Fountain Creek Cabin - All the comforts of home. . .

Yesterday I received a delightful email from Sara Mays - my host at Fountain Creek Cabin. The note came with several attachments detailing particulars on how to get there, how to get in and what to expect. When I say these folks have thought of just about everything it takes for a great vacation getaway, I wasn't kidding. . .
One of the main reasons I chose Fountain Creek Cabin was a desire to put myself in a home setting as opposed to living out of a suitcase in a hotel.  Busy lives, many miles and a daunting economy influence the frequency of family visits, and it was important to me for Sammi to be able to hang out with Nana in a more normal environment.  (I was, of course, invited to stay with the kids at their townhouse, but felt it was important that we all had our own space during a long visit.) I also wanted to have a chance to do nana stuff with her - like baking cookies and decorating for Thanksgiving.

The cabin has a great working kitchen - stocked with everything from hot chocolate, coffee and teas to spices, pizza pans and even a crockpot!  As fun as it is exploring the local restaurants, there's nothing like a home-cooked meal - and it's certainly more cost effective to eat at home. I'm looking forward to having a hot dinner ready for the kids when they get in from their day.

WiFi Internet access, a printer with paper, two TVs and a CD/mp3/DVD player should more than satisfy my electronic needs, and how great is it that there's a washer and dryer? Certainly cuts down on the packing.
The list of other incidentals includes an umbrella, picnic basket, cooler, shampoo, soap, tape (!), scissors
and a host of paper products.

And for added fun, there's seed for feeding the birds and squirrels, games and puzzles, sand toys for the park across the street and even a Frisbee. Very kid-friendly.

We got a chuckle out of the not unexpected news about bear and other wildlife visits, considering there were recent sightings of a black bear and a wolf right here in the town of Brunswick - only a few miles away from downtown Troy. These guys have joined a growing list of other nocturnal visitors we know of  -fox, possum, raccoon, coyotes and even mountain lions are being drawn in to the great food supply they have in the deer herds. I shall be as cautious there as I am here . . .

I'm shipping yet another box out today - supplies for making our own Thanksgiving decorations and goodies!

17 Days in Colorado: The Weather Prequel

 Just for the heck of it, I've been tracking the weather trends and reports between here and Colorado Springs, and it looks like connecting through Chicago today could be a nightmare due to high winds.  It's amazing that with all the flying around I've done, I've never had any significant delays or problems. Wouldn't it just figure. . .

It's a balmy 64 degrees here in NY - only 33 in COS - unusual because the temperature differentials between here and there are usually very small. Snow fall frequency and amounts are generally higher here - when it does snow out there, it comes and goes rather quickly in the high desert areas. Different story, of course, in the mountain areas like Aspen, where they enjoyed quite a snowstorm this week.

Being east of the range, COS enjoys some funky weather phenomena, especially in the summer. Just about every day in the warm months you can expect the sky to grow dark and ominous around 3 pm, followed by some really awesome thunder and lightning. It goes as quickly as it comes, and usually leaves a stunning rainbow or two. Last time we were out, we got a kick out of the fact that folks don't seem to rush for cover during these intense electrical storms. In fact, we felt rather wimpy when we headed inside during an outdoor party one afternoon - but our respect for Mother Nature overcame our desire to be social . . .For Coloradians, I suppose it's like Midwesterners not heading for the root cellar every time the tornado siren goes off.

One of the nicest things about the climate is the unfailingly clear air due to the low humidity. Having lived in Colorado most of her life, Sarah was particularly bothered by our humidity when she was here this summer - didn't like that "puffy" feeling you get when the humidity levels are hovering around 60 percent.  I'm with her on that one.

The biggest snowfalls in Colorado Springs are usually in February and March - but there have been some decent ones in November and December. Other than the travel days, I wouldn't mind a storm or two during my stay - it would be neat to see Pikes Peak covered in snow.

Package of goodies went out today with a warning written on the box - "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL NANA LANDS!!"   (You' ve gotta love it. . ..)

Three weeks and counting . . .

Time is flying by, and I've been busy making some preliminary plans for things to do and see during my visit.

I purchased the tickets for The Nutcracker online directly from the Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs, but not without some hassle.  Luckily, I selected the "email my tickets" option because when I opened them, they were for the wrong date and wrong performance. After several phone calls back and forth, it got straightened out - although I asked to be sent a confirmation number and never received it . . .

Colorado Springs is loaded with many fine restaurants, and after doing some research, I made a list of some I thought would be fun and different for all of us.  OPB&J's offers a great twist on that old traditional favorite - peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Extensive choices - including some exotic yummy flavors as ginger peanut butter and Thai jelly - let you build your own from the bread on up. Thought this would be fun for all of us - including our 6 year old.

NOSH is a tapas restaurant I'd like to try. Sarah tells me Josh takes his clients there a lot (which inspired me to write an appropriate limerick - see below), but she prefers SHUGAS - apparently more bang for the buck.

And of course, we'll plan a dinner at the Broadmoor.

We've also planned to visit the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center - http://www.wolfeducation.org/ - for their "Full Moon Tour" on the 26th. (Interesting factoid - there hasn't been a recorded sighting of a wolf in the wild in Colorado since the 1940s - yet we had a sighting right here in NY recently.)  Unfortunately, kids under 8 aren't allowed at the Center.

Today's mission is to wrap and box up Sammi's birthday presents to send ahead. . .

And now for the limerick -

There once was a salesman named Josh
Who lunched with his clients at Nosh
Though the portions were small
And they gobbled it all
Josh sealed all the deals there, by gosh.

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Stay tuned!

A month or so before . . .

Colorado in November!


I'm starting this blog so I can chronicle my November 2010 trip out to Colorado to visit Josh, Sarah and Sammi and also to provide folks with a personalized travelogue of time spent in this beautiful state.


This will be my 7th trip out. Was reminiscing today about the first time I went in 2000 - long before Josh lived out there. It was one of the best vacations ever - rented a car in Colorado Springs and took two weeks to drive across state to Telluride and then back to the Springs. I did some excellent sight-seeing along the way and met a lot of great people - Coloradians are always very friendly and eager to help.


Flights are set - going with United. Total flight time each way is about 5 hrs with only one change in Chicago. Upgraded to Economy Plus for a few extra bucks which also gives me more comfort plus priority check-in and boarding. Why not? Anything to make the trip a little nicer.

So excited to be staying in a mountain cabin in Manitou - only about 15 minutes away from Josh and Sarah. http://www.fountaincreekcabin.com/ Josh and Sarah took a drive by and were very excited about the location - great views of the mountains and a nice park nearby. Only 5 minute walk in to "downtown" Manitou Springs! So much more homey than a hotel, and the owners - who have thought of everything - are a delight.

Check out Manitou Springs at http://www.manitousprings.com/

The picture on this blog is one I took of the Garden of the Gods - a city-owned Colorado Springs park at the base of Pikes Peak. (More than rivals Stonehenge as far as I'm concerned, and I've seen both).  The cabin is very nearby.

I told Sammi today via Skype about some of the fun things I have planned - like taking her to see the Nutcracker at the Pikes Peak Arts Center.  Ballet Idaho and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic are performing it.

Also busy collecting ideas and supplies for a Thanksgiving craft/baking/activity day as part of Sammmi's 6th birthday celebration marathon. Today when I suggested we could make turkey cookies, she made a face and said "yuuuuck" until we explained they weren't made of meat. . .

This is the first time I've been out other than in the summer which should be interesting.

So - more updates and photos to come . . .