2011 Family Vacation

This year with Aragorn starting school at the end of July, we were kinda short on time. So we decided to skip the regular 4-5 day vacation, and just go for the weekend. We finally decided on the Colorado Renaissance Festival, this year was it's 35th season. It's like going back in time as soon as you step through the doors. On top of the food, and handmade stuff you can buy, they feature a cast of hundreds of authentically costumed merrymakers living and working throughout the village and performing, continuously, upon the Festival's seven stages, the illusion of a rollicking 16th Century festival day is created. Impromptu encounters with the royalty and peasantry of Tudor England are commonplace. You'll meet all kinds, from jousters to jugglers to minstrels to maidens faire, all schooled in art of interactive theatre, they are rude, and insulting, or happy and accommodating depending on who you talk to. The boys were super excited to go yesterday morning. They REALLY wanted to see knights. It was already hot my the time we got there, but we sun screened up, and headed out. They boys were enthralled with everyone, all the costumes, and things for sale. Rohan was not impressed with Skidmark who was one of the rude guys. He sat in the middle of the walkway and insulted you as you walked by, he burped at you and made other rude sounds. He and Rohan had an exchange

Skid Mark "BURP"
Rohan "Ewwwww" waving his hand in front of his face
Skidmark "You've got on plaid and stripes.....who dressed you?"

I got my hair braided, and the boys got to ride the elephant and the camel. Aragorn also got to do the bungee jump, that he really seemed to like. We got to see the joust. And we had some yummy food, strawberry Italian ice (in an orange) and fried ice cream, steak on a steak and and fries. We did go on the large swing, which was fun, and really HIGH. Everything in the park is manually operated, and the guys that push the swing try to steal your shoes, they did get Aragorn's in the end. We got lucky, in the past there are only 2 temperatures at the ren fest, HOT & rain. But this year we did get some cloud coverage with only a few sprinkles. After a day at the fest we headed over to our hotel and into their pool. We swam for about 2 hours and then heade dout for dinner. When we came home the pool was closed :-( so the boys played a game of chess, and we all turned in for the night. This morning we had a GREAT hot continental breakfast and headed home. It was a great staycation, and just enough to let us start missing home.

I once again took a bunch of pictures, but you can see them if you copy and past this link.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2247326432265.2133372.1521309712&l=baab453b6a