Where's the beef?

This is Daniel passing on a note from Marae offering to bring beef for a dinner for all of us:

“ Since I am driving to Chico I will have room to bring stuff.

For me:  the main point of the trip is to spend time with family and all the kids to get to know each other, what better way/time than eating together.

so...   I want to bring enough meat to have a cook out together at least one night or two, I could provide all the hamburger and steak or roast.  I could also bring our ice cream makers :)  can't have a family get together without homemade ice cream, especially in the summer.  Someone else can provide some sides (potluck).   It would sure be fun to eat dinners together.

I might even bring a pinata for the kids.

MaRae “
 
Chico currently has a “no outside fires” policy, so we are checking into the possibility of a grill for cooking hamburgers, otherwise we'll figure something out. There isn’t a set day for the cookout yet.  If it doesn’t happen Monday, it’ll probably be Tuesday.....
   
        

This picture is a reminder for the Arizona crew to bring warm clothes.  
It was late May, and Yellowstone can be surprisingly cold in the middle of summer.

Big Sky or Bust!

Love Bites

 One of the main reasons this trip got stared was to celebrate Renee and Daniel’s ten years of marriage! So, in honor of them and their enduring love for one another we are hosting a dinner on their anniversary, Thursday June 30^th  in the Knowles room of the lodge (more on this in a later post). This is an all expenses paid*, come as you are dinner! 

We ask for your help in making this dinner super special for Renee and Daniel! We have a choice of two adult entrées for the meal and wanted to give you the opportunity to pick your own. Please read the descriptions below and let us know which entrée sounds super yummy to you! There is also one choice for the children’s meal for those ten and under, so no response is needed for kids, unless there is an allergy concern.

Both adult dinners feature fresh vegetable medley, Chef’s choice of starch, tossed Chico Garden Salad with house dressing, Chico breadsticks and fresh baked bread & butter. So, without further ado, your mouthwatering dinner choices:

Choice One, Beef Tenderloin

Choice One: Beef Tenderloin, cooked to medium. This is an 8 oz. filet mignon lightly rubbed with toasted fennel and coriander, grilled, served over a Fonseca Port reduction, lightly finished with gorgonzola.

Choice Two: Pork Tenderloin, served with polenta and apple chutney.

*Alcohol is not included with the dinner, so please bring some extra cash if you are of age and would like to purchase a beverage from the bar. 

Children’s Dinner: Roast Beef Plate. Sliced roast beef served with mashed potatoes and Chef’s choice of vegetables. The dinner also includes tossed Chico Garden Salad with house dressing, and fresh baked bread & butter.


Please reply with your choice of adult entrée by May 30th. 

We look forward to having you join us for the celebration of Renee and Daniel’s ten years of marriage! May they have many more happy years together! 

Logistics:

If you signed up for a reservation with Renee and Daniel and have not called Chico and changed your reservation over to your credit card number, please let me know and I can help you get that switched over soon.

Also here are the current lists of those going on the rafting trip. If you would like to join us there are spots still available for both trips. (We are really close to having the 20% discount on both trips so pressure your friends to come along too!)

White Water:

·                     Alicia Rovey

·                     Karina

·                     Carsten

·                     Jonathan Rovey

·                     Nathan Rausch

·                     Kathy Rausch

·                     Samuel

·                     Abigail

·                     Joel

·                     Daniel Rovey

·                     Renee Rovey

·                     Angela Ramnanan

·                     Naveen Ramnanan 

·                     Tim Wolf

·                     Sandy Wolf

·                     Ashley Wolf

·                     Stephanie Wolf

·                     Matthew Wolf

Scenic Rafting:

·                     Renee Rovey

·                     Wonga Wolf

·                     Olivia Wolf

·                     David Wolf

·                     Liam Ramnanan

·                     Matthew Rovey

·                     Trevor

·                     Leah

·                     Cindy Rovey

·                     Ron Rovey

·                     Ruth Helen

·                     Nathan Rovey

·                     Nicole Rovey

·                     Amanda

·                     Emelia

·                     Seth Baker

·                     Kameryn Baker

Big Sky or Bust! 

He is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed! 

Alleluia! 

Happy Easter from your friendly neighborhood Chico Blog!

 Plus, a fun B.C. comic for the occasion.

Heaven or Bust! 

(click the picture to make comic bigger)

Daniel's Daily Plans

Kyria the Chico Trip Webmeister headed for St. Louis and Oklahoma, foolishly leaving the keys to the blog in less trustworthy hands for over a week.....

In case you've been wondering what to do each day of the Chico trip, here are Daniel's ideas:
 

Sunday, June 26^th:  Check in, hot springs pool, walk to the trout pond 15 minutes up the hill behind cabin 604.  Pizza in the afternoon/evening between chalets 601 & 602.

Monday, June 27^th: Old Faithful.  It’s a long drive, and I like wandering around the geyser basins, so this will be an all day excursion.  Don’t miss the Firehole Canyon Drive on the way there.

Tuesday, June 28^th: Flying in the morning, either local sightseeing or taking kids for rides.  Whitewater rafting in the afternoon.  Hot springs pool in the evening.

Chico Hot Springs from the air.

Wednesday, June 29^th: Beartooth Highway, from Silvergate toward Red Lodge.  I’ve never driven this road, but the alpine scenery is highly rated, and the road reaches 10,947 ft. in elevation.

Thursday, June 30^th:  Yellowstone Falls & Tower Falls.  Dinner in the Knowles room at Chico Hot Springs.

Friday, July 1^st: Check out.  Airplane camping somewhere in Idaho or Montana before heading back to Arizona.

What I’d do if I had 1 more day:  Hiking.  Either up the hill from Chico Hot Springs, or up Mill Creek Canyon just north of Chico.  

I've been facing serious flak over missing the scenic float trip on Wednesday, so the Beartooth Highway trip might slide to Friday.

This itinerary is subject to change, so it'd be wise to check for last minute updates if your goal is to avoid seeing Daniel on any given day....

Are we there yet?...Are we there yet?...Are we there yet?...

There are so many awesome things to do in Chico, but before the fun can start we have to get everyone up to Montana! Just to get an idea of the collective distance we all have to travel to get there, each little star on the map below marks the starting location of someone coming to Chico. (the big star is Chico itself) Note: We are feeling the love, everyone is coming from so far away for 'ittle 'ol us!  Thanks everyone!  We hope you all will love this vacation much as we do.  To be blown away by how far you have to travel click on the map below.

Road Trip!

For those brave enough to venture to Montana by car, we have some basic info and maps for you below, as well as a movie clip to instill confidence in your decision to drive. 

The address for the resort is:
1 Old Chico Road, 
Pray MT 59065
Either enter this address or "Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa" into google maps or mapquest and it will get you there.


For some fun ideas of scenic routs and interesting stops to break up the monotony, check out this website with interactive maps here, or click on the map below. 

Since everyone lives in different directions it's a bit hard to map out a specific route here, but if you need any help, have any ideas of things others might want to know about, just comment here or send us an e-mail. Also, look for our next post Getting there via small airplane and our future posts with fun stuff for kids to do in the car. 

Logistics!

Our Current lineup for Rafting is: 

White Water:

• Alicia Rovey
• Karina
• Carsten
• Jonathan Rovey
• Nathan Rausch
• Kathy Rausch
• Samuel
• Abigail
• Joel
• Daniel Rovey
• Renee Rovey
• Angela Ramnanan
• Naveen Ramnanan 
• Tim Wolf
• Sandy Wolf
• Ashley Wolf
• Stephanie Wolf
• Matthew Wolf

Scenic Rafting:

• Renee Rovey
• Wonga Wolf
• Olivia Wolf
• David Wolf
• Liam Ramnanan
• Matthew Rovey
• Trevor
• Leah
• Cindy Rovey
• Ron Rovey
• Ruth Helen
• Nathan Rovey
• Nicole Rovey
• Amanda
• Emelia
• Seth Baker
• Kameryn Baker

If you aren't on the list and want to be, just let us know! For more info check out this post.

Big Sky or Bust.

Water + Family, what could POSSIBLY go wrong!?

Getting excited about the Chico trip? We are! We just made reservations with Paradise Adventure Company for both a White Water Rafting Trip and a Scenic Float Trip! The spots right now are unlimited so if you want to go, let us know. Each trip is about 2 to 3 hours long and comes with all of the equipment needed for a good time. 

Scenic float Trip. 

Wed June 29, 2:00 pm (be there by 1:30 for check in)

 We’ll depart from the Chico Hot Springs office and head towards Yellowstone National Park for your river launch. Sit back and relax as we row you down the Yellowstone River through beautiful Paradise Valley. Enjoy the Absaroka and Gallatin Mountains and the sights and sounds of the valley as our expert guide gives you local information and facts about the area.

White Water Rafting in Yankee Jim Canyon. 

Tues June 28, 12:30pm (be there by noon for check in)

We’ll depart from the Chico Hot Springs office and head toward Yellowstone National Park for your river launch. You’ll experience Yankee Jim Canyon and legendary rapids like “Box Car” and “Yankees Revenge.” After an exhilarating whitewater romp relax as we drive you back to your lodgings at Chico Hot Springs Resort to conclude the trip. 

Logistics:

If you would like for us to reserve a spot for you, just comment on this post with your name and number of Adults and Children going, and which trip(s) you would like to be on, or send us an e-mail with the same info. We hope to see you on the water!

The prices are $39 for Adults and $29 for Children, per trip. If we get over 15 people there is a 15% discount ($33 A, $25 C) and if we get over 20 people there is a 20% discount ($31 A, $23 C).

A child’s ticket is for those between the ages of 2 and 12 for the Scenic Trip and 6 and 12 for the White Water trip. (those under 6 are not allowed on the White Water trip) Those under 2 who can be fitted with a life vest are allowed on the Scenic trip and are free of charge.

The Paradise Adventure Company’s office is located between the gift shop and the horse barns at the Chico Resort, so it’s located right where we are staying. No need to pay us in advance, they will take care of all of that in house as part of the trip prep.

For more info on both of the trips check their website http://paradiserafting.com/.  We hope you come along with us, each trip should be a great opportunity to see more of the Montana Landscape from the water with an experienced guide, plus who doesn't love bonding time with the fam? (Bonus points for knocking someone out of the boat and making it look like an accident.) 

Big Sky or Bust! 

Chico Map with Labels

Click on the map to make it bigger and easier to read.