Day 2, Mile 1
Picked up Bella from the DIA airport last night, ate pizza and caught up! 

This morning we prepare to head out to learn about a Millionaire's mindset. 

August 1, 2012 - 3400 Women and a couple of Men at Showcase in Minneapolis

My friend, Mary Mora, and I left for Showcase 2012 in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday, August 1, 2012.  Mary's husband, Jim, was gracious enough to run us out to Denver International Airport to catch our 7:00 am flight at 5:00 am.  Mary couldn't find her glasses and Jim kept saying "it's too early, it's too early" but we made it in plenty of time.  Mary came to a Creative Memories crop with me in Denver this past April that had over 1,100 in attendance, so she knew we like to congregate in large numbers, but I'm not exactly sure she was ready for 3,400 of us in one place!

We arrived in Minneapolis about 10:00 am where we were escorted to our hotel on one of the CM busses.  We were fortunate enough to get checked in to our room at 11:00 am which gave us plenty of time to get out to the Mall of America for some fun!  We took the light rail from downtown Minneapolis to Bloomington where the mall is located.  Four floors of shopping available to all who care to go, plus an amusement park in the middle of the mall! 

Here is Mary in front of the Lego display...the guy in the background is made out of Legos! 

Here's a helicopter with a guy being airlifted!  Amazing. 

Everything in this display was made from Legos!

We ate lunch first and then started at the top of the mall and worked our way down to the first floor where we met some CM friends for dinner at 6:30 pm at Tucci Bennuch's. 

Here is Tami Worthington eating her appetizer...creme brulee!  Great food and FUN people!

After dinner we headed back to our hotel on the light rail.

June 24, 2012 - Tabernash, Colorado

An update from Mary Kay...

I drove up to Tabernash, Colorado yesterday to join some CM Consultants for a crop.  Tabernash is just outside of Winter Park and the area is beautiful.  Tami (my upline) coordinated this weekend crop for the consultants attending.  Her former neighbors started offering their dream home as a weekend retreat and this was their first weekend.  Their home is beautiful!  I just know my Michigan Ladies would love to spend a weekend here!  My pictures aren't the best, but I wanted to try and share the beauty with you all! 

Don't you just LOVE the puffy clouds and blue sky?

This little rock garden/path leads around to the back of the house which has two awesome decks overlooking the lake.

Again, these pictures don't do justice to how beautiful this house is!

Twelve can come on a weekend retreat and Melody (owner) is a

Certified Massage Therapist and has a room just for massages!

Everyone there said she is AWESOME!

Entryway...

View from the upper deck...

Conversation area (different view from above)

Just look at those mountains!

Dining area...

Kitchen...

Cropping area (most of the consultants were doing digital)

Thanks, Tami, for letting me come up for the day!  I better get my weekend booked soon, it's one of those places once you have been there,

you'll want to keep coming back!

This will be my "new Sauder"! 

 

Bella's Back in Michigan!

On the plane ride home, I sat next to a young man, Josh, who starts boot camp next week at the Air Force Base we visited last Tuesday. Small world! He will be in the Cobra squadron. I wish him the best. While boot camp is rough for them, at least he will be living on one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen. The vistas of natural beauty will hopefully balance the rigors he will have to endure for training.

What a difference it was to drive in my Latte-mobile compared to Dory the Toyota. After sitting down so low for 8 days, I felt like I was riding in one of those monster trucks!

Latte was glad to see her momma dog when I walked in the door. She immediately buried her head in my chest as I knelt down to give her a hug. The unconditional love of a dog...!

I got my flower pots all watered and placed back in their spots, caught up with the neighbors, assessed all the work to be done (weeding, tomato plant maintenance, vacuuming, laundry, grocery shopping), reset the wi-fi, and removed a dead mouse. Yuck! Oh, and my hunter hubby warned me we have a snake living in one of the flower pots beside the front door. He took great pleasure in doing so because he loves them and knows I hate snakes. Thanks, honey!

I saw a brand new Caddy as I was leaving DTW...maybe it is a sign of things to come?! It might be fun to travel around the country on a regular basis and keep our little blog going. There is so much to see and do right here in the USA, and as I mentioned in the post before, I have only scratched the surface. ;)

Hugs,
Bella

Day 8: Mile 2063 - Leaving for DIA

MaryKay's knee is feeling much better; however, she did not get much rest as she awaited the effects of the steroid injection to work.

We had a nice breakfast at the Embassy Suites. They really do have a great program. MKa even had time to watch her CM weekly business webinar.

When we left the hotel around 11:15a, Dory's temp was at a whopping 98 degrees. MKa could barely touch her steering wheel.

We had a hazy view of the Colorado Rockies, some still snow-capped. The Denver International Airport is an interesting piece of architecture that almost looks like a circus tent sitting out on the Denver plains.

My drop-off and check-in was smooth and quick. I do hope MKa is getting her iced coffee and heading to settle in to the nail salon for the afternoon. I've accompanied her thus far and now she will be with her Denver friends and guardian angels. I am excited for her and what lies ahead. She has a heart of gold (maybe she will settle in Golden?!) and the people of the Colorado area will benefit from her positive presence.

I am excited to see what surprises and delights are in store for me as I return to Michigan. Thank you again to my friends and hubby who helped keep our place running while I was on this adventure with MKa and Dory. I am truly blessed. :D

Who knows? Maybe we will have the opportunity to continue our blog and adventures through other parts of this state and great country. This trip was like finding the tip of an iceberg. Oh, there is so much more to see!

Hugs to all!
Love,
Bella

Day 8 - One journey complete, a whole new one on the way...

It is amazing how quickly a week can go by...testimony to the fact that we need to enjoy the journey each and every day.  This past week has been AWESOME.  It has been so fantastic being able to share why I am so excited to return to Colordao with my special friend, Bella!  She has put up with a lot of challenges from me from going down the mountain on those curves more quickly than she would have liked, to my snoring, to having to take me to Urgent Care!  She is a TRUE friend!  I will miss her as she returns to Michigan, but like so many of my friends from Michigan, I know we are only a phone call, Facebook post, or text away.  I consider so many friends forever! 

As I settle in here in Colorado (not sure where yet), I am looking forward to re-establishing connections with my friends from my Colorado life, also the kinds of friends that once we get together it was like we were never separated by all the miles! 

Heading out for breakfast here at the hotel and then off to the Denver International Airport.  Thank you for joining us on our journey, it has been fun sharing with you all!  Have an AWESOME week! 

~ Mary Kay

Mile 2027: Bella Goes to Red Rock Park

Day Mile 62:

Since MKa was out of commission due to her knee issue, I ran out on my own to capture sunset at Red Rock Park.  There is a naturally formed amphitheatre out in the Morrison, CO area.  There are two 300-foot monoliths, Creation and Ship Rocks, that stand like sentinels on each side of the stage.
 

left side of stage

stage

right side of stage 

The view below was from a lookout point showing both sentinels.

Sunset over city from lookout point

View 180 degrees in the opposite direction...

 

I wish I had arrived a bit earlier to spend more time meditating there.  Since I wasn't that familiar with the area, I decided I should start the drive back sooner rather than later.  The weather was so nice, even for 9p in the evening, I had the sunroof open to enjoy the nice breeze.  I traveled south for the return trip.  As I arrived at the exit for the hotel, I made a wrong turn so I decided to head into the Taco Bell there to grab a bite.  As I was pulling out, I looked to see if there was a "No Left Turn" sign.  Not seeing one, I drove out to the far lane and ... found myself in the far turning lane of oncoming traffic.  YIKES!  When someone does a "blonde" move, you might hear them say, "I'm so pretty!"  Well.....tonight I am the MOST BEAUTIFUL woman in Colorado!  Fortunately with it being late on a Sunday evening, there were only 5 cars that came toward me.  None honked.  Thank God!  As soon as it was clear, Dory and I made a U-ie and after a few more turns, we managed to get in the correct lane.  I love my guardian angels!!!

Tomorrow is my last day here with MKa.  It will be bittersweet to end the trip.  I definitely am ready to get back home in Michigan, yet I will miss her company and this beautiful Colorado weather and scenery.  Living around the mountains and taking in the breathtaking vantage points has been one of the best birthday presents ever.  Thank you to my wonderful husband and MKa for giving me this opportunity!  Hugs!! 

Mile 2001 - Devil's Food/Liks Ice Cream/Housesitting/Urgent Care/Hotel

We met Mary and Jamie Mora at Devil's Food for brunch.  So much fun to introduce Beth to my Colorado Girls!  For this picture, I told Mary and Jamie...now just watch this, Beth will look for someone to take our picture and two guys will just happen to walk along...and guess what?  They took the second picture below...

Mile 26: For dessert we hit Liks Ice Cream - YUM!  YUM!!

Mile 27:  Met Kathleen at her home where I will be housesitting for a couple of weeks.  Very excited to be spending time with Tootsie and Caramel (her kitties) and just chillin'.  Guess some day I'll have to think about finding my own place, just having a hard time deciding where I want to live!

Mile 36:  Urgent Care/Hotel - Okay, so we all know I am not exactly the most graceful individual but as I was walking down the steps to Kathleen's basement, my knee did a major pain thing to the point where I was ready to head to an emergency room.  So, Bella is driving and I'm talking to Mary on the phone while she and Jamie are trying to help us find an urgent care center!  Through great team effort, we found it and the doctor drained 30 ccs of fluid off my knee and injected some steroids into my knee.  Said to wait and see how that goes.  Would take an MRI to see if it was a torn miniscus.  I am willing to say it will be perfect tomorrow!  (Mind over matter!)

Mile 1948 - Denver Tech Center

Day Mile 53 - We ended up at the Embassy Suites in the Denver Tech Center after our butterfly experience.  Bella headed for the outdoors to soak up some sun and relaxation while I just plain ol' took a nap! 

We enjoyed a free drink and some veggies at the Manager's Reception and then headed off to find a movie.  We saw Peace, Love and Misunderstanding with Jane Fonda!  It was a good, thought-provoking movie.

Since we were in the University Hills area for the movie, I drove Beth by where my first house used to stand and a huge house is now there instead!  Change is amazing! 

We then returned to the hotel and stopped at the bar for a drink and a veggie quesadilla!  Yum!  We watched Betty White's "Off your Rocker" and laughed so hard we were crying!  Now, time for bed so we can get up to meet Mary Mora and daughter, Jamie, for brunch! 

Sweet dreams ~ Mary Kay

Wishes & Dreams

I can see it now...


Cadillac gives me a new pearl CTS Coupe for cruising around the country to continue our photo-journaling. MKa and I will call her Angel because it will be like we are floating on a cloud. Oh, the adventures we will continue to have!

Day 7, Mile 1895, Denver

We ended up only driving 88 miles yesterday. Yet, it was a full day. MaryKay dropped like a bag of flour into bed and was sawing logs within minutes. I managed to stay up long enough to get our thoughts and activities posted into the blog...and then I crawled into bed and was out like a light.

Today, we slept in and didn't arrive to our first destination until Noon. The Butterfly Pavilion met and exceeded expectations. We were even fortunate enough to see the Atlas Moth. We learned that it only lives for 3-5 days because it doesn't eat. They said it would probably only live 1-2 more days. Yay! In the pic below, you will notice the front wings have elongated tips that are meant to mimic the head of a snake to protect the moth from predators.

Mile 1863, Golden

Day Mile 56: We left Flagstaff Summit and drove out to Golden, home of Coors Brewery, for a nice dinner with Kevin. I really liked this town. It has a wonderful downtown area with Clear Creek running through it.

We saw another wedding couple.

Our restaurant of choice was Woody's Wood-Fired Pizza. OMG! The Margherita Pizza MKa and I ate was one of the tastiest I have ever eaten. Fresh ingredients make a world of difference. They also have this tradition of pouring honey on the crust. Yummy! Made the crust taste like those cinnamon icing breadsticks from chain pizza places....with fewer calories.  :)

I would like to go back and spend more time checking this town out. It has the potential, from what little we saw this evening, to be a great location for MKa. 

Cute sculpture by the visitor center.

Getting late so I need to drop into bed. Nighty-night. --Bella

Mile 1834, Flagstaff Summit

Day Mile 27: the three of us reconvened and Kevin directed us to Flagstaff Summit for breathtaking views of Boulder. We could see for miles from the 6850 foot elevation. There was a wedding taking place at the amphitheater. 

The views from the "Artist Point" lookout ... Well, I could sit there all day enjoying the view, the scent of the pines, and soaking up nature's energy.

On the drive down the mountain, we took this photo of Kevin with his school in the background.

--Bella (a.k.a. Beth)

Day 6, Mile 1807, Longmont/Boulder Pearl St Mall

Our morning began in a chillaxin' mode. We took our time heading out for the day. Maybe it has something to do with the laid-back Boulder vibes?!

First stop was shopping in Longmont. MKa shopped while I finished writing my "Reflections" essay. :)

We then headed into the downtown Boulder Pearl St Mall area to see MKa's son, Kevin. We chose a rooftop dining location (Rio Grande) for lunch. While everyone was predicting storms and the sky did have some dark blue-gray areas, we never got wet. Yay!

View from the rooftop

Kevin joined us for lunch when he got off work.

After lunch, the three of us walked along the mall. One shop drew us in and MKa noticed a sign for a psychic reading. We were both intrigued and decided to give it a whirl. She went first, then I. We compared notes after and discovered that he had been spot-on for each of us. In fact, he brought up things she and I have only personally discussed this week on this trip, things that are very pertinent in our lives in this moment. Do you hear the sci-fi music playing? :)

Then, while MKa and Kevin went to have some quality mom/son time, I enjoyed the area--taking in the sights with my Starbucks Frappucino (Thanks, Lynne!) while walking off the calories.

--Bella (a.k.a. Beth)

Day 6 - Bella's Reflections Thus Far

Good morning! I am supposed to be getting showered and ready for the day; however, it feels good to just lounge here, relax for a moment, and to reflect on the past five days. ;) It has been a whirlwind of travel and sightseeing...and an absolute blast! Although, I have to admit that we hit the proverbial marathon runners wall yesterday. We both blame it on the high altitude of Avon/Vail. So, we headed down lower and decided to slow down a bit. There were quite a few miles covered the first two days.

Our third day was when we arrived in Colorado and we headed straight for the U.S. Air Force Academy. They have a very informative visitor center and a beautiful chapel. The 18,000 acre campus is breathtaking. I actually experienced a walking meditative state where I had no thoughts and was able to connect with all the nature around me and enjoy the moment. Incredible!

From there, we headed to Garden of the Gods. The rock formations reminded me of my vacations to Sedona, AZ. It looked like it would be a nice park to hike through. It is on my list for when I come back to visit MKa. :)

As we left there, we drove through this cute little tourist town. We contemplated finding a room there, but both seemed to feel it was too crowded. So, we headed on out to Colorado Springs. After much searching for a hotel room, we finally got settled and headed out for a late dinner. We had fun and laughs! We both ordered the same salad....yet mine had 5 pecans on it compared to the 2 handfuls that MKa got on hers. I teased her that it was because the waiter had an eye for her. He must have heard me because when we ordered a second round of drinks, I got extra wine. ;D

The morning of our fourth day was my birthday. :D We had a nice, relaxing morning before heading out. MKa was anxious to see the changes at the famed Broadmoor Hotel. We had gorgeous weather walking around the grounds. It is a beautiful place with a lake in the middle and mountains in the distance. While walking, one of my highlights was seeing two butterflies playing and drinking nectar from the hanging petunia basket. MKa got a pic of it in my hand! While dining outside would have been divine, we decided instead for the more unique choice of The Golden Bee. It is a London pub that was dismantled and shipped to the states. It was in NYC for awhile, then dismantled again, stored in a Chelsea District warehouse, then found and taken to The Broadmoor. Very cool. Our waiter was a character and had us chuckling. I received a birthday bee (of course, MKa has pics) that I placed as a tattoo in my décolletage area. Heehee! It matched my blouse perfectly.

Leaving The Broadmoor, I asked to drive for the day to have the experience of mountain driving. Dory swam along nicely for me (have we mentioned she is a stick-shift?!) and our next stop was Royal Gorge. I expected to arrive in a park setting with trails and hikers going to overlooks of the Gorge. Instead, we get smacked in the face with greed and a small amusement park setting that charges $26 pp to go see what Mother Nature created naturally. Even to drive through and over the bridge costs $26 pp. I refuse to pay in that environment. As we headed back to the car, I said what my expectation had been. As we made the turnaround in the parking lot and started driving out, we saw a tiny sign saying "Scenic Overlook" so I immediately pulled over...and I got my birthday wish! We hiked down a short trail and arrived at the edge of the Gorge.

I stood peering over the edge of the chain-link fence taking it all in. I could see the bridge with cars and people crossing. There was a gondola car gliding across. A large structure on the far side would provide paying thrill seekers the opportunity to swing out over the edge. The Arkansas River rushed along below with rafters and kayakers; and train tracks ran next to it. As I moved to my next vantage point...it got even better. At home, I see hawks soaring and wish I could do the same. Well, I had that sensation there! It was AWESOME! I truly felt like one of those birds soaring above and looking down below at the river. All of a sudden, three huge birds (maybe golden eagles or turkey vultures?) came soaring up from below right in front of me. WOW! I was in Heaven...Heaven on earth!!! Squealing with glee like a kid...yup, that was me. ;D

Next up was our drive to Avon. This part of the country has breathtaking views around every turn.

We stopped around Leadville to stretch our legs and to try to get photos that looked like what we were seeing. Maybe a photography class would help?!

Avon is a cute ski town outside of Vail. We were able to walk to dinner where we finally had a good Mexican meal and a strong margarita. Lots of fun and laughs again and a perfect end to my birthday day!

Have you ever taken a bath in a mountain stream? Well, neither have I, yet it sure felt like it during my shower yesterday. The hotel water heater went out. If we had chosen to have breakfast first, we would have been golden and avoided the situation as they did get it repaired fairly quick. C'est la vie.

We headed out to Frisco which is a great town with lots of shops and little eating establishments and a lake marina. We took our time doing the tourist thing there and then headed out to Breckenridge to find an outdoor lunch spot. Although we tried to find a local spot, they tend to close at 1:30p. Bubba Gump Shrimp got our biz.

Sitting outside, eating, and looking up at snow capped mountains has a way of really relaxing you. Both MKa and I were in a chillaxin' state. So, we headed down by the river to listen to the water tumblin' over the rocks. Life is good!

And now, here we are in the Boulder area. I am excited to discover what today's surprises and delights will be. Laters!