Rae La Soul

So, I made it back from my snowcation/skication/baecation on Tuesday night and it’s still taking me quite some time to adjust back to my daily duties. It isn’t as hard as the adjustment I had to make after my Christmas/New Year vacay, but it’s an adjustment nonetheless. I think my mind is still in the mountains and I’m just living life on autopilot right now. I had wayyyy too much fun and I’m already planning my return.

We arrived in Denver around noonish, picked up our rental and headed to our quarters for the duration of the trip. We spent the first half of the day riding around the city, eating, and then taking a much needed nap after our bellies were full. We visited Jim n’ Nick’s BBQ for the first time since there isn’t one in Louisiana. I enjoyed the food so much that I actually ate here twice during my 4-day stay in Colorado. I had the ribs, mac, and fries and the bread is amazing.

Our first trip outside of Denver was to Pikes Peak which is in Colorado Springs about an hour away. The drive didn’t even seem that long I guess because I was so amazed with the scenery. Pikes Peak is a historic, quaint little town that I enjoyed. There is an incline that I at least wanted to attempt to try, which I did, but I won’t even embarass myself and tell you all how far I made it. Just know, I changed my eating habits and I’m taking walks in the evening now. LOL! But in my defense, the incline includes over 4,000 steps.

After our poor attempt at the Manitou Incline, we finally boarded the Cog Train up to Inspiration Point, since due to unpredictable weather we couldn’t go up to the summit. It was delightful either way. Since we don’t get snow in Louisiana, I enjoyed Inspiration Point and saw amazing views at 11,500 feet. Yes, it was extremely cold, but I had layers on layers on layers so I was able to enjoy it.

After the train ride, we stopped at a cute diner called The Restaurant and had the most amazing meatloaf ever. In life. YouHearMe? The owner also offered us smoked elk which, in my opinion, is wayyyy better than bacon. And I love bacon, so you know I’m being completely honest here.

We enjoyed dinner, visited the Garden of the Gods, dabbed on rocks, caught an amazing sunset, got in the hot tub, and hit the hay for a 6am departure to Loveland Ski Area. I’ll save that for another post along with what to pack and how I prepared for my first lesson.

Even with the constant nosebleeds, the trip was amazing. The views made it extremely difficult to return to Louisiana, but much easier to plan for another trip to see more of Colorado. This year I have deemed the Year of Travel and Experiences and I guess I’m off to a good start. Let’s see what the rest of the year holds.

I see skydiving in the future — like February future. Stay tuned.

What are your travel plans this year? I need ideas..