A Long Weekend in Colorado

One of our favorite ways to use points and miles is to visit family and friends. In November, we took a quick flight to Colorado for the long holiday weekend. An added bonus: Denver is a great Southwest hub, and flights to and from MSP are good point-redemption value, so it has quickly become one of our favorite routes. 

Their car rental rates are low as well, but unfortunately, we received a car rental upgrade. I say unfortunate because in this case, we were stuck with a van. Matt, me, and our two pieces of carry-on luggage. Awesome. Upgraded to soccer mom status. But free or cheap is free or cheap, so sometimes you can’t complain all too much. It was quite humorous (and spacious) though.

After landing in Denver, we drove down to Colorado Springs where my uncle and aunt and family are currently stationed. We loved spending time with my Godmother and cousin Maggie, and meeting their new puppy. They have a beautiful home in the foothills with a gorgeous view. We ventured to a few of the nearby sights including The Olympic Training Center and Garden of the Gods. 

Garden of the Gods - The late afternoon sun on the formations was stunning, and we watched the sun set over the mountains. 

We started the drive back towards Denver on Sunday morning. On the way, Matt found a park in Castle Rock for us to sit and listen to a sermon together. When we got there, we hiked to the top, admired the view, and listened to a Mark Driscoll sermon on the 10 Commandments. Then, we continued on to meet the Bishops and sweet Baby Mason for lunch.

Our next stop was to visit our cousins, Aaron and Alison! It was such a blessing to be able to spend time and catch up especially since we don’t see each other often. Someday, perhaps we’ll live closer – Oregon?! I’m still dreaming… We spent a gorgeous Monday morning hiking at the Flatirons in Boulder and a stop at the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory afterwards.

It was a quick weekend but a blessed one!