Moose on the Estes Park Golf Course

Vacation is all about relaxing, sight-seeing, and chilling out.  Right?  It’s a great theory….

For whatever reason, I decided to go to Colorado again this year.  Last year the fires broke out after I booked the flight.  This year, the huge Colorado Springs fire started after I booked the hotel in Manitou Springs.  Not that huge of a deal since Manitou is to the west and the fire was to the east.

Just a couple of weeks ago, there was a flood and mudslide in Manitou Springs.  One person was killed. Houses were damaged and there was 4″ of mud in the downtown area.  Um, not good.  But still…there was a month to go, right?  More rain fell but I still held out hope.

I briefly thought about going back to Rocky Mountain National Park this year but the more reasonably priced hotels in Estes Park were all booked.  I really didn’t fancy paying more to go to a place I just visited last year.  Sigh..

Just yesterday, I booked a (non refundable) ticket on the Pikes Peak Cog Railroad.  Figured there was only a week to go (I leave next Thursday) so things should be fine.  Right.

Checked the news this morning and there were terrible floods and mudslides the Denver area south to Colorado Springs.  A dam was breached near Estes Park and part of the town was evacuated or shut down.  Really.Bad.Stuff.   Three more people were killed.

So I was texting a friend of mine who lives in southwestern Colorado.  He recommended against Colorado Springs since things are pretty bad there.  The rains should stop in the next couple of days but who knows how much more damage there will be?

I stressed about it for most of the day and then pulled the trigger tonight.  The hotel in Manitou Springs has been cancelled and a room has been booked in Glenbrook Springs which is about three hours west of Denver.  Total change in itinerary.  More expensive (but nicer) hotel.  Possibly a day trip to Aspen.  Living large, you know it!

While all this was going through my mind this afternoon, I realized that once again I am glad to be traveling alone.  There was no one to consult and get “permission” or agreement to change plans.

Decision made, itinerary changed.  End of story.

And now I think a beer is calling my name.