Another early morning flight out of OAK airport…early as in waiting for a cab at 4:30; a cab that didn’t show up until almost 5 (after 3 calls to the cab company). The only upside of the stress and the 20 minute delay was a complementary cab ride!!! Phew.
Side note: We seem to always be making the worst decisions regarding air travel. Somehow, that singer/audition/find-the-cheapest-flight-possible-regardless-of-time-or-connections mentality hasn’t left our psyche. In an effort to save $50-100 per ticket, we find ourselves on flights with 3 connections, in cabs at 4 am, and unknowingly making a stop at LAX on our way back to Oakland. I’m hoping that the act of writing this down and acknowledging the fact that we don’t have to travel that way anymore will magically eradicate that kind of air travel from our lives.
One can understand why the servers were so pleasant. If you have to work, this isn’t a bad place to have to do so…
The “towns” all were developed along the Eagle River and are connected by an amazing biking/walking path. We were DYING that we didn’t have our bikes with us. There is actually a bike path next to I-70 almost the entire length from Denver to Vail (and beyond!). Incredible riding. Next time…
We went for a hike Saturday morning and were shocked at how slowly we had to go; the altitude really knocked us out. Any incline, no matter how slight, rendered us out of breath and slowing our pace down. Mr. R needed to stop and freshen up a couple of times with a splash of cold water from the creek. :)
We took the chair lift from Beaver Creek up to about 10,500 feet so these sea dwellers were struggling a bit. Despite our humbling pace, the views were incredible, wildflowers were still blooming, and the smell of the pine trees was invigorating. It was truly awesome.
We hiked across most of the mountain and then up to a magical little lake at the top of the hill. Horses were tethered, the lake was crystal clear, and we giddily soaked it all in.
The wedding was Saturday afternoon and all of the little wedding guests took the chair lift up the mountain and gathered in the little knoll - even my 84-year old Grandma, who was a total trooper (and the star of the show – everyone loved her!). The ceremony was beautiful, peaceful, and it was genuinely moving and inspiring to hear the words Matt and Eric chose to express their commitment and love for each other.
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| The happy couple, along with Grams and brother Charlie (on the R, aka, Thor) |
The rest of the celebration was fantastic – held at the beautiful Westin resort with a patio overlooking the river, fabulous vegetarian food, and bountiful cocktails. In fact, my pet cocktail, prosecco and campari, was quite a hit and soon champagne flutes found their way into MANY guests’ hands…
After brunch with everyone the next morning, we decided to head out early on our drive back to Denver. Well, we thought it was early, except that the 2-hour trip turned into a 4-hour trip because of the ridiculous traffic on I-70. It was totally aggravating and we eventually pulled off onto the frontage road and navigated the back roads of I-70 (BCSM, I was VERY happy I had my smart phone!). Fortunately, despite the traffic, and the ridiculous set up of the Denver airport (SERIOUSLY – WHO PLANNED THAT PLACE???) we returned our rental car, made it through security, and found our gate just in time to order some sad take-out at Rock Bottom and enjoy a beer while we were waiting. Apparently, several of the other guests missed their flight because of the traffic. Boo.
We wished we had planned to spend more time away but we had to get back for a very important event…more on that next time...
And in case you were wondering what Simon was up to while we were away? You guessed it...as always, holding down the fort, working hard, and earning his keep...
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