Hey all, I am currently in St. Louis and we leave today for Little Rock. It’s been a long, busy vacation – maybe even too long – but I was looking back over my trip notes and thought it would be fun to post them before I get home and do my long recap post. We get back around noon Thursday, hopefully, and I plan to take Friday as a sick day to catch up. In the meantime, here’s what we’ve been up to – the abridged version.

Drove from tlh to pensacola; brunch with Mom and Dad at Aunt Katie’s welcome to breakfast. Drove to NO. Early for flight. Had beer at Emeril’s at the gate. Flew to Phoenix.
Got car and to airbnb around 8. No code at first. Went to sleep.
Next am, drove to Tucson. Had breakfast with Mary and Mike. Went back then got water. Went for walk. No good paths. Went to saguaro national park; walked maybe 2 miles
Took koda with and did total wine. Back. Went to bad Mexican place. Went to Pueblo vida brewery. Back. Kids played pool. Drove to Phoenix in rain.
Went to pf chang’s with John and Carol
Next am, breakfast on ASU campus with Mike and Mary. Sunny place. Hung out.
Met Carol at mall. Hung out there. Went to eat. Got cheesecake. Said goodbye to Mike and Mary with kids at Hop Social. Took them back. Went to one more brewery with all but John. Mike and Mary left. Hung out with Carol at Arizona Wilderness.
Ash and I to Wren house then kings beer and wine. Good kolsch service. Played cards against family with fam.
Next am, Ash and I walked early (remember scooter hatchet guy) then we left. Sun up so early you get going. Drove up to Flagstaff ( great mountain scenery !) and went to two breweries – mother road and dark sky. Drove on to the petrified forest. Did almost all of it then on to Albuquerque. Got in late. No code. Bugs. No internet. Went to Starbucks for net in morning.
Next am, chose to walk at volcanoes day use trail. Car died in lot. Had to get a tow. Whole mess. Wasted 3 hours waiting. After, went to farina pizzeria – good pizza!
Took kids home and went to bow and arrow, la reforma, gravity bound, and sidetrack.
Next am, got on road to Denver early bc of rafting. Drove into Colorado and went to a Walmart then got to Buena Vista for rafting around noonish. Had good tacos at a truck while waiting. Rafting was fun! Really cool and it was a good team exercise. Traffic on way back sucked. Hated being in wet suit.
Left there after changing and drove though crazy mountains to Denver
Got in airbnb. Bunny buddy in yard. Walked to Origins sports bar. Decent food. Kids home. Went to Trve, metal themed. Great beer. Next am, walked Denver neighborhood for about 3.7 miles. Went to redeemer pizza, our mutual friend, ratio, then bierstadt, that was disappointing. Kids home; went back out to cohesion, which was great. Got groceries at Safeway. Home to hang out.
Got on road by 630. Stopped halfway in Hays, Ks at Defiance brewing. Cheap food! Legit 5.99 burger lunch. Best deal on trip.
Got to KC and ell went with us to alma mader brewing then home. Took ell to Taco Bell and got harassed by drugged out woman looking for 5 bucks. Home to play 31 and cards against with fam.
Next day in KC – Ash, Koda and I walked in Parkville for a little over 2 miles; park seemed closed and we walked away from cops. Lots of flooding. Home to shower and then to KC bier company for soccer game and German food/ beer. Home then Ash and I to stockyards brewing. Home for a nap. Out later to a Mexican place for dinner. We watched Twilight zone on the TV since there was no internet.

Left KC in am for st. Louis. Got to town and hit Stellar Pig for BBQ then to Perennial ales. Next was civil life – good beer, nice upstairs area where we played cards. Checked in then. Ash and I to 2nd Shift, Urban Chestnut, and Side Project, which was the best. Got food for the kids, made a pizza, went to sleep.

Next day, went early to the Arch. Looked around the park, saw the river and a cool Lewis and Clark statue. Went home to gather stuff then to a Cracker Barrel and then onto Six Flags. Good park, generally speaking. Menfolk rode coasters while women did the water park. By 1 we met up and did a couple rides then the guys came back to the water park. Home before dark. We watched old Royal Rumbles on TV and went to sleep.