Vail, Dinner with Family, and Annie/Grammy's arrival

We went to Vail to experience a different side of Colorado—from old west mining towns to modern ski resorts. After breakfast, we took the shuttle into Vail Village. From there, we boarded a terrifying gondola ride up the mountain to Epic Discovery, an adventure park at the summit. The area is packed with activities—slides, coasters, trampolines, and more.

We played for about an hour before a storm rolled in over the mountains. Once lightning is spotted, everything shuts down—everything. The coasters, the slides, even the gondola. You're stuck at the top until the storm passes. That took about an hour.

Once the skies cleared, we made our way to the coaster line. Just as we were about to ride, we spotted another storm creeping over the mountain. While I was on the coaster, I heard thunder. The second we got off, I knew we had no time. We sprinted from the coaster to the gondola.

As we were boarding, I saw the staff on the phone—and I knew what was coming. The next group behind us was stopped. The gondola had shut down again. We got off the mountain with seconds to spare. As we descended, I looked up at the empty gondolas still headed up and realized: if we hadn’t run, if someone had fallen, or if we’d hesitated even slightly, our evening could have been completely derailed. I’m sure people were stuck up there for hours.

We needed to leave Vail for two reasons: first, to head to Denver to meet up with Annie and Grammy, who were flying in late that evening; and second, to catch up with my cousins—Amy, Mike, and Gus.

Gus had moved to CSU to college, and a transfer and new job gave Amy and Mike the chance to follow. It was so good to see them. We met up at the Gaylord Resort. I’ve been to the one in DC, so I knew what to expect—but the kids were blown away by the sheer size of the place, and the fact that it felt like an entire town inside one building.

After a great dinner, we headed back to the hotel to bathe, do laundry, and wait for Mommy and Grammy—so the next chapter of our epic trip could begin.