Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona & New Mexico
Vacation November 2002

The last 10 days of November 2002, we took the kids out of school for four days, with permission from the teachers, and along with the 3 holidays plus weekends, we took a trip across several states.  Our goal was to see several National Parks along with take in some skiing.

We rented a 15 passenger van and Tommy Trest and his kids, Nathan and Nick, came with us.  Also Ben Huddleston joined us.  Tommy's and Ben's wives stayed home because of other plans and no vacation time left. 

We left on Wednesday, November 13th at 9:30pm, where we drove straight to Colorado.  Our first and last days of the trip we drove the long hours through Texas at night so that the kids slept on the spacious van.  Through the aid of maps and a PC satellite navigation system, we never got lost.  The only negative about the trip was Johnna having to fly back home, after only four days into the trip to be at a realtor house closing.

While we were skiing in Vail, Tommy filmed 45 minutes of the kids coming down the mountain.  This was Nick Trest's second ski adventure and Derek & Taylor's first.  Nathan Trest got mountain sickness, Megan wanted to wait until next time and Johnna elected to stay with the remaining kids.  Ben is an old suffer who brought his son's snow board to give it a try where Ben found out that the two recreations are totally different.

  Colorado
  Royal Gorge
1 Derek Montz, Nick Trest & Taylor Montz on top of the Bridge at the Royal Gorge
  Vail
1 Montz Family in Lead Colorado outside Hotel before going into Vail.  
2 Nick, Megan, Derek, Johnna, Taylor & Ben in the Vail Ski Resort Parking.
3 Derek, Megan & Taylor sitting in snow.
4 Nick, Taylor & Derek (front) and Tommy & Keith about to go up mountain.
5 Megan and Johnna about to go shopping in Vail Village.
6 Half way up the mountain at Mid Vail Village, about to go down again.
7 Derek, Megan and Taylor after a long day of skiing.
8 Post Card shot of Vail
  Colorado National Monument - National Park
1 Half way up at the top part of a mile hiking trail.  Montz family and Tommy.  Those are houses down below!
2 Canyon in a canyon.  Montz family
3 Nick and Taylor
4 Tommy and son Nick throwing rocks off of canyon to hear a tremendous roar/echo.
  Utah
  Salt Lake City - Mormon Tabernacle  (Johnna unfortunately flew out night before)
1 Outside Tabernacle
2 Inside Tabernacle - As we were being witnessed to, Tommy teased the missionaries  because there was a "Dirt Devil" vacuum cleaner in use.  Everyone laughed!
3 Inside Convention Center - the whole group of us.
  Dixie Forest - on our way to Bryce Canyon.
1 Waking up to find our van snowed and iced over.  Tommy about to de-ice van.
2 Montzes with great view of Mount Excursions
3 Montzes with Navajo Lake in background.  Lake was almost frozen over.
4 Keith standing on another view of lake with road going across.
5 Megan, Nick, Derek & Taylor walking amidst snow covered lava rocks. 
  Bryce Canyon
1 Montzes at Aqua Canyon / Sheep Creek point
2 Montzes and Trest family at Overlook point
3 Montzes at Natural Bridge look out.
4 Montzes at Thor's Hammer at Aqua point
5 Ben and Montzes at Rainbow Point (end of driving points)
  Zion National Park - We arrived late in the day as it was getting dark and hence couldn't get many pictures.
1 Post Card shot.
2 At the entrance.    Taylor, Nick & Tommy on top.  Keith half way up.
  Nevada
  Las Vegas - We ate dinner and then walked the strip for about 3 hours.
1 In front of Treasure Island
2 Watching the volcano erupting.
3 2nd shot of volcano erupting
4 Kids in front of Belagio watching dancing water extravaganza
5 Kids in front of Eiffel Tower.
  Arizona
  Hoover Dam
1 View of Lake Mead made by Hoover Dam.   Coming down road to Dam.
2 From Parking Garage, about to go on tour.
3 Inside Dam see electric generator turbans.
4 On Dam viewing lake.
  Grand Canyon - It was very cold and windy.
1 Mather Point
2 Yavapi Observation
3 Bright Angel Trail:   (we went down approx 1.5 to first stop pt. It took us 3 hours to go down and back up.  Tommy rescued an old man from falling off ledge of trail. )
4 Starting down. 
5 In tunnel overhang on trail.
6 Great view of traversing path going down to canyon.  Many hours from bottom.
  Outside of Canyon
1 At Navajo Indian Jewelry shop on highway.   (Megan & Taylor got jewelry)
2 Montzes at shot where I took a picture during the summer.  (link to picture).
  New Mexico
  Roswell - Famous for the first Area 51 & Alien sitings.
1 City Limits.
  Carlsbad Cavern
1 Film clip.
2 In parking lot after tour, which we filmed.