As many might know, I spent a good portion of my winter vacation with Kyle in the lovely state of Colorado. We embarked upon two "firsts" in our relationship by agreeing to the trip:
1. Our first road trip
2. Our first vacation
I wish that I could utilize words to help describe what a wonderfully perfect trip it was, but I can only say I will do my best. It is hard to capture just how perfect it was in words alone, but here goes nothing:
Day One - December 26th
Kyle and I get up early and pack up the car. This, we learned quickly, was one of the worst parts of the trip: packing, unpacking and repacking the car. Nothing is worse then this when it is bitter cold outside. After packing up the car, we ate a yummy breakfast, and headed off towards Kansas City, Missouri. This first leg of the trip consisted mostly of us talking and listening to different music, this however, did not keep us entertained for the remainder.
Once arriving in a snow flurry filled Kansas City, we checked into the hotel, then looked up the nearest Fuddruckers. Kyle was thrilled that it was within 10 miles of the hotel, as he had been looking forward to introducing me to this tasty new burger destination, as well as enjoying the delightful 3/4 lb. burger himself. After getting our burger fill, we headed to the movie theater to see Sherlock Holmes. Although I was antsy and tired of sitting, the movie was entertaining and exciting. After that, the night was merely a night of rest and relaxation.
Day Two - December 27th
Kyle and I wake up early in order to conquer the longest leg of the trip: Kansas City to Denver. 9 hours later we pulled into my aunt and uncle's house ready to unwind and relax. I must say, before moving on, I knew the minute we were in Colorado when I saw that sun shining and those beautiful mountains on the horizon.
After sharing a beer with my aunt and uncle, we were treated to a delicious dinner with some surprise guests: my grandpa and my Aunt Kathy! Having not seen these family members for quite some time, I was thrilled to be sitting around the dinner table with them, sharing about my life and hearing about theirs. It's truly special to have such a wonderful family.
After dinner, Kyle and I called it an early night, considering tomorrow had a lot in store for us!
Day Three - December 28th
SKIING! Kyle and I had both been very clear on the fact that neither one of us wanted to miss out on the opportunity to ski while in Colorado, and who could blame us? Our destination was Vail; my favorite ski spot and Kyle's most anticipated attraction. While it was difficult pulling ourselves out of bed and leaving the house before the sun had even risen, we were anxious and extremely excited to get out on the slopes.
$194 dollars later and we were up on those ski lifts, cringing as they brought us into the colder and colder weather. Although the sun was shining and we could tell it was going to be a beautiful day, the crispness and cold of the morning air bit at our faces, forcing us to cover up as much as possible.
We started the day by just going up to Mid-Vail (middle of the mountain) in order to shake some of the rustiness off, before heading up to the top of the mountain and enjoying the breathtaking view. The rustiness didn't quite ware off completely, but you'll have to ask either Kyle or I about those stories.
Our lunch was probably one of the best of the trip. We found one of my favorite spots at the top of the mountain, and we ate cafeteria-style, but the whole place was surrounded by windows from floor to ceiling, windows that overlooked the snowcapped mountain range, that seemed to stretch forever. A couple burritos and beers later, Kyle and I headed back out onto the mountain and down the slopes. We were both exhausted by the time we reached the bottom, but we still managed to leave some time to walk the town a little and just enjoy each other's company.
The brick streets and the small mountain town won both of our hearts: Kyle for the first time, and me, once again, as it always does.
We enjoyed another homemade and delightfully prepared dinner (shrimp linguini with homemade bread) with my aunt and uncle again, accompanied by, of course, some delicious
wine. My aunt and uncle actually make their own wine, out of their basement. Kyle and I both had the pleasure of being taste testers, and boy did we love it! With full tummies and a full day resting upon us, we were ready for a good night's sleep, but only after watching the Bears beat the Vikings! While I was ready to fall asleep, the Bears continued to fight and were determined to keep me up as late as I would possibly go, but it was worth it. Go Bears!
Day Four - December 29th
Hometown Tour Day! Kyle and I were both excited to sleep a little bit, until I we woke up and realized just how sore skiing had made us. Muscles that hadn't been used in quite some time were screaming at us, letting us know just how much they despised our recent physical activity.
After a delightful breakfast of homemade pancakes and sausage, Kyle and I headed into my past. We started the day by heading down to Boulder, where Kyle got to see the college campus I grew up on: University of Colorado. Being that both of my parents are alumni, and we lived a good portion of our lives in Colorado, we were naturally brought up to be diehard Buff fans, and we still are. We walked the campus, shopped, and unsuccessfully tried to get into the football stadium, but the campus was just how I remembered it: surreal.
We then headed to one of my favorite lunch spots: Sweet Tomatoes, where Kyle and I both ate WAY more than we bargained for, but buffets are always dangerous when you are a couple who loves food as much as we do. With stuffed stomaches, we visited my old neighborhood and elementary school. Not only did I feel old, but I felt strangely distant, like that part of my life was so long ago. New buildings in strange places, local places renamed, caused me to wonder just how much things really have changed in my life. I do know one thing: I will always be a Colorado girl.
We rushed back home after the tour to get ready for our big family dinner at Elephant Bar. This was it - Kyle was about to meet all of my Colorado family! Despite the fact that he had met so much of my family prior to this dinner, we were still both anxious to see everyone. The dinner turned out to be wonderful, although short, but nothing could have been long enough to fulfill my deep desires to catch up with everyone and enjoy their company. Kyle was at ease and everyone loved him, but how could they not?
After a drive through downtown Denver we made it back to our favorite place: bed.
Day Five - December 30
We woke up early and were thankful that Uncle Paul had offered to toast us some bagels. Kyle and I were happy for the yummy bagels as we knew we had quite the drive to conquer. Before getting too far into the mountains, Kyle and I made pit stops at both Red Rocks and Buffalo Bill's grave. These two sites are beautiful and we really enjoyed Red Rocks, or as Kyle would say, the rocks that remind him of Lion King. Once I thought I had gotten sufficient photographical evidence of our presence at each spot, we moved on towards Glenwood Springs.
Fighting the weather and traffic does not rank in our most memorable moments from the trip, but it all ended up being worth it when we stepped into the hot springs. As the warmth surprised our bodies and faces, we enjoyed the day. As snow hit our cheeks and the hot springs filled our bodies with warmth, Kyle and I got to fully relax and enjoy the soothing nature of such a place. Surrounded by the mountains and Glenwood canyon, it seemed like this place could be close to heaven.
Although we had a minor freak-out when we found out our only way home, I-70 East, was closed to a multi-car pile up, we stayed calm and eventually made our way back through the snow and fog. Kyle has now experienced what it is like to drive through the mountains through such conditions.
By the time we got back to my aunt and uncle's they had kept dinner warm for us, and boy did we chow. We had eaten a relatively early lunch and had been unprepared for the delays the day had caused, so the steak and cheesy mostaccioli was instantly gone.
Our night did not end there, however. We made our way to the Grizzly Rose, my favorite country bar of all time. While the crowd was not nearly what I have been use to since I began going there for Sunday night line dancing, we still got to enjoy a beer and watch couples strut their stuff on the dance floor. While some appeared professional, you could see others counting their steps.
Day Six - December 31st
Kyle and I slept in a bit, and awoke with the lingering smell of homemade breakfast, once again. We ate with both my aunt and uncle, enjoying hash browns, cheesy eggs, sausage and homemade bread. Our day began kind of chaotically, but we made it through and were able to get to my high school. We snuck inside and walked the halls that I remember walking what seems like forever ago. The place felt empty and not the busy rush that I was used to, but the gold and blue still gave me that same boastful Mustang pride.
After the good ol' Mullen, we stopped by and visited my grandpa at work. He gave us a tour of the pharmacy, as they are redoing a good portion of it. After a nice visit we headed to Casa Bonita for a lunch that I'm sure Kyle will likely never forget. It is impossible to describe this place, because nothing would do it justice. Although the food isn't what draws the people in, the atmosphere is something you don't get in every restaurant. One too many sopapillas later, we explored the restaurant, then headed downtown Denver, for a scenic tour. After visiting the Capitol, Coors Field, the Pepsi Center and Invesco field (along with a few other places) and
facing locked doors at every single place, we headed home.
Once we had freshened up and shared a glass of champagne with my aunt and uncle, Kyle and I headed to the Light Rail Station, to take the train downtown. We made it just in time for our dinner reservations at Rialto Cafe, in the heart of downtown, along the 16th Street Mall, a must-see of the city. Kyle and I ordered drinks that I was so used to my parents ordering when I was a kid: Crown Manhattan on the Rocks (dad) and Cosmopolitan (mom). I must say we were thankful when our food came, because before that, we weren't sure who would be able to drive back from the train station. Dinner was delicious. We both LOVED our meals and devoured our food.
We didn't have the energy to stick around for the big New Years extravaganza, but we spent just enough time in the city to catch the contagious excitement in the air. Happy 2010!
We spent the next two days driving home, until we finally made it back on Saturday. I miss it already.
"I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all… I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye."- The Catcher in the Rye
