Westward Ho the Bucket List

Week 1 - Colorado - Denver -Vail-New Castle -Grand Junction

Hi just got back from a wonderful and exhausting 3 week trip west -saw a college roommate, Bonnie, and her husband, Paul, and spent some real one on one time with them and it was just like old times at Penn State. Saw three National Parks in Utah and drove on to Vegas, visited another friend and spent a 4 days at the Luxor. Whew!

My sister dropped me off at Philly airport /Frontier Airlines on Wednesday the 16th of July . Flew into Denver took a long walk and a short shuttle train ride to the baggage area / got my suitcase and went looking for the shuttle to drive me the two hours to Vail. Unfortunately it was dark and I didn't see much. We drove around the city and I saw where the Democratic Convention will be -well the area. Then we were off West -thru mountain road cuts and high elevations and I am the only one talking in the very full (7 with driver) Van shuttle. A nice man sitting next to me that was from CA but use to live in Vail and was visiting his married son who had had a bike accident? and was having an operation. He was very nice and answered all my tourist questions. But I will probably not pass this way again and even in the dark it was interesting. I told him I would say a prayer for his son's recovery. I cant imagine it in the winter snow -even in the summer it was a long 2 hour drive -I am glad someone else was driving.

Bonnie picked me up around midnight at the Vail Transportation Center we were about 10 min from her home. The next day, Thursday, we went to the top of Vail Mountain and saw the magnificent view and walked around town. Visited the museum for the WW II Ski Patrol that was trained there. Impressive. Friday we packed up the truck for another drive and I ended up with them about fours hours west of Denver and an hour east of Grand Junction, at their mountain log cabin.

Then I was on a real gravel road straight up the mountain but this was no rustic Daniel Boone cabin -more like Architectural Digest. Was I surprised . It was nothing like I imagined -total solar and propane, low flush toilet and cistern for water -Log house perched on the top of a mountain with views I could spend the rest of my days enjoying. This was Paul's dream since he was fourteen and WOW is the best description.

Saturday it was the 3rd annual picnic for all the mountain lot owners. I helped where i could and when Bonnie would let me -smile. But not even I or my super organized friend could anticipate the real estate broker/sponsor would forget to bring the hamburgers and Hot Dogs. An hour down the mountain and hour back to buy food, desserts eaten first, and lots and lots of laid back humor and good will - salvaged the picnic. Those that stayed, enjoyed a beautiful sunset together.

Sunday we did wash in a really neat little washer/.dryer that was in same compartment. I don't know how it worked but it did. It might have been from Australia? I think they use them in RVs. It was very cool. Paul, Bonnie and I also drove around all the mountain lots and checked to see if the gravel road committee (which just happens to be Bonnie, the realtor and Tim -an adorable neighbor) needed to have the roads graveled. Some of the roads to the lots were so steep I had to close my eyes. Paul drove. This is snow mobile country.

Monday we drove an hour down the mountain and an hour west to Grand Junction, CO. At the airport I rented, from Hertz, a little blue 4 cylinder Toyota for my BUCKET LIST Road Trip to three National parks and Las Vegas.

We said ours Goodbyes at lunch and I promptly got lost looking for a Wal-Mart to buy a ice cooler. Bonnie and Paul had given me a case of bottled water for my trip so of course I needed an ice chest. Which worked out wonderful -when I did find the store -it was near the interstate. I wasn't lost I was exploring the really nice town of Grand Junction. Yes, I would go back to visit Grand Junction for a longer time.

For six days I was treated wonderfully, safe with good friends, it was so very relaxing. Good thing because little did I know what was ahead.