In search of a white Christmas, we headed north. Destination: Aunt and Uncle in Denver and eventually a condo in Breckenridge! The kids wanted a little more separation in the car, so we put up part of the second and third rows for a 16-hour road trip. They were happy as clams with this arrangement. Maybe more long road trips are in our future...?
The first day was a long one, but we crossed the state and made it to Amarillo in time for dinner. We played tourist at The Big Texan, home of the free 72 oz steak (if you can eat it, and all sides, in an hour).
It was definitely touristy, but there was enough to look at and do while we waited for our table.
No one was attempting the steak challenge while we were there, but apparently someone had just tossed their cookies before we sat down. Ugh. I don't think that adds to the ambience... Hadley and I counted over 20 animal heads mounted on the walls. Anyway, the food was good, including a couple of regular-sized steaks. Well worth a stop, if you are in the area and need a memorable meal.
What an awesome place and free to the public!
I couldn't quite get the family and the kissing camels in the same shot, but this gives you a better idea of how the rock got its name.
But, eventually we had to finish out the last leg of the trip. We rolled into Denver as it was getting dark and found D&L's lovely house in the suburbs. DJAW arrived a couple of hours later, just ahead of a large storm. We buckled down, feasted on pizza, and enjoyed not being in the car as the temperature dropped to -13 degrees F overnight.
Sure enough, the next morning revealed that lots of snow had fallen in the dark, and the day remained in frigid temps. Everyone dug into their bags for layers and winter gear.
Will was most concerned with unburying the Nissan Rogue rental car. Aunt Jenn was a good sport and helped him get the higher spots. Addie wasn't very interested in going out in the cold.
O&H were at home in the snow and went back to their old tricks, like sledding and shoveling, after they took the dog for a walk. Unfortunately, we didn't have a sled, so they tried out all sorts of boxes and mats from Aunt Loni and Uncle Lampe's garage, but none were very successful. I took videos, but they're pretty boring. 😁
We didn't really leave the house on our Denver day, which was fine with us. Telestrations (like broken telephone meets Pictionary) got lots of use and led to some pretty amusing results.
Owen was literally ROFL'ing.
Addie and Hadley enjoyed making these paper dogs. They gave each one a unique name and features. Meanwhile, we watched some TV, got food for the rest of the week, and I succumbed to what I think was the flu. 🤒😩
The next day (after some rental car drama), we loaded up and headed into the mountains for a couple of hours to Breckenridge and an idyllic ski-in-ski-out condo.
Aunt Loni brought some Christmas cheer with her. The kids and Aunt Jenn enjoyed putting up the tree and hanging ornaments.
The twinkling tree definitely added to the snowy cabin ambience. Here, Robe Guy enjoys the view of a new mountain morning.
It was a little cozy with 10 of us in the house, but there were enough places to spread out and commune. The kids were definitely glad to have the puppy and with an extra folding table and chairs, we had table seating for everyone. Funny (and sad?) how the kids all flock to a screen, no matter what's on...
Christmas Eve morning found 3 of us (mom and kids) skiing! The kids were eager to see if they remembered how to ski after 4 years of little to no snow exposure, but they did not want the aid of professional lessons. This sounded like a tall task, to keep up with two novice skiers on a new hill, but a month ago, I had been up for the challenge and pre-paid for 3 lift tickets. They were pricey enough (and non-refundable!), so I dosed up on cold meds, and strapped on the skis we drove up all the way from Texas (kids' skis were rented).
They had a bumpy start (thanks Uncle Lampe for refreshing them on their turns!), but eventually, we got where we needed to and were able to load and unload the ski lifts with no issues!
It was a nice, relaxed pace, and we stuck to the easy green routes. The weather wasn't the best, but the crowds weren't too bad, and we were even able to navigate to another peak. Here's a video to give you an idea of skiing with us - Owen is leading, and Hadley is following in red.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group went for a snowy walk and played in the snow.
The kids did a book exchange, since Santa had delivered Christmas to their Texas homes, and we had a low-key morning of reading, watching football on TV, lounging, and eating.
While the kids and I had already seen this stuff the day before, it was new for DJAW, and we ended up having overpriced lodge food for the second lunch in a row. This statue was our landmark where Owen had sat out a ski run, while letting his knees rest. At least this time we were walking around in regular boots.
We made the return trip down in the gondola and walked around town a bit. It was a little chilly in the shade, or when the wind picked up, but Breckenridge is a pretty cute little ski town. We ogled some fancy jewelry, sparkling stones, and touristy T-shirt shops.
Back at the condo, some of the crew sank into the relaxing warm waters of the outdoor hot tub.
The next morning we packed up the car and headed south, while the others returned to Denver to find that Aunt and Uncle L's basement had flooded from the extreme temperatures!😱😞 It was another two days in the car for us, and we didn't really stop for any scenic detours. When we got home, we had a second Christmas morning. It felt good to be home, but we sure did enjoy our Colorado Christmas!
