We just returned from three glorious days in Fruita, Colorado.
While our little mountain town continues to be hammered with snow, we found dry ground and excellent hiking in Fruita. In three days, we packed in two great hikes in Colorado National Monument and lots of excellent eating and drinking.
We basked on the patio of Base Camp Provisions, which has our favorite setup for eating out with a two year old – pay at the counter and lots of space for a child to roam, plus the cocktails were good!
We wandered in Black Ridge Canyon Wilderness. We slowly sipped coffee and ate life changing pumpkin bread at Bestslope Coffee Company.
All of that is to say we packed it in and never felt rushed.
We are good at the art of the three day weekend
We always have been good at it, particularly with jobs that offer limited vacation time and an insatiable appetite to see new things. Getting out and going on a moment’s notice is important to us – absolutely critical, really. We wondered if having a kid would make short road trips feel too hard, but I would say we are on the road as often now as we ever were.
Especially because West also loves being on the road. He eats up all the novelty. In the case of this weekend, he was spellbound by rocks, lizards, the game of cornhole, and even the Airbnb.
Aside from toys in the car, we didn’t even bring anything for him to play with. The whole trip was the entertainment.
Again, it makes me think about the advice that kids need routine. I think there is something to this, but I also think it’s important to expand the definition of routine. Part of our routine as a family is to travel often. Part of our routine is to hike or ski every weekend.
Elements of a successful long weekend routine
- Getting out often. Just go… and go often. Frequency builds familiarity and your own travel routine.
- The travel checklist. I have permanent packing checklists on my phone for travel and camping. They make it easy (and fast) to get out the door. We also keep all the travel gear organized and handy. When we get back, we put it right back so nothing has a chance to wander away.
- Pick the right lodging and settle in right away. We’ve found with a toddler that a little elbow room goes a long way. We try to get a place where West can have his own room and we have good outdoor space. Obviously it’s not always possible and often cost prohibitive! As soon as we arrive, we set up West’s room with our favorite Guava Lotus Travel Crib and let West know it’s his space. We give him time to check it out so it is familiar come bedtime.
- Bring the staple food items. We always pack Annie’s Bunnies, cookies, Pirate Booty, cheese, applesauce squeeze packs, and fruit. We can find the rest on the road, but know we will always get by with these things.
- Find fun for all activities. We won’t give up hiking, but we do build in more time these days for West to get out of the pack and roam on his own terms. We also won’t give up beer, but we find the place where West can wander the patio and explore.
NOTE: Some of the products and services we recommend contain affiliate links that give us a small commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase.
