Casa de Collins: August 2017

Upper Waterton Lake, Watterton National Park, Alberta, Canada

Maybe the old cliche' "a picture is worth a thousand words" begins to depict our summer of 2017. I said, maybe. To chronicle all we observed, all we did and all we felt, just isn't possible. We traveled by car more than 5000 miles, visited two other countries, crossed nearly a dozen rivers, visited three national parks and stayed with a couple of dear friends. We spent one entire morning watching wolves hunt bison on the Yellowstone. Truly, it was like our very own, National Geographic episode. We hiked back-country to hidden lakes where most can't or won't adventure. The Crown of the Continent, named for the jeweled peaks along the northern Rocky mountains, offers unparalleled beauty and adventure!

Mornings started at 5:30 a.m. with coffee, my map, bear spray and the daily plan. If we were energized, it was a big plan! We kayaked to several glaciers on those days. Gavin was in awe of the water. Crystalal clear, freezing cold.

If we were feeling lazy, a small plan. Visit the visitors centers, hit Old Faithful, watch the stars by campfire. Never the less, always a plan. If you expect to do the parks right, you have to start early. Our tent was home for most of the trip with the exception of respite with friends in Montana and Utah, and one B&B (glorious lodge), two dive bars and a few restaurants. We ate our weight in huckleberry's!

I felt fortunate to see each friend, as time is passing quickly and we are all aging. I hugged them all long and hard making sure they knew it. And, I found, Gavin grew up significantly while traveling alone with his Adventure-Mom.

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After his usual phenomenal week at Vasa Camp, with dozens of cousins and Swedish culture, Gavin was able to sleep in his own bed, for three nights out of the entire month of July, before gallivanting to Denver for a STEM Camp, hosted by his God Mother, Candice. The two of them hit all of his favorites including music with a Zac Brown Band Concert, Sushi and Professional Soccer. In between camp time Candice planned trips out on the paddle board and to parks before cooking him supper and shuffling him off to bed. He loves her dearly and I am so glad they had all this fun together!

After travelling by car for most of the summer, I found it took awhile to adjust to phones, noise, people, commitments and a clock. I guess these are signs of a remarkable journey! Please continue to scroll down to see more pictures of the wonder that is the Crown of The Continent.