Snowy, cooooooold Colorado

I'm just back from an adventure with my son Kyle. I helped him move to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, high in the Rockies near Aspen. We drove out in a Budget moving truck, pulling his Mustang on a car trailer, with his two cats in a carrier between us in the cab. It took two full days to make the trip, since the truck could barely maintain 45 mph on some of the climbs. We stayed in St. George, Utah the first night, with the cats crawling all over us. They were so happy to be out of that box and had lots of stored-up energy.

The second day we had to have one of tires on the car trailer replaced in Beaver, Utah. The good 'ol boys there took care of us, and we were glad to have discovered the bad tire before we started dragging that thing up the Rockies.

Despite the slow going and somewhat rough conditions (boy, have I gotten soft in my middle age!), we had a great time on the trip. Some of the scenery was breathtaking, and we discovered that Utah has NPR stations that span the entire state! We arrived in his new town at about 6 p.m. and unloaded the truck in the dark, and it was about 8 degrees. A friend from work came to help (after skiiing all day!) and the two guys hauled all the heavy stuff up the stairs, but I'm sure I made at least 50 trips up and down in my new snow boots, and I have the blisters on my heels to prove it!

But the most breathtaking scenery is right where Kyle now lives. It was a true winter wonderland! No need to flock your tree here; there are ready-made Xmas trees on every corner!



Here are some views from Kyle's balcony at his new place. The last one shows the condo complex.




And here are a couple from his bedroom window.




Talk about picturesque!

The town of Glenwood Springs in spread out along the Colorado River, and boasts a HUGE hot-springs pool right in the middle of town. Here's a shot I took from the car of the downtown area:



The drive up towards Aspen is stunning. Here's a shot of Mt. Sopris, which towers over all else at more than 14,000 feet.



Kyle works in Basalt, which is a picture-postcard town about halfway up the valley toward Aspen. Here's a shot of his office building, and the view from right in front of the building.




Kyle's condo is very nice. He has two bedrooms and two baths and a two-car garage, so he has plenty of room for guests. He's hoping lots of his family and friends will come out to visit.

Here are some shots of the kitchen and living room during the move-in process:





As you can see, Kyle was a bit tired after sleeping on the inflatable mattress for a couple of nights! And here are his bedroom and bathroom after we got done with them:




So, I've done my mom job and made sure my baby is all settled into his new home, far from his family and friends. :-(

I'm excited for him and so hopeful that he will love his new life in the mountains.