Rocky Mountains

Colorado wasn’t just another stop- it was a reunion tour! Old friends, favorite towns, and red-blooded mountain memories.. After crossing over from Utah we bee-lined for Vail- to stay with Alans’ buddy. He took us out to lunch in Vail Village (mountain luxe, alpine air, classic vail vibes) Next Day Leadville- a quirky high-elevation town that still feels like the Old West but with better coffee.. We jumped on I-70 and hit up Breckenridge for lunch - still my favorite ski town. We lived here before 9-11 a yr and a half so we headed to our favorite spot, Giampietros - pizza is still epic! We passed Alma (the highest incorporated town in the U.S.) and made a photo-worthy stop at High Country Healing right after Hoosier Pass. Next up: reconnecting with our Boca friends who’d traded sand for snow in Bailey, tucked up in the mountains near Denver. They gave us the tour - down to Evergreen for live music, riverside photo shoots and a visit to The Happy Camper. I had to loop back to Avon/Vail (had left some personals behind), this time via Frisco and Silverthorne, where we used to hike. More memory lane than highway. Lunch on Route 6 (aka “The Green Mile”) with Alan’s friend again, plus a stop at another High Country Healing. we rolled past Arapahoe Basin and Lake Granby heading into …Rocky Mountain National Park. Timed entry was in place, but the Alpine Visitor Center was open. I hiked up the Alpine Ridge Trail, approx. 225 steps to 12,000 feet then jogged down. Slightly asphyxiated, totally exhilarated! …Hit Denver just in time for happy hour with a friend from Miami. Drove past Mile High Stadium (Empower Field), snapped pics, then detoured to Red Rocks Ampitheater.. A Meghan Trainor concert line was forming- so we people watched, grabbed some shots and moved on. Crashed at La Quinta by Wyndam (can’t go wrong there)), then explored the epic Garden of The Gods, all jagged red rock spires and dreamy skies. The drive took us through the beautiful ‘burbs of Boulder, rounding out a Colorado chapter full of high altitudes and higher vibes.

www.discovervail.com; www.breckenridge.com; nps.gov/romo; visitestespark.com; www.giampietropizza.com; www.leadvilletwinlakes.com; www.townoffrisco.com