LOVE it so much I went back!

This past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go back to Colorado and Loveland Ski Area, the place that inspired my first blog post about 5 weeks ago. Honestly our trip to Colorado in January was supposed to be with my friend Michael before he got shipped off to Africa but they ended up sending him sooner than expected.  We had purchased our lift tickets to Loveland Ski Area back in November so a few days before Michael found out he couldn’t go he mailed his tickets to me, hoping they’d get to me by our January trip.  Well, they came like one day late so I figured “I’ll just have to go back!”  And I did!  (I couldn’t let those lift tickets go to waste) So, thanks Michael–  I owe ya!

We were originally going to fly out Friday evening after work and come back Sunday evening but I had enough PTO that we decided to change our flight for a morning flight (I really enjoy those 6AM airport mimosas).  It was a smooth flight to Denver and a balmy 57 degrees when we landed.  We took the shuttle to the rental car place where we lucked out with our $250 Toyota Corolla versus our $900 Cadillac Escalade last trip (advice: as cool as the caddy was, just save yourself the money and get a compact car).  As we made our 45-mile drive west we saw people out on their motorcycles in short-sleeved shirts (a beautiful sight, but not when you’re there to snowboard), but we decided to make the best of it.  We stopped at Beau Jo’s in Idaho Springs, a famous pizza place we tried last time, and enjoyed a veggie pizza, Colorado beer, and a molten lava cake (sorry, no pictures, I devoured it).  We had a beautiful view of an ice glacier that had formed on the rocks of a cliff on I-70.  The warm weather had caused the middle part to melt, creating a spectacular waterfall.  It was mesmerizing.

For this visit to Loveland Ski Area we chose the Super 8 in Dillon, CO.  It’s about 15 miles west of the resort but a little closer to Breckenridge (our favorite evening hangout spot).  This Super 8 was literally a million times better than our Super 8 in Georgetown, CO last time.  The lobby was inviting, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and the rooms were exceptionally clean.  It was a little more expensive than our last Super 8 but more than worth every penny; I would definitely recommend it (plus there’s shopping outlets like two minutes away).  We spent our evening in Breckenridge, the lively, upscale resort town.  We arrived right at sunset and got to ride the enclosed gondola up the slopes.  This was a magical experience.  Everything was so still and quiet and it was really just us and nature.  It was a decent ten minute ride and gave us a great look of some glorious Breckenridge real estate.  We were still stuffed from our pizza earlier so we opted for a beer and appetizer at Ollie’s Pub and Grub.

After morning mimosas the next day we hit the slopes right when they opened but I made a terrible rookie mistake.  We got to the parking lot and went to take our snowboards out of the trunk when I realized our locks from the airport were still on our snowboard bags and I had left the keys back in the hotel room.  Thank God the locks were in our hotel room and not back in Maryland, but still, remember your keys!  We were totally spoiled with perfect conditions and fresh powder when we came back in January.  The previous week in Colorado they had a bunch of 50 degree days so there wasn’t as much snow as last time and it was a little icy but it was still better than nothing!  The wind gusts were terrible though and they even ended up closing one of the lifts (not a good sign).  We finally had enough of being blasted in the face by the cold, blustery wind and cut our day on the slopes short, cleaned up then hit the outlets (they actually had some pretty good deals).  We went back to Breckenridge for the evening of course, and enjoyed some fish tacos and beer at Blue Stag Saloon, which was decent.  We saw a crepe stand last time we were in Breckenridge but the line was way too long and it was way too cold.  I was so excited to try them this time but we tried standing in line two separate times and ended up leaving because it was taking too long (and I was hangry).  One of these days I will try Crepes A La Cart because that’s the absolute cutest name ever and clearly they must be delicious!

Sunday was a much more enjoyable snowboarding experience.  Beautiful blue skies, no wind, and totally perfect conditions.  We were adventurous this time and ventured down more difficult trails that we hadn’t dared try last time (I’ll blame Brandon for that).  We took our first ever ride up Lift 9 which takes you to the very highest part.  You could see miles upon miles on the other side of the mountain.  Being above most of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains was incredible.  You could see Breckenridge and Keystone off in the distance and you could track I-70 as it winded through the mountains and off into the horizon.  We spent all day on the slopes and even attempted some boxes, which didn’t exactly go as planned.  We got about 8 hours of snowboarding in before beginning our 10 hour venture back home.  We changed our clothes at the ski resort (since we had to check out of our hotel in the morning) and drove about 1.5 hours to the airport.  We enjoyed dinner and pre-flight drinks at the Timberline Grille in the Denver Airport where we had a beautiful view of planes coming with the stunning sunset in the background.  Our 7:45PM flight put us back in Baltimore at 1:05AM.  By the time we got bags, made the 2 hour drive back to Southern Maryland and showered it was 3:45AM and I had to be at work at 7:00AM.  I didn’t even care because I was still on a Rocky Mountain high from the amazing weekend that I just had.

I made it to work the next morning and people were eager to hear about my weekend getaway.  I get a lot of crap from people who think I spend too much time and money travelling.  The best advice I get though is from the residents where I work: “Do it while you can and do what makes you happy.”  They are thrilled to hear about my experiences and they give me the energy and motivation to keep exploring.  Don’t let anyone stop you from doing what makes you happy.  For me, that’s travelling!  Until the next adventure…

-x0

 

Niagara Falls, The NY Side.

I ventured to Niagara Falls for the first time back in late-October. It was freezing cold the entire duration of the trip but it was an absolutely gorgeous time to go.  We opted to make the 8.5 hour drive from Southern Maryland to Niagara Falls but the beautiful fall foliage was well worth it.  It’s a very easy drive through PA and NY and I developed a new love for Taco Bell Chalupas along the way (disgusting, I know).  When planning for a trip to Niagara falls please DO NOT make the rookie mistake my boyfriend made when booking the hotel (sorry love).  A Marriott in Ontario, Canada sounds perfect for the weekend if we would have brought our passports.  Like 15 minutes away from Niagara Falls he asks me to type the hotel into the GPS and I was like “eh, it’s in Canada.”  Knowing that we didn’t have our passports and were not prepared to leave the country he frantically called Marriott.  Unfortunately there are NO Marriott hotels on the US side of the Falls (which is unfortunate because they’re such a great chain), but since he is a Marriott Rewards Member we were able to get a full refund.  We ended up staying at the Holiday Inn (on the American side).  The lobby was very well decorated and modern but the rooms were your standard Holiday Inn rooms, nothing fancy.  The hotel did have a Tony Roma’s restaurant, which we didn’t try, and an arcade where I shamefully lost a round of basketball but won the shooting match (pow, pow).

 We set out to explore the Niagara Falls area and were disappointed to find that half of the town was deserted.  Obviously the spring/summer is prime time tourist season for Niagara Falls so there was a lot of construction going on in the off season.  It was nice because things were not as crowded, and the contrast of the fall leaves against the fog of the falls was breathtaking, but honestly it all probably would have been a little more enjoyable if it was a little warmer outside (I generally dislike the cold)!  We used the concierge at our hotel to set up “The Rainbow Tour” by Gray Line for the next morning then chose to enjoy dinner at an all-American favorite, Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls.  Obviously it’s just good old American food but I’ll admit I am a big fan of their mixed drinks.  You absolutely have to see the Falls light up at night.  It was tough to brave the cold on a chilly October evening but the beauty of the gushing water under the lights is magnificent.  Once again my cell phone pictures don’t do it any justice so this is something you’ll have to check out for yourself!

We started the next day off with breakfast at the Red Coach Inn, a bed and breakfast just a few steps from the Holiday Inn.  It’s definitely an old-English style place and the atmosphere takes you back a few decades but the food was great (especially the stuffed French toast)!  Our wonderful tour guide Larry picked us up right at the entrance to the Holiday Inn for our tour and we made one or two stops to pick up a few folks from other hotels.  Larry gave a great history about Niagara Falls from the actual origin and mechanics of the Falls to stories of people going over the Falls in barrels, some even with their cats.  We took the Cave of the Winds Tour and got soaking wet on the “Hurricane Deck.”  The water probably feels a lot better in the summer months because boy was it freezing!  They give you some stylish foam sandals and a poncho to keep you dry but they certainly don’t keep you warm.  We then boarded the “Maid of the Mist” boat in our snazzy blue ponchos to get an up close and personal view of the falls.

To see and hear 600,000 gallons of water thundering and crashing over right before your eyes is incredible.  The seagulls swaying in the air provide a sense of serenity with a somewhat tumultuous wonder in the background.  The boat ride itself is generally calm and quiet until you come right up to the Falls.  As the boat makes its final turn to head back to port the roaring noise of the Falls vanishes and it is silent again.  It truly is a wonder that you must experience for yourself.  And honestly, unless you have a waterproof camera (which I highly recommend), don’t even worry about trying to take pictures the whole time because you will get so caught up in trying to keep your cellphone dry that you miss out on all of the beauty in front of you.

After taking it all in from below the falls you then get a panoramic view from the observation deck which is equally as incredible.  You then board the bus again and drive a few miles towards the Giant Whirlpool, a part of the Class 6 Niagara Rapids, which is located deep within the Niagara River Gorge.  There are apparently some good places to hike right near there that I strongly recommend looking into if you go in the warmer months.  We ate at Villella’s Italian Restaurant for dinner. It’s a tiny space and the atmosphere isn’t much but it is some of the best Italian food I’ve had.  They were out of rice balls (which was slightly upsetting), but they made up for it with the delicious mussels appetizer followed by a herb-crusted salmon, side of pasta, and Lambrusco wine, of course.  We finished the meal with homemade Tiramisu which was almost as good as my aunt’s!  As if your mouth isn’t watering enough already for breakfast on Sunday morning we went back to the Red Coach Inn and had Eggs Oscar.  This heavenly combination consisted of poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, asparagus and crab meat on an English muffin with pan-fried potatoes.  The only thing missing was a mimosa!

All in all (minus the cold weather) it was a great weekend getaway to a new place I had never been to.  I would like to eventually get to the Canadian side just to see how it compares but I think I’ve done most of what I wanted to do on the New York side.  I do agree though that “it’s better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times,” so I definitely recommend taking that long weekend getaway and going to see one of the greatest wonders of this country.  Until the next adventure…

-x0