Oh Snap!

What's the best way to end the summer? Spending a few days at a Grand Lake cabin!

Absolutely ahhh-mazing! Jim had a few days off before starting school and invited me up to his family's cabin (or lodge, as Mia likes to call it) for a mini vacation.

Wednesday mid-morning Jim picked me up from work and we hit the road. First stop: Valley of the Wind winery in Estes Park for some quick wine tasting. We tried 10 or so different wines and skipped up the road to the next winery, Snowy Peaks. This was my favorite of the two by far. First off, the lady hosting the wine tasting was super sweet and a joy to talk to! Second, she let us sample 15 wines with a bonus Mourvedre 2006 (Jim is quite the wine savvy and impresses all the ladies, thank you Jim!) The Gewurztraminer 2008 was my absolute favorite! On my next trip to Estes i may have to pick up a bottle.... or case.

Since Jim was gracious enough to let me drink more than half the samples (he had to drive up the mountain) I got nice and toasted. The high altitude and drinking at 11am on an empty stomach definitely made me more giggly and super stoked to get to the cabin to start our vacation!

The cabin is nestled in the woods by the Colorado River with the most amazing view of the mountains. When we arrived there were elk chompin' on some grass and completely unaware/not caring that we had arrived.

Before the trip to the cabin Jim warned me that there was no running water and I’d have to suck it up and use the outhouse... (They still make those!?) After sampling almost 30 different wines I was none-too-picky about the where’s and more concerned with the when’s! As soon as we reached the cabin I made a mad dash to the outhouse and was happy to find that for an outhouse, it wasn’t THAT bad. While Jim was giving me a tour of the cabin I noticed a small dark room beside the master bedroom where we were staying... hmm... what is this? Oh! It’s a BATHROOM! YAY!!! Jim left out the detail that there is in fact a bathroom; he just doesn’t know how to turn on the water so we can flush. He informed me the only way we can flush it is to fill up the back of the tank with water from the river (and points to a bucket). I happily skip down to the river and fill the bucket up to the tippy top so i may pee freely! :) no more outhouse for me thankyouverymuch!

By now its barely noon and time to drink some more! He brought some tasty (OK) beers and we decide to go for a little walk down by the river where the grass is as tall as us! (no joke!)

(keep in mind I'm 6' and Jim's 6'8'')

We contintued drinking and I snapped more pictures for the next few days:

Jim's thought bubble would read "I'm smiling, are you happy?"

"Yes, I'm happy!"

mmm! burned burgers (oops!), tasty tasty hobo-potatoes annnd bacon wrapped squirrel!

no really I'm a professional... I know how to take pictures

Cute little bugger huh?

*love this shot*

yum!! s'mores!

No cabin trip in the mountains would be complete without s'mores! Jim lit a fire and took me outside to show me something incredible... the stars.... the millions upon millions of twinkling amazing stars! They were simply breathtaking! I have never seen the sky lit with such beauty! (Growing up just outside of DC I feel cheated by only being able to MAYBE spot the Big and Little Dipper on a clear night.) We bundled up and watched shooting stars for as long as we possibly could stand the 30° mountain air. I didn't care how cold it was, I could have stayed out there all night!

The next morning we had champagne for breakfast. (below) Jim showing off his manly "I can saber the top of this champagne bottle clean off!" I was thoroughly impressed.

I want to wake up to this every morning.

The trip was fantastic! It was the perfect way to end the summer :) Thank you Jim for such an wonderful vacation!!