An August cool-weather adventure awaited the Wilcox’s at the coolest mountain lake we’ve encountered to date. It was a great Airbnb decision as the temperatures have been 100+ in Austin for two months, and not much cooler in Galveston. The weather was picture-perfect with low 50’s at night and mid 70’s in the day. The log cabin had many screened windows to open, fortunately since a/c is not a common amenity in the Colorado mountains. The log cabin was like taking a time machine back to the early 1900’s, with the exception of electric lighting and a very well equipped, modern kitchen. The bedrooms were pleasantly oversized, with a large bunkroom for Mamou and the grandangels. Outside there was an oversized gas firepit for gathering at the day’s end, and a large front porch with thick cushions to sink into while the koi in the pond eagerly feasted on the local insects. We’ve never been so happy and beyond comfortable with a vacation rental.

We couldn’t wait to experience the 60-degree crystal-clear Grand Lake. It was the maiden voyage of our two inflatable paddle boards, and we were pleasantly surprised to find them as stable as my old woody board back in Galveston. All four grandkids, their parental units, and their Mamou managed to circle the local island without falling in. This was a very good thing, as 60-degree water is a bit chilly for the Texans. The suspension bridge nearby provided us with entertainment as the locals leaped into the frigid water, screaming with delight on the way down:) I guess when you hail from Colorado, this is a normal, even warmish, water temperature. This was just the beginning of a very cool vacation (in more ways than one:)

The next water adventure began via a pontoon boat on Lake Granby, the largest natural lake in Colorado. It is surrounded by the Rocky Mountain National Park, leaving us with the feeling of being enveloped in the majesty of America’s most impressive mountain range and yet close to world-class skiing in the winter. The experience just confirmed what we always knew; this was the place for our mountain home. As I launched out on my little paddleboard, with serene still waters and osprey soaring overhead, I felt this was a little piece of heaven on earth. As you know, life can change in a heartbeat. The wind suddenly went from 0 to 60 in a minute, and I couldn’t get back to the boat, try as I might. Fortunately my daughter-in-law Laura was there to save the day. She braved the frigid waters to swim out to me and commandeer the board safely back to the mother ship.

Enough of water adventures for Mamou, so we opted for Grand Lake shopping the next day. Once before, at Christmas, we visited downtown Grand Lake. It was a snow-covered hallmark card in winter, and summer did not disappoint. So many adorable rustic shops to discover, with all the t-shirts and prizes the grands could ever want. There was a large new park to picnic in, just at the foot of the Rockies, while the grownups finally were allowed to sit down for a minute.

At the end of the last day, as we packed to head back to reality, Tres and Laura came across a house in Granby that they really felt fit all of our needs. So, on the way home, we drove past for an outside viewing. It was a good call, as it reminded me of a rustic little doll house with a $1M view. The Linke Ranch (think “Yellowstone” of Colorado) was the back door neighbor, with the town of Granby nestled in the valley below. We decided to stick around Winter Park for lunch while making an appointment with the owner-realtor to peruse the inside. While waiting we discovered the new park near downtown Granby, complete with a snowboarding swing. The house was a jewel, waiting for us to make it our own. We’ll save this discovery for another blog!