In early August, my husband and I traveled to Telluride, Colorado with Charlotte to witness two friends of ours tie the knot. I'd never been to Colorado, so I was pretty stoked about the trip. I LOVE to travel, and every chance I get to visit somewhere new, I jump at the opportunity.
We were traveling from Nashville to Telluride, and there's not really a cheap and easy way to get there, so we ended up booking a trip that had us flying into Denver, renting a car, and driving 6.5 hours to our final destination. Since we all like a good road trip, especially when it's to a state as beautiful as Colorado, we didn't mind the drive. I booked our flight with Frontier Airlines on one of the internet travel sites since they had the most inexpensive ticket prices. I should've done more research before making my purchase, however, because Frontier takes "budget airline" to the extreme. Two days before our flight, I received notice via email that we needed to pre-check our bags for a fee and that there would be a charge for carry-on luggage. WTF?! We were pretty pissed, as you can imagine. We're used to flying major airlines where you get one free carry-on and a personal item, so we were planning for that. I had already begun packing when the email arrived, but had to start over and try to fit three people's stuff into one suitcase (Didn't happen). They're also very strict on the size of checked bags that are allowed, so I couldn't even take our giant suitcase that we usually take if we're checking bags. No matter how I tried, I couldn't get everything to fit in the standard suitcase, and we ended up spending $120 on top of our flight cost, $30 each way to check two bags, since it was cheaper to check them than to carry them on. Be advised, if you don't check them prior to the day of the flight, the price goes up. The more I read about the airline, the more I regretted my cheapskate tendencies. The morning of our flight, things went smoothly with security, and we arrived an hour early at our gate. (First time ever!) Once we boarded the plane, I felt like I was flying in a tin can. The seats were barely padded and squeezed so tightly together that my 6-foot tall husband had to sit spread-eagle to keep his knees from banging into the seat in front of him. We had brought a coloring book and crayons for Charlotte, but the joke of a tray table was too small for her to even reach it without unbuckling and sitting on her knees. The flight attendants brought the drink cart down the aisle once we got to cruising altitude, and I thought I'd request a water, but they wanted $4 for it!! I passed on that amazing deal. At least takeoff was smooth and on-time, and the employees were friendly. I feel terrible for them, since I'm sure they have to deal with irate customers on a daily basis. No one on the flight appeared to be happy with their choice of airline. Frontier may have had the cheapest ticket, but after all was said and done, we'd have been far better off just paying more for the tickets and having a happy child and no surprise fees. Lesson learned. I can promise I'll never fly Frontier again.
We arrived in Denver, which has quite a nice airport. It reminded me of a giant circus tent. We found our luggage without incident, thank goodness! With the cut-rate everything else, I fully expected the airline to lose our luggage. I suppose that's one point for Frontier. We waited almost an hour at the bus station for our ride to the rental car company, and arrived to find a line out the door. I figured we might get on the road to Telluride by dinner time. Yikes. to pass the time, I took Charlotte to the side and located an outlet to charge my phone. She was getting tired, and I thought maybe we'd have time for her to get a short nap. We took a seat and she snuggled up in my lap for a quick snooze, but before we knew it, Jimmy was at the counter. Way to go, Avis! The customer service at Avis was excellent, and they even upgraded us from a mid-size sedan to an SUV at no cost. Oh, and did I mention that we forgot to bring Charlotte's car seat? Yeah. Thankfully, they rent those too. Good to know for future reference, so I'm not lugging that heavy thing around in the airport. Pretty sure that didn't end up on the invoice, either. Sweet! We had to wait a few minutes for them to finish cleaning our vehicle, but when it pulled up, we had a very nice silver Toyota 4-Runner. Charlotte was stoked about her "new car." Loaded up and ready for adventure, we hit the road, and Charlotte passed out within a mile. First stop for mom and dad? Food. Since it took longer than we expected to get the car, we were starving! I was so hungry that I did something I haven't done in ages... I ate at Taco Bell! I know, crazy. A bean burrito, no cheese, and an order of rice was in order, and it was quite delicious at the time. My only complaint was that I didn't get two burritos. Ha! Seriously, though, in a pinch, Taco Bell is pretty great for vegans. You can take a look at their vegetarian menu here, and just modify the order to omit cheese and sour cream.
After our pit stop, we hit I-70 for 362 miles, traveling through a few tunnels, and LOTS of elevation changes. I knew Colorado would be unique from what I've seen before, and pretty, but I had no idea just how gorgeous and awe-inspiring it would be. I'm so glad we decided to add the road trip into our vacation instead of flying closer to Telluride. I was amazed by the canyons, cliffs, and changes in weather. When we left Denver, it was around 80 degrees, and by the time we hit the Vail area, it had dropped to 46 degrees, and there was snow on the mountains! It was incredibly surreal to know it was August 4, and I needed a heavy sweater and scarf. Bizarre for someone who's lived in the southeast her entire life. It was overcast and drizzling until we were about an hour outside of Grand Junction, but the scenery was still gorgeous. I didn't mind the dreary weather much since it added to the mystical feel of the surroundings. We made a rest stop while traveling through Glenwood Canyon that is possibly the prettiest place to pee in the history of the world. The building itself is set back in the brush and not visible from the parking lot. We followed a short walkway through some shrubs and trees to discover a rocky beach along the edge of the Colorado River directly in front of the bathrooms. After using the facilities, we ventured to the edge of the water to take pictures and admire the views.
We made it into Mountain Village, where we were staying, around midnight. The last 45 minutes to one hour of the drive were in pitch darkness with plenty of curves. We couldn't see anything outside of our headlight beam, so I wasn't sure if it was pretty there or not. We were so tired, we didn't even care. We pulled up to The Peaks Resort and Spa, unloaded our belongings and settled in as quickly as possible. The resort isn't the kind of place where we would usually choose to stay. We tend to be budget travelers. But since there were a block of rooms reserved for the wedding guests, we received a special rate. And I must say, this was one of the nicest places I've ever stayed. The lobby area is large and comfortable, (aside from the animal skins covering many surfaces), and features a giant fireplace. Our room was spacious, containing a king-sized bed and a living area. The bathroom was luxurious, for my standards. There was a garden tub, which Charlotte thoroughly enjoyed, and a separate shower where I could bath while I kept an eye on her in the tub. She thought that was pretty awesome, and this momma who never gets any bathroom privacy has to agree. I completely failed at getting a single picture for this post, though. Oops! The gentleman working the front desk when we arrived was incredibly helpful and cheery, especially to be working the overnight shift. When I had to run back to the car to get Charlotte's pull-ups, I stopped and chatted with him for a while about the area. He was a rare breed around there... a native. Born and raised in Telluride. He gave me a little background on the history of Telluride and Mountain Village before we said goodnight. Apparently, Mountain Village was built in the mid 1990's as an answer to the tourism in Telluride, to give people a place to stay. Telluride doesn't actually have many, if any, motels/hotels.
When we awoke the next morning, I couldn't wait to see our surroundings, so I immediately opened the curtains, revealing quite a view. It was misty, overcast, drizzly, and cold, but that couldn't take away from the beauty of the mountain peaks around us. The grass on the mountain was so green that it looked like moss. I couldn't believe how gorgeous it was. I always considered myself a beach girl, but this scene was making me rethink that.
We couldn't wait to get out and explore the town. So, Mountain Village and Telluride sit on opposite sides of a mountain, but are sort of considered the same town. One thing I found fascinating about the area was that we never needed our car after parking at the resort. We were able to walk and ride free gondolas to get anywhere we needed to go. I love that idea! We headed out of the hotel to meet the father of the groom, Chris, for breakfast, along with one of my husband's coworkers who I hadn't yet met. We walked across the (pretty much deserted, since no one drives) street to the Mountain Village shops and found Chris and Tony at Telluride Coffee. I had tried to find out what spots were vegan-friendly prior to our visit, but there wasn't much info on Happy Cow. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to find anything, but was excited to discover that the coffee shop offered smoothies and non-dairy milk for their coffees and teas. Yay! I ordered a kale smoothie with coconut milk, peanut butter, and banana and an English breakfast tea. Charlotte decided on a pre-packaged cup of oats that we just added hot water to, and a banana. The wait was a little long, but they were pretty busy that day. The employees were friendly and helpful, so it made the wait not seem so terrible. Plus, we had good company, and I spent that time getting to know Tony. I felt that the smoothie didn't have a lot of flavor, as if their bananas weren't quite ripe enough, but it wasn't bad. The tea was perfect for a cool mountain morning, though. Charlotte said her oatmeal was good and gave it a thumbs-up. Jimmy ordered a breakfast burrito, which wasn't even close to vegan, and said it was delicious.
Another thing I noticed and loved about Telluride and Mountain Village was the ease of recycling. Almost every public area we saw contained recycling bins next to the garbage cans. Just imagine if every town did this. People don't do new things when they require extra effort. We humans are a lazy bunch. But if we could just as easily recycle our waste as tossing it in the trash can, maybe people would chip in and help save this poor planet that got stuck with us. I'm an optimist.
After breakfast, we found our way to the gondola station and hopped on, heading over the San Sophia peak into Telluride. I must admit, I was a bit nervous about the ride. My last time on a gondola was in Gatlinburg in 1999 when my best friend's family took me to Ober Gatlinburg. That was a bus-sized cart, and I was a reckless teenager at the time, so I didn't remember being anxious at all. Now, though, being a mom and a general worry-wart, I decided to sit with my back to the steep decline. Once I realized we weren't going to die, though, I was able to admire the incredible views from over 10,000 feet. What amazed me the most, I think, was how peaceful and quiet it was once you were away from the station. When you're dangling from a cable that high, away from the town, and there's no traffic, it's perfectly quiet. Among the aspens and spruce trees, I could only hear the sudden snap of branches, a few chirping birds, the wind whispering, and Charlotte asking a zillion questions, of course. It was truly a breathtaking moment. I kept thinking to myself, "wow. This is real. I can't believe I'm really here."
Telluride was such a cool town. It's a hippy mecca, honestly. Everywhere you look there are local artisan shops, people riding bikes or hiking, and dogs. It seemed like everyone in town had a dog, and they were welcome everywhere. It was like heaven to me. I didn't see a single franchise business, either. The restaurants were all one-off spots, which I thought was awesome! As a foodie, I know that the best food always comes from places that don't have to abide by corporate rules. After arriving at the Telluride station, we spent at least an hour tracking down umbrellas and a rain jacket for Charlotte, since it was raining pretty hard by then. With our new gear, we made our way through the farmers' market that happened to be set up that day. It was a thing of beauty. So many organic products, fresh food, locally baked breads, jewelry, and clothing. I was really pissed at Frontier for my limited baggage space as I perused all of the items I wouldn't be able to take home with me. If I can ever make it back, I'll be sure to leave some space in my suitcase. When we reached the end of the market, we were on the main drag. There, we found more local shops and discovered that it's possible to see from one end of town to the other on this street. Telluride appears to sit in the bottom of a bowl, surrounded by rocky peaks. At the far end of the town, I could see a waterfall streaming between two ridges. It looked like something out of a movie, stunning.
Once we did a bit of walking, I realized that we'd have to make it back to our room soon so that Charlotte could get a nap in time for the wedding at 4:30 that afternoon. We still had enough time to grab a bite to eat, so we ducked into an old hotel with a restaurant in the lobby. The New Sheridan hotel is home to a restaurant called The Chop House at New Sheridan, but it also has a parlor serving food, which is where we ended up. The guys wanted to have an alcoholic beverage, and I thought a glass of wine sounded nice. We grabbed a seat by the front window and I ordered a nice merlot. The bartender was also waiting tables in the parlor, but that didn't stop him from being the most efficient server I've ever had. I was so impressed by the service here. He took the time to answer all of my questions about vegan options and never seemed like it was an issue. I wasn't starving, so after looking over the menu, I decided on a house salad, sans croutons and cheese, with a vinaigrette. Charlotte ordered steamed vegetables and French fries, or as we call it, "old vegan standard." My phone battery was giving me massive problems at the time of our trip, so I wasn't able to get pictures of our meal, but the salad was very fresh, featuring local vegetables and house-made dressing. Charlotte's asparagus and carrots were perfectly cooked, not overdone, and the crispy fries were quite lovely. It wasn't anything special, but made for a nice light lunch before a nap. One thing, however, I didn't count on was how quickly a glass of wine hits you at 9,500 feet. My head was feeling rather loopy when we finished lunch. The walk back to the gondola was interesting. Haha!
We arrived back at our room and put Char down for a nap. I debated taking one myself, but didn't want to have to deal with post-nap crazy, flat on one side/bushy on the other curly hair. Jimmy suggested that I go get a massage at the spa instead, so I headed down to see if I could get an appointment. It turned out that they didn't have any openings, so I just scheduled one for the following morning. I then wandered around the spa area discovering the indoor/outdoor pool, gym, and yoga room. The spa was impressive. I found myself wishing I had more free time during our visit to take advantage of all of the amenities. I eventually made my way back to our room where Jimmy and Char were both sound asleep, so I grabbed my yoga mat and took it out on our balcony. It was a cool 62 degrees and misty, but I had a very enjoyable practice in the fresh mountain air, even spending a good 15 minutes or so in meditation. There's something incredible that happens when you're surrounded by the beauty of the natural mountain landscape and don't have anywhere to immediately be. I was able to stop thinking, just listen to my surroundings, and enjoy those moments of peace, which almost never come to me. It was one of those few times when I didn't want to stop meditating, but I knew I would have to start getting ready soon. I rolled up my mat and headed inside to change and touch up my hair and makeup for the wedding.
That afternoon, all snazzied up, we made our way through the rain to the gondola again for the ride to San Sophia overlook where our friends would be saying "I do" very shortly. The rain was gradually increasing as we rode to the peak, and when we arrived, the entire wedding party was waiting for the drizzle to stop in a room in the gondola station. We waited almost an hour before it finally slowed enough to venture out to the outdoor wedding location. We all walked, in our dress shoes, along the muddy road and sparse, soggy grass to the overlook. It was messy, but gorgeous up there. When we reached the overlook, there were rows of chairs set facing a large wooden platform with huge mountain peaks beyond and the town of Telluride below. It was incredible! We were at such a high elevation that there was snow still on the surrounding mountains. The scenery was so majestic, It felt like a scene out of Lord of the Rings. The overlook was at around 11,000 feet, so it was very breezy and chilly, but amazingly beautiful.
The entire day had been rainy and overcast, but as soon as the wedding ceremony began, the rain stopped and the sun came out. It was like someone really wanted Sarah and CJ to have a perfect wedding. And it was. I, and many others got choked up as they exchanged vows. It was a magical moment filled with so much love, and I think everyone felt it.
When it was all over, and they were pronounced Mr and Mrs, champagne corks were popped and the fun began. Bubbly at 11,000 feet does interesting things, like making me think that selfies are a great idea.
Cheers!
Pictures were taken, laughter was abundant, "cheers" were heard all around, and much fun was had. And this was just the beginning of the night. Eventually, we were all invited to head back down to Mountain Village for the reception.
The party was being held at the Tomboy Tavern. The tavern looks like a speakeasy from the days of prohibition. It's got a very cool vibe, and I loved the decorations that had been added for the event. I wasn't sure what to expect as far as food, per usual, but did find some chips and pico de gallo style salsa when we arrived. I figured, if the other food wasn't vegan-friendly, I'd just load up on chips and salsa. No complaints here. It took quite a while for the entire wedding party to make it to the tavern, so in the meantime, we chatted and sipped our beverages, getting to know each other. Eventually, the DJ showed up, and the family came in. We witnessed all of the usual wedding traditions... the toasts, the first dance, etc. Chris gave one of the best proud-dad speeches in history, making everyone laugh and cry within minutes, and putting the bride's dad to shame, honestly. The love in the room was definitely palpable.
Once the formalities were done, the food came out and the real party began. Not surprisingly, the buffet was not vegan-friendly. There was a veggie pasta dish that was cooked in butter and sprinkled with cheese. I was fine with just munching tortilla chips all night, but I thought I would ask our server if there was a way to get the pasta option cooked in olive oil and without cheese. She was super sweet and said she'd speak to the kitchen staff. She returned to say that the chef was more than happy to accommodate us and that he was making something special just for Charlotte and I. If there's anything I've learned since becoming vegan, it's that chef's enjoy a good challenge and an opportunity to switch things up. Some of the best food I've had has come from asking for something vegan at a non-vegan restaurant. There really aren't any plants I don't like, so it's fun to see what a chef comes up with. When our plates arrived, they were HUGE. We ended up with shaved vegetables and mushrooms, lightly cooked in olive oil, with sun-dried tomatoes, wilted spinach, and basil. It was so simple, but absolutely delicious. I love that the chef let the vegetables speak for themselves and didn't over-season them. Even though our meal was all vegetables, it was so filling that I only ate about half before I was stuffed. Needless to say, I was impressed.
Evening restaurant lighting is the worst, but trust me, it was beautiful.
Later in the night, I heard there was an oxygen bar in the next room, so of course, I had to see what that was all about. I'd heard about the benefits of oxygen therapy, but had never tried it. Supposedly, this therapy can be used to boost energy and increase endurance, as well as helping with sleep. I just figured it would be a good idea after 5 alcoholic drinks at high altitude for a person who almost never drinks. I walked into the lounge area off the side of the tavern to find a group of twenty-somethings sitting in a semi-circle, looking like they belonged in a nursing home. I giggled. Basically, everyone had a clear tube across the underside of their nose. The lady running the oxygen bar explained that the bubbling, mad-scientist-lab-paraphernalia she was manning was a mixture of water and essential oils that the oxygen flows through before entering the tube and then your nose. So it was an essential oil AND oxygen therapy. Well, we all know how I feel about oils, so I HAD to try it.
I chose a blend that was supposed to be uplifting. I think it had peppermint and citrus of some kind. It was quite enjoyable to have the light scent enter my nose with every breath, and after a few minutes, I did feel refreshed. I sat there with Charlotte telling me I looked silly for probably 30 minutes, before busting a move on the dance floor. The full benefits of the oxygen weren't noticed until the next morning when I woke up after a the best night's sleep in ages and with no hangover. Hell yes! I'd say I'm a believer.
The bride and groom even had a photobooth area set up later in the night. We definitely had to get in on that action.
By about 11 pm, Charlotte was wearing down and asking to go to bed (yeah, we kept her out that late), so we had to say our goodnights and head back across the street to our room. It was such an amazing day with awesome people. I was glad to know that the good times weren't quite over, since we still have another full day in Telluride. I'll fill you in on that in my next post.
