Back from the Mile High City

Five days away in Colorado was just enough to get a sense of being away from the usual routine and the typical concerns, and to get a taste of an area we'll probably visit again. Each town has its own atmosphere, from charming, well laid out city and clean, commercial suburbs and tourist traps to the relics of the 1960's and 70's college towns. The motel where we stayed was in suburban Westminster, the wedding and reception was in Brighton, the restaurant and the home where our former student/former runner/friend hosted us are in Denver itself, and the best funky shops and cafes are in Boulder. We did make the trip to Estes Park, but with my vertigo, trying to traverse so many tortuous switchbacks with sheer dropoffs would have been torture, so we didn't go beyond the town up into the Rockies. We did travel in the Flatirons and some of the first tier mountains, and when we were in Estes Park we could see some of the second tier of the higher peaks still clad in their winter snows. Seeing those amazing crests we found that even at that distance, their magnificence still makes us feel small and insignificant.

Becky and Eric, the bride and groom, had planned everything with an eye to the comfort of their out of town guests. His family came from the North Dakota area, and her family came from New Hampshire, Colorado and Montana. Friends from New York, New Hampshire, Florida and Massachusetts filled out the guest list.  All of us were well taken care of with driving  directions (although we were directed east once by the mother of the bride when we were supposed to be driving west), help with lodging reservations, and invitations to meals three nights in a row. 

Mary (mother of the bride), Nancy (mother of the groom), and the bridesmaids did the whole routine of bachelorette night, getting temporary tattoos, manicures and pedicures, and going out for drinks and other fun that they just giggled about. I guess the boys went out, but I never heard details. Since the couple is in their early 30's, the parts of the celebrations are a little tamer than they would have been ten years before. At the wedding, Becky looked lovely in a strapless gown embellished with deep red trim and gold embroidery, and Eric and Bryson, Eric's son, wore spiffy black tuxes. Parents of the bride and groom and the attendants continued the red/white/black theme. The ceremony was fairly short but there were several readings from familiar sources, Elizabeth Barrett Browning to Kahlil Gibran to the Bible, and the lighting of the unity candle by all three members of the new family brought the groom's son into the event. As one of the attendees noted, there were more children at this wedding and reception than are usually seen, but family is important to Becky and Eric and they wanted their son to have kids to hang out with during this celebration. The family theme continued during the reception through the table favors: small maple-leaf shaped bottles of maple syrup made by the bride's aunt and uncle, and lefkes fashioned by the groom's family. We brought the syrup home, but we passed on the lefkes, not being fans of crepes filled with mashed potatoes. Much dancing followed a delicious dinner, and fun was had by all.

We had a good time, too, visiting Keith and his wife Stephanie and their daughter Maisy. We've known Keith since he was in seventh grade, so it was terrific to see where his life had carried him. Several years ago we'd attended their wedding in Vermont, and we'd followed him from a distance through his mother who still lives around here and from occasional emails he'd send. It was wonderful to find him a secure, happy, mature man who owns two successful restaurants, a lovely home in a historic district of Denver, and a few vintage cars that are his hobby, and who has really found joy in his family. Maisy is a cute, good natured baby of 9 months, and Stephanie is a lovely, creative, passionate woman who complements Keith as they manage their home and their work in a kind of balance that works well for them. We've invited them to visit us when they're in this area for his class reunion soon, and I hope they can fit us into their schedule.

Boulder...Pearl Street ped mall...gorgeous handmade jewelry...four flavors of Rocky Mountain Fudge...a half gallon of locally brewed ale in a special Ball jar...Pay & Park machines that stumped us until our last visit...street performers...and the best ice cream west of the Mississippi.

Estes Park...river walk...small shops with any kind of tshirt you'd ever want to buy...Native American art...spectacular views of the mountains...hummingbirds...fresh, crisp air.

The trip back started at 4:30 a.m. (after someone's wrist watch alarm went off at 2:30) without our daily trip to the hot tub, but we'd packed carefully the night before so we were ready to stumble out the door at 5 to drive to the airport. The car - a small SUV that was pretty good on gas mileage - was returned, the shuttle took us to the airport, we had juice and muffins while we waited, and we left on time. We like Southwest and will take them again when possible. On of the attendants was a young man who had quite a sense of humor in his broadcasts, something that made the flight pass quickly. Once we were in Baltimore, the real fun began. We had time for a bite to eat and then we boarded the plane up to Manchester....and then we sat for two hours due to nasty weather. We ended up flying past some impressive clouds and feeling a few bouts of turbulence, but it wasn't bad. The caution of the airline and the expertise of the pilot were essential to that. The passengers all applauded when we landed....and then we were met by probably three planefuls of delayed passengers waiting in crowded, stuffy conditions in Manchester airport. Even though it was raining and we had to trundle our suitcase and other bags down drenched sidewalks to get to the special free parking area that we were allowed to use, we were glad to get out of that mess. 

The second load of clothes that went from suitcase to washer are now clean, dry, and folded, so it's time to call it a night. We had a good time together, and now we'll need a little time to ease back into our lives.