Headed West; goin’ to a party
We “head(ed) due west to the sunsets, turn(ed) left at the Rocky Mountains” * to officially welcome our new daughter-in-law into the family. As one would hope, it was a great four days of wonderful food, good parties, spending time with family, and making new friends.
The 850 miles out to Colorado went a lot faster not pulling the ORV but I was surprised at how many times I glanced in the rear-view mirror and was momentarily startled when I did not see the trailer tagging along. A similar thing happened at the pleasantly infrequent fuel stops. I tended to take the turns very wide and made quick calculations as to the path I would take to get the rig away from a pump. It was odd to me how ingrained the basics of towing have become. Let’s hope I haven’t forgotten the basics the next time we pull out.
The Princess and I drove out a week early to spend time in the mountains. The color of the Aspen trees was just about as good as it was going to be this year. We explored Kebler Pass one day then over to Ohio Pass the next day. I was surprised at how many people were drawn to the Crested Butte area to experience the Aspen. By going out early morning and staying late, we were able to enjoy a little solitude. By mid-morning, it was difficult to find a place to even pull off the road to take a few photos. Not to mention the long lines of people waiting to get into the few coffee shops and cafes that remained open in town. We do not often stay in hotels since we started camping in our trailer so it was a shock staying at one of the nicer resort hotels in Created Butte ski area. We were told that the lodge was full but the restaurant was closed and there was very little staff. It seems that the hotels are having the same trouble as the shops in town-not enough employees. This didn’t bother us because we were in the mountains in the fall and not there for the hotels or fine cuisine.
Enough of my whining about the services in Crested Butte. The real story here is what a wonderful time we had at the beautiful wedding and reception. The princess insisted that I dance a little so I hooked up with my brother-in-law for a spin around the floor. Not what she had in mind but it did add to the fun a little bit. Next, my grandson, channeling Bond, James Bond, performed his best dance moves with me. Later on, Sherrie and I danced to “Rippling Water” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, our wedding song thirty-seven years ago. The party was a lot of fun and there were no fights in the parking lot. What more could you want at a wedding?
The real stars of the evening were the bride and groom. I would like to welcome the newest Mrs. Fickinger, Sara, to the family. I know it will be a wonderful ride for you and Matthew.
Dennis
*Opening dialog from Jeremiah Johnson. Added this just for Larry.
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