It was a Big vacation. Big, because we were gone for over a week. Big, because we had to pack extra luggage to account for all the changes in weather temperatures, and all the various and sundry occasions we were to attend. Big, because we travelled to many places and did lots of different things. Big, because the sites were large scale. Big, because a Big time was had by all. It was Big, I tell you.
I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Except for all the talking I’m going to do as I fill you in on the action. Our Big vacation included many other people, but I don’t like to drag people in and fling their pictures around in cyberspace. Privacy, and all. So, when you look at my pictures, just imagine friends and family members standing just outside the picture borders. Believe me, they were all there, smiling, laughing, and having a great time.
Now, without further ado…. Our Big Vacation.
Rob & I flew to Denver, Colorado. First stop—Evergreen, Colorado to visit some of my family. Evergreen is a beautiful town in the mountains west of Denver. Besides enjoying the gorgeous scenery and catching up with family, we had a wonderful pizza party with delicious unique pizza concoctions flying out of the pizza oven every few minutes. Peaches on pizza? Yes, please! Par for the course in Evergreen: a herd of elk hanging out downtown. And, Hey, who dat cuttin' eyes at me?
Next, we traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado and met up with a group of friends to celebrate the wedding of one of their sons—someone we have known since he was a wee baby. We all rented a big ole’ Airbnb house and had a wonderful, busy, yet relaxing time. There were wedding festivities every day. When we weren’t busy with those activities, we were messing around the town, sightseeing, eating, hot-tubbing, enjoying the cool mountain temperatures, or watching the night skies. The wedding was about as perfect as any wedding could be, and we were so happy for the young couple. We were honored to be included in the merriment. Hugs and smiles all around. The wedded couple call Breck their home, and we were thrilled to join them there as they tied the knot. Our friend group had a blast. Scenes from the wedding venue:
During our stay in Breckenridge, we discovered that altitude sickness is real. Several in our party suffered symptoms from the high altitude (9728 feet about sea level.) It was surprising that I did not feel any shortness of breath, lightheadedness, headache, etc. I guess my body is already used to that stuff with asthma, migraine, and vertigo issues. My body was like, “been there, done that,” so none of those ailments kicked in. That’s the way I explain it, anyway.
I was determined to visit the Breckenridge Troll, and my friends obliged. Environmental artist Thomas Dambo is known for educating others and creating works of art from recycled wood and other discarded materials. One of his claims to fame is giant trolls which he has placed in various locations around the world. I like his message of environmental responsibility, and I was anxious to see my first Dambo troll.
While primarily a winter sports community, Breck goes all out for summer. The town is beautifully decorated with flowers of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Breck hosts warm weather festivals and provides many summer activities for families and adults. There is always something fun to do, and the town is always welcoming.
After the grand nuptials, we drove further west with one set of friends to Moab, Utah. There, we set up shop in a hotel for our National Park adventures. Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Both Arches and Canyonlands are part of the Mighty 5 National Parks in the state of Utah (others are Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reef.)
Arches National Park was astoundingly beautiful. Desert, red rocks, ridges, towers, monoliths, mountains, and arches upon arches upon arches. There are more than 2000 arches in the national park, the largest concentration of natural arches on earth. Those arches are incredibly impressive. We learned that the arches are constantly changing, as wind, rain and other elements continue to erode and sculpt the rock. There, through wear and tear, arches collapse all the time. New arches appear as sandstone and sedimentary layers become fragile and wear away, leaving the suspended structures. The Big rock formations at Arches were completely stunning, and I took a zillion pictures.
Canyonlands National Park, also desert, is a canyon area between the Green River and the Colorado River. It has striking geological landscapes that give one a sense of the majesty of nature. If I’m doing my calculations correctly, the canyon is only about 1/3 the size of the Grand Canyon, but there are numerous hiking trails, many viewpoints, and several unique sections of Canyonlands National Park that make it an enticing place to visit.
Not saying that August is the best time to visit the desert. It was hot. Brutally hot. But, with proper planning and good common sense, we were able to navigate the parks and see most of what we wanted to see. In Arches, we skipped some of the longer hikes and missed a few arches of note. In Canyonlands, we concentrated on the Island In The Sky section of the park, without venturing to the other tempting districts, The Needles and The Maze. Partly because of limited time, partly because of weather conditions, and partly because “you can’t get there from here.” Even so, we did the parks justice, absorbed the flavor of the environment, basked in the splendor of the grand landscapes, and had a marvelous time.
We also did some out-of-this-world star gazing, Milky Way, shooting stars, satellites, and all. Our final night at the parks we took a themed river cruise down the Colorado River. That was a fun evening, with an old-fashioned throwback, if slightly dated, narrated and lighted music filled program with a ‘Murica vibe.
Leaving the parks behind, we took a side road as we started our trip back to the Denver airport. Utah Hwy 128, which eventually connected us to major interstate I-70, revealed some of the most magnificent scenery imaginable. Enormous boulders (some as big as a car) lay on the shoulder of the narrow highway. It was easy to see that the boulders had fallen from towering cliffs that lined the road. We kind of held our breath, hoping that a giant boulder wouldn’t decide to dramatically tumble down from above while we were navigating the road. The breathtaking scenery made the drive worth it, despite our unease. Just so you know, other sections of Interstate I-70 were nearly as scenic (in a different way) on the drive from Utah to Denver. In case you’re ever in the area over there.
Before we flew home to Atlanta, we were able to connect with our daughter who recently moved to Denver. She was returning home from a work trip, so we were able to get together with her and see her cat Franklin. We miss Franklin, who lived with us for a while. Oh, and we miss our daughter, too, of course. It was great to see them both.
Well, that was our Big vacation. I highly recommend a visit to Breckenridge, Colorado and visits to Arches National Park and Canyonland National Park in Utah. There is so much to see in that area of the Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateau. I hope to go back, sooner, rather than later. Until then, I'll wear my favorite souvenir t-shirt from the Big trip. A sunglasses-wearing Collared Lizard from the national parks. Whaddya think? Do you like it?