Breckenridge and Reunion

So, I was/am definitely attracted to Dillon Lake and the surrounding mountains. Every day I started by snapping a shot.

We actually started the day by trying to get on the Water Taxi to Frisco but there was no certainty we would get on it and Barbara and some of her family were hoping to get to the Breckenridge Beer Festival. So, I declined the water taxi and ended up hiking back up to where the other family was.

Good shot of the Dillon sign :)

So, we ended up going to Breckenridge. Yippee...

The plaza of Breckenridge with the ski mountains behind it. Beautiful!

We went strolling up the main street. I loved the shops but we didn't stop til the end. Well, our plan was to go here to the Beer Festival but the line was so long and we really didn't have but an hour or so. Tickets were $30 for all-you-can-drink but I wouldn't have been able to drink $30 worth of beer in an hour without getting sick or inebriated so we decided to go have ONE drink at a another spot.

We stopped at the Mi Casa restaurant to have a drink. I tried the margarita...Ehhh

Then Barbara, Amy, and I did a wine tasting here. Wild Women Wine was a fantastic winery. I tried the sweets and ended up buying 5 bottles of various wines lol. Well...I mean, they're going to be had....so it's not a complete waste of money.

Awww Breckenridge, how I adore thee...

After Breckenridge we went down to Lake Dillon for the grand reunion picnic. It was such a great time. We ended up singing Happy Birthday to Jack. Barbara's family was so welcoming and I had a blast with everyone. I didn't feel out of place at all. That really says a lot about a family, you know?

Everyone! I was supposed to be taking the pictures but somehow I made it into the shot...

Then we listened to some funk at the Dillion Amphitheater.

The guy in the blue shirt is the mayor that I got to meet a day or two before. Nice guy...

One of the coolest things of the outdoor theater was watching the sunset while listening to fun music.

Awesome.....

Great times. This is the last shot I had of Dillon. We ended up leaving the next morning at 5am. I have to say I had a FANTASTIC time in Colorado and I can't wait to go back!

Chillin' in Dillon

So, I actually got this post and the last one out of sync but who cares...The first day we were in Dillon we actually just chilled out a bit. It was actually pretty cool to relax in such a beautiful place.

I set up shop on Jack and Nancy's porch. Not bad, huh? :)

The view from which I was posting pictures was simply amazing. I was in Heaven!

Barbara and I saw the outlet mall as we were driving into town so we decided to shop a bit. It was actually really cold at night and I didn't bring any long jeans so we headed here to see what we could find.

They had an Old Navy outlet. Now: before the surgery I was no longer wearing Old Navy jeans.... So, post surgery I was a bit nervous coming in here. I was really anxious to see if I would be wearing Old Navy clothes again.... So, I picked out a few pairs of jeans and tops and went into the dressing room... It was a VIP party! Everything I tried was fitting well. I was so excited. I felt so good and ended up buying 3-4 pair of jeans/pants and 2 tops. Nice.... It's just so weird thinking for years that you're just fat and born that way, and to find out that you are actually healthy and have a fun future is life-changing.

While shopping at the Nike Outlet we crossed this bridge (by foot) and found that at the mall there were some guys fly-flishing. Lol, never seen that in Houston malls :)

I ended up taking a walk around part of the lake that night. What great scenery, huh??

Lake Dillon

Barbara and I took off to see Keystone (only about 10 minutes away). This was our view while driving.

Unfortunately, I don't think the gondolas were working.

Nice ski trails... We went into the lodges there and were looking for this fun bar that Barbara and Terry loved but sadly enough, it was no longer there. Well, there was a bar there, but not the one she remembered.

So, we drove back to Dillon and hung out for the evening. Pretty amazing...

Oh, we ended up stopping at the Dam Brewery for a snack before joining the family. We ate on the patio, and it was pretty relaxing. Can't really hang out outside in Houston this time of year...

Colorado Time! Continental Divide and Vail

So, we started our day with a great breakfast in Dillon, Colorado at Kula's Cafe. Nancy loves this place because it offers lactose-free, gluton free food. I didn't bother with all that but I had a great egg and cheese bagel sandwich.

Then we walked around the corner and there was the Mountain Arts Festival. The tents were filled with the usual artistic pieces such as jewelry, home decor, and other items. I couldn't find anything.

Then, we walked a street or two over for the Dillon Farmers Market. I walked up and down looking for something to catch my eye. Unfortunately, we had just eaten so there wasn't anything that looked appealing. But, I did get to meet the Mayor of Dillon who was really fun to talk to. Then, Nancy took Barbara and I up to Montezuma, a small mining town. I didn't know much about mining so I was asking a lot of questions, but it was really neat. Made me want to watch Blue October again (I think that was the name of the movie).

There's this old outhouse in which we just had to take a photo with lol.

Then, we finally made it up the mountains to the Continental Divide!! I'm sending in this picture to the UT Alcalde and FB page. Hopefully I'll get a spot. :) Chillen like a villain...

What a view.......

As we descended we saw this small lake made by the glaciers. I felt the water and it was cold!

Later, that day, Barbara and I took off for Vail!!

It really did feel like we were in the Swiss Alps. It was so beautiful... We ended up taking the gondola up Vail Mountain. But before we did we ended up doing some serious souvenir shopping! :)

The view from the gondola ride up the mountain was really amazing. My first time up a mountain!!

When we got up to the top we saw a wedding party taking pics. It was cute to watch.

Photo time :) Barbara and I...

And look at the view...

With our gondola ticket we got $20 worth of free food/drink purchases. I ended up getting a margarita and Barbara got her wine. We had a great time...as the sign says....2 miles high in the sky :)

My favorite moment of the trip!! While sitting having the drink the rescue dog came over. I scratched her where Jewel loved the most to be scratched and she ended up sitting next to me. The person with her took our picture. Yay!!!!!! Riding down...

My last glimpse of Vail.....I have to return!!