Colorado Mountain Mom's Weekend at Play!

I had unfinished business.

Two years ago, I stayed in Frisco with the children and we biked along gorgeous Dillon Reservoir. I had intended to do the 20 miles round-trip to Keystone but made it as far as the Dillon farmer's market in what was one of my favorite days ever with the kids.

The next day, we biked 24 painful miles to Breckenridge.

That was one of the not-so-favorite days.

Last weekend, my neighbor Monica invited a bunch of women from our neighborhood to celebrate our friend Jenn's 40th birthday overnight at her mountain home. Silverthorne is adjacent to Dillon so I knew I had to finally bike the rest of the way to Keystone.

Without the kids.

Because hauling 70 pounds in the bike trailer is highly overrated.

I dropped the children off at a playdate and drove an hour into the mountains. Now, something you should understand is I almost called the whole thing off. The weather forecast called for 50% chance of rain with high winds.

In the Amber "Murphy" Travel History, this would assuredly mean I would get struck by lightning and then blown into the lake.

But neither happened. In fact, I'd say it was even a perfect ride with ideal conditions and gorgeous views. I biked 7 miles along Dillion Lake to Keystone Lake, site of Haddie's skating obsession last winter.

I strolled through Keystone Village, soaked up the views and sent this picture to my ice-cream-loving husband who was stuck at home working.


Because it sucked to be him.

That night, some of my besties gathered together at a Benihana's-type Japanese restaurant in Dillon.

(Kristen, Monica, Eva, Bernie, Lisa, Jenn, Sheri, Me, Nancy)

The Bishop's wife may-or-may-not have joked about ordering the "Magic Mushrooms."

We later played Cranium (fully sober, though at times Said Sobriety was questionable) and chatted into the wee hours. The next morning, we hiked a few miles to Lily Pad Lake.

Or at least some of us did. Monica, Jenn and I raced up to the lake while poor Nancy broke her foot en route.

No pictures of poor Nancy.

Because it sucked even more to be her. :-(

So, let's hear it: have you had a girl's weekend away lately? What would be your ideal trip?