A home-style resort)
We planned our trip mostly in the evenings, playfully clicking away on the keyboard to book our flights)
At the same time, I couldn't quite believe that we would actually end up anywhere this way, even though the money on our card seemed to be disappearing)
According to our calculations, in one week we had to visit all the most famous places in America: Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, San Francisco!
And then spend a week relaxing in Florida on Anna Maria Island! We had about $1000 for everything!
By a happy coincidence, Irina's mom found a friend (Aunt Olya) in Denver, Colorado, over the summer.
She won a Green Card 5 years ago and moved to America with her family!!! And most importantly, she was happy to host us)))
We naively assumed that the Grand Canyon was nearby and that they would drive us there)
Anyway, without thinking twice, we booked tickets: New York-Denver-Las Vegas (the plan was to somehow get to Los Angeles by bus and then to San Francisco)
And from San Francisco, fly to Florida for a week! We had to be back in New York by September 30th!
The last days in New York flew by unnoticed and at the same time felt like they were stretching (probably because we were only sleeping 2-3 hours a night)!)
We managed to visit all our favorite spots in the city one last time, go up the Empire State Building, ride a rickshaw, say goodbye to our Mexican colleagues, and throw one last party at home, enjoying our favorite Margarita one last time!
And then, September 12th... We packed as usual in the morning, only managing to throw everything we needed into our backpacks! Everything went quickly at the airport:
no luggage, we had already checked in online, we just scanned our boarding pass and we were already in our seats!!!
On the plane, we had a lot of fun begging for another bag of crackers (the only food they served)
with a glass of juice and invading the personal space of an American woman to take photos of the magical clouds!!!
I remember a slight feeling of anxiety when our flight with a layover in Atlanta was delayed for an hour due to a thunderstorm, and the wild joy when we ran to the plane waiting for us in Atlanta)
And how we were bouncing in our seats to Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" as we descended onto the lights of Denver!
At the airport, we were met by Aunt Olya's son, Vanya, and his girlfriend, Inna. On the way, we found out that they wouldn't be taking us to the Canyon because it takes about 11 hours to get there... we were a little disappointed.
They welcomed us very warmly, like close relatives) The very kind and hospitable Aunt Olya set the table for us with all sorts of goodies)
Yes... I wanted to live in a house like that!
Beautiful interior, tastefully arranged little things, and at the same time, a warm, family atmosphere reigned everywhere!
They gave us a cozy room with a big, soft bed)
On the first day, Aunt Olya and her husband took us to the famous Red Rocks.
It's a huge stage in the rocks where the Beatles and various celebrities once performed! Unfortunately, they were preparing for some festival at the time, and we weren't allowed inside... We only looked at the concert venue from the side, we didn't see the stage itself.
Still, the landscape around was very inspiring—hilly terrain with rock formations! We climbed the rocks a bit and took photos.
Then they took us to the city of Boulder, famous for its festivities! We walked along the main street, bustling with all kinds of entertainment!
Well-dressed people, fun performances, souvenir shops, various decorative trinkets) Then it dawned on me that so many rainbow flags without the white color weren't there by chance; apparently, there was some kind of gay and lesbian pride event)
Ira and I weren't particularly surprised after living in New York, where you can encounter such festivities at every turn)
That same day, we managed to go shopping at a large outlet and go to a bowling club! In the evening, Vanya and Inna and their friends picked us up;
it felt awkward to refuse, despite our fatigue and desire to sleep!
It was my first time bowling, and I have to say, I was pretty good at it)
The next day, we had a long trip planned (300 miles) with our friends to the Royal Gorge Bridge, which is considered the highest suspension bridge in America)
The car ride didn't seem long at all and was fun))) By the afternoon, we were already there!
First, we rode a cable car into a huge gorge in the rocks; they teased me for a long time that this cable car was racing like a roller coaster! Fortunately, everything went calmly and without stress, we just enjoyed it)
The bridge turned out to be truly UNREAL! A huge abyss beneath you, a mountain river looking like a thin strip, and what a picturesque view all around, it just takes your breath away!
We also rode a cable car on the other side of the bridge; we didn't have the courage for the bungee jump))
On the way back, they decided to take us through the most beautiful places!!! How I love riding in a car and admiring the scenery outside the window! Especially since
I hadn't seen mountains like these before, there was even snow on some of the peaks))
That's how our little vacation in Denver ended) Many thanks to Aunt Olya and her whole family for the warm welcome!
These days were like being at a resort with all the amenities))
Wholesome food that we had missed so much: borscht, cutlets, homemade cottage cheese and bread, Colorado peaches, berry pies, red caviar, and wine!
A rich entertainment program, as well as heartfelt evening conversations about life!
