It’s about this point during the year when I realize it won’t be summer much longer.  Then I’m in panic mode and am frantic to fit in one last summer hurrah.  This year, that last summer hurrah turned out to be a weekend getaway to Vail and although we were only gone for 48 hours, it was the perfect “I need one last summer adventure before I can let go” trip.

We wanted to go up to Glenwood Springs, but I’ll be honest, the hotels there are not that nice.  And not that cheap.  So we opted to stay an hour away in Vail.  Which happens to be a pretty cute little mountain town.

Turned out the Vail International Dance Festival was also going on this weekend, so after getting into town on Friday evening we grabbed dinner and the Ballroom Spectacular.  Both were fantastic.  We ate at Bol, which is this sophisticated restaurant with a super swanky bowling alley hidden away in the back.  And I ate the best gnocchi ever.

We spent the entire day in Glenwood on Saturday.  Well, after Joey fit all this somewhere.

As a child, my parents drove us, and usually Hannah, up to the hot springs where we could spend countless hours in the pool and somehow never be bored.  I have so many fond memories of that pool, and even though I hadn’t been in two years, being there felt so familiar.  Except now I can leave the pool and get a “Naughty Rootbeer” at the Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co.

We woke up early on Sunday morning to watch the sunrise then immediately went back to bed.  It was 40 degrees and we were freezing.  I almost forgot what it felt like to be cold.

Before we headed back we stopped at the Vail Farmers’ Market, which turned out to be huge and much more artist and restaurant-friendly, than farmer-friendly.

Aaaand, I got to see this little guy.

So maybe it wasn’t technically a perfect vacation.  We got lost, were 25 minutes late to our show, almost hit a bear, got lost again, were cold at times and some of us may have been hungry and crabby on Sunday morning, but you know what?  It’s the imperfect parts of vacation that make it so memorable.  I needed that reminder.

Now we’re home, unpacked and finally ready to say goodbye to summer.