Grand Junction, Colorado 6-15-07

Our GJ trip was the brain-child of my Mother-in-Law.
In a nutshell, Vince and I followed Grandma on her Amtrak leg to Colorado.
Once there, we used the layover time to go hiking, swimming and touring the Grand Valley.
It was one of the greatest trips of Vince's life!
We had to get up pretty early to meet the train. Even then, it was still very late.
Here, Lis and Vince give their goodbyes.






For the most part, Vince was very excited to get on the train.
I really think he remembered the trip we took to Denver all those years ago.
Oh yeah, you better believe the stick came with us!





Once we got on the train (and it started moving), Vince and I settled in. The trip took about eight hours.







I think the most unusual feature of the trip for Vince was getting used to seeing Grandma at work. He'd often crane his head into the hallway only to catch a glimpse of her pouring over paperwork or talking on the radio.

Naturally, Cheryl spent as much time with us as she could. But for the most part, she kept her game face on.


It didn't stop Squirt from having a good time, though.
He loved exploring the train and looking out the window.







But by the end of the trip, cabin fever started to set in and we were both ready to get off the train.







Once we finally offloaded, we had our first experience of the dry Grand Valley heat. Vince was a little confused as to where we would go from the Train Station. But once Grandma finished all her work, we headed out to the Hotel.





Amtrak employees in GJ stay at La Quinta. It's nice. Real nice!
Our room was already cooling when we checked in. After a small respite, we packed up and headed for the Monument!






We reached the trailhead pretty late...about 6pm.
But after all those hours of being cooped up in a train, even Vince was up for a walk in the fresh air.






Now that Cheryl was off duty, she could be Grandma all over again! Mom did a great job of making up for all the lost socializing on the train. As for Vince, he loved every minute of it.






The CNM was one of the most beautiful parks I've ever visited. In a way, it gave Vince and I a different perspective in our hiking. You see, usually we're at the bottom looking up...






...but here, we were on top and looking down!








We were treated to a great view of GJ, the Book Cliffs and the whole Grand Valley. We even saw a UFO that looked surprisingly like my thumb!






The trail meal serves as a great turnaround benchmark for Vince. Since we were going to get pizza later, we kept the trail food down to a light snack. In the background, Cheryl and her coworker enjoy the view.





Vince was in great spirits the whole time.
Here, he took a brief break from Grandma-lovin' to have his picture taken with me.






On the way back, the sun was well behind the mountains and gave us some great shade.
I believe the scenery was grand enough to command Vince's attention.





There is no greater reward for a hard-day's hike than a dip in the pool.

After a cool swim and some dinner, Vince and I passed out on our beds and prepared for the next day.