After Chris had everything cleaned up from the Ward breakfast, we packed a picnic lunch. The John family similarly headed home to pack stuff for their family, and we met at the Walmart on Highway 66. The road to Estes was busy and slow; Chris took advantage of the passing lanes every chance he got.
Our first destination was the Endovalley picnic area in RMNP. From past years, we knew that it could get pretty packed, but we lucked out in finding an area with two tables and room to spread out. The kids ate a little bit of food and then wanted to be off "climbing mountains." Amy and Misha as the oldest, were good to lead the excursions. It gave the adults time to chat and enjoy the beautiful surroundings and relax.
We left Endovalley and drove up to Bear Lake, opting to take our chances on getting a parking spot instead of taking the bus up. No worries, there were plenty of parking spots available. Jamie stayed with her baby while the rest of hiked down to Alberta Falls. Johns have small kids, so we slowed to accommodate their pace but eventually made it to the Falls where all of the kids had fun climbing on the rocks.
The hike back up to Bear Lake was a bit more challenging, but we made it with some kids riding on shoulders. We were just kind of playing the day by ear, knowing that the young kids would tire. We stopped at the slides in Estes, and after a few runs decided to head home.
Chris was planning to be up really early on Friday morning for a hike, so he stayed home to get ready for it and then headed to bed. The girls and I drove over to the library parking lot to watch fireworks. It was ok. There were a lot of trees in the way, but the girls were happy to climb up through the sunroof to sit on the roof of the car.