Steamboat was wonderful! It was such a charming town, with the most friendly people and beautiful white powdery snow!
After a direct flight from Memphis to Denver and then a quick zip from Denver to Hayden/Steamboat Springs, we hopped in a shuttle and sped off to Steamboat. Remember that Harry Potter movie where he gets on that crazy fast bus that goes really fast, is really shaky, and has that crazy Jamaican head spinning at the front of the bus? That is quite similar to our experience, without all the wizardry. I have never seen someone so fearlessly drive a vehicle that slips and slides all over the icy roads at high speed with a second thought. Let's just say that Nugget and I had white knuckles for a solid 45 minutes.
We managed to safely arrive to find this lovely scene:
Our condo inside was adorable. These condos are kind of a gamble b/c they are individually owned and the price we paid for the week was not in the neighborhood of high-way robbery. We had no idea what we would be getting (80's neon? 90's pastels?), but in the end, we were very pleased...new granite counter tops, accessories from West Elm, and stainless steel appliances.
Here is the view from our little patio - Yay, I was so glad to be here!
So, fast forward to the next morning. The Knight and I are getting the lay of the land, swishing down different trails, and just enjoying the first day of our much-deserved and awaited vaca. We start feeling a little more adventurous, and switch from greens to blues. One blue, Lower High Noon, was terrifying. Icy, steep, fast, and full of skiiers. I was scared, so instead of going straight down, I started skiing long nearly horizontal lines down the mountain. The lift was in sight at the bottom of the hill, and I was feeling good.
As I rounded one of my many turns, I hit an icy patch, and ate it. My knees went one way, my torso went the other, and all of a sudden I heard "POP!".
My left knee felt funny - kind of noodly, and not stable. The Knight was further down the hill, and he hoofed it back up the mountain, where we and another nice skier waited for ski patrol. Yes, my knee hurt that bad.
Ski Patrol stabilized my knee and wrapped me up in one of those toboggans...imagine a yellow plastic burrito...and I was the filling. Anyway, I was snowboarded/mobiled down the mountain, taken to the ER.
After much hemming and hawing, inspecting and x-raying (protecting the little one, of course), I finally learned that I had torn my ACL and would not be skiing for the rest of the vacation. I finally started to cry.
Needless to say, the rest of my vacation was spent a little differently than I had hoped. The Knight truly behaved like a prince and catered to my every whim. He held me as I hobbled around, brought me food and ice packs, and offered to stay with me the rest of the week so I could convalesce.
Of course, he and I both cooped in the condo was a TERRIBLE idea, so I urge him to don his Knightly garb and head back to the mountain to take on the rest of those ferocious trails.
All the while, his damsel in distress enjoyed hours of Gilmore Girls, physical therapy, and countless spa appointments.
By Wednesday, I was actually able to hobble around on my own (with the help of my crutch and brace), and my spirits lifted. Steamboat has lovely shopping, great places to grab some hot tea, and some of the most charming people I have ever met. While there, we ran into some of the same locals numerous times...they always greeted us, asked how I was doing, and were full of fabulous dining and entertainment suggestions. Such great people.
Here is a shot of the town that I took as I walked/hobbled around. One really cool thing about Steamboat is that the city offers a completely free, clean bus system. We didn't have to rent a car, and only took a cab once. The schedules are easy to understand, and the maps are extremely easy to figure out. Also, some of the buses are hybrids, which I thought was awesome.
While skiing, the Knight made sure to take lots of mountaintop pictures for my enjoyment. Here are a few of the breathtaking views:
A couple of days, I met the Knight on the mountain for a quick lunch and a few belly shots. Even though I wasn't able to ski, just being near the view and the fresh air was so invigorating.
Here is a belly shot of me at 12 weeks. I am pushing out and had just eaten a huge slice of pizza, so it isn't entirely accurate, but all the more fun to realize I have an actual baby inside me!
After lunch, I sent the Knight back to the slopes and I headed for the shops. All in a hard day's work. :)
One night, we enjoyed a sleigh ride and country dinner at a nearby ranch. It is called Saddle Back Ranch, and is an entertainment destination in the winter and a true working ranch in the summer.
The Ranch was family owned, and the owner/husband grilled our steaks and salmon while his owner/wife served up incredible hot cider, salad, bread, potatoes, and some of the best peach cobbler and chocolate pudding. It was delish.
After dinner, one of the ranch hands taught us how to rope a calf. I am proud to admit that I was the first person to rope the calf...and on my first try! I had no idea that I was such a natural. The Knight, on the other hand, had several close, but unsuccessful, attempts.
He can't have all the fun, right? :)
All in all, we had a wonderful time, though quite different than we had initially planned. Once my knee heals, and we have the baby...we will come back, for sure. Hopefully, we can persuade some friends to join in on the fun!
Thanks for following along in my recap of our trip...if you have any other questions, leave me a comment and I will answer them!
Ski boots and leg braces,
y big little bro is married!
Everything was already set up - it looked great. Black tablecloths, mismatched wooden chairs, long rows of tables, and candles. All it needed was our flower arrangements, the food, and the people!
Posts
.jpg)
