Thursday, March 18, 2021

The Year LESS Traveled - Feb 1, 2020 to Feb 15, 2021

My last blog was January 1, 2020!   2020 was such an interesting year.  Due to the global COVID 19 Pandemic and lockdown we didn't travel very far.   We did manage a few ski trips and a few other small local outings....I will use this post to update travel for the WHOLE year of 2020...

February 1, 2020  -The girls had a ski lesson, this time at Arapaho Basin. They had a great day and loved skiing.



We went back to A-Basin for another ski lesson on Feb 22nd,

then we drove to Idaho Springs for Beau Jo's Pizza and spent the night in Idaho Springs at an AirBnB cabin.  






The next day (February 23, 2020) we went to the Dillon Ice Castles.











March 13th the world went into Coronavirus lockdown and we were quarantined at home for 3 months.

June 4-10 the girls and I ventured out on a girls trip to Ignacio.  Luckily we could drive there in 6 hours, which is why we went.  We had a hard time finding open places for restroom stops and we had to eat lunch in the car (take out)  

We did ALL the things at Grandma and Pappy's.  Since everything including the parks were closed we stayed close to home.  

Mud

Playdoh

Trampoline

Cinnamon rolls

Puppy Birthday Party

Swimming

Picnic

More swimming

Crafts

Smores



Pappy and Mummu

SWIM!

annual picture on the swing

Popsicles after lunch

Water Balloons

It was a nice break to be somewhere different and to have fun cousins to play with.  

July 3rd we took a day trip and drove to the top of Pike's Peak and had a picnic lunch on the way down.




July 31 - August 2 we drove to Breckenridge and stayed a few nights in an AirBnB. We took the gondola to the top of the mountain and rode the Alpine Slide and SolarCoaster.  









September 27 we did another local day trip to Cripple Creek for lunch and "leaf peaking".





January 2-4, 2021 we booked an AirBnB in Keystone to start off the ski season.   This year we didn't do formal lessons, they skied with their Dad.  2 days of skiing then lunch and ice skating in the village.

Day 1


Day 2

Lunch in the village

Ice skating

February 12-15th, 2021 we drove to Ignacio for a quick weekend with all my brothers and sisters.  We were missing a few kids and spouses, but the "original Gillespies" were all together for the first time in several years.


We did a lot of hanging out, eating and "visiting".   There was a big snowstorm the day after we arrived and the kids had fun playing in the snow. 










It was also Valentines Day while we were there.





My brothers decided they wanted to sled on the the "big hill" where we went growing up.  My kids tagged along and had a great time.





The day we left to come home was so beautiful with all the snow.  



My brothers and James went to Durango Diner for breakfast....



and after lunch we drove back to Colorado Springs.  It was a short but fun trip.




                                                                                                                 
And that wraps of the year of COVID travels.  It was harder to travel in the middle of a Pandemic.  Not many places were open for dining in so we did a lot of take out.  Masks were required in public, sometimes even outside and we had to take extra precautions.  But we made it fun and were still able to do a few things.   

Here's to 2021 and a more "normal" travel year.  I'm ready to get back out in the world.

 Maija