One of my favorite parts about a trek up the hill is that once you’ve made it to your mountain town destination, there is no shortage of free activities to fill your time. We recently loaded our kids in the car and drove to Vail to spend a few days with family. There was no itinerary. No grand schedule of events. We woke up each morning not sure what the day would hold, and relished in it. We savored the slow mornings. We cooked cozy comfort in our room, just like at home. When it was time to venture out, we enjoyed a free guided nature hike through the golden Aspens. We ate a picnic by the creek, and watched our kids play in the crisp mountain stream for an afternoon. And in a town as picturesque as those found in the Colorado Rockies, simply walking around to soak up the beauty of somewhere new felt like an excursion. Window shopping, popping into an art gallery, grabbing an ice cream cone while taking in the area’s architecture. Having nothing to do but enjoy our family’s company — to be present with them and with our surroundings — was and is the best luxury we could ask for. The cherry on top? Enjoying one evening’s views from a beautiful restaurant patio, with fall color in the distance. Perhaps you want to make it a budget trip all around, or perhaps keeping the agenda light allows for a splurge elsewhere in your plans, but whatever your fancy, our latest visit to the mountains reminded me that so often, less is more.
“Having nothing to do but enjoy our family’s company — to be present with them and with our surroundings — was and is the best luxury we could ask for.”
