Vacation

Dan and I returned today from a 5-day trip to a gorgeous cabin in the Pikes Peak area. It was the perfect length - long enough to feel like it was a good solid vacation, but not so long that we got bored. Plus I hate being away from my puppies!

I think we struck the perfect balance of resting and doing fun stuff. I'm not the kind of person who likes to cram vacations so full of outings that you feel more tired after the vacation than you started out. But I also wanted to get out and see more of this beautiful state. So I think we got in just the right amount of everything.

We arrived Saturday around dinner time and got settled into the cabin. It was a secluded cabin with a great view. And by cabin I mean a lodge type house, not a rustic log cabin. Fully equipped with plumbing and electricity. Very comfortable and beautiful. Then we enjoyed the hot tub and watched some CSI: NY. (We're going through Seasons 1-5 and we're on 5 now.)

On Sunday we went to Garden of the Gods, which I have to say was a little disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful! Great rock formations and awesome views...I guess I was just expecting more based on what I've heard about it. Maybe it was just overhyped so my expectations were too high. It was free, so definitely worth the trip, but I think if we'd had to pay I would have felt like we'd gotten ripped off a little bit.

After Garden of the Gods we went to Royal Gorge which was NOT free ($25/person) but vastly exceeded my expectations. It was well worth the drive (it was an hour and a half from where we were staying) and the cost. I thought it would just be the bridge over the gorge, which sounded really cool but overpriced at $25. But we decided to do it anyway. Turned out that cost included not just the bridge (which we walked across and drove across), but a tram ride over the gorge (which was so amazing - highlight of the trip for me!), an incline railway ride that took you down to the bottom of the gorge, some animals, and a very cheesy train ride. It also included other things but we were getting hungry so we left. The Royal Gorge was the coolest place we went all week, I think.

On the way back from Royal Gorge it started raining REALLY HARD, and there was a car slightly in front of us in the lane next to us pulling a trailer with no mud flaps or fenders. The trailer went through a puddle and splashed up a huge wall of water on our windshield. We couldn't see a THING...and we were on a winding road. Dan luckily remembered to pulse the brakes, not slam them or we would have hydroplaned, but we were still going for about 10 seconds with absolutely NO visibility. We were so scared, and so thankful that God kept us safe and that this happened on a rare straight part of the road.

On Monday it was kind of raining off and on and we weren't so sure about doing anything outdoors. Plus my rib had popped back out of my spine and I could barely turn my head or torso. So we hung out in the cabin a bit, enjoying the hot tub some more when it wasn't raining, doing some reading (oops...it was a book for work...), and watching some movies. Then in the afternoon we went on a scenic drive which was pretty cool (but we were glad we were in a car because it started raining again).

On Tuesday we slept in later (I got up at 10:30) and were planning to have a leisurely breakfast and then go out. But as I was toasting my bagel in less than decent attire (like I said, the cabin was secluded so privacy wasn't an issue), all of a sudden I saw a workman out the window. I ducked down quickly, but not before he saw me. The workmen proceded to dig a huge ditch in the driveway to lay down a pipe, and we got blocked in. So we watched some more CSI while they worked but were very annoyed that we'd lost half a day unable to get out, without the privacy and peacefulness of our cabin. (They were really loud. But the cabin rental place is going to send us a check to compensate us for the inconvenience. Apparently - and I don't think this would have made a huge difference but whatever - the guys were supposed to tell us what they were doing and how long they'd take, and they didn't do that at all - but told the owner of the cabin that they did! Liars!) Finally at 2 they left and we went to Seven Falls.

Seven Falls is a tiered waterfall with - you guessed it - 7 tiers. And something like 221 steps next to it to climb to the top. That was quite a workout! Then we went on a hike at the top of it which I think was only 1 mile - but it was pretty steep at some parts, especially after those steps had worn us out! So that was definitely a good workout. The Falls were beautiful but the whole place was SOO touristy and packed it was hard to enjoy the view. Royal Gorge was touristy too but it was unique enough to be worth it. Seven Falls was nice but I thought we could have found a less touristy place to hike where there was a waterfall. Still...the workout of going up (and later back down) all those stairs couldn't be matched. AND I was very proud of myself because there was a sign on the trail about snakes living there but I bravely hiked it anyway. And from the end of the trail, you could see downtown Colorado Springs - which was pretty neat!

We came back and enjoyed our last evening relaxing in the cabin. On both Monday and Tuesday night (but especially Monday), we had an absolutely breathtaking view of the stars from the hot tub. We wished we knew more about the constellations! It's amazing how many more stars you can see when you get away from all the lights.

We also saw some wildlife in our yard. There was a buck the very first night while we ate dinner on the deck, and later two does walked by. Dan saw a skunk Sunday morning but I missed it. But this morning was the best - a doe and a fawn were in the yard and I went out on the deck with our camera. They got closer and closer until the doe was right up next to the deck, looking at me almost as if posing for the camera. And then she gave me those same eyes Buttercup gives me when she wants kibbles, and the same double tail wag Buttercup does. (Just two quick wags.) So I'm pretty sure other guests have fed her before and she expected the same from us - but sadly we had nothing to offer her.

So that was our trip! I'll be posting a photo album with some highlights, maybe this weekend.

In the mean time, it's good to be back with my puppies and I'm looking forward to work tomorrow. I do love my job! And I'm glad to be going back feeling well rested and like I had a great vacation.

FYI - The cabin we stayed in is privately owned but rented out through Colorado Mountain Cabins. They have about 30 cabins in the Pikes Peak area, so if you want a neat place to stay in a scenic area, google them! (Just make sure there aren't any plans to lay pipes while you're there...)