Birthdays & Bucket Lists

Hi Friends,

Thought I would pop in on this Friday with a #FBF to a couple of weekends ago!
Apologies ahead of time for the lack of photos. I'm becoming a pretty terrible blogger. What I lack in pictures from this trip I make up for in memories and the joy of living unplugged for the weekend.

Well, off we go!

It was the hubby's birthday last month and we celebrated in Silverton, CO.

Hubby is a pretty good skier from what I can pick up on. I've never actually seen him ski as we only snowboard together, and he doesn't really toot his own horn. But from what I can gather, the man can ski! The man also likes things that are challenging and things that are typically harder to achieve unless you have training for or some serious connections. So when I ask him things like "what can I get you for your birthday?" I get a big fat nothing because realistically we can't make it happen.

For a couple of years now he has been talking about skiing Silverton Mountain, however. For those of you who don't know, Silverton Mountain is considered double black back country skiing. People like Shawn White dedicate a winter to the mountain to train for the Olympics (true story). It is required to have an avalanche kit and most of the season you need a guide. Imagine my lack of enthusiasm when he first told me. He got a big fat "NO!" from me.

Well, fast forward about a year or so and he brings it back up in the context of a bucket list. Whomp Whomp! Lucky for him, I can't say no to bucket lists. My philosophy is if you have a dream, make it happen. Don't let life get in the way and prohibit you from getting those checked off your list. So friends, what did I do? I bought him a ticket to Silverton Mountain, invited my in-laws to go along for the ride and took a road trip so Hubby and his dad could ski that mountain.

They survived! Better than that, they both came walking back to the car grinning ear to ear...and dog tired! Success! Happy Birthday my love!

It was a quick weekend, but it was well worth it to see their faces and hear their stories! Plus I got some quality time in with my mother-in-law.

If you find yourself in Silverton looking for a place to stay, I highly recommend the Alma House. We have stayed in several B&B's and have adored them all and the people that run them. But friends, the sweet couple that run this B&B (recently took over) know hospitality! Mrs. Betty and Al make you at home during your stay. Without a doubt, we had the best experience we've ever had staying anywhere because of their service. They were phenomenal.

Well friends, that concludes our trip to Silverton this go-around. Hope you all have a great weekend!
 

#FBF Manitou Springs, Colorado + Snowmobiling

Well hello friends! I know, I know- I have been pretty awful at updating this space with adventures lately. I'm hoping for that to change in the near future when life settles a bit. We are currently in a very big season of CHANGE. There's no better way to describe it. We have had lots of changes in the last few month's that have brought us to new journeys ahead and has kept our time pretty occupied as we navigate through them all.

All of the changes probably warrant a blog post in and of itself, but I will save that for another day. Today I thought I would rekindle my love of the #FBF posts and bring us back to the holidays.

The hubby and I were fortunate to sneak in a little getaway after Christmas where we headed off to Manitou Springs, Colorado. We spent the week in a sweet Bed & Breakfast right there at the start of town.

 

I had been to the area before, but pre-hubby so we got to experience a lot of new things. First up: Pike's Peak.



We drove Pike's Peak up as far as we could along the winding road. It was closed at the very top due to windy conditions, which if you look VERY closely in the above picture, that white stuff in the sky above the mountain is snow dust.

We were a bit bummed we couldn't make it all the way up. We'd love to return someday in the summer to get the full experience!

Next up was Snowmobiling! This had been something both of us had been wanting to do for a while and seemed like the perfect time to get it crossed off the list. So. Much. Fun! The prices were really reasonable, we had a great guide and were able to do a mix of follow the leader and basically joy ride in the middle of a huge meadow.






For dinner we stopped at the Airplane Restaurant, which is exactly what it sounds like. It was one of the best flights I think I've taken! Certainly the best airplane food I've ever eaten! ;)



We also decided to go crazy and tackle the Manitou Springs Incline. I'm not really sure what we were thinking...it was HARD...but the thrill at the top knowing we made it was just as worth I knew it would be. So, yes, I think I would do it again. Next time in the summer though when there's no snow on the back trail. That was a whole other story.





Later, we decided to check out Cave of the Winds. It was definitely worth it if your there, just to get a feel for and explore all of the different things nature has to offer in the area. We've done Carlsbad Canyons in New Mexico before which are pretty impressive, so these ones were pretty small by comparison but a cool story nonetheless.



The views of the town at night though were pretty stunning.



Finally, before we headed out of town we couldn't leave without making a pit stop at Garden of the Gods. I had been once before, but it was hubby's first time seeing them. It's such a wonder to me how we have some of the beauty we have in this world-this place being one of them.



Well...that's a wrap, friends! Next time you're in the area be sure to stop by Manitou Springs, it's a quaint little town with lots to explore and just enough relaxation.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!