Winter Park Week-End

Sunday morning, DG and I packed up the car, the dogs, and the baby and took an impromptu trip up into the Mountains to escape the record setting heat going on in Denver. (20+ days over 90 degrees with the last 3 being over 100) As we headed out on I-70, we watched the temperature begin to drop and a mere 90 minutes later, across Berthoud Pass we were sitting cooly behind the pool (see that picnic bench?) eating our packed lunch. We stayed at the Vintage Resort (a pet friendly lodge) in Winter Park which is the first lodge you see coming into town. This is the view from our window onto the pool and jacuzzi. Yeah, we were roughing it.

Winter Park is a cute little ski town, and incidentally, the place where Cynthia taught me to ski 13 years ago when we moved here. I still remember her screaming at me to snow plow as I was careening off into the trees at the top of the mountain. It took me 2 hours to get down the mountain my first time. But I digress, back to this trip.


After lunch, we took a little walk in the woods, until it started to rain. So *yawn* since we were relaxing and on vacation and all, we took a nap.


In the afternoon, we headed into Winter Park to DG's favorite coffee house, followed by a little nature stroll through some wetlands.

Later on that night, since we are frugally minded these days and our room had a kitchenette, we ate a dinner that I had packed for us of grilled chicken, green beans and roasted potatoes. DG's contribution was dessert. He brought Twizzlers...because we were ON vacation! After dinner, we headed down and took turns getting in the hot tub.


The next morning, we headed 12 miles out of Winter Park to Snow Mountain Ranch (SMR) to meet Cynthia and Jeff who had rented a 4 bedroom house and had invited us up for the night. SMR (elev. 8,750) is run by the YMCA and is 5,100 acres of fun with horseback riding, day camps, hiking, canoeing, archery, a pool, and rec center complete with roller skating! It is open in the winter too, where they have a Nordic Center for cross country skiing, trails for snow shoeing, an ice skating rink and a tubing hill. Who wants to come out for a family vacation?


Here is a view from the porch of our house. Not bad huh?


Unfortunately, what is so sad about this view is that Colorado is currently experiencing a devastating Mountain Pine Beetle problem. These bugs have destroyed 500,000 acres in the last year alone. The red trees are those that are dead. If you scroll back up, you can see the dead red trees in every picture.


First activity of they day: a quick little hike to a waterfall. Cynthia thought the map said it was .3 miles one way, however as it turns out it was 1.3 miles, but well worth the view. And then I got to eat extra Twizzlers because I am sure I shed extra calories carrying a 14 lb. little girl.


There was a certain other little boy who insisted on being carried as well.


We had lots of fun at the house eating good food, playing Uno on the deck, and heading out to go Roller Skating! Check back tomorrow of the video I uploaded to youtube.com of DG busting some moves on skates!