My husband Pat and I have been married for 20 years and they have been a very good two decades. When we were first married, he didn't spend much time thinking about gifts and surprises. For example, one time he gave me a Christmas present..."wrapped" in the bag from the store. Then there was the matter of clothing size. In the bag was a warm-up suit: SIZE LARGE. If your wife hasn't reached size large yet and you give her a large-size item of clothing, whe will interpret this as "I don't see you as a petite little flower!" It doesn't engender the happiest of emotions.
The Man
Somewhere along the line, Pat realized putting thought into gifts can reap rewards and his modus of gift-giving is often a vacation getaway. He started by planning a surprise birthday party for my 30th and has since stepped up his game. For our 15th anniversary, he secretly planned a surprise destination celebration for us - all I did was pack my bags. We landed in Las Vegas and went to the Venitian Hotel. This all-suite hotel is quite luxurious but the biggest gift was he also surprised me by inviting 10 friends (that had been at our wedding) to fly to Vegas to spend the weekend with us. It was truly special and he said "all the husbands told him they hated him" because it was so thoughtful - now they had to get more creative.
He rode on those laurels for quite some time
The Venetian
When our 20th rolled around, Pat decided to plan another special getaway. When I offered suggesions of where I would like to go, he informed me "You are on a 'need to know' basis." He did ask if I preferred warm or cold weather and I said "definitely warm". So the day before our late September departure, he told me the weather forecast "Strong possibility of rain for 2 of the 4 days; highs in the upper 50s, lows in the 30s and 40s." I thought he had to be joking and thought "don't forget to pack your bathing suit!"
We arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; he was able to prevent me from finding out our destination. He used his Delta Platinum flier status (tons of work travel), to work with the airline personnel to hide our flight info and the security guard agreed to not spill the beans when he gave her both our boarding passes. After a giddy half hour in the Sky Room (formerly known as the Crown Room), he herded me out to find our gate. He roamed to a gate departing for Seattle, then dragged me to Cancun counter (yeah!) but we finally arrived at a gate that read: DENVER. Denver? "Are we really going to Denver?" I asked. My mind was whirling with thoughts...There aren't sandy beaches in Denver! Are we having a reunion with his University of Colorado buddies at a football game? What in the heck - what about WARM? Don't get me wrong - I love Denver and have visited many times. I was just prepared to slather on sun screen.
The view from our car day one - yes, it started snowing
The weather on landing could only be described as miserable. I tried to be jovial but I was had a little trouble with pouting.
We drove into downtown Denver and arrived at the famous Brown Palace Hotel. I sniffed quietly to myself "Well, this could be pretty good." I know you are thinking "what a spoiled brat" You are right. My thoughts were downright obnoxious. Straight-away Pat veered into the Ship's Tavern restaurant and I spotted two of our dearest friends, Paul and Cindy Bruder. Things were definitely looking up. We had an delightful lunch - my salmon sandwich was one of the best I've ever had. When lunch was over, I veered toward check in, Pat went outside. Check-in time? Nope. Back out into the sleet and car. My spirits plummeted again. I was sure that a Colorado football game was looming in our future. At that point, I hunkered down in my seat and took a nap. When I woke up, we were pulling into here:
The Broadmoor
The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, is one of the grand resorts of the United States. It is a Three AAA, 5 Diamond, Forbes 5 Star luxury 3,000 acre retreat nestled in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. I may have been a little confused but I was no fool. I told Pat my earlier fears about the football game "reunion". Again... LOVE his fraternity brothers - just not for our 20th aniversary. He laughed and said "I knew it!" Okay, I was wrong, wrong, wrong. What did I want with a tropical locale? The Broadmoor was perfect.
Pat had been to Colorado Springs many times during his years at Colorado, knows the area and had our whole trip planned out. The first day we toured the United States Air Force Academy and marveled at the dedication of the cadets. What an inspiring and amazing institution.
We also visited the world's hightest suspension bridge Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge and Park in Canon City, CO. I know it may sound boring but this architectural wonder looms more than 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River - peering over the side is not for people with a fear of heights. You can walk or drive over the bridge. I was "disappointed" to see the "NO FISHING FROM BRIDGE!" sign. We like fishing from bridges in the South!
The next day we started out in historic Old Colorado City and ate a fantastic breakfast at Bon Tons Cafe. Old Colorado City reminded us of our picturesque home town, Newnan, GA. We were even treated to the local high school's homecoming parade while we dined Al Fresco. These types of parades are popular in Newnan and it was fun to be part of the excitement in another American town.
Old Colorado City High cheerleaders and spectators
After breakfast, we headed out to go hiking at the Garden of the Gods state park. The Park is aptly named as breathtaking red rocks formations are truly a marvel of God's handiwork.
Formations at Garden of the Gods
Unfortunately, Pat started to get sick about two days into the trip - a fever and flu that would eventually take 3 rounds of antibiotics to cure. But he was really a sport about it. To help him rest, we ate a lovely room service meal one night and the next night enjoyed a great steak dinner at The Tavern restaurant in the resort. He just wasn't up to a big night at The Broadmoor'spremiere restaurant, The Penrose Room and we had a great meal. We ended up enjoying two dinners at the Tavern.
On our last day of touring, after a night of over-the-counter meds and sinus treatments with a netti pot (viewers beware!), my valiant husband roused himself for the Big Event - Pikes Peak! But first we visited an ancient Indian ruins site called Anasazi Cliff Dwellings. Supposedly 700- 1400 years old, many believe the cliff dwellings were painstakingly brought to Manitou Springs from another location. This knowledge does not lessen the experience. Visitors are encouraged to walk in and explore the dwellings - there aren't any ominous "Do Not Touch" signs. We really enjoyed this site.
Anasazi Indian Cliff Dwellings
Pueblo-style bulding that houses the museum
Fortunately the cold weather at the beginning of our trip gave way to beautiful fall days in the upper 60s. A warm day provided a perfect juxtapositon for the Cog Railway trip to the top of Pikes Peak. Pikes Peak, at 14,111 feet, is the most-visited mountain in the U.S. One of the fabled Fourteeners, visitors may hike, drive or ride the Cog Railway to the top.
We saw marmites and Big Horn sheep on the way up to the summit. It was thrilling to reach the top. The day we visited, the train left the base station with 69-71 degree temperatures and arrived with -8 degrees on top! We couldn't stay outside too long but the cold temps gave the vendors inside the summit building a brisk business selling coffee, hot chocolate, donuts and souveniers. Many of us drank water to prevent altitude sickness.
We highly recommend a visit to Colorado Springs and all that is has to offer. I guess it's my turn to be the planner of a surprise trip for my husband - he deserves it!
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