt. Rushmore Memorial.  Since I'm originally from South Dakota, I've seen this before but my husband has not.  Every time I see it, I'm in awe of the talent it took to create such a beautiful work. 

Today we are going to go on the scenic Tramway here in Keystone, South Dakota.  It takes you to the top of a mountain range where you can have a bite to eat and then you have your choice of sliding down a 2,000 foot slide or taking the Tramway down.  The slide looks like a lot of fun but after all of the surgery I've recently had, I think I better take the Tramway.

While we've been traveling, I've been stitching on my Dutch Treat blocks and have made good progress.  Each morning and evening in our hotel room, I work on them while relaxing.






On Monday we are headed to my hometown of Platte, South Dakota to visit friends and relatives.  After a few days in Platte we will finally be headed back home to Glen Carbon, Illinois, and I have to say that I am anxious to get back home and back to my regular schedule.

Until next time . . .
Debbie