Colorado on the Cheap

Those who know me well know that I tend to be, well, a little cheap. I can spend a fair amount on clothes at Ann Taylor, but spending money on just about anything else makes my stomach muscles tighten. Our mountain exploits today allowed me to keep all muscles relaxed--excepting those required for the minimal hiking.

We knew that we were in for another day of rain. Breckenridge surpassed its average rainfall for the month last week, and while this lessens the potential for fires, it sure does make outdoor adventures a little tricky. We arrived at the Dillon Farmer's Market shortly after it opened in the morning. I wasn't particularly interested in what was offered there; most of it was jewelry vendors. I did, however, get a chance to speak a little German. Two men at a kiosk with a Styria sign were speaking German, and when I walked up, one of them simply said, "Hello." I replied by saying, "Gruess Gott," which is a surefire way of letting an Austrian know that you speak Austrian German. And with that, we were off. So free entertainment for me...I don't know about him.

After that we headed to Dillon Dam Road for a quick scenic hike. I, of course, made one dam joke after another with my mom. I never looked over, but I'm sure she was rolling her eyes. "Don't ask me any dam questions; I'm no dam guide," I insisted. The hike was lovely; wildflowers everywhere again. The top afforded us a different perspective of Lake Dillon. We've already seen it from two vantage points. The first was the Tenderfoot Mountain hike, and the second was the site of Tippy's water adventure. Since the hike was so short, I decided we should get back on the dam road (oops) and head to another easy hike and yet another view of Lake Dillon. It's amazing how many new peaks appear when you take a different perspective.

By the time we finished that ridiculously short walk, I knew that our time in the sun was running short. We drove back into Frisco for a little lunch, and once our carry-out bags were ready, we headed to the car in a torrential downpour. The day seemed to be over.

Back at the condo, we decided that despite the miserable weather, we would drive to Frisco again for a book launch party at the local independent bookstore, The Next Page. When you visit the area, you absolutely must go to this store and pick up something. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the store has a great selection of books and unexpected gifts. The book launch being celebrated was the Junior League of Denver's cookbook, and the owner of the bookstore had the event catered. It featured 10-12 recipes from the cookbook, and it basically became a free and delicious dinner (okay, I did buy a book, but I can never help myself when I go there), and a great stroll around the place. By the time we left, the skies were beautiful again.

Back in Breckenridge, we went downtown to catch a free brass quintet concert from members of the National Repertory Orchestra. We thoroughly enjoyed the 75-minute program, and it really capped off what was a surprisingly perfect day. So maybe even if the storm clouds threaten, I am still capable of working around them. That's good news because we're in for more storms tomorrow...