Colorado

Colorado

Friday, February 16, 2018: Dad and I left our house as Mom arrived home just in time to say goodbye to us. We
took a Lyft to Santarpio’s Pizza (my dad’s favorite pizza place) before heading to Logan airport. We got a shrimp
pizza as well as a meat lovers pizza. I preferred the meat lovers because I did n’t. We took another Lyft to Logan
airport and quickly made our way through security and into our gate. During the flight I watched The Hunger Games:
Mockingjay - Part 2 for the first time, then my computer died so I was forced to watch mind dulling boring cable
shows and doze off. When we arrived in Denver, we grabbed our bags, walked through the airport until we got
outside. As we got outside, Neil (a college friend of my dad’s who lives in Denver) pulled up with almost perfect
timing to pick us up. We were staying at Neil’s house for the first night before we headed to Vail. Neil’s house
was crazy, it had a massive kitchen (because he is a really good cook), a large main bottom floor with a
staircase with small metal statues on it.

The next day, we woke up and Neil made us the best pancakes and omelets I’ve ever had (they were the lightest,
fluffiest, and most flavorful of pancakes I’ve ever had.). We started the drive out of Denver where we talked about
all of the differences between Denver and Somerville (The slightly more suburban look, the differently shaped
houses etc.), Elon Musk, and whatever else came to mind. We drove through a valley that took us through the
foothills and up into the mountains. The valleys were like upright desserts with only a few hardy trees near the
icy streams at the bottom due to the dry, arid climate. We stopped only at an old mining town, now a mini-casino
town, to go to the bathroom, before continuing on the drive. Throughout the drive, I didn’t know if we would arrive
in ten minutes or a few hours, which allowed me to focus more on the scenery rather than when we would arrive,
like other drives. We saw many of the Rockies, as well as forests of aspens, and various other trees. It was simply
satisfying to watch the brilliant blur of colors and ice as we drove

When we finally sat down to eat lunch at a bar in a town called Idaho Springs, I noticed a really cool water station
at which to get a glass of water. There was a white wall with lots of glass pegs sticking out of it, it had a few light
right at the top of it to give it some cool shadow effects. Glasses hung from the pegs and there was a tap under it,
with which to fill the glasses with water. For lunch, I got a burger, and my dad and Neil split a massive thing of
what they said was the worst nachos they had had in their life. I enjoyed my burger, it was by no means the best
burger of my life, but it was juicy, and all of the toppings and bread seemed fresh and organic.

After lunch, we stopped to take a few pictures in the mountains at the side of the road. As we ran back to the car
I felt much more winded that I should have been due to the altitude. It was really strange. The Rockies were tree
covered at the bottom and rocky (as in the name) at the top with small roads and rivers running in the valleys. I
took a plastic bottle and opened it at the site and had a plan to not open it until I got home, making it full of air
with the pressure of 12,000 feet higher than the air around it. I hoped that it would squish to a tiny smush, just
to see, instead of feeling the pressure difference.

When we finally arrived in Vail, we parked and started to walk around the village at the base of the mountain
while we waited for our friend Patti. For a couple of years, Patti lived at my dad’s house when he was my age,
making her as good as an aunt to him and his brother. She now lives in Vail CO, with her husband Charlie
(yes, good name). We would be staying with Patti and Charlie for the time we were in Vail. The brick roads
of the village were heated from underneath to keep ice and snow from collecting and causing accidents. I
have no idea how they managed to keep it all heated, nor how its all powered, but all I know, is it must have
cost a lot of money.

We went back to Patti and Charlie’s house where we unpacked and ate dinner. After dinner, Neil showed us all
of the cool things about his helmet and goggles. He had a small pair of Bluetooth headphones inside of the
helmet, as well as interchangeable lenses for his goggles for lighter or darker days. Both Patti and Charlie
snowboard (and kiteboard in windy watery places) a lot usually (because they live less than ten minutes from
the base of the mountain, but due to weather and then traveling, they only went once before they came with us.
Charlie had some sort of injury and sadly was not able to come with us, but Patti was more than happy enough
to show us around all of the various different trails. Patti is very much like my own grandmother (Lynn) when it
comes to her enthusiasm and constant positivity.

I’m sorry to say but, western skiing is so much better than eastern. The sheer amount of snow they get on the
mountains and the lack of ice made it an entirely different experience. Vail was by far the most massive mountain
I’ve ever skied on before, with three different peaks and both the front trails and the back bowls being skiable. The
back bowls were one of the most incredible places I’ve ever seen, almost the entire mountain in only covered with
a few scattered trees, providing a view of the entire mountain and all of the hundreds of people on just this bowl.

For lunch, on the first day, we ate at the top of the mountain and were able to look out on all of the Rockies and
the other peaks. I don’t remember what I ate because the skiing was simply fantastic. The second day we ate in
the middle of the mountain and I had a pretty good ramen (it was pulled up the mountain while grooming).

During our two days of skiing, I noticed a definite increase in my skill and was able to go from easily skiing difficult
blue square trails, to being able to easily ski medium difficulty black diamond trails, and loving skiing through the
trees. We finished skiing and sadly I started to feel awful due to altitude sickness, I threw up, had a terrible
headache, and stomach ache. Patty said that at least half of the people that visit, get sick, but I was fine the
next day.

After skiing for two days, we drove back to Denver, only stopping at a BBQ place for dinner after our second
day of skiing. I had my first root beer float in a long time, and it was just a delicious as ever. We slept at Neil’s
again before going to his ex-wife's house for breakfast. Neil and Sam (his ex-wife) get along very well and we had
another of Neil’s amazing breakfasts. I had fun with their two children, Jasper and Ben, telling them about the ways
to make pillow forts, and the cool things you can do with gyroscopes. We took an uber back to the airport, ate lunch
at Panda Express inside of security. (I wonder if the people who work there are allowed metal knives to cut the food?)
During the flight, I watched Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, and a few episodes of my favorite TV show Psych
(you should watch it, it’s free on Amazon Prime Video). Upon return to Boston, e took a Lyft to South Station to try to
get Max a bus ticket to Montreal so that he could visit our cousin Zoe at her college, McGill. All in all. It was a great
trip, and I will always remember my time in Colorado, as well as the breakfasts.