Chasing My Joy

My journey to becoming an Ultra Runner and Ironman

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December 31, 2022

We Really Probably Shouldn’t…But We Did

We started out the day with still lots of snow on the ground and an even sicker dog. So we were sure that our New Years trip was off and that we were staying home.

We were all bummed about missing our trip but came to terms with it and had lots of house projects planned. Our biggest worry was actually that Humphry was sick and that we shouldn’t take him and that he could be really ill. We got some “samples” to the vet and waited to hear back on what to do to help Humphry. We heard back in the afternoon that Humphry just had a bacterial overgrowth that can be easily treaded with antibiotics and were given the green light to take Humphry with us from our vet.

We had accepted that we weren’t going so we weren’t properly preparing for our trip all morning, which meant that we were scrambling to get a very late departure. We packed, picked up Kermit in deep snow and got on the road.

And because we were supposed to be having dinner at our campsite, but left our house around 5 pm We fed our kids Burger King (parents of the year). It’s times like this that we probably should just throw in the towel but we have a hard time giving up an adventure.

We got to our site, which was amazing, after our bedtime and settled in for the night.

Do you ever say yes when you really should just say no?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Camping, Colorado Travel

November 14, 2022

Mueller State Park + An Unbirthday

After our trip to the North Pole we spent a little time playing in the campsite. Then we decided to get a little evening hike in before dinner.

On the way to the trailhead we saw a friendly deer.

It was a little chilly but not too bad.

We went on the nature trail and had a little pamphlet to tell us about the environment we were hiking in.

It’s fun to get out and hike in the snow.

Actually kind of looking forward to this winter.

The sunset in the mountains is gorgeous.

After our hike we ate inside our trailer, which we rarely do but it was in the 20s. We are happy to hike outside in below freezing but not just around in our campsite. This is when I am very thankful for our heater and warm bed with a down comforter.

In the morning we hiked to the highest point in the park.

The views were stunning.

The kids loved playing on the rocks at the top and would have stayed there all day but we needed to get out of our campsite and back home.

Both my brother and I have birthdays in September but we hadn’t yet been able to get together to celebrate. Some reasons were great, we were in France in early September and my brother and my parents were in Oregon for both our birthdays. By the time everyone was home then we were very sick, for weeks. Then my mom had a terrible accident, spent time in the hospital where my parents caught Covid and were sick for almost three weeks. Finally everyone is home and well (I am so so grateful that everyone is fine now) so my mom hosted an unbirthday party for my brother and I. It was so sweet and thoughtful! I wish I took pictures!

I did take a picture of this yeti mug my parents gave me and I LOVE it!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Camping, Colorado, Colorado Travel

November 12, 2022

A Little Winter Camping

We have been home way more than we usually like so we decided we needed to run away and go camping for the weekend. 

Cory worked a half day while the kids and I ran around getting packed and ready to go. It always surprises me that it takes almost as much time and effort to pack for a weekend then it does to pack for a week or two away. 

Gingerbread girl coffee cup helped me get going!

Once we were all ready we drove down to Mueller State Park near Pikes Peak. It’s nice that they have camping open all year. We often like to “wild camp” without any amenities but this time of year it’s nice to have electrical hookups for our trailer. 

We need the electricity for our tank heaters so things don’t freeze. The lows were in the teens overnight so it was also nice to be able to plug a heating pad. 

Our trailer does have a gas heater so we do have heat off grid, which is essential for winter camping in my mind. 

We enjoyed more inside time than we usually do while we are camping because the evening was so cold. 

The kids made themselves at home (and made a mess) on the bed and hung up some Christmas lights since this trip kicks off the holiday season for us. 

Our trailer is very small but we enjoy the closeness. 

We had a few rounds of competitive Uno, it’s one of our current favorite games.

Do you ever camp in the fall/winter?

What are your favorite family games to play?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Camping

July 16, 2022

Kid Hike – Lost Lake

I woke up excited to get a run in because the unpaved road into our campsite had four tunnels.

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It’s always fun to run somewhere new. 

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The weather was cool and perfect but running in the mountains is always humbling. 

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Since it’s Friday Cory had to work so we picked him up a coffee from our favorite coffee shop in Buena Vista then set off for adventure. 

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Humphry was with us as well and we were in search of wildflowers. 

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We decided on the Lost Lake trail near the top of Cottonwood Pass. 

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The hike was enchanting and reminded me of Austria. 

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There was some stream crossings, a mud bog and lots of mosquitos but it was worth it for the views. 

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We had lunch and enjoyed the views from Cottonwood Pass before a rainstorm blew in. 

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When we got down off the pass it was time to pack up Kermit and drive to Gunnison to our next campsite. 

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We love camping at Heartman Rocks. After a quick dinner we did a pre-bedtime hike. Summer bedtimes are an easily forgotten suggestion. 

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Camping, Kids Hikes

July 15, 2022

Camping Season + Too Hot

We had a busy day getting ready for a weekend camping trip in the mountains. Cannon started with a bike lesson from Cory and Emmy went for a scooter ride while I went for a run. 

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I LOVE summer mornings that are bright and only require shorts and a t-shirt. Although fall is my favorite running season. 

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We rounded out the morning with packing up our clothes and electronics. Then we spent a little time at a playground to get some more time outside and energy out.

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We have a three hour drive to our campsite so it’s important to get some exercise. It was a bit hot so we didn’t 

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Then we stopped by the library to return a bunch of books and pick up some new movies for our trip. 

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Emmy picked out this Littlest Pet Shop movie, I made her trade it for a non Halloween one so we could save this for spooky season. It did make me smile because I used to love the Littlest pet shop toys when I was little. I will have to look online and see if they still sell them. 

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Our drive was uneventful and we arrived at our campsite in Buena Vista. 

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Camping

June 13, 2022

Camper Mornings + Pro-Playground

I always love waking up with Emmy in the camper!

I also love how much outside time we get while camping, outside immediately, breakfast in the fresh air, watching for trains across the river, it’s all good.

We had to pack up and head back to reality.

We did make time to stop at one of our favorite playgrounds in vail on the way home.

A friend recently said that she doesn’t like to go to playgrounds while traveling because they have them at home and seems like a waste of time. I get that but we love visiting new playgrounds when we travel.

Are you team travel playground or skip it?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Camping

June 12, 2022

Rifle Falls, John Denver + Raspberry Cake

We started our day with breakfast riverside.

Can’t beat the views of this campsite!

We decided to drive over the Rifle Falls State Park to enjoy the falls, caves and a little hike.

Luckily all the dogs are allowed on the hikes as well.

This is our third time visiting Rifle Falls and I love it every time, a great hike for kids and adults.

We went back to camp for lunch with my entire family.

My parents decided to stay in camp to relax and stay out of the 90+ degree heat. We took the kids and met my brother up in Aspen to visit the John Denver Gardens.

It was a nice visit but I do wish we could have stayed longer visiting, I love Aspen. I already asked for a visit to Aspen for my birthday this year.

We went back to camp to enjoy father’s day dinner and raspberry cake with my Dad.

Emmy approved of it all!

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Camping, Colorado Travel

February 20, 2022

Weekend Trip – Lake Pueblo State Park

We are loving winter camping, getting out in nature makes everything better. We tend to camp in very different locations in the winter than the summer since the high country is way too snowy and cold for us this time of year. I do prefer summer camping in the mountains, but it is fun to see parts of the state we wouldn’t visit in the summer.

Like Lake Pueblo State Park! We joined my parents for a little weekend camping.

The drive is only a little over two hours and very easy.

We did some hiking and playing, the weather was cool but comfortable.

After our hike we went to Pueblo to visit the zoo.

It was tiny but perfect for an afternoon and the kids liked it.

Then it was back to our campsite for dinner and stargazing.

Do you ever go camping in the winter?

Posted by bethcurtis Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Camping, Colorado Travel

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We are having so much fun learning to ski as a fam We are having so much fun learning to ski as a family! Ski traffic I could do without 🫠
✨2022✨ I can honestly say this was the best ✨2022✨ 

I can honestly say this was the best year of my life. So many adventures. I am loving the ages of these kiddos and cherish our time together. 

Very unsure if we can top this in 2023 but we are sure going to try!
We hope you had a merry little Christmas 🎄 We hope you had a merry little Christmas 🎄
Winter hiking is just so magical. Definitely not h Winter hiking is just so magical. Definitely not hating winter this year! ❄️
We kicked off the holiday season by visiting the N We kicked off the holiday season by visiting the North Pole and seeing Santa! 

The kids had so much fun and it was way cuter than I was expecting. They said it was better than Disneyland 😂 @northpolecolorado
Happy Halloween!!! Cannon really wanted to be To Happy Halloween!!! 

Cannon really wanted to be Toad from Super Mario this year so we tagged along. 

Scroll to see 2021-> 2020 -> 2019 -> 2018 -> 2017 -> 2016 🎃
We finished up our tour of France with a couple da We finished up our tour of France with a couple days in Disneyland Paris. I love Disney Parks and visiting Disneyland Paris was a dream come true. We had such an amazing time on our entire trip. 

We are trying to plan our next trip. Where is the best place you have ever been? Do you have a favorite trip? I would love to hear about it. My parents say that Ireland was their favorite so UK tops the list currently but Italy or Costa Rica are on the list too.
In our last couple of days in Paris we took a bus In our last couple of days in Paris we took a bus tour to see the major sights. Our favorites included walking the entire Champs-Élysées and climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. We missed out on seeing the Catacombs because we didn’t get tickets early enough. c’est la vie, I guess we will have to go back 😉
A cousin reminded me that I never finished sharing A cousin reminded me that I never finished sharing our trip to France 🫠 better late than never! 

We spent our first day back in Paris with a trip to Versailles. We loved the gardens so much and particularly enjoyed Marie Antoinette’s little farm. The history here is incredible and the opulence overwhelming. We walked over 10 miles on our visit!
Before our long drive back to Paris we did the thr Before our long drive back to Paris we did the three castle hike in Ribeauvillé, France. We climbed up the side of a hill to three castle ruins from the 14th century. It was really fun to explore and a great way to burn some energy before a long drive.
While we were in the Alsace region of France we vi While we were in the Alsace region of France we visited the sweet little village of Riquewihr. Rumor says this was the inspiration for Belle’s village in Disney’s Beaty and the Beast. Can you see it? We could and kept singing Bonjour while walking through town.
After leaving Switzerland we made our way to Colma After leaving Switzerland we made our way to Colmar. This sweet little town in the Alsace region of France near the German border. We loved all the half timber buildings and winding streets. We had some great local food and wine. Colmar was a lovely place to get lost for an afternoon.
It was so exciting to see the Matterhorn in person It was so exciting to see the Matterhorn in person. The peak was never fully clear of clouds while we were there which was a little disappointing but it was still majestic . We took a cog train and gondola up then hiked about five miles down on the five lakes trail. It was a beautiful day and we got to enjoy lunch mid hike. We loved the little (car free) town of Zermatt. We enjoyed some fun Swiss playgrounds in town before dinner. I love Switzerland and it’s mountains!
With the last of our time in Chamonix we took a go With the last of our time in Chamonix we took a gondola and cable car up Le Brévent. We enjoyed hot chocolates and crepes at the top with views of Mont Blanc. 

Next it was time to drive on to Switzerland 🇨🇭
We took a cute cogwheel train up the valley in Cha We took a cute cogwheel train up the valley in Chamonix to Montenvers to visit the Mer de Glace  glacier. At the top you can take a gondola a little way down then MANY stairs to the glacier. It was sad to see the markers of where the glacier was in years past and how much it has shrunk. We did love exploring an ice cave that they dig out each year. We had to try twice to get into the ice caves as the first time it closed right as we arrived due to a storm. It was worth taking the train twice.
After riding to the top of Aiguille du Midi we sto After riding to the top of Aiguille du Midi we stopped half way down for a couple mile hike and a stop at a mountain hut for lunch. This might have been my favorite lunch ever. The views were amazing and the weather was nice. The mountains here are STUNNING!!! #aiguilledumidi #chamonix
We decided to spend a few day in Chamonix to explo We decided to spend a few day in Chamonix to explore the French Alps. The experience we were most excited about was taking the gondola up the 
Aiguille du Midi (highest cable car in France). You switch cable cars half way up so you can enjoy the views. The top outpost is incredible perching on top of the mountain. I’ve never seen anything like it! 

The day wasn’t completely clear but the views were still incredible. #aiguilledumidi #chamonix
After a long drive across the French countryside w After a long drive across the French countryside we landed in Annecy at the foot of the Alps. 

Annecy was such a pretty little town on the bank of a gorgeous turquoise lake.  We got to enjoy lunch at a canal side cafe, wander the streets, enjoy ice cream and playground hop our way through town. 

Very excited about our next few days in mountains of France + Switzerland.
We drove into the heart of France to visit the Go We drove into the heart of France to visit the  Gouffre de Padirac. A large cave system including an underground river. I don’t have many good pictures given the lighting and lack of patience. We loved climbing down into the cave and riding a boat along the river. Probably my favorite cave that I have visited. Kids loved all of it too and are so good about us dragging them along with us across France.
After leaving Mont Saint-Michele we drove to Loire After leaving Mont Saint-Michele we drove to Loire to visit Château de Chenonceau. It was stunning and the gardens were fun to explore. The history here is so rich!
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