Whew! What a whirlwind week for Jen and Greg's wedding in Steamboat Springs!

Whew! What a whirlwind week for Jen and Greg's wedding in Steamboat Springs!

We left Luperon on February 25th via van, sharing the ride to Puerto Plata with a neighboring boat owner who was going to the "big city" for some shopping. We flew into Ft. Lauderdale via San Juan, PR. We learned on previous trips that it was prudent to break the trip to Colorado into sections, plus we had to do some boat business in Florida prior to the connection to Denver, then drive rental car up to Steamboat Springs. We stayed in Ft. Lauderdale for the 26th, arranging for the purchase of a special modem which will allow us to transmit and receive emails from anywhere we are, even in the middle of the ocean. This will be a terrific assistance to our connectivity as we move forward, as the wifi connections have been spotty to say the least.

We flew into Denver on a red-eye arriving at around 10:00am, then, after picking up our rental car we met Greg at the tuxedo store to make sure my rented tux was fitted properly, then up the pass into SS. We had made arrangements with some of our friends/former property management clients, to use their home for our housing which included Rick's Mom and Pop and Jen's younger sister, Nancy. We arrived at the house on a beautiful blue sky sunny afternoon. The weather stayed clear and blue throughout the week especially for us, I'm certain. Our arrival night was already planned by Jen and Greg, as was most the week of our visit. They did a professional job of planning every detail and made everyone feel so welcome and comfortable for their stays.

Night one, they had decided to go to our favorite watering hole, the Double Z to allow all of the guests to get a casual chance to meet and greet and soak up a few cocktails in a fun place. A fun night as we were introduced to the groomsmen and Jen's best-ladies and their families. Plus many of the extended families were in town already and were there to join in the fun night. Since our bodies were still on Atlantic Standard Time (one hour east of Eastern!) we were pretty sleepy at an early hour but we were able to hang in there for much of the night without falling asleep on our barstools. Yet, it wasn't long before the bedroom called and we were sleeping soundly after a couple of travel days.

The days leading up; to the wedding on Saturday, were somewhat hectic but fun-filled as well. We needed to go to the storage unit to retrieve some cold weather clothing for the week, straight away as the change in climate was most pronounced as we expected. Although the temps stayed around 20 degrees, with the sun out, it is always warmer feeling than the thermometer suggests.

The rehearsal dinner was the next night at a local restaurant which Greg and Jen selected because the owners would allow the kids to plan the menu and direct the preparation of their personal favorite dishes. Both of them spent much of the day in the restaurant kitchen, explaining recipes and assisting in the preparation of each dish, but this the food would be made in mass quantity for the party of somewhere around 70. They pulled off a terrific meal and fun-filled evening and everyone left for a rather early night to bed, anticipating lots more action on the horizon.

One day, Greg had his guys lined up with a snowmobile trip into the backcountry and Jen took her girls to the spa for some primping. The rest of us did our own things and readied for the main event on Saturday afternoon.

The wedding was a thing of beauty as Jen made a beautiful bride and Greg was most handsome in his tux. The service was heartfelt and lovely and everyone certainly shared the love these two displayed that day. Then we all were whisked off to the ski area where the reception would be held atop the ski mountain at the upper gondola terminal. I'm sure this was a special treat for many whom had never ridden a ski gondola as the sun was beginning to set as we ascended the mountain to the party awaiting above. The room was decorated tastefully and the band, some of Rick's old band-mates, were all set up and ready to begin the festivities with live music.

The food was billed as heavy appetizers and no one should have left the event hungry as there seemed to be more food available than at most sit-down dinners. And it was super delicious. The band played some background type music for a bit then the toasting began with Greg's best man, then Papa Bear, Mama Bear, sister Nance. All heartfelt and fun toasts. Then the bride and groom dance which spellbound the entire crowd as Greg and Jen did a specially choreographed dance they had prepared from their recent dance classes. Then Papa and Bride, then mama and Groom took their turns around the floor, then the real party began. The band, Sundog, is known for their versatility and played everything from traditional pop standards, which had Rick's eighty-something parents out on the floor, to recent hits which brought the younger set out for some serious dancing. Somewhere during the music set, the band enticed Rick up onto the stage to join them and he rocked the crowd with about a half dozen songs form his former "rock-star" life.

At the end of the reception, the weather turned toward stormy and the winds began to pick up with some snow coming down, and the ski area staff decided that it was necessary for all to board the gondola for the ride down before the weather turned any worse and they would have to take everyone down via snow cats. It was a beautiful descent amongst the snow. Everyone should have enjoyed this special ride down in a Rocky Mountain snowstorm. What an end to a special wedding party!

The last few days in Colorado were spent relaxing as much as possible with additional gatherings and then a fast trip back to Denver and off to Ft. Lauderdale (via Wash. D.C.!) for a final day of provisioning for the boat, then off to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to catch back up with our boat and friends awaiting patiently in the harbor for our return.

Off we go!