Hubby and I did a lot of traveling this past summer, but all of it was family travel. Traveling with at least three kids in tow is often not relaxing and rarely romantic. However, that romance & relaxation is exactly what couples need to decompress and reconnect, especially after weeks of cross country family road trip travel. Hubby and I snuck one night away (only 90 minutes from our house in South Denver) for a dose of the romance & relaxation we needed. Since we had just traveled cross country, staying in Choice hotels across the southeastern states, I had earned enough points for a free night and we decided to stay at a Comfort Inn located in Dillon, CO.
Before our short drive out to the foothills, I scheduled a quick blow out at a blow dry bar. They are easy to schedule and my blow out lasted three days, which is more than enough to feel pretty for our one day date. I wanted a break from my leggings and messy bun look, getting a blow out always pulls me out of my mom uniform. Packing was a breeze for this trip, an overnight bag and a picnic basket was all we really needed. Perhaps we packed a little too light, hubby had planned to bring a windbreaker (but forgot it) and I reconsidered my open toe, strappy sandals for a restaurant that was located on a rooftop.
Anytime you’re going on a trip you should check the weather ahead of time, this is no great travel tip. However, keep in mind that wind and altitude can easily change temperatures 20 degrees or more in the mountains. There is a saying I heard in Europe often, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just poor clothing choices.” I have quoted that over and over to my children and husband over the years, yet the Myer’s family always seems to have forgotten an important part of the packing list. In the end, we were fine with our choices this trip, but just in case there is a TJ Maxx near the hotel…. I’ve had to buy a sweater there during a previous trip!
Once we arrived and got settled in our room, a king suite with mountain view, 2-person whirlpool & balcony our weekend getaway officially began. There are only a few of these specific rooms on property, but they are well worth it, especially for a romantic getaway. We popped the cork on the champagne and headed out to the balcony with the view to set up our happy hour snacks. We often take drives and find great views to watch the sunset and enjoy some snacks. This time our view was on our own private porch.
I scheduled a dinner reservation at Vue Rooftop, which is on the top floor of the Homewood suites in Dillon. This is a new hotel & restaurant that opened less than 2 years ago. We typically are very late eaters; I blame it on my years of a European lifestyle and a house full of night owls. When making reservations, I typically make date nights for 9:00 p.m. But I was trying to catch the sunset, so I made it an hour early and we missed the whole sunset. We got a little of the post sunset views of the mountains, but really I needed to make the reservation at 7:00 p.m. to have enjoyed the whole thing properly. Next time we take this trip, I might make this location our happy hour and snack spot, to enjoy golden hour & sunset. There was sofa seating behind a fireplace feature, facing the beautiful views of the mountains, perfect for drinks and small bites to eat.
The food at Vue Rooftop was a bit of a mystery going in, the website doesn’t have an exact menu. There were pictures and descriptions of sample food items, a mountain twist on American staples, but not an exact menu. Hubby is a bit more adventurous trying restaurants when it is just the two of us, but he likes a hearty meal without all the frills and weird stuff you find in fine dining. I prefer all the weird stuff; stinky cheeses, raw seafood, International cuisine and quickly lose interest at chain restaurants. Vue was a great mix for both of us! I had a fancy Arnold Palmer to drink & hubby had an espresso martini, hoping for a caffeine rush. Both were great, and the bartender turned into our waitress with a fun, energetic personality.
I went into the restaurant hoping for truffle fries and Vue Rooftop didn’t disappoint. They even added blue cheese to their truffle fries! I also ordered lamb riblets with mint ranch to go with my fries. I should’ve ordered the small wedge salad, but didn’t because I was afraid it would’ve been too much food. So many restaurants in the States give such large portions, I went back and forth, but should’ve indulged. Hubby ordered the Vue burger with a salad and loved it. The food didn’t take long at all, but the ambiance & drinks were so fantastic we could’ve chatted and enjoyed them all night. We thoroughly enjoyed our food, and I am going to try making a copycat mint ranch dressing next time I serve lamb.
Dillion is not a big area with lots of nightlife. Most of the mountain towns and resorts on the I70 corridor (Breckenridge, Vail, Glenwood Springs, etc.) tend to close down early. When Hubby and I first came to visit Colorado, before deciding to move here, we went out twice expecting to find a bar scene or lounge open into the late evening, but both nights we ended up back in our hotel room eating cereal because nothing was open past 9:00-10:00 in the evening. After living in so many big cities like Philadelphia, New York, St. Lauderdale, Berlin and traveling extensively in Europe, I am used to being up very late! Here in Colorado, the mountain towns cater to skiers, who are up and on the slopes early to get the first powder of the day. This leaves the restaurants and bars empty early.
After dinner, we went back to our hotel to enjoy the features of the room and quiet candlelit ambiance from the candles I always bring (and often forget) in hotels. When traveling with kids, battery-operated candles can be used as nightlights or help set a romantic scene when it’s an adults only night… without burning the room down. I’ve heard of hotels and cruises that confiscate traditional candles for just that reason!
The next morning, we slept in super late, which reminded me of our days pre-kids. This lie-in (a British term for sleeping in later than usual, has stuck with me since my European days) was all due to a secret trick I learned from a flight attendant years ago. Many hotels have a set of sheers for privacy and then another set of black out curtains. Often, those blackout curtains don’t quite meet or leave a slit for the light to creep through. I’ve never been a great sleeper, but that little peak of light will fall on my face every time! Before bed, I grabbed one of the clip hangers in the closet and clipped both sides of the blackout curtains together. This way that little strip of light was not going to ruin my rare opportunity to sleep late!
Once we got up, packed and checked out of our room around 11:00, we enjoyed a coffee in the car from the hotel lobby, while driving the Dillon scenic route around the reservoir. Lake Dillion is a very large reservoir, created in the early 1900’s to help the city of Denver with their water supply, from the Blue River. It is a very large and deep reservoir with many species of trout, arctic char, sockeye salmon and smallmouth bass. We went to the marina to check out the boats and paddle boards that we will be renting on a future family trip. People were out and enjoying the beautiful day, hiking, running, biking, boating, etc. but know ahead of time that you cannot swim in Lake Dillon (due to it being used as a water source for human consumption). I regret that we didn’t have time to rent a paddle board to get out on the beautiful water, but a short walk and few pictures would have to do on this Sunday morning.
We tried a new spot for breakfast that had very good reviews and a local favorite. The place isn’t much to look at from the road and the parking lot had more potholes than I70, but so many articles and reviews said they loved this place. It was a terrible breakfast experience for us that morning! There was no waitress service, rather you order at the counter and are given a number to seat yourself. We placed our order and found a spot outside, under an umbrella for shade. There was a musician inside who had just started a set playing guitar and singing, but his depressive songs didn’t do much to cheer the place up. Nice guy, but not the right playlist for that time of day and ambiance. Quickly our food arrived, to our utter disappointment. My omelet was white, yes white! It was not an egg white omelet, but it was the palest yellow I’ve ever seen and had a big orange slice of cheese laying on top of it. Not melted, just sitting there on the top. When I cut into the omelet, all the veggies were cold and not the least bit cooked. It was like biting into a raw onion and eating it like an apple…. a really strong onion. The toast was dry and there was no butter in the self-serve containers. Even the coffee was burned and bitter, I didn’t even drink it and that is really saying something for me! Hubby’s club sandwich was better than my meal, but wasn’t cut or the bread even toasted. We left still hungry, without sending anything back since we honestly didn’t want to even try anything else, I was so turned off. You can’t win them all!
After getting back in the car, we found a Starbucks coffee shop down the street to make up for that experience and get caffeinated before driving home. It’s a sad day when I have to go to a commercialized Starbucks for decent coffee, but a 90-minute drive home requires fuel. Since there was a backup traveling east on I70, we decided to take a detour drive home via Breckenridge and the southern route of 285. I love this route since there are so many open valleys and beautiful ranches to enjoy with the mountains in the background. The 285 route back to Denver has a lot fewer steep grates to contend with, so for those without 4-wheel drive or decent mountain driving experience this is a great option. We love driving in the mountains and all over the West, but that’s also because hubby has a Dodge Durango SRT that is a beast, best mountain SUV ever!
I was catching up with a friend just a few hours before leaving on our short, overnight date to Dillon, CO. Ironically, she was also headed out to the Mountains, as many of us who live on Colorado’s Eastern Slope do all season round. She said to me, “Sometimes you just need one night to get away.” At the time I agreed with her, but as we were driving home mid-afternoon on Sunday I kept saying to hubby, “I just need one more night.” I wonder if there is ever just one night needed?
This mini-excursion would’ve made a great Valentine’s Day trip and hopefully can inspire you to think of a mini-getaway to share with your Valentine. It does not need to be far, a staycation in your town, a free night from a hotel loyalty program or even traveling an hour away can feel like a whole new world. The point is to get out of the rut of the ordinary, put the distractions away and have a walk down memory lane with your partner and share some quality. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
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