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Published: January 29th 2011
So, it was time to leave Florida and meet up with my Dad in L.A.
I don't even know how to describe how it felt to leave Florida, I mean there were just so many emotions that I can't quite put into place, so I'm not even going to attempt too. But what I can say is that I left knowing that i'd had an amazing trip, and would definitely be back at some stage.
Colorado was amazing. The flight in was short, the snow was thick and the sky was blue, we were ready for a good time. The drive from Denver to Vail was about 2 hours with whatever stops we had in between. Denver was relatively flat considering that Colorado is known for its mountainous terrain, but as we exited the outer regions of Denver, it became very apparent that we were in fact driving through the mountains.
The view was stunning; deer prance along the side of hills, snow falling off the iced trees, lakes completely frozen over and the town completely touched by snow. It was incredible.
When we actually reached our destination (Lionshead Circle, Vail) we realised rather quickly just how much colder it is up that high as opposed to the skiing destinations back here in Australia. The altitude was definitely different, although I didn't realise this until I was speeding down a blue run and had to stop every kilometre to catch my breath. Very different, but so excellent.
We arrived on a thursday afternoon, all of us tired from flying so much in the previous few days and the early morning start that morning. We got into our room, piled on the clothes and head down to the ski shop to get our gear hired. The service was brilliant, everyone happy and smiling (most not speaking fluent english, but no harm done) and we were out in about half an hour. From there we decided to just look around a little bit, familiarise ourselves to this area so that when we do walk to and from the Gondola, that we had at least some idea of where we were going :P
The village itself resonated a very strong european theme, with the typical cobbled streets and buildings each with their own theme and character. With the snowflakes falling, it was a winter wonderland.
Day 2 and 3 were not the best for skiing, as the weather had closed in and it was impossible to see the mountains from our room. We took our time waking up and getting ready, and finally decided to brave the bad weather. After all, we hadn't travelled all that way or spent that much money to stay indoors because of a slight weather problem. Granted, it was extremely hard to ski in, and my boots were terrible, but all in all it really wasn't that bad. Once we got over not being able to distinguish the sky from the snow, we were golden. I got my boots changed the second night and all was dandy the next day.
Day 3 is where it really started to kick off. Now, please take note that I hadn't skied prior to this trip for about a year and a half, so I was a little rusty and worried that i'd lost my legs, but once the weather was nice and the slopes were groomed, I quickly found that I hadn't lost anything at all. Like riding a bike. We did the same run about 4 times, it was called "born free", this awesome long wide run with room for carving and jumps and everything. it was wicked. We decided to try our luck on the other side of the mountain, but the runs weren't nearly as good, and being the end of the day they weren't groomed anymore so the snow was incredibly choppy and hard to ski on.
A long day like this resulted in the best sleep i've had since I left florida, which prepared me for the next couple of amazing days skiing, all with incredible weather like the 3rd day. The helmets that we had bought also kept my head incredibly warm and safe from damage should I collide with a tree, so the safety measure was indeed appreciated haha.
After a couple more days of hard skiing, we decided that the spa was probably a great idea to soothe any aching legs (which surprisingly didn't occur very much at all) but it was definitely a relaxing adventure. The spa was actually outside in the courtyard, so we had to walk outside past the frozen swimming pool before we had to strip off, in the cold, and then jump into the warm water. The whole time I was worried about the walk back to the room, but having been in there for more than half an hour, I was warm enough to keep my body heated until we reached our front door again.
Sitting in the spa was a wonderful experience, surrounded by snow and with a view of frozen over trees. It definitely set the mood, with music the only thing missing. After a long soak, we were all relaxed and pretty much ready for bed.
On our last day of skiing, we (we being Dad and myself) could feel our legs burning on every turn, as a result of the past week. Erin of course had no issue and was able to keep going until she skied her legs off. We finished the day with another go down Born Free, the best run on the whole mountain in our opinion. For dinner that night we had a lovely SMALL meal at the "Tavern on the Square", and then headed back up to our room to pack. Check out wasn't until 9.42am the next morning, so we had time to sleep in and get ourselves organised to head back to L.A to meet Carolyn and James.
Once in L.A, we had one night in the hotel and were due to leave the US via San Francisco later the next day. We did the touristy thing, getting photos with the stars on the sidewalk and getting drinks at "hooters". The amount of people either selling stuff/dressing up/protesting/touring was insane, after all we were on Hollywood Boulevard. The flight home was long, although I slept most of the way. Whenever I wasn't sleeping, I was watching movies or eating dinner. So all in all not a bad flight at all.
Returning to Australia was very strange but great nonetheless; seeing Mum and my dear wifey after 6 months, getting in Mum's car, driving through the streets in melbourne, driving around the suburbs close to home and of course, finally, getting home and noticing all the small things that had changed during my visit to the states. Yes, i still have 3 suitcases to unpack. No, I haven't started yet. Yes, I am jetlagged as I started writing this blog at 5.30am this morning, but yes, I am glad to be home.
I miss Florida. I missed Australia. It's always going to be a win/lose situation, but at least i'm always winning something =]
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Jan
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really enjoyed reading your blog! Colorado is wonderful! There is nothing more awe inspiring than the Rockies. Makes you know there is truly a supreme being. I am so glad you enjoyed your trip to the states.