🚐 From Chaos to Colorado: Our Family Vacation Recap

Or: How we survived shituations, scooters, and side mirrors with a smile (mostly).

If you haven’t read our drive-to-Colorado post (from summer of 2023), you might want to start there. Spoiler: it includes hotel sandpaper sheets, plumbing party tricks, and Target-bag roadside potty breaks. It also sets the tone for everything that came next.

Here’s a detailed peek at how the rest of the trip went… day by day.

📅 Thursday, May 25 – We Made It! (Sort Of)

We arrived at my in-laws around 5PM and promptly got right back in the car for a Costco run — because nothing says “vacation” like hauling grumpy four-year-olds into a warehouse store after 8 hours of driving.

We bought food for what felt like an army, went back home, and let the boys ride scooters outside and hunt for rollie pollies in the yard. We were all tired but trying to keep the kids happy.

Sleeping arrangements were… cozy. My husband’s childhood bedroom had one full bed and two twin mattresses on the floor:

Skylar at the foot of the bed
Ryder in the bed with me
Josh on the other twin mattress

No clue how everyone else slept, but Ryder and I were out like a light!

📅 Friday, May 26 – Garden, Gods, and Vomit

At 4:00 AM, Ryder woke me up with tiny hands on my face and a loud whisper: “MOMMY, ARE YOU AWAKE?!” Well I am now Son!!

We got going by 8AM and drove to Garden of the Gods. It was beautiful, peaceful, and gave the boys the freedom to run, climb, and explore.

Then we headed to Cave of the Winds. The mountain switchbacks were too much for Ryder — he said he needed a “frow-up bag,” and seconds later, he was throwing up everywhere. I am a 100% sympathy puker, so that drive nearly took me out too.

We bailed on the caves and headed back to Denver. After a short recovery, we went to the outlet mall. I was on a mission to find a retro Broncos hat like the one my dad used to wear. Thanks to my in-laws, I found the perfect one. Win!

📅 Saturday, May 27 – Elephants, In-N-Out, and the Worst Towels

3AM: Ryder threw up.
3–6AM: Still throwing up.
6:30AM: Skylar woke up. I took him to Starbucks and helped make breakfast with the grandparents.

Then (surprise!) we got back in the car and headed to the Denver Zoo. It was hot, under construction, and half the animals were hiding.

The highlight? Watching an elephant named Billy try to catch tossed fruit.
Lowlight? The poor zookeeper who couldn’t hit the side of a barn with an apple.

Later:

New wedding ring for me 💍 (because mine hasn’t fit since January)
In-N-Out Burger, round 3
Mental tally of car hours now nearing 1,000.

📅 Sunday, May 28 – Climbing, Conquering, and Surprises

Up at 6:30AM (because vacation means nothing to toddlers).
Watched church online, then drove to my sister-in-law’s for lunch and thrift store chaos.

Ended the day at an indoor play place, where the boys ran wild and conquered a rock wall and balance pillars. Ryder absolutely crushed it — made it to the top of the rock wall and danced across all 10 balance pillars like a boss. 🧗‍♂️

Highlight of the day? Seeing Ryder shine in something new — and realizing this might be a passion we want to help him grow.

📅 Monday, May 29 – Trains, Mountains, and a Full-Blown Shituation

We drove to Georgetown to ride a historic mountain train. Just as we pulled into the lot, our van made a sound that can only be described as “mechanical despair.”

Cue the anxiety spiral: Could it make the 10-hour drive home?

We tried to enjoy the train while simultaneously Googling vehicle solutions. Afterward, the boys panned for gold (with help from a very confused staff member).

Then came the shituation.

Ryder had a diaper blowout right by the river. Two adults, a naked child, and one full pack of baby wipes later, we had him cleaned and back in a pull-up.

📅 Tuesday, May 30 – Surprise! We Bought an RV

Since the van was giving up on life, we decided to finally do the thing we’ve talked about for months:

We bought an RV.

We drove 45 minutes to pick it up, and just like that, our journey home would now involve bunk beds, a kitchenette, and freedom from gas station bathrooms.

Back in Denver, we went swimming at a rec center. My husband flew out of a 3-story water slide so fast he skipped halfway across the pool. Worth it.

We capped the night by hunting down a car dolly for the van while I packed the RV for launch day.

📅 Wednesday, May 31 – The Longest Prep Day Ever

Spoiler: we did NOT leave at 6:30AM.

We had an epic checklist of RV supplies to get before we could hit the road. Think: trash cans, trailer lights, storage bins, bedding, and about 27 other things.

Josh and I tackled the errands while the in-laws watched the boys. We finally hit the road at 6:30PM and camped 2 hours away. Besides battling a moth invasion, night one in the RV went surprisingly smooth.

📅 Thursday, June 1 – The Mirrorless, Moth-Filled Drive

After a so-so night of sleep, we hit the road. The boys were thrilled — snacks, games, bathroom on board, and all the freedom to move around.

One hour in: Ryder looked… suspicious.

Yup. Another shituation — in a moving RV, with one adult (other adult was driving), no table space, and poop in places poop should never be.

As I finished cleanup, I glanced out the window… just in time to see the side mirror explode off the RV.

We found a replacement in a tiny town, rode scooters in a parking lot while waiting, and broke a key off in a panel lock. Why not?

At this point, nothing surprised me. But one thing was certain: we were really making memories.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Was it chaotic? Absolutely.
Did I lose count of how many hours we were in the car? 100%.
Would I do it again?

Ask me after I wash the RV.

#TwinsTendersAndTeaching #FamilyVacationChronicles #RVLifeBegins #ShituationSurvivors #RealMomTravel