Connecting in Colorado

I arrived in Denver early to prepare for a back-country yoga retreat. Denver is my hometown, so I'm always happy to visit and see family and friends. I also hoped to see my daughter camp counseling at her childhood favorite, Cheley Camp, for the summer. First stop: the REI Flagship in Denver for a portable water filter and other essentials. The store is stunning and has everything you need to survive-ha! Then, I headed to the Halcyon rooftop, my go-to spot in Denver. Destiny, the amazing rooftop server, quickly brought me a rum cocktail and shrimp Caesar salad. The pool offers incredible views of downtown Denver and the Rocky Mountains—a true slice of luxury! It's perfect for daytime lounging and has the best vibe for evening cocktails and sunset views. After some work in my room, I enjoyed a light dinner at Local Joe's—a tomato-peach salad with cherry vinaigrette that was beyond amazing. Shoutout to Rick, the bartender, for making a solo diner feel so welcome!

Stopped by Whole Foods (Cherry Creek has a good one!) for snacks and a lemon for my favorite breakfast: hot lemon water. I enjoyed a long morning walk through Cherry Creek and my favorite 6th Avenue loop down through the Denver Country Club neighborhood—so many beautiful homes to see. Cherry Creek's shops and restaurants are fabulous, with inventive spots that capture Denver's adventurous flair. After picking up new aviator sunglasses at Nordstrom, I headed to my Dad's to watch the Olympics and catch up with my little bro. Then, I headed up to the mountains in Friday afternoon traffic, but didn't mind, knowing where I was going! Three hours later, I arrived in Edwards and checked into the Inn at Riverwalk, a charming hotel in a beautiful town center by the river. Edwards is close to Avon, Beaver Creek, and Vail—ideal for ski season. Enjoyed a glass of wine and tuna avocado lettuce cups for dinner at Mountain Fish House, right outside the hotel. Finally, spent too long organizing my pack for the next morning.

Busy morning preparing for Kelsey's Yoga Retreat! I was thrilled to learn about this retreat led by Kelsey Stoll, a fantastic yoga teacher from the Cilla Stoll & Forever Om yoga family, who has expanded to Denver from Illinois—so lucky, my two homes! A bump in the road delayed our start, making it challenging to reach our hut before sundown. In the meantime, we enjoyed coffee and spectacular baked goods at Hovey and Harrison, getting to know each other. We soon started off, and Kelsey’s strength and poise, despite our setback, kept us upbeat, turning the delay into an adventure. We drove up to our 10th mountain division hut just below Timberline (11 K+ + feet), a system of huts the army used to train its soldiers. We had our first outdoor yoga class, journaled, and shared about ourselves, connecting with one another. Our fabulous chef, Anna, served a delicious dinner with outrageously good baked beans, chicken, tortillas, and all sorts of fresh salsas and toppings. Don't forget pan smore's. Stargazing and deep talks with the best women.

We began the day with a glorious yoga class on our hut’s deck, surrounded by singing birds and abundant sunshine. After a delicious breakfast, we voted to take the longer 9-mile round-trip hike to Lake Nolan. The hike down was surprisingly challenging, with steep ascents that required frequent water breaks. After hours of hiking, we swam in the beautiful alpine lake Nolan and enjoyed lunch by the water. Cilla introduced us to Neurographic Art, a meditative practice that brought out unique, beautiful creations from each of us! The next few hours were a mental challenge, with many false peaks and steep ascents above the tree line. Countless metaphors came to mind, but most reminded me that rarely is anything worth doing "easy." Stop and look around. Breath. Appreciate the journey–even when life is hard, there's beauty everywhere. I also couldn't help but think of how staying in the moment can help us through life's toughest climbs. Today was a gift; getting through this with all these incredible women, side by side, reminded me of the importance of friendship and working harder to stay connected to the extraordinary women in my life.

We began our last day with a morning yoga session led by Kelsey, in the crisp cool mountain air. After fruit and honey banana pancakes for breakfast, we packed up and left for our 8-mile hike to the parking area, venturing off-trail a bit, which added to the adventure. Our conversation and singing comforted me as I tend to worry a bit too much about bear encounters, especially off-trail. Halfway down, it was greatfinally meet our trail. I felt so complete afterward, so at peace. I hope to see every one of these women again, birds of a feather. Afterward, I drove to Estes Park, navigating some heavy downpours. I checked into my cozy cabin at Paradise on the River, our favorite spot, so close to Rocky Mountain National Park and downtown Estes Park. I met my daughter and her counselor buddies that evening for a fun dinner by the riverside, enjoying their endless camp stories!

I had intended to wake up early, before 5 AM, to make it to the Bear Lake area of RMNP and hike Emerald Lake Trail, which requires a reservation due to its popular trails and lakes. I was sore and tired from the previous days' hikes, so I decided to treat myself to a day in my cabin, catching up on emails and binge-watching the 3 part Fixxer Upper about the Lakehouse renovation. It was glorious. I grabbed dinner at a Mexican restaurant off of the main drag, bought some beautiful vintage native american jewelry owned by an old Estes Park family, and could have stayed for hours more talking to the owner, Toni, who grew up in Estes Park and knew many of the native American artisans of her pieces. She was probably in her 80's, and it was captivating to hear her speak of the lakes I planned to visit the next morning. I picked up some classic salt water taffy and walked along the Riverwalk, the back side view of some restaurants off the main street, Elk Ave. Speaking of Elk Ave, a family of Elk was crossing around dinnertime. There is so much wildlife to enjoy near and in RMNP.

The evening before, I was lucky to secure a Bear Lake access road reservation from 5-7 am. I set out at 5:30 am and arrived at the trailhead around 6 am. The parking lot was about a third full, and I regretted not starting earlier to avoid the crowd. The trail was still fairly quiet, and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery at Nymph, Dream, Emerald, and Haiyaha Lakes. I lunched by Haiyaha Lake and hiked around it, which was quite an adventure without an official trail. I climbed boulders, traversed dead trees, and swung between trunks like a monkey. I returned to my car by noon because of the journey around Haiyaha. Named perfectly, the personality of each lake left an impression on me. I thought of Tony and how she thinks of each lake as a classical piece. After the hike, I drove to Littleton to stay with my high school bestie, Traci, catching a sunset along the way. There’s nothing like a Denver sunset. Good times at my BFF's house and loads of belly laughs ;-).

I was so excited to shop for my son Cole's birthday and get home tonight! I stopped by my dad's for a quick visit and hug before heading to the Patagonia store in Denver's RiNo district, a hip, artsy area with cool shops, restaurants, and graffiti art. I discovered some great men's stores like DU/ER and Roark. I enjoyed a delicious egg and veggie bowl at Izzio Bakery in The Denver Central Market, which has different vendors in a beautiful, historic building. I loved the area but had to rush for my flight. The flight back to Chicago was uneventful, and I can't wait to see my family!