Sept 5th-13th Cascade-Howard-Minturn-Vail

Well, apparently I’ve been having WAY too much fun to remember that I have a blog! 😂 I just realized it’s been 10 days since my last update, so kick back, get comfortable, and start reading. I have some catching up to do! Of course, I have a perfectly good excuse for my lack of writing: I’ve been seriously busy chilling, traveling, eating, drinking, celebrating, watching football, and generally enjoying life. Somebody has to do it, right? Most of you have already seen some of this adventure on Facebook and Instagram, but social media only gives you the highlights. You’re getting the extended director’s cut here. 😉 Cascade, Wines & Four Days of Doing Absolutely Nothing After leaving Cascade, I stopped at the awesome Wines of Colorado for some food and fun before moving on to Howard and the beautiful, peaceful Pleasant Valley RV Resort. And when I say peaceful, I mean PEACEFUL. I spent four days chilling by the Arkansas River, enjoying the scenery, relaxing at the RV, and basically perfecting the art of doing absolutely nothing. I highly recommend it. I may actually be a professional at it by now. Next Stop: Minturn! From there, I headed to Minturn, Colorado, where I stayed until Sunday, September 13. If you’ve never been to Minturn, it’s a cute, rustic little mountain town just south of Vail. It has that old-school Colorado feel — charming, quirky, and definitely not trying to be Vail. And honestly, that’s part of its charm. I was there for a very special reason: Tyler and Kerrin’s first anniversary! They eloped last September, so this was a chance to celebrate their first year of marriage with friends and family. But…LITTLE DID I KNOW THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANOTHER REASON TO CELEBRATE! Yep — they had a surprise announcement for everyone. There’s going to be a LITTLE MUNCHKIN ARRIVING IN MARCH… AND IT’S A BOY!!! 💙👶 Needless to say, that announcement kicked the celebration up a notch! Thursday: The Country Club… But Not THAT Country Club 😂 We kicked off the festivities Thursday night at the Minturn Country Club. And before you picture golf carts, plaid pants and somebody yelling “FORE!” — STOP RIGHT THERE. This is Minturn. The Country Club is not really a country club and has absolutely nothing to do with golf. 😂 The owner was an absolute BLAST and entertained us with magic and card tricks. And I mean MAGIC. Card tricks like I have never seen before. I’m still trying to figure out how he did some of that stuff. It was such a fun night and a perfect way to kick off the weekend. Friday: Crazy Chicken & Taking It Easy Friday was a little more laid-back at the Crazy Chicken Sports Bar. Good food, good drinks, good people and plenty of laughs. Basically, exactly what you want when you know you still have another big night ahead of you. And trust me…Saturday was BIG. Saturday: The Saloon, Tattoos & Things Got WILD Saturday was the grand finale at The Minturn Saloon. And don’t let the name fool you. This wasn’t some dusty little hole-in-the-wall saloon. It was a really nice place with three completely different areas, and each one had its own personality. The historic building itself dates back to 1901, so there’s plenty of character built right into the place. You walked in to a huge area with a rustic bar. Then there was the outdoor area along the creek, where pictures were taken……and tattoos were applied. I’m just going to say this about that part of the evening: IT WAS WILD. 😂 I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. The third area was where the band set up, and that’s where we danced the night away. We finally closed things down around 11 PM, but apparently a few of us had not received the memo that the party was over. So naturally, a few of us headed back to my RV for a little after-party and bourbon. Because why would we stop at 11? WOW I just realized this was on Friday night not Saturday...told you we had a blast!! We actually ubered to a friend of Tyler's and Kerrins in Vail and did't get back to the Hotel til 1AM. Fun is putting it mildly!!! Oh, And Then There Was Oktoberfest! During the days, we made our way over to Vail — Vail Village and Lionshead — where Oktoberfest was happening. There were German bands playing great music, lots of people having a great time, and, of course, plenty of beer. Now, I’m not exactly a huge beer drinker. BUT…They had an Aperol Spritz tent. Well, guess where I spent some of my time? 🍹😂 I actually met a really nice woman named Cindy who worked at the tent. She was from Jacksonville, Florida. And once again, Jacksonville followed me to Colorado! She’s now the THIRD person I’ve met out here who is either from Jacksonville or has family living there. Gondolas, Mountains & Some Seriously Beautiful Views Saturday afternoon, Mark, Paddy and I took the gondola from Vail Village to the top of the mountain. And WOW. The views were absolutely beautiful. Seriously, there are some places where you just stop and look around and think, “Yep… I’m pretty lucky to be here.” Those are the pictures I added after my tattoo picture. Yes…AFTER THE TATTOO PICTURE. LOL. You’ll know them when you see them. 😂🏔️ Sunday: JAGS, Baby! After everything we had packed into the weekend, several of us ended up back at the Crazy Chicken on Sunday to watch that fantastic JAGS game! And what a way to finish the weekend. A great game, great people, lots of laughs, and one heck of a weekend celebrating Tyler and Kerrin — not to mention the upcoming arrival of their little boy. I’d say that’s a pretty successful weekend! And Now… Onward! But, of course, I’m not done yet. Next stop: COLORADO SPRINGS to get the new generator installed. Then I’m heading to BOULDER to visit my nephew Jake. And then comes JAGS vs. DENVER ON SUNDAY IN DENVER! 🐆🏈I’ll be there with my brother Jeremy and Jake, so I’m pretty sure there will be plenty more stories, pictures, football, food, and probably some questionable decisions to report afterward. So stay tuned! Because apparently I’m not traveling through Colorado…I’m just collecting experiences, football games, cocktails, tattoos, mountain views and stories along the way. And honestly? I’m perfectly okay with that. 😎 Until next time…Keep reading, keep following, and remember: Life is short. Take the trip. Eat the food. Drink the Aperol Spritz. Watch the JAGS. And when the opportunity presents itself… GET THE TATTOO (at least the ones that aren't permanent if you are more inclined). 😂🏔️🍹🐆