Copper Mountain: Mother-daughter bonding at its best

March 20, 2013 By

Mom: “Can you please unpack your lunchbox?”

Daughter: “Why should I do it? You’re the one who packed my lunch for me.”

Mom: “I did it to be nice. It’s your responsibility to make it and then unload it.”

Daughter: “Well, if you made it, you should be the one to clean it.”

Thus is a sampling of a conversation I had with H a few days before our trip to Copper Mountain. Mother-daughter relationships are complicated during the best of times but we’ve entered a new phase: The pre-teen years.

But parents everywhere, have faith because I have found a cure for tween moodiness: Take your child on a ski getaway with just the two of you and you’ll swear they’re a different person by the end. One you really, really like.

The scheduling was perfect. The Sunday evening before President’s Day, we drove to Copper Mountain in a separate car than my husband and son. We skied together as a family on Monday and early Tuesday morning, the boys left for work and school. My daughter did not have school until Thursday so we would spend Tuesday and Wednesday (my birthday) together in the mountains.

Here’s the catch: I got really sick. But even that couldn’t hold me back from the healing balm of a ski vacation with my firstborn. So behold: Your guide to having the ultimate getaway with your son or daughter.

1)      Leisurely wake up in your condo. While you’re fighting off your flu (or just need extra time), lounge by the fireplace, build a fort and eat breakfast in it.

2)      Ski together that morning. With over 150 trails across 2,465 acres, we fell in love with Copper Mountain’s varied terrain. My daughter enjoyed the runs off Timberline Express, a veritable intermediate-level Mecca.

3)      Go shopping that afternoon. Center, East and West Villages offer all kinds of restaurants, shopping and activities. Buy yourselves hats from Kelly’s Closet to commemorate the occasion and justify the expense as an early birthday present. Attempt to buy mini doughnuts from Sugar Lips Mini Donuts but upon realizing they’re closed, succor your sweet tooth with cake pops at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Tip: S’more kits are available for $5.95 per kit and firepits around Copper Mountain are plentiful.

4)      Rent skates for $10 from McCoy’s Mountain Market and skate to your heart’s content on West Lake in the heart of the Village at Copper (open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m.) Point out the hockey-playing Canadian dude making slapshots in the net and give your little half-breed (half-American/Canadian) something to shoot for. Literally.

5)      Get a rush on the Alpine Rush Zip Line. For just $10, this zip line soars across West Lake daily from 1-5 p.m. Despite being petrified the day before, my daughter begged to do it again twice. Go to the middle of West Lake as she flies overhead, take a picture and entitle your shot, Conquering Fear. Tear up a little that your girl is growing up.

6)      Race over to nearby Pizza Carlo for Kids in the Kitchen. Served every Monday-Thursday at 4 p.m., your kid will go crazy over this interactive dining experience as they make their own chef hat, don an apron (that they get to keep), get a tour of the kitchen, learn how to toss a large 18” Kids Chef’s Pizza and prepare it with all their favorite fixins. Devour that, along with garlic cheese bread, family-style salad and soda. When you think you can’t eat another bite, bring on the dessert pizza where your child will go crazy decorating it with cookies, M&Ms, sprinkles, chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Roll out of there, raving that you won’t eat ever again. Until your birthday breakfast the next morning at Belgian Bean Waffles & Coffee.7)      Go back to your condo and hit the hot tubs. Soak your weary bones as you download your favorite moments of the day while watching the steam rise in the frosty air and marveling at those crazy grooming machines prepping Copper Mountain for the next day.

8)      Bedtime. Relish as your daughter raves about how she’ll never forget your amazing mother-daughter day. Next time, vow to hit the Tubing Hill in East Village and the 9,000-square foot Woodward at Copper, a year-round snowboard, ski, digital media and skate program that features indoor artificial snow jumps, large foam pits, fly-bed Supertramps, terrain parks, a Superpipe and go-pro rentals.

Because the sometimes-moody tween/teen years last a long time. And I’m convinced mother-daughter trips are the best cure.

Thanks to Copper Mountain for hosting!

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Health, outdoors, skiing, travel

This is not a call to vote for me as a Top 25 Outdoorsy Mom. Mostly.

March 11, 2013 By

I vowed after pandering for votes to get to become Microsoft Office’s accredited blogger at the 2010 Vancouver Games, I would never again ask for votes for anything. I felt so indebted to the many friends and strangers who gave me that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and have tried to return the favor whenever anyone asks for my support in a campaign.

So, when Circle of Moms emailed and told me I was nominated as a Top 25 Outdoorsy Mom I thought, “That’s nice. I’m good with being a Top 25.” But then I saw daily voting was involved. I have no desire to hold a social-media campaign begging for votes like the last time. There are plenty of deserving moms whose blogs I love so consider this a call to check them out. And, if you are so inclined, drop me a vote here.

I have no aspirations to come in first but just don’t want to come in last.

I call it my new standard of excellence.

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Stop the presses! One of my fellow nominees had a brilliant idea. We in the outdoor blogging community have had our lives rocked by the death of 2-year-old Axel Charrette. I mentioned it in a previous post but initially had no idea how  violent it was. His mom Jen Charrette is from Ridgeway, Colo. and their family recently sold their bike business and hit the road with their two young boys with the dream of becoming digital nomads. They were living for a couple of months in Mexico when her sweet Axel was violently murdered and it is making headlines around the world. No mom or family should ever have to go through this.

Remember when I said I don’t care if I win this contest? That still holds true but now I know who I want to win. I just nominated Velo Mom Jen Charrette as the Top 25 Outdoorsy Mom. Of course, it can in no way replace the loss of a child but please take a moment to vote for her. I’d love to see everyone’s support blow this out of the water.

In September, Jen wrote about The Big Adventure her family was about to embark on. I’m sure they never could have envisioned how it all would end.

Please take a few seconds out of your day to vote for Velo Mom!

 

 

Filed Under: outdoors

A sickly, fabulous birthday in the mountains

March 7, 2013 By

A couple of weeks ago, I turned really old. At least that’s how I felt when I woke up at Copper Mountain, sicker than a dog (I had previously felt just as sick as a canine but three days on the mountain had left me worse off than when I began).

But really, it was tough to feel sorry for myself because it was the final day of my mother-daughter getaway with Hadley, we were at Copper Mountain and this was what it looked like from my bed. I called it my “sick view.” Pun intended.

Despite how I felt, there was no way I was wasting my birthday so dragged myself out of bed, had a leisurely bath and we headed downstairs from our condo to Belgian Bean Waffles & Coffee. I was disappointed there wasn’t a bigger selection of waffles and toppings beyond strawberries, mixed berries, caramel, chocolate and whipped cream. But that stopped the moment we sunk our teeth into our unbelievably delicious Belgian-style waffle with mixed berries and whipped cream. We then ordered a magic cookie bar (my favorite) for dessert.

Don’t judge. It was my birthday.

Snowshoeing

We went back to our condo where we packed up our gear and checked out. We had originally intended to stay at Copper Mountain for one of their Free Ambassador Snowshoe Tours (which they offer two times a day) but the more moderate, family-friendly tour wasn’t until after lunch. I did some research of the area and decided we should go snowshoeing at the Frisco Nordic Center, just 10 minutes down the road from Copper Mountain.

I’m a longtime fan of Frisco and am moderately obsessed with having a cabin in the Frisco/Breckenridge area someday (OK, really obsessed). We have spent a lot of time biking the more than 80-mile network of paved, non-motorized paths that originate in Frisco and wind through Breckenridge, Dillon, Keystone, Copper Mountain and Vail.

Set on a peninsula overlooking Lake Dillon, The Frisco Nordic Center is one of the most scenic areas along the route and that’s why I’d recommend forking over the wintertime trail fees: $20 for adults, youth ages 7-17 are $15.

Snowshoeing at the Frisco Nordic Center

I bought the kids snowshoes on clearance at REI last year but this was Hadley’s first time using them. The 1,800-acre playground overlooking Lake Dillon’s glistening white panorama was the perfect place to break them in. Another advantage of “paying to play” were the 15 km of well-marked snowshoe trails. I’m not a fan of getting lost in the mountains, which is really easy to do with snow covering the trail. We had markers at every turn, which made our 1.5-hour loop that skirted the edge of the reservoir that much more fun and stress-free.

Frisco Adventure Park

By the end of our outing, we were happy, exhausted and ready for more so we walked across the street to the Frisco Adventure Park, which offers a tubing hill, beginner ski and ride hill and dinner sleigh rides. It was Wednesday and I expected the place to be a ghost town. I was wrong. We joined legions of other snow enthusiasts to watch a short safety video, grab our tubes, head up the magic carpet and then careen down the lengthy, FAST 1,200-foot tubing lanes.We had a blast together but I almost lost my breakfast as we caught air on each of the bumps.

Getting older has its benefits but a weak stomach isn’t one of them.

Filed Under: birthday, Family travel, Hadley, outdoors

Skiing, zipling and extreme sportin’ at Copper Mountain

February 27, 2013 By

I’ve decided winter is exhausting. Not only do we usually come down with The Plague (Jamie is on week four) but we have a short few months to cram in as much outdoor fun as we can. With Denver’s dismal snow year, it has been that much more mandatory for us to head to the hills.

And yes, I said mandatory. As in HAS TO HAPPEN.

Copper Mountain was our latest destination to host us. A favorite among the locals because it’s an easy 75-mile drive west of Denver up the I-70 corridor, it remained a glaring omission in my must-ski list (though we had a stellar time there in Oct. 2011).

Hadley had a five-day weekend and Bode had three days off so we drove up after church on Sunday, skied as a family on President’s Day and then the boys drove home early Tuesday morning for work and school. That left two glorious days for Haddie and me to play, and one of them was my birthday.

X-Treme Sports

Upon arrival, we did a tour of Woodward at Copper. I’ll admit this 19,400-square-foot year-round ski and snowboard camp half-amazes, half-terrifies me. Nicknamed “The Barn,” Woodward is an all-steps progression program to help ages 8 and older learn aerial tricks and skills in a safe environment that you can translate on the mountain. See those ramps? My kids thought they were the coolest things ever.And I guess they are if you’re inclined to catch more than 1 inch of air on the slopes (which I am not).

The Barn offers drop-in day sessions, summer camps, SuperTramps and will undergo a big makeover this spring and improvements will include a new progressive foam pit designed for development of beginner park skills. The street area will double in size allowing for full access by BMX, mountain bike, skateboards and park skis and snowboards.

As a nervous parent, I was impressed with the capable staff’s emphasis on safety. Helmets are mandatory on the ramps and to even jump into the foam pit, my kids had to fill out some waivers and receive instruction.And Bode is counting down until he’s 8 so he, too play.

Copper Mountain

We’ve traveled to a number of mountain resorts around the country and what my family loved most about 2,465-acre Copper Mountain is that it was so easy. Easy to get to and the 140 trails across three mountains are easy to navigate. In fact, Hadley marveled about how wonderfully contained the base village is. “We don’t even have to get in the car!” she raved. “We can walk to skiing, dinner, tubing, zipling, skating and dinner.”

I didn’t correct her when she said dinner twice. It is, after all, very important.

On President’s Day, the kids went to ski school while Jamie and I hit the slopes. It is one of the few Colorado ski schools that has incorporated the FLAIK global positioning system, which tracks the kids’ on-mountain location, skier stats, and runs skied. Their instructors simply attached the GPS device around their leg and at the end of the day, we went online to see all their logistics. Turned out, they skied a lot harder than Jamie and me but we didn’t tell them that, of course.

Good thing there’s no tracking devices for parents who opt for an extra-long, leisurely lunch by the fire at Copper Station.

At first, I was disgruntled The Schoolhouse is located in the West Village, a shuttle stop away from the Center Village. But after dropping off the kids, Jamie and I rode Union Creek, followed by Timberline Express and that is where we found the best snow conditions that day.By day’s end, we were happy and tired. This was our first major outing since getting sick, which took quite a toll. In fact, sweet Bode fell asleep on the two-minute shuttle ride back to our condo.

How to Get an Alpine Rush

We vacillated on our plans. We had hoped to try out the new Alpine Rush Zip Line in the Center Village and then head over to the East Village for the Tubing Hill but remember the exhaustion thing? We opted to swing by the zip line since it was close to our condo, go back, chill out and then see if the kids were up for tubing. 

The latter didn’t happen but the former did…in a big way.

Poor Bode practically sleepwalked through Center Village and I honestly wasn’t expecting him to even try. But the second he spotted the zip line soaring over skating rink at West Lake, there was no holding him back. (Note: You must be at least 50 pounds and each ride only costs $10),

Jamie got outfitted in his harness and went first, racing across the sky. Hadley freaked out, “That’s too fast,” she wailed. A couple of summers ago, the zip line at Vail’s Adventure Race traumatized her and she’s been gun shy (terrified) ever since.

“I’ll go!” Bode boldly volunteered and he was off.The more you weigh, the faster you soar so Bode was considerably slower than Jamie.

“Maybe that wasn’t so bad,” Hadley faltered.

“You’ll go as slow as Bode. Let’s give it a try,” I encouraged her. The staffer soothed her fears and before she knew it, she was flying.In fact, the next day she begged to do it two more times. I’m not sure if she’s cured but her fears were definitely calmed.

Now, I just need to follow her example and tackle the ramps at The Barn the next time we’re at Copper Mountain.

Stay tuned next time for our memorable mom-daughter adventures the next two days!

 

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family, Family travel, Hadley, Humor, Jamie, outdoors, skiing

Fear: Conquered

February 19, 2013 By

We are currently wrapping up a glorious trip to Copper Mountain where we have skied, ziplined, tub tubbed, shopped, skated and loved every minute.

Except the parts where Jamie and I have been pretty darn sick.

He and Bode had to work and go to school today but Haddie has a few extra days off so we decided to make my birthday tomorrow extra-special by staying in the mountains for quality girl time. Many more details are forthcoming (though I suspect I’ll be on my sickbed for a while recovering from it all).

In the interim, we’re going snowshoeing in Frisco tomorrow and my favorite moment of today: seeing this girl of mine zipline.

I’m enlarging and framing this pictures with the caption, “What Conquering Fear looks like.”

Because it’s just been that kind of trip.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, outdoors

The Ultimate Cure for Cabin Fever: Discovering Colorado’s Cossetted Camelot

February 12, 2013 By

After a week of caring for sick kids, a wave of cabin fever washed over me. Life is good on many levels but also so overwhelming with major, saddening issues over which I have no control. I just needed to get out and for me, that means outside. I left Hadley with Jamie and headed to the mountains. I have a bucket list of trails I want to tackle and one of them is Lair ‘o the Bear Open Space. We spend a lot of time playing in the creek in the summertime but the Bear Creek Trail extends 12.6-miles through three contiguous Denver Mountain Parks to the west. I had no idea how extensive it was until I set out but it was just what the doctor ordered.

Or he would have if I’d been sick but remember I was the lone holdout in the family for the first time ever?

I was delighted to wear my YakTrax traction devices on my shoes for the first time this winter. That’s my nice way of saying, DENVER–YOUR SNOWLESS WINTER HAS SUCKED.

But my winter expedition did not and I loved it all–from hiking in snow to the beauty of the crystallized river to the chilly temperatures to the complete solitude where it seems even the birds had abandoned the forest for warmer climes. Just alone in my thoughts without any of life’s distractions.

When I was about 15  minutes into my hike, I was stopped in my tracks by enchanting classical music that saturated the area. I looked around, saw nothing and deduced I was imaging it. But as I pressed onward, the music grew louder and more urgent so like the Pied Piper,  I blindly followed it and it lead me to the Dunafon Castle.

Now I’m not sure about you but it’s not exactly happenstance in my life to find a cosseted château in the mountains–particularly one that is located off a road I’ve driven a hundred times. Built on a peninsula overlooking the crystal-clear waters of Bear Creek, I later found out this stunning seventeen-acre “Colorado’s Camelot” was built in 1941 and is a residence that opens for private events May through October.  The property was securely gated off but I’ve vowed to return for one of their guided tours.

That fueled my fire and the hike I’d only intended to be a brief escape turned into a three-hour, who-knows-how-many-miles hike. I simply couldn’t turn around; the mountains are among my most sacred places. When I happened upon this view of the peaks that worship 14,26-ft. Mt. Evans, the thought came to my mind, “God is in charge.”A wash of peace came over me…and I walked away from my brief interlude with Colorado’s Camelot with gratitude for a renewed perspective.

 

 

Filed Under: Colorado, hiking, outdoors

YMCA of the Rockies: Reliving and Inventing the Glory Days

February 1, 2013 By

In case you haven’t figured out it, I’m a lover of all-things winter so ice skating under a covered pavilion, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, or tubing at YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch = my personal paradise. But there’s so much more!

Kiva Recreation Center

The first night we arrived, we headed over to the newly-remodeled Kiva Recreation Center where my kids roller-skated for the first time (many activities are free when you stay). For kiddos 5 and under, they even had tricycles.After a rocky 15 minutes on skates, Bode momentarily wished he was 5 again.

I relived my childhood glory days of spending Saturdays cruising around to Boy George with my big bangs and winning Shoot the Duck contests. Not familiar with that? Get some speed, lift your leg in the air, squat down, balance on the other leg while holding your extended one and the longest person who can do this without falling is the winner.

As an adult, that is also called suicide.

The kids lost interest after a while and went to play with Jamie as I wound around the rink, marveling at my friend Bryan who mastered the art of roller-skating gangnam style. By the time I sauntered over to Jamie and the kids, they had wrapped up playing basketball and dodgeball and had moved onto floor hockey. I’m ashamed to admit this is the first time my half-breeds have played and Bode, in particular, took to it quickly.

The second I grabbed that stick, something deeply Canadian was ignited within me as I wove in and out of my competition (vicious elementary-school kids), relishing all those days I spent playing hockey with my brothers. My friend Aimee tweeted:I was so fired up after playing that I Googled local teams for Bode and me, resolving women’s floor hockey was in my future. I might even make it an Olympic sport! And then I woke up the next morning in such pain from my plantar fasciitis-prone heels that I pronounced early-retirement.

It was great while it lasted.

Also new since our previous visit was a three-story-high rock climbing wall, which Bode rocked.

Pun intended.

Hadley, on the other hand, was really great at indoor archery. She’s now begging to take additional lessons, along with horseback riding.I think she fancies herself to be Merida from Brave. If only she had inherited my hair….

Sleigh Ride

We had the time of their lives dashing through the snow on Snow Mountain Ranch’s hot cocoa sleigh ride. We met at Sombrero Stables, an on-property private vendor that also offers trail rides and steak dinner rides. (Adult prices are $28, kids 6-11 are $25, kids 3-5 are $12 and under 3 are free).

We bundled up under the provided blankets and were whisked away across snow-covered meadows against a Rocky Mountain backdrop. After a half-hour, we stopped near the old Rowley Homestead, site of the Rowley Nature Museum in the summer. We sipped hot chocolate, roasted marshmallows over a crackling fire, pet the horses and got stalked by a bull moose. It’s no wonder it was our favorite activity of our trip to the YMCA of the Rockies.

 So Much More

At the top of my bucket list is dog sledding and for only $15 for one ride, $25 for two, YMCA of the Rockies is the cheapest I’ve ever seen. However, spots fill quickly and we had already signed up for our Nordic skiing lesson so we opted out. We didn’t have time to head over to the craft center, swim or do any of the activities at the library for our blogger retreat but I have no complaints. At almost every turn, there were games and one night, the kids made a makeshift movie theater under the stairs with NO PARENTS ALLOWED.

When our family travels, I try to capture our final, fleeting moments in a memorable way and some of my favorites have included flying kites with Hadley off our balcony at the San Juan Marriott in Puerto Rico or having the pool to ourselves on a freezing night aboard our Disney Cruise. At YMCA of the Rockies as we prepared for bedtime, it started snowing.

“Mommy, do you see that?” Bode squealed.

“Let’s go to the playground!” I suggested.

So, despite the whirling snow, frigid temperatures and a pitch-black sky, we walked out of our cozy room at Indian Peaks Lodge and giggled our way across the deep snow. Holding hands, we vaulted onto the playground, marveling about our adventure and that it was one night to remember.
And we plan to make many more of them at YMCA of the Rockies.

Thanks to them for hosting a great retreat!

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Just tuning in? Don’t miss Parts I and II.

YMCA of the Rockies: My Colorado Love Affair

YMCA of the Rockies: The Nordic Redemption

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, Humor, outdoors, travel

YMCA of the Rockies: The Nordic Redemption

January 31, 2013 By

Now, when I entitled this blog post “Nordic Redemption,” I didn’t mean this.
But rather, this.
The back story: As a Canadian, I grew up cross-country skiing the golf course across the street from my house. Jamie is an avid alpine (downhill) skier so I figured his transition to Nordic would be a snap. It turned out to be a different kind of snap when he fell over going 0.0005 mile per hour and claimed a concussion.

That was ten years ago and I figured it was time he got back on the horse again. I signed our family up for a group lesson at YMCA of the Rockies’ Snow Mountain Ranch’s world-class Nordic Center, which offers more than 100 km of trails—from beginner loops to advanced ski trails. The kids are both becoming good skiers so I figured they were ready to add another style of skiing to their repertoire. Though I get a passing grade in cross-country skiing, I’m not an expert and would like to take up more advanced techniques, like skate skiing or mastering backcountry climbing skins.

Or not running into your friend Aimee when she’s trying to take your picture, which was my memorable wipe-out that day.

Our husband-wife instructors were excellent but the conditions were not. The snow was hard-packed so it was baptism by icy fire when they opted to start our lesson by taking us down a short, moderate slope while demonstrating the hallowed snow plow. Crash after crash occurred but the only one who took it to heart was Bode, whose confidence was shattered early-on.

“It’s OK,” I consoled him as I wiped away his crocodile tears. “You’re the youngest one in the group and you’re doing great.”

And he really was. When we moved to the beginner practice track, he started to regain his mojo as we all learned to stride, kick, push and glide like “neanderthals.”

I somehow didn’t think neanderthals were all that graceful prior to our outing.

The tepid skiers in the group stuck to the practice track and Jamie offered to stay behind with Bode while a handful of more courageous folks ventured out and followed a trail alongside Pole Creek. Hadley started mastering the smooth cadence and I was thrilled to see at least one member of our family take to Nordic skiing.

“So, when do you want to do it again with Mommy?” I queried, salivating over Snow Mountain’s bright winter sky, frosty trees, long mountain views and fast tracks.

“Maybe in, like, a couple of years,” she replied.

Though Jamie had a much more positive experience, he still wasn’t sold. “It was OK but I like downhill skiing more. Besides, it’s a different breed of people out here.”

“What do you mean?”

“There are no, ‘hey dudes’ or ‘let’s hit some bumps.’ These people are more like the marathon-running crowd.”

That’s his nice way of saying, “NO WAY” and I’m on my own. I’ll take it.

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Don’t miss parts I and III of our adventures.

YMCA of the Rockies: My Colorado Love Affair

YMCA of the Rockies: Reliving and Reinventing the Glory Days

Filed Under: Bode, Family, Family travel, Hadley, Jamie, outdoors, skiing, travel

YMCA of the Rockies: My Colorado Love Affair

January 30, 2013 By

YMCA of the Rockies, 2006

I had an epiphany during our latest trip to the YMCA of the Rockies at Snow Mountain Ranch: I love their two Colorado properties. Now, let me qualify that. I am a fickle traveler and have many love affairs with destinations all over the world but most of those places are one-time deals. We visit, capture memories, check them off the bucket list and move onto the next.

For me, YMCA of the Rockies is a soul-stirring, this-is-where-I-belong kind of haven where I yearn to repeatedly return with my family and envy the couples who retire and move nearby to live out their days volunteering. Now, that is some serious amour.

I can’t put my finger on what makes it so special for me. Maybe it’s that YMCA of the Rockies was our first really fun vacation with Hadley (we coined it our “Crazy Fun Family Weekend,” a phrase that has stuck). Or that Jamie’s family had a memorable family reunion there.

It’s not fancy like many of the destinations we visit–in fact, it’s one of the most basic, even rustic. But it doesn’t matter. Between the natural beauty, family-building activities and outdoor fun, it’s about developing traditions and the simple joys of family and friends.

Bode lost (and swallowed) his second tooth, Snow Mountain 2013

Last summer, the kids and I joined some other Denver bloggers and their families for a retreat at YMCA of the Rockies’ 860-acre Estes Park Center. This time around, we congregated at Snow Mountain Ranch’s 5,100-acre family ranch located between Winter Park and Grand Lake. We last visited that location in 2007.
My, what a difference five years makes.

Stay tuned for our favorite activities in what I have deemed Colorado’s most fun and affordable family destination. And be sure to check-out my write-up about summer and winter highlights at Travel Mamas.

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Don’t miss parts II and III of our adventures.

YMCA of the Rockies: The Nordic Redemption

YMCA of the Rockies: Reliving and Reinventing the Glory Days

 

Filed Under: Colorado, Family, Family travel, outdoors

Martin Luther Day Weekend: In Pictures

January 23, 2013 By

As much as I love to travel, there is nothing like exploring your own backyard, particularly when you live in an amazing place like Denver. On Saturday, we met up with my friend Amie and her kids who are the same age as H and B.  We played to our heart’s content, starting at our local skate park.At one point, I heard Hadley screaming for me. I raced over to find she had slid down into a deep bowl and she couldn’t get out. Soon, all the kids followed suit. “I’ll go help them,” my friend Amie heroically volunteered. I hesitated. I love Amie but I had serious doubts about her capabilities. Eventually, everyone but her emerged victorious. Her hand-on-face says it all.I debated dropping into the bowl to assist but figured I’d be more help from above and eventually, an 11-year-old boy and I pulled her to safety. How often does that happen?

We then hopped on our bikes and raced along the Ralston Creek trail. Remember these pictures from the summer?It looks a wee bit different in the winter.There was a nearby playground but the kids preferred to climb trails, build dams, throw rocks and scale creeks.

I must be doing something right.

In other big weekend news, Bode lost his first tooth–his bottom right–while watching a movie on Friday night.

The Tooth Fairy got her act together and dyed his glass of water blue to match her dress, as opposed to H’s urine sample.

And Hadley hit a milestone of her own: she got her ears pierced.

Rest assured, major details forthcoming on this feat that has been three years in the making.

On Martin Luther King Day, the kids lazed around all morning while I worked from bed (praise laptops), we met Jamie’s client at Beau Jo’s pizza for lunch (the best mountain pies EVER) and we explored 127-acre Belmar Park. I’ve been a bit remiss lately how fast they’re growing up and that their playground days will soon be behind them but I had an epiphany at Belmar Park. Soccer. Basketball. Swim team. Though I think it’s important for kids to learn skills and gain self-confidence, there is an expiration date on so many of them. I was repeatedly athlete of the year for team sports and I loved them all but what I am most grateful for is my parents taught me to love the outdoors and solo sports like biking, hiking, running, skating, exploring, snowshoeing, climbing and skiing. Those last beyond the confines of graduation.

And will amount to a lifetime of truly living and knowing how to play.

Filed Under: biking, Bode, Colorado, Hadley, hiking, outdoors
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