At five o’clock in the morning, my uncle, cousin Erika, and I left the scorching heat of Texas hoping to cool off a bit. With pajamas still on and tired eyes we climbed into the car ready to embark on a 1,067-mile journey. We were less than an hour down the road and already we had stopped at Starbucks for some breakfast and caffeine. From the moment we left, the route we chose to take proved to be picturesque the entire way.
We saw rolling hills and lovely fields and marveled for hours on end. Possessing merry states of mind we purposed within ourselves to enjoy every minute of the voyage, even if this meant stopping every other hour in order to capture special memories.
After a lot more driving, we made it into the breathtaking state of Colorado just in time for a late dinner. We ate at the most fabulous Italian restaurant called Rino’s.
The homemade pasta and tiramisu were appetizing but the neatest part of it all was the fact that every waiter or waitress sang to the customers as they ate.
After leaving the restaurant we stumbled upon an inviting Bed and Breakfast in Trinidad, which we then stayed at for the night. The house was so incredibly dainty, the rooms were warm, each of the three floors had a balcony, and I discovered a little rustic library.
We awoke to a delicious breakfast of blueberry cornmeal pancakes, sausage, fruit and orange juice.
I loved every minute we spent at the Bed and Breakfast and it totally reminded me of a big dollhouse. We drove up through the mountains of Colorado for the remainder of the day with only a quick stop at Danny’s Corner Bistro for lunch in Woodland Park.
That night we got settled into our delightful cabin...
...and the temperature dropped down into the forties so we enjoyed gazing at the stars from the hot tub on the back porch. Up high in the mountains the sky is not tainted or blurred by lights from a neighborhood or city. The moon shines down seamlessly and the stars glisten like tiny gems. Peace remains ever present.
It was cold in the cabin. Bitter cold. I rolled out of bed, slipped on socks and to my surprise found that it was much warmer outdoors. After breakfast we drove down the mountain towards Canyon City. As noon approached, the weather was a pleasant seventy degrees, my Uncle Rick, Erika and I had a total jam session in the car...
...and we had to occasionally stop for cow crossings.
Our tummies began to rumble and we made a stop at Pizza Madness for a quick but tasty lunch.
Afterwards we hopped on ATV’s (four-wheelers) and raced up and down the mountains. I felt nervous as we began to ride because the trails are rocky, steep and narrow.
But I quickly conquered my fear and soon found myself flying down the mountains like a maniac. Dust flew in our faces, it was so exhilarating and we all had an incredible time. Erika and I went on a little walk/climb afterwards and stumbled upon a dazzling river with an astounding view.
August 16, 2010- Day 4:
Both Erika and I had tickets for a gourmet lunch on the Royal Gorge Train but unfortunately we woke up very late.
We quickly scurried out the door and Uncle Rick raced down the highway and we arrived just in the knick of time. Erika and I had an exemplary three-course meal. First, we both were served warm bread, and salads with bleu cheese, candied pecans, and cranberries. It was topped with some type of red wine dressing.
For our entrées, Erika had pork, asparagus and orzo while I had pesto salmon with sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus and orzo.
Dessert was a delightful chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce. Yum!
After eating we walked out onto the viewing deck at the front off the train and enjoy the scenery and chilly, crisp air blowing through our hair.
We finished the day by picking up some groceries from Whole Foods. On the way home though we drove through a cute little town and then decided to explore the mountain further. The higher we ascended up the mountain the colder it got and nighttime began to close in. And then out of nowhere we saw snow on the ground!
August 17, 2010- Day 5:
I can easily say, without hesitation, that today was unrivaled and certainly my favorite so far. The sun gleamed through the curtains of the cabin window, prompting and encouraging me to begin the day.
I arose and stumbled out onto the chilly back porch and hopped into the hot tub with my uncle. Erika prepared a picnic lunch of cucumber sandwiches, pineapple cream cheese sandwiches and hummus with Naan bread. We then hiked through Eleven Mile Canyon and I quickly discovered how out of shape I truly am.
It was great fun though and we ate on top of the canyon. The view was unbelievably overwhelming.
We then stumbled upon a secluded spring with a little waterfall.
I cannot even begin to express how overjoyed I was. The gorgeous cliffs and freezing water were so tranquil and I was left feeling lucky and love-struck with the splendor of it all.
The place wasn’t too extravagant, it encompassed simplicity and seemed to inspire joy, which couldn’t be purchased or bargained for. We returned home after swimming, feeling refreshed but starved.
Erika and I cooked a delicious dinner. Usually I am not the biggest fan of red meat but I usually enjoy it when it is prepared with Asian spices. So we made spicy Thai Beef Kabobs with corn, green beans, chives, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini.
Everything was scrumptious and we had coffee, fudge, peanut butter ice cream for dessert while winding down and watching a movie. What a day!
August 18, 2010- Day 6:
This morning Erika and I made Egg on Toast with yogurt and orange juice for breakfast. We then cleaned up and said goodbye to our cute, little cabin and started back home towards Texas. Later we stopped at Starbucks and ate some delectable scones and drank Iced Chai Tea Lattes as Uncle Rick ran some final errands.
We drove until eight o’clock at night, stopping to eat chicken fried steak at a disgusting diner, and we were just about to pull into a hotel and call it a day when all of a sudden I had a brilliant idea. I suggested that we drive all night and the GPS estimated that if we did so, we would arrive at 7 AM. Uncle Rick bought energy drinks and at eleven we determined that without the help of ice cream we would be incapable of remaining awake until morning. Erika and I needed to stay wide-awake as long as possible in order to talk to Uncle Rick and help him stay alert and aware as he drove. But the only place with ice cream that we could find was a McDonalds. Although we all prefer real Bluebell ice cream, we were forced to settle for McFlurry’s. They tasted good at the time but made Erika and I feel a bit sick. But nevertheless we moved forward, and as we did we realized that we were progressing too quickly. Uncle Rick, while chugging and twitching from a five-hour energy drink, was convinced he was seeing things, as a kaleidoscope of colors flashed in the rear view mirror.
But sure enough attached to the flashlight, which was shining throughout the car, was an arm of a police officer ever ready to reward us with a speeding ticket. Uncle Rick’s excuse, which reeked with silliness, was the energy from the drink was causing him to press the gas down harder.
The officer got a good laugh out of it but showed us no mercy. And when it seemed that things couldn’t get any worse we realized that we were zigging and zagging through every two-bit town in Texas. I begged Uncle Rick to pull over and let Erika and I wash over faces and put on pajamas. At two in the morning, we stopped at the grossest gas station known to man and when I emerged from the restroom I found Uncle Rick conversing with two drunken local farmers who were pleading with him to stop using the GPS. Uncle Rick followed their advice and decided to use the map and two hours later he decided to give the GPS one last shot. After going for some time we saw a sign that read “pavement ending.” We found ourselves on a little dirt road, utterly lost. The road then disappeared into a pit of mud, which we flew through at 60 miles per hour. Erika screamed at the top of her lungs and the car began to wobble. Uncle Rick was petrified that we had two tires that were going flat. We eventually made our way back to pavement and backtracked thirty miles an hour to that little Podunk town in Texas. Miracle of miracles, at an abandoned gas station, we found a hose which could be used to wash the tires. We were overjoyed when Uncle Rick discovered that the wheels were simply out of balance due to the massive amounts of mud. We aren’t sure how we made it home, no one seems to remember anything after that, but we awoke Uncle Rick as soon as we arose from our slumber. We happily pulled into the driveway at nine o’clock in the morning. What an adventure this has been. Lewis and Clark got nothin on us!
