bunchofgrapes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bunchofgrapes) wrote2008-07-28 10:39 pm
bunchofgrapes) wrote2008-07-28 10:39 pm
Rocky Mountain High
I've been very lazy about posting lately. Since July is almost over, I figured I should probably slip something in under the wire. And btw, where the hell did July go? I hope August goes by as quickly as July did because it's my most hated month. Come to DC during the month and you'll know why.
Did manage to escape this place for about a week around the 4th. Spent the holiday with the family at their vacation home in Highlands Ranch, CO. My sister and nephew live out there as well so it was great to see them.
Arrived on Thursday, the 3rd. Coming from 340 ft elevation to a little over 6,000 ft always gives me a little bit of a headache but this time it wasn't too bad. I drank a lot of water before, during and after the flight so that helped.
Highlands Ranch has a parade on the 4th. It's a little cheesy and pretty small but it goes right by the front porch of the parent's townhouse so we had a great vantage. The highlight was probably Clint Hurdle, GM of the Rockies, as the grand marshal. My sister yelled out to him and said what a great job he did last year getting the Rockies to the World Series so they could get spanked by the Red Sox. He pointed at her and then gave her two thumbs up. We then got bombarded with candy by the guys on the float behind him. My nephew went after all the suckers.
Highlands Ranch has a great fireworks display--as do all the surrounding areas--and because we're at a higher elevation than all those surrounding areas as well as Denver, we can watch all the shows going on. And there must have been twenty or more. I can honestly say that by the time it ends, we're tired of fireworks. Still, it was awesome and again, we had a perfect vantage from the front porch. Everyone else had to stake out a patch of grass on the park across the street.
The next day, Saturday, my dad, stepmother and I took a drive out to Idaho Spring and then drove up to the top of Mount Evans. Mount Evans has the highest paved road in the world. It starts at 8,700 ft and ends at 14,130 ft. And the view at the top is amazing. You can see Pike's Peak, Long's Peak and the Continental Divide. Not to mention a few mountain goats and bighorn sheep. It was 76 degrees when we went through the Ranger station. It was 45 degrees at the top. The summit was 36 degrees. It was sunny when we got there; it was spitting ice pellets when we left. My parents did the hike up to the summit. I was feeling the altitude a little (makes my vision go wonky) and the idea of hiking up the switchback trail made me queasy every time I looked at it. So I stayed behind and took pictures.
Sunday we drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park and went on a 3-hr horse back ride. It was awesome. The trail was rocky and in a couple of places, if you went off the horse, you'd take quite a tumble. The guy running the place looked like Sam Elliot and was kinda hot in a cowboy way. Actually, most of the guys there were. My dad filled out the initial paperwork and put me down as "poor" when it came to riding skills. I said no way and changed it to good then my dad told Sam Elliot clone that I got thrown once. Sam Elliot clone said he'd put me at expert then because all good horse people have to get thrown at least once. Anyway, when we got back to the stable, getting off the horse was easy. Putting both feet on the ground? Not so much. It took me a couple of minutes to get my land legs again but the soreness really wasn't bad. Actually, the outside of my knees hurt that night but that was it. So next time my dad and I are thinking about doing the 8 hour ride across the Continental Divide. They take breaks along the way and seriously, how awesome would that be?
By Monday I realized why, should I ever lose everything, I would live on the streets before moving back in with my parents. I love my dad. I really do. But by day five? Not so much. Thankfully, we spent some quality time with my sister and nephew. When it was time to go, I even got a bug hug from the G-Man. He's really into ants and spiders so when he gives you a bug hug, he launches himself at you like a spider. It's hilarious!
Tuesday was fly home day. My parents and I were all on the same flight, which was strange. I've never flown with them but it's obvious we all fly a lot and have our own routines. I sort of did my thing at the airport (such as finding the Rocky Mt Chocolate shop) and they did theirs. They sat in the rows in front of me (we all had aisle seats) and no one said a word to the other until we got to Dulles. That was nice.
I went back to work the next day. Usually, I like to take a couple of days off to recover but it was a bad time at work. That means I really need another vacation.
See the pics!
Did manage to escape this place for about a week around the 4th. Spent the holiday with the family at their vacation home in Highlands Ranch, CO. My sister and nephew live out there as well so it was great to see them.
Arrived on Thursday, the 3rd. Coming from 340 ft elevation to a little over 6,000 ft always gives me a little bit of a headache but this time it wasn't too bad. I drank a lot of water before, during and after the flight so that helped.
Highlands Ranch has a parade on the 4th. It's a little cheesy and pretty small but it goes right by the front porch of the parent's townhouse so we had a great vantage. The highlight was probably Clint Hurdle, GM of the Rockies, as the grand marshal. My sister yelled out to him and said what a great job he did last year getting the Rockies to the World Series so they could get spanked by the Red Sox. He pointed at her and then gave her two thumbs up. We then got bombarded with candy by the guys on the float behind him. My nephew went after all the suckers.
Highlands Ranch has a great fireworks display--as do all the surrounding areas--and because we're at a higher elevation than all those surrounding areas as well as Denver, we can watch all the shows going on. And there must have been twenty or more. I can honestly say that by the time it ends, we're tired of fireworks. Still, it was awesome and again, we had a perfect vantage from the front porch. Everyone else had to stake out a patch of grass on the park across the street.
The next day, Saturday, my dad, stepmother and I took a drive out to Idaho Spring and then drove up to the top of Mount Evans. Mount Evans has the highest paved road in the world. It starts at 8,700 ft and ends at 14,130 ft. And the view at the top is amazing. You can see Pike's Peak, Long's Peak and the Continental Divide. Not to mention a few mountain goats and bighorn sheep. It was 76 degrees when we went through the Ranger station. It was 45 degrees at the top. The summit was 36 degrees. It was sunny when we got there; it was spitting ice pellets when we left. My parents did the hike up to the summit. I was feeling the altitude a little (makes my vision go wonky) and the idea of hiking up the switchback trail made me queasy every time I looked at it. So I stayed behind and took pictures.
Sunday we drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park and went on a 3-hr horse back ride. It was awesome. The trail was rocky and in a couple of places, if you went off the horse, you'd take quite a tumble. The guy running the place looked like Sam Elliot and was kinda hot in a cowboy way. Actually, most of the guys there were. My dad filled out the initial paperwork and put me down as "poor" when it came to riding skills. I said no way and changed it to good then my dad told Sam Elliot clone that I got thrown once. Sam Elliot clone said he'd put me at expert then because all good horse people have to get thrown at least once. Anyway, when we got back to the stable, getting off the horse was easy. Putting both feet on the ground? Not so much. It took me a couple of minutes to get my land legs again but the soreness really wasn't bad. Actually, the outside of my knees hurt that night but that was it. So next time my dad and I are thinking about doing the 8 hour ride across the Continental Divide. They take breaks along the way and seriously, how awesome would that be?
By Monday I realized why, should I ever lose everything, I would live on the streets before moving back in with my parents. I love my dad. I really do. But by day five? Not so much. Thankfully, we spent some quality time with my sister and nephew. When it was time to go, I even got a bug hug from the G-Man. He's really into ants and spiders so when he gives you a bug hug, he launches himself at you like a spider. It's hilarious!
Tuesday was fly home day. My parents and I were all on the same flight, which was strange. I've never flown with them but it's obvious we all fly a lot and have our own routines. I sort of did my thing at the airport (such as finding the Rocky Mt Chocolate shop) and they did theirs. They sat in the rows in front of me (we all had aisle seats) and no one said a word to the other until we got to Dulles. That was nice.
I went back to work the next day. Usually, I like to take a couple of days off to recover but it was a bad time at work. That means I really need another vacation.
See the pics!
no subject
Sounds like it was busy but nice. Glad you made it home safe.
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If you and BD ever do a trip to CO, definitely do the drive up Mt. Evans. The views will make you feel very small.
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It really was a fun vacation, even with my dad being semi-annoying by Monday.
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That's hilarious about the parade, I wonder if you guys got pounded with candy because of the Rockies comment.
And I totally hear you about the airport routine. When I fly I just want to be left alone. Period.
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My sister and I were being overly enthusiastic about the parade so I'm sure the fact that we were whooping it up for the guys on the float might have had something to do with the barrage of candy.
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(Anonymous) 2008-07-30 04:44 am (UTC)(link)Have I ever told you what a Yooper parade is like? Every 4th of July, we stand on the same street corner waiting for the parade. You see the same people in the same spots each year. The highlight of all Yooper parades are the logging trucks. They are fully loaded and they blast their horns the whole way. Someone is always driving a tractor and the town's fire engines are the last part of the parade. The volunteer firemen are throwing out the candy and I've been known to push a few kids away, so I can get the good stuff.
Your trip sounds wonderful. I love seeing the mountains.
N.
no subject