winter wonderland.

The view from our condo

Nothing says December like our classic family (minus Daniel, unfortunately) vacation to Snowmass in our little getaway on the mountainside.  Nestled in aspen trees & white, unadulterated snow, our mountain condo screams Christmastime.  I know what you're saying... Rachele, you're Jewish & in the words of my mom as a child, "I'm not a 'Chrisco' girl."  But in my defense, I am really Jew-"ISH."  Emphasis on the "ish" (in case if you were wondering).  Not only does Christmas run in blood on my dad's side, but it might just be my favorite holiday.  How can you resist?  It's just so happy!

And you know what makes it even happier?  1 word: Snowmass.  & I am predicting a rather white Christmas this year!   Yipee!

I have spent the last 15+ years of my life warming up to this cool place, which is now one of my homes.  Whether it's skiing down "Naked Lady" or "Sneaky's," or throwing snowballs at my dad, or sitting by the fire, snuggled up with a blanket & a new Dan Brown book, or drinking sachet after sachet of lemonade because it tastes so darn good here, or eating the fudge in Pitkin County Dry Goods, or taking selfies by the Maroon Bells, or building the annual snowman, or feeling the Christmas spirit in Aspen, or feeding that sneaky fox that roams the streets of Top of the Village, or walking into our favotite stores because it makes you feel so good, or listening to Amy Grant, or eating those amazing meals, or making cookies in the high-altitude kinda way, or dealing with every "worst part" of getting ready to endure a long day on the slopes (which in all reality are better than any best days anywhere else), Snowmass is 100% perfect every time.

One of my favorite parts of wintertime... especially here in Aspen, is getting to wear those adorable winter clothes!  It doesn't get much better than beautiful boots, crazy, warm socks, llama sweaters, & fun pants!  I don't know about you (no... I am not going to say "but I'm feeling 22"), but I love the feeling of loving what you're wearing.  When you feel confident in your outfit, you can feel confident in your day!

Florida doesn't provide that appropriate weather for winter attire.  I mean I think we all saw that ugly, ugly, ugly picture that was floating around on Facebook... & if you didn't, I have provided it here for you so you can gasp in it's ugliness.      

 
Yep... it's exactly what it looks like.  While the rest of the country is enjoying a change of season, Florida is melting, people are going to the beach, & winter clothes are out of the question!  The comment, "We hate you FL" I think is actually jealousy in the eyes of those subject to cold, but in my view (the right one), we hate Florida because there is absolutely no chance of cold in that radar.  Therefore, Colorado it is!

Anyway, what made this trip more interesting is when you randomly run into friends on the slope.  I mean 743645634 miles away in a tiny, slightly deserted resort, I run into a Kappa sister!  I love serendipity... what a "happy surprise!"

Anyway... there are still several days left of our wonderful vacation here & it's time to go out & enjoy last night's snowfall!  Powder... here I come!  Every snowboarder's dream! :)  

Ciao-
 

birthday bex.

This is a story of a Floridian meeting a Bristolian & how they became family.

I am going to start off this post with a big HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY to my socially awesome, happy & smiley, traveling obsessed, & friendliest friend, Bex!  I hope you have a great birthday with lots of family, friends, fun, & favorites!  Wish I could be there to celebrate it with you!  You deserve the best day ever!

Well... I will start the story now.  In 2009 my "real" family & I went on a cruise to Scandinavia (I know... casual), anyway, if you have ever been on a Royal Caribbean Cruise before than you'd know that there is a section on the ship for a club of teenagers called "fuel," where I found myself a lot.  I didn't know many people, & for 2 whole weeks I was forced to be social & meet new people.  Going on a European cruise truly helps you meet people from all over the world: Canada, South America, & mostly... you guessed it, Europe!  I really enjoyed getting to know everyone & I liked them all a lot, but you know how it ends... "blah blah blah, I hope to see you again someday/let's get together another time" (embrace), & you walk off thinking, I will NEVER see those people again!  Usually you're right, but sometimes you're not......

Our only picture together from the cruise... rough, but reality 2009

6 months goes by & thoughts about the cruise have waned, leaving me a normal kid once again until one day I got a facebook message from my friend Bex from the cruise explaining her huge plans to visit the United States over the summer & wondering if she could stay a few nights here along the way.  I asked my mom & surprisingly she complied, but as the dates began to get closer & closer, she became more worried that Bex could be a mass serial killer planning a heist along the East Coast.  The truth is... she never actually thought Bex would make the journey over here.  But once again... Bex proved us wrong & she flew into Orlando with a new doo, a bright red pack, knee highs with converses, more color than anyone around, flailing her arms, & with no serial killing on the mind!  She was here & she was awesome!

I have to admit... I was a little worried myself since I had never hung out with her unless there were 475464 other people there too.  I couldn't help, but wonder... would we get along?
        

2010: Bristolian attacks Florida with enthusiasm

Well... the answer is, yes we did & so did she & my parents, & she & my friends, & she & my pets, & she & EVERYONE!  You can't not like this girl.  & that is how she became my Bristolian sister & my mom became her "American mum."  We kayaked, mini-golfed & had batting practice, wind surfed, ate Hershey bars & Butterfingers, swam, tanned, & everything that is apparently "American" & needed to be crossed off the bucket list.  Most importantly... Bex taught us a few things.  The chicken is the most dangerous animal in Europe.  OKAY!  Stop picturing giant, evil, human devouring chickens with huge claws & menacing snarls... we were talking about salmonella, duhhh.  & no... that is NOT what I pictured when I heard this bizarre remark!  Well...     

Did I mention a week later she met us again in New York for a short time?  Well she did.  You can't help but admire someone with the guts & personality to fly half way across the world to meet up & backpack with people you just barely know.  More than admiration... wonder.
 

Me, American Mum, Bristolian Sister taking on the Big Apple

So the summer passed & Bex & I stayed in touch reasonably well planning our next summer's adventures.  It was my turn to check out her digs & since I know "knew" someone in England, I could travel alone.  Again... you don't think that plans would solidify, but they did & I traveled to Bristol in 2011 to visit Bex & her home.

2011: Bath

We went EVERYWHERE! It was awesome to travel around England with Bex & her mum, meet her friends, & learn the hip lingo.  We went to Bath, where I coined the rather (I thought) impressive phrase "Bex, Bath, & Beyond," we saw Stonehenge & thought about alien intervention, saw the city where my family is supposedly from, & went to see the double feature of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2.  Yep.  It was a good time.  Again... most importantly, Bex doesn't lie. Chickens really are dangerous!!  Who would have guessed? 1-0 Bex.

That vacation ended with Bex & I closer than ever.  We made a deal we would plan on seeing each other every year at least once for as long as we could keep it up.  In a way, we are pen-pals because we keep in contact: sometimes through letters, mostly through facebook, & annually in person.  It is hard to stay in contact with people sometimes, but that is what is so amazing about having a friend like Bex... she makes the world seem small.

And that's when she decided to study abroad in Mississippi (pronounced Missipee) & became a Southerner.  Did they play quidditch in the South?  Well... Bex did.  Bex did it all & became a true Southern Miss Golden Eagle.  "To the Top!"  She just never slows down!

And luckily... since she was so close, it was easy to plan a vacation over Christmas Break to Colorado.  & Bex came too!  Wouldn't want to have it any other way.  It's funny... because my brother Scott also met us out there & he had never actually met Bex before, but said, "It feels like I already have."  That's just the way Bex is.  You just feel like you know her even when you don't. 

2012: Snowmass, Colorado

After just barely making it in 2012, Bex made a trip down to Gainesville in 2013 on her way down to the Quidditch World Cup in Orlando.  We even wore matching shirts & toured our way around campus taking pictures as Gators.

2013

So far... 5 years... 5 visits... 0 murders... 10990394754 memories.

As I told you up front: this is a story about how Bex became family & I'd like to make one last shout out to her for being one amazing person!  Thanks for being such a great friend/sister all these years & Happy Birthday!

Love,
Rachele

star sighting.

Although you expect to see stars in Aspen... because it is Aspen, it is still quite shocking to come across a face you watched on television for years.  We rolled up to the Aspen Airport to pick up my aunt, knowing William H. Macy was also on her plane coming from L.A.  It didn't even cross our minds that a lovely "Desperate Housewife," looking not so desperate would be there to pick him up.  Yes, today we saw Felicity Huffman, not wearing her usual Lynette Scavo garb of a long plaid button down open with a pair of jeans, but a beautiful crocheted white dress.  Awkward eye contact is key... I couldn't help it.  I saw a star & I stared with a nerdy smile... she smiled back.  Casual.  I don't know if it is just me, but for some reason I felt like I knew her... I mean I watched her on "Desperate Housewives" for 8 years & it just seemed like I could just call out, "Hey Lynette," & she would look at me like any hectic helicopter mom would.  It was weird, but as my mom told her, "nice to see her."

Anyway, after picking up AC from the airport, we drove through Aspen to give her the grand tour.

The town, of course, is quaint & cute & unbelievably difficult to leave.  We ate at a restaurant right in the center of town near the fountain, called Justice Snow's, & had a delicious meal to start off her vacation.  We then did what any females would do... SHOP!  Aside from eating, shopping is my greatest talent.  I just know how to do it, as does my AC!  We went into Pitkin County Dry Goods, Boogies, Valley Girl, Koto, Free People, & even checked out some cool furniture places along the way.  We found this gem of a sign that pretty much explains our family.  "Hungry? Stop at Harvey's on the corner.  Home Cooked Food."  Enough said... this is 100% accurate.  Too bad the sign was larger than our car & possibly even our condo, or we would have brought home a new piece of art today.  The most character in that furniture store; however, was in the coffee table up front, which was made out of an old foosball table.  Glass was placed on top of the game, but it could actually still be played.  The bars still extended out & there were balls in the goals.  It was just a clever way to reuse something old &turn it into something fun!

After our adventures around the city of Aspen... just enjoying the perfect ambiance & the happy, nice people, we drove east towards Independence Pass to check out the ice caves.  It is amazing how beautiful a place can be... a place that you don't really appreciate until you see it.  Today was the first time AC had ever been to Aspen & she was impressed by how amazing this place is & why we fell in love with it.     

At the ice caves we walked a little ways until we reached a rock face where there were caves underneath.  How crazy is it that in the dead of summer there is still ice in a cave?  Well... there was!  We played in the caves for a while until we decided to head back to Snowmass & home.

 

Since today was AC's day, even though mama bear had practically made every decision anyway (per usual), she chose to pick up some Hickory House barbeque for dinner.  Is it shameful that we had it twice since we've been here?  No judgment.  It was worth it!!    

Peace & Ciaos.

journey.

The top of the Ute Trail

Today was filled with some unexpected surprises.  We knew the trek we were about to take was going to be challenging, because our hiking book told us so, but we didn't know how challenging...

Our plan:
-wake up.
-act casual.
-drive up to the Ute Mountain Trail Head.
-hike for a little over a mile over steep terrain.
-relax at the top.
-eat lunch at the Sundeck.
-take the gondola down.

Except... the gondola & the Sundeck weren't at the top when we got there.

As it turns out, that steep, switchbacky, rocky, & slightly difficult trek to what is known as "the rock" is in fact only part of the hike to the gondola & the local's morning exercise.  They practically run up the thing before their morning coffee. 

When we reached the top of "the rock," we realized quickly there was not enough room anywhere for a popular mountain restaurant or a giant gondola, so we decided that the rest of the trek to the top couldn't be all that hard... right?  WRONG.  We had quite the journey this morning.  A trek that did not go as planned, but was rewarding all the same and probably even more.  The locals described it as a difficult hike, but one that people regularly & actively do.  We decided we couldn't back down from the challenge & started up.  & up... & up.

It was not as simple as it was made out to be.

I lost sight of my parents pretty far back & was on my own for the majority of the trek, which ran up the double black diamonds of Aspen Mountain.  Jackpot is a run that I have never snowboarded down, but I can now say I have trekked all the way up!  I know I have done trails comparable or possibly even more difficult through my experiences with Adventure Treks & with 30+ pounds on my back, but this hike was more of a wake-up call for me, as I have not hiked anything this difficult in years!

I was glad to have my 2 liters of water in my Camelbak because otherwise I would have run out of water.  Speaking of my Camelbak, I did something really stupid the other day.  I pulled it out of it's storage after a year of not using it & it had some mold congregating in the tube & inside the mouthpiece.  I know... YUCK!  Anyway, I was working on this problem endlessly for hours... how do you clean a small, 2 foot long tube?  I washed it with soap, I soaked it in hot water, I massaged it, I did everything, including creating a device from scotch tape.  I rolled up some paper and covered it in tape, creating a tube-like utensil to clean out the inside of the tube.  Everything was going great... it was really working, cleaning out the mold.  Until it didn't.  My device broke in half.  In half!  And guess what?  Not only did I have a mold problem, but now I had a scotch tape problem too.  DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!  Rookie mistake... luckily tubes are replaceable & only $9.99.  The simpler solution.

This picture doesn't do the vertical-ness justice.

Back to business... the trail just seemed to never end.  From the lookout point with "the rock," the distance was only about 2 more miles, but the 2,000 more feet of elevation gain was never mentioned.  I'm serious... the trail was 100% vertical, 99.23% of the time.  Interestingly enough, the portion of the trail that was actually walking up the double black diamond terrain was actually easier for me than the second half on the blue slopes.  Go figure.  Maybe it was because I was tired or maybe because the altitude was higher, but once I got to the rolling blue slope, I was only making about 20 steps before doubling over, completely out of breath.

Luckily there was a nice man behind me who gave me some good advice about my hiking skills.  He told me that hiking is a marathon... it is not as important how fast you get there, but that you get there & that I needed to slow my pace, control my breathing, & not take breaks so I do not confuse my heart rate.  I listened.  I followed his pace & made it up the last 600 vertical feet without dying.  Go Carole (Juno if you are confused by that reference)!

Let me tell you... it was worth the huffing & puffing because that beautiful panorama of Aspen Highlands, some Snowmass, Sopris, & of course our Bells.  There was bluegrass music playing by a live band & families were everywhere... enjoying the afternoons.  It was a pleasant place to be.

I waited up there for a while until my dad came & we ate lunch in the Sundeck.  I was receiving sporadic texts from my mama bear exclaiming how tired & exhausted she was... but where was she?

At one point I walked down a ways to see if she was on her way up... nada.  I asked a couple if they had passed a woman in a blue shirt, maybe in the need of a lift?  They said they had passed no one.  My original thought was "oh oh," but then I decided we must have just missed each other... she entering the restaurant from the other entrance just as I exited from the back.

I walked back up & saw my dad waving to me from a bench & let's just say mama bear was TIRED!  I won't go into any more detail because I will be toast, but this was the. hardest. thing. that. she. has. ever. done. (as I quote from her facebook status).  Proud of both my parents today... facing challenge & conquering like champs!  You guys are awesome! 

Yes... I have 3 arms.  Don't worry, I got it removed.  This is what I looked like before the plastic surgery.  

Peace & Ciaos.

hidden little treasures.

Everything in life can be a hidden little treasure... you just have to look at it in a new light.  Today the fam bam & I went to downtown Aspen for their weekly farmer's market.  Is it just me or are people just happier in a mountain town?  That wasn't rhetorical & actually that wasn't even a question at all.  The answer is yes, they are happier.  Everyone here just has "YOLO" tattooed on their foreheads.  I know "YOLO" is cliche these days & widely overused, but it's just true.  Spend $36 on some heirloom tomatoes & $5 on a muffin... no problem.  Maybe "hakuna matata" is tattooed there too.

Back to those tomatoes though... they were the size of my HEAD.  I'm not joking... I know they aren't feeding their fruits steroids, but sometimes you just wonder.  Is that natural?

The farmer's market was cute though: hippie people selling their gluten free cheese biscuits, hiking bums selling homemade leather bags, & older mangy people selling (very useful) giant brass animal sculptures.  An eclectic bunch, but when you walk slowly & look at everything, you begin to see all the hidden little treasures.  Beautiful handmade jewelry made from aspen leaves & natives rocks, homemade cheeses that taste better than anything wrapped in bacon (despite what people think), handcrafted fedoras & cowboy hats, wines that taste of Aspen, & house smoked salmon that probably was caught that morning from the nearby river.  Everything feels connected to the area.

The outside of the coolest store ever.

And behind all those goods & down the road a ways is one of the coolest stores I have ever been to called, Aspen Emporium & Flying Circus.  The store is in itself a single hidden little treasure,  but everything inside is just as special &, to be honest, weird.  The outside (at this moment since it constantly changes) has two chairs made of old bicycle tires, planters made of randomly balanced pots, & tennis balls hanging from the ceiling.  You just feel happy walking by it.  But you feel even happier walking in... everything is homemade by local vendors.  Delicious balsamics, cakes & pies, coffees, & even delicately decorated dog treats that I almost wanted a taste of.  The best part is all the strange items that are recycled & transformed into something else, something awesome.  Purses made of old bags & rags, glasses made of old strainers with "antler-esque" tubes coming out the top, old wheelbarrow wheels turned into a jewelry tree, & many other nick-knacks cluttering every free surface.  The floor was even littered in leaves... simply for effect.  It all worked.

After our lazy morning, loving life, we decided to try out a new restaurant called White House.  The menu was beyond limited, but when the food came out, you guessed it, we discovered a new hidden little treasure.   My mom & I shared small plates, one of chicken meatballs, one of small cheddar drop biscuits with country ham & apple jam, & a light kale salad.  Why is food so good?  Our fam bam motto: "we are people that just like to eat!"  At least I know I am good at it.  I'm not going to be modest about my eating skills...

Hidden little treasures can come in all shapes & forms: lazy days in Aspen, long hikes through aspen trees, delicious meals at unknown places, getting lost on dirt roads with casual cows, old abandoned barns & not so one-way roads, my parents & their "crazies" & even wild flowers.  Once back from our adventure in Old Snowmass, we settled down & decided to take a trek into our backyard.  The slope was covered in wild flowers: blue bonnets, sunflowers, strange colorful plants, white poky things, & dandelions.  Doesn't it just make you smile?

It makes me smile.    

Can you see the hidden little treasure?  Hiding behind the blue bonnets.  She blends in because she is wearing blue... don't let her fool you!  She is my hidden little treasure <3

My day was perfect.  Crazies & all.  Ciao-Ciao

caution: smiles ahead.

Welcome to my backyard.

I err on the side of caution

I walk out my front door to a national park.  Nature at its finest.  Fields of wild flowers growing up the ex-ski slopes, the greenest hillsides reaching right up to the completely blue sky, natural caution signs that grow along the sides of the trails, dogs everywhere, and the fresh, flowery air.

What could be better?

After yesterday's warm-up hike along the Rio Grande, my mom and I checked out the slope outside our condo.  Of course we were in our obviously flattering pajamas when we casually ran into some male hikers on Fanny Hill.  Fitting right?  FANNY HILL... get it?  Of course you do...  Just our luck!  Snowmass has interesting obsession with slopes names after a certain body part: will start with the obvious... 

Fanny Hill

Bear's Bottom

Assay Hill

Bottoms Up

Snowmass

And then, of course, there is Naked Lady...

 

Just being clear... there is even Aspen.  You can find t-shirts all throughout the city with the saying:

"How's your Aspen?" 

John Denver Memorial

Of course we had to visit our beloved Aspen

This morning we headed to what is known as Ditch Trail near the Campground Lift here in Snowmass.  It was a pretty easy trail, but was beautiful because you could see all across the Snowmass-Maroon Bells Wilderness Park, which is a lush valley leading to the areas around the Maroon Bells, Snowmass Mountain, and Mt. Daly (also known as Ribbon Mountain because of this strange, lightly colored ribbon of land that traverses the mountain face). 

If your checking out the map (which is old by the way..) you can see the lift to the far right.  That is where we were hiking!

Today I finally pulled out the GoPro... jealous of the shots Erika and Cole got in Italy!  It was a great day to use it and be outside.  The weather was PERFECT, the dogs were out and curious about my camera, the sky was 100% blue, and I was tasting some outdoors. 

Just taking a sniff

"Careful"

EW

Oh, Hey!

Ciao-Ciao