Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Colorado Springs, Colorado

For the second weekend in March, my husband and I traveled to Colorado Springs to visit my former college roommate and her husband in their new home.

My former roommate & I outside of her new home.
We departed from Detroit airport Thursday evening with a return flight Monday afternoon.  Our friends picked is up from Denver airport (about an hour drive south from Denver) and drove us around for the weekend.  Unfortunately I forgot my camera for our first trip out (Friday) so I have to wait for my husband to get pictures uploaded before I can link to them here.

Friday we drove up Pike's Peak.  It was a pretty windy road, with a handful of different roads diverging from it and nice vegetation (I didn't see any wild life).  The wind picked up once we got above the treeline.  The view was beautiful and the snow was pretty frozen, so we walked on top of the snow to get closer to the edge.  However, with the strong winds (and thus, very cool temperature), I did not stay out of the car too long.
Price was per car.  This list would have been a great list to help plan our stay.

Then we drove through Manitou, a little village with lots of cute shops.  It looked like a great place to park and walk around (& nibble) for a day.  This place is on my list to visit next time.

We visited Garden of the Gods and hiked up a small rock (about the height of a short flight of stairs) with surprisingly beautiful views for what little climbing we did.  We then walked a few trails around the park and saw a handful of different rock climbers (must have proper equipment & permit).  It was fun to stop and watch them on their conquest.  Free admission.

Saturday was a blizzard warning with more strong winds than snow so we stayed inside.  We took turns picking what shows to watch on Netflix, ate leftovers, and ordered Chinese for dinner.  Great relaxing day. :)

Sunday we went to church then drove over to tour the Air Force Academy.


After the car was routinely "searched" & driver was IDed, we continued through the gate and up the long driveway to the campus.  We drove to the Visitor Center first and found a wealth of brochures for local attractions outside the academy as well as plaques lining the walls telling the academy's history.  These were wonderful reads accompanied by great pictures, displays, and even a dorm room set up for visitors to view (eyes only).  

We then walked up the trail to the Cadet Chapel, which houses four worshipping centers.  The Protestant church above the Catholic church; and the Jewish synogue/temple, Muslim, and Buddist centers below them.  

Exterior of the Chapel
Interior of the Protestant church
Interior of the Catholic church
For dinner, we went to Colorado Mountain Brewery and my husband sampled their local brews.  The food was out of this world delicious!  We ordered venison egg rolls for the appetizer and I ordered a pulled buffalo burrito with beans.  I couldn't believe how heavenly it tasted.  :)  Their burgers were spot-on, too and my husband ordered the meatloaf (if I remember correctly).  I wish we had taken pictures of our plates because they were that good!  Even the guacamole was deliciously fresh!


Monday was our flight out. :(  My friend gave me a Mary Kay facial for the road and a new yearning for some nice products...



We went from beautiful 50* weather to landing in this grey, cloudy weather.
For more pictures, you can view my album here.

Monday, September 3, 2012

The Adirondacks

Labor day weekend my husband and I traveled with another couple to New York for some hiking.

Dinner in Akron, Ohio

We stayed overnight in Akron & had dinner with my husband's best man and his girlfriend.  Then we continued our drive to meet up with our hiking friends.  (12 hour drive from NW Ohio to our lodging spot in Wilmington, NY).

We stayed at Mountain Brook Lodge, one of the friendliest places I have ever stayed!  

Husband & Wife owners
(sporting two of my wares they purchased before I left)
They held bonfires every night in the courtyard to get to know their guests & really created a sense of community among their guests.  We felt like we were staying in a friend's home!  (ex. I forgot to bring milk for my coffee so Al brought me a glad of milk to keep in our fridge!).  Note: Al says to book with him directly to get a discounted room rate (check their Facebook page for their contact info).  They also have free wifi, allow pets for a fee, & include a modest breakfast.

We hiked Mt Marcy the first day.  It was my first mountain!

We packed lunch (sandwiches) + snacks: a "Mountain" trail mix from Costco (HIGHLY recommended!  It had chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, and dried fruit - really hit the spot while hiking), a water bladder for each person's backpack, CLIF bars, crackers (salt), and some oreos for a bit of a sugar kick.

First Trail marker.

We left the parking lot around 7:30am and reached the summit by noon.  We ate lunch (packed in our backpacks) and "napped" a little, & wandered gently around before heading down an hour later.  We returned around 5/:30pm.  

View from the Summit.
The boys hiked the Gothics the next day (us girls stayed behind, too tired & sore from our first day) and we hung around the cabin, recuperating.  According to the guys (and their pictures), Gothics was way more intense and challenging than Mt. Marcy.

All four of us can't wait to return, even if it's just to see these guys again. :)

Monday, February 13, 2012

Nassau, Bahamas

Flight - $370(?) for one round ticket from Detroit (DTW) to Nassau, with one stop.
    • Kayak.com

British Colonial Hilton
  • Private Beach ($50 just to sit on it if you're not a guest)
  • wifi is $10 for 24 hours unless you have an Executive suite with access to the Executive Lounge on the 7th floor (free wifi, medium signal, plus complimentary hors d'oeuvres)

WI-FI
  • $3 for 1 hour at Starbucks
  • Complimentary at Dunkin' Donates: 15 minutes per username/password set (2 given per order)
    • Located across the street from British Colonial Hilton.
    • $1.35 for one donut/ $1. 50? for small coffee

FYI
  • 15% gratuity is included in almost every bill; it is usually stated at the bottom of your menu or bill.
  • Starbucks is owned by someone on the Island THUS: giftcards from the States won't work.
  • US Dollar = Bahamian Dollar at this posting, THUS they are used interchangeably.
  • English is regularly spoken, though accents can be heavy.
  • Taxes & shuttles can get expensive 
    • $11 + $3 per 2nd and more persons - hotel to Atlanis = $25 (6 people)
    • $27 + $3 per 2nd and more persons - hotel to airport = $40 (6 people)
VISIT
  • Fish Fry - local restaurants run by fisherman (they bring their catch here).  MUCH cheaper to eat here than Downtown.
    • $3 for 10 conch fritters at Fish Fry vs. $10 for 10 conch fritters Downtown
  • Straw Market - tourist trap but locals selling handmade items (woven bags, ax-carved wooden sculptures, jewelry, etc).
    • $15 scarf
    • $1 for 3 postcards (vs. $1.50 in the hotel giftshop or $1/2 else where)
  • Grocery Stores - we passed two grocery stores on the main road between downtown & the airport.  We weren't able to stop at either, but they would probably be cheaper than eating out every meal (approx. $30 - $50 for 2 people, 1 meal).
    • Fresh Market was the newer constructed "super"market
  • Stuart's Cove - great for snorkeling & scuba diving with a guide
    • $65 for snorkeling or $40 to just ride in the boat (I wasn't ready to snorkel in open ocean water)
    • They offer scuba diving with sharks (*reef* sharks)