The little things are usually the best!
This week was extra special because we got to include Jordan in our weekday activities. He is usually pretty limited on his interaction through the work day and only occasionally gets to participate in our field trips. This week we got to tour the Ross & Abel Fly Reel Manufacturing facility where Jordan works. He (Jordan) performs a variety of tasks from accounting to purchasing.
I won’t bore you with the details! I (Brooke) set up a field trip for the local homeschool group. This group of homeschoolers gets together to take the kids on field trips around the area. They got to see first hand how they manufacture world class fly fishing reels. We loved the tour, but the best part is that you can set up a tour for your family or group too! If you are in the area and would like a tour you can give the factory a call to set up a tour. 970-249-0606. Check out Ross Reels and Abel Reels websites to see these incredible reels. If you are a fly fisherman this will be a dream come true. If you aren’t, you’ll want to become one after seeing this facility.
Fun fact, we shot our “Nice to meet you!” video at the pond out front. The trails around the facility also appear in Vlog 6 post beginning at 16:20.
Not your ordinary art project
In this episode we visit Amazing Glaze Art in Montrose. We are making gifts for all the Grandparents for Christmas. The boys are constantly asking to do art projects so this was a win for all. The boys got to make a great gift for their grandparents and mom didn’t have to do an extra art project. That’s not my subject of choice incase you hadn’t picked up on that, but the boys love them! Since we are a budget RV family and we would rather give gifts of meaning than just something off the shelf. The boys were able to pick out different pieces of pottery to paint for their projects. They made a chip and dip platter, coffee mugs, salad/snack plates, and Graham even made a few ornaments over the course of a few trips.
On our first trip (the one in this video) the boys and I (Brooke) got a backroom tour! We got to see a kiln in action, one empty and the glaze while it’s still green and liquid.
? Did you know that a kiln will get up to 1,825 Degrees for 8 hours in order for the pottery to fully cure?!?! ?
We have been several times now in order to make enough gifts for all the grandparents! If you are in the area, they offer several ceramics and canvas classes! AND THEY HAVE ADULT BEVERAGES! Check out their website or stop in for a great time!
Join a Gym, no seriously!
Montrose has a fantastic Community Recreation Center that was built just a handful of years ago. This is a regular spot for us during the winter months. We can get out and run and play even if it’s frigid! This place has it all! There is a lazy river, kids water zone, therapeutic hot pool, lap pool, and even a slide in one part of the building. There’s even a second pool where they set up these lily pad things like an adventure course and it has multiple diving boards. Upstairs you will find a state of the art gym with just about every piece of workout equipment you can imagine and an indoor track. Downstairs there are several basketball courts, two racquetball courts, pool tables, shuffleboard, foosball, and even a rock climbing wall! There is something for kids and adults of all ages. Speaking of kids, they offer child care where you can drop your kids off if you need to hit the gym or partake in anything else they have to offer. There is an indoor play area similar to what you see at fast food restaurants too. Insider tip… that’s free and open to the public even without a day pass or membership.
We look for Rec Centers or similar places like YMCA’s or national gyms while we are on the road in our Grand Design RV. There is usually a small fee for a day pass and most of the time you can have hours of fun at them. A huge bonus is that you can all take some hot and long showers and not be cramped in the tiny RV showers. Many even offer towels and you can do less laundry if you take advantage of that (If you prefer your own towel, we have Turkish Towels and they are perfect for a gym bag because they are light and dry fast.) This is huge for fulltime families! Most offer some sort of child care so you can have some adult time to hit the weights or swim some laps at the pool.
One of our favorite places to spend some time in Colorado is in Gunnison. This is a wonderful mountain town nestled in the heart of the mountains and we often take a quick road trip up there. If you are into outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, fishing, skiing, trail riding, camping and just about any other outdoor activity, this is the place for you. This town has so much to offer for its size.
We stopped in Mario’s Pizza! It’s somewhat iconic. This place has been around forever. Jordan wants to add that they have the tiniest booths around and his 6’7″ frame is not a huge fan of them. Their pizza is decent, but what’s great is a half & half salad and their homemade dressing. This is half salad and half pasta and you will want to request extra pepperoni.
Thanks for joining us on our journey. As always, be blessed and safe travels!
Catch you down the road,
The Drake Family
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