The Else Family enjoyed a wonderful respite in the lovely state of Colorado in June/July. Some highlights and observations from our trip:
1. It took two states for me to forget about work. WXRT, The Beatles (Abbey Road), Philip Glass (Solo Piano), Boston (eponymous), and my own playlist (Fleet Foxes, Jayhawks, Thievery Corporation, and Talking Heads) helped. We met Jim, Linda, and the kids in Des Moines for dinner. J and I lived in DM for five years, so it was a bit of a nostalgia-trip. A huge storm ripped through while the kids and I were swimming at the hotel pool. I love summer.
2. Still unwinding, I got up on the first day of my vacation at...4:30 am. I will unwind. The highlight of the day was driving through Atlantic, Iowa, where I lived from 1983-88. Oh, the memories (mostly not great!) We stopped by St. Paul Lutheran Church, where I fell in love with Jesus Christ, was confirmed in the faith, and catechized well. We ran to Bonnesen's Five & Dime on Main Street--Mrs. Bonnesen was my 8th grade Sunday school teacher, and I owe a debt of gratitude to her for teaching me so very well (I've written her many times, but her age has evidently prevented a response). Visiting her store, we learned that she died several years ago. What else do I remember about Atlantic? Basketball, being scared most of the time, Michael Jackson, going to movies (Big Trouble in Little China stands out for some reason), little league baseball, puberty...that was enough.
3. Driving west through Nebraska has always been a joy. Despite construction on I-80, we flew...the speed limit is 75 which means you can do 82 safely. Music is critical to the enjoyment of the journey. Strangely, there is music you can and can't listen to in Nebraska. For some strange reason, Wilco simply doesn't work. For us, it was U2, limited further to four discs--The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree (Deluxe Edition), Rattle & Hum, and Medium, Rare, and Remastered. I'm not sure why it works that way, but these particular albums seem designed for wide open spaces. We spent the night in Sidney, NE, which may very well be The Middle of Nowhere.
4. Friday we introduced the kids to the Rocky Mountains. Fires raged to the east as we made our way south from Laramie to Steamboat Springs. Hills, U2, and Starbucks at every opportunity (there weren't many). In Steamboat (gorgeous), I unpacked, ran, and settled in for a weeklong stay.
5. Steamboat is wonderful--bikes, trails, more Subarus than you can shake a stick at, and lots of incredibly fit people. Wake, run, coffee on the porch for devotions, breakfast, books, hikes, swim, horseback, alpine slide, hottub, movies (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy), good food, beautiful (hot, dry) weather, Fish Creek Falls, F.M. Light & Sons, and Beaujo's pizza.
6. Short book review:
Running on Empty by Marshall Ulrich--ultramarathon superman Ullrich tells his story. What drives a man to compete in ridiculously long road races? Sadness, a need to fill the void of loss, competitiveness, and an absurd VO2 max.
C.C. Pyle's Amazing Footrace by Geoff Williams--endurance events (dancing, pole-sitting, bicycling, walking, running) were all the race in the first two decades of the twentieth century. Williams tells the story of uber-promoter and con-man C.C. Pyle, who put on a cross-country (LA to Atlantic City) running race in 1928.
Slaying the Badger byRichard Moore--chronicling the epic 1986 Tour de France duel between teammates Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond. A great story well told.
From Salt to Summit by Daniel Arnold--a rather slow-moving account of Arnold hike from Furnace Creek to the summit of Mount Whitney.
None of these were outstanding, but all were very good vacation reads.
7. Deterred from traveling to Colorado Springs for week two of our vacation by the Waldo Canyon wildfire, we spent a couple of days in Denver (Red Rocks Amphitheater, Casa Bonita, Olympic trials, and CityChurch Denver) before heading east to Firth, Nebraska to visit our good friends the Garbisons.
8. Firth, NE. Yes, small town America is still alive and (mostly) well. I had a fantastic dinner at Sadie's in Firth. Try the baked Nebraska next time you roll through.
9. Home via Cedar Falls, where the heat wilted all things living. We celebrated Independence Day with the folks, fireworks, and a long run.
10. It is good to be home.
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