Back home

We packed our bags, said our goodbyes, and left the house around 8:30am to catch our 12:40pm flight back to Tampa.  It was snowing steadily as we slowly made our way back down the mountain.  As we passed Denver and neared the airport, Dan asked if we could give Del Taco one more try.  Luanne used her phone to get directions and we were more successful this time.  Dan was in heaven as we ate huge burritos for brunch around 10:30am.  I thought it was pretty good, too.

Our timing worked out pretty well:  We turned in the rental car, caught the shuttle to the terminal, checked our luggage, went through security, caught the train to the gates and arrived with about 30 minutes to spare before they started boarding.  Michele & I were the first on board and we quickly staked out our spots in the overhead bin before it filled up with over-sized roll-aboards.

The flight went pretty smoothly, with just a little turbulence as we flew near some thunderstorms over Texas.  Toward the end of the flight, the captain announced that the Space Shuttle had just launched for the last time and he made an S-turn so we could see it.  While I couldn’t see the actual shuttle, I was able to see the curving contrails heading up into the sky where it had taken off.

After landing, we picked up our bags and Roland was there to pick us up and give us a ride back home.  We were so happy to see the kids and I think the feeling was mutual.  It was great to be back in our big, beautiful home, in our own bed.  It was also great to be back at sea level with some humidity in the air –I slept like a rock!

All-in-all, it was a fun trip.  I really enjoyed seeing everyone, but I don’t think I would go back to Breckenridge for one reason:  Elevation.  You lose the first day & half (or more) of your vacation due to altitude sickness.  They say it takes a month to get fully acclimated, but who wants to waste their time feeling bad on vacation.  I would love to do something similar again, but maybe at a ski resort at a lower elevation , like Park City, UT (4,500 feet).

Well, I get one night in my own bed and then I’ll be leaving again tomorrow afternoon with Justin for his hockey tournament (state finals) in Pompano Beach.