North Fork Dude Ranch Birthday Vacation III

Our last day on the North Fork Ranch dawned early with a cup of coffee in our room in the lodge. Our open window gave us a good view of the river and the mountain while the sun rose. I noticed that Dean was brewing the coffee, highlighting the personal touch of the owners, who actually live in their office/residence within the ranch buildings.

Breakfast was the same healthy fare as the day before, except this morning's specialty was pancakes, either plain or blueberry; in our case both! We tried the maple syrup and the blueberry syrup. Hmmm, nice!

We watched the rest of the group set out for their all-day white water rafting adventure, before we joined a mother and her son on horses for a mid-morning ride into the mountains. The horses were well trained. We had never ridden before, but this was no problem. After a few simple instructions, we got the hang of it and managed very nicely. We rode up among the Aspen, Blue Spruce and Pine trees through the valleys and over the meadows. After about two hours or more, we stopped in a meadow to be greeted by Dean on his four wheel bike. he had brought a picnic lunch for us to enjoy. The horses grazed while we chatted and relaxed in the cool of the trees. After lucnh we continued our ride, to eventually return to the ranch mid afternoon.

It was time to leave to get back to Denver, but we were in absolutely no hurry whatsoever. We showered and then had a pleasant drink on the porch. Both Karen and Dean came to chat, already old friends. This was much too short a time to spend at the North Fork Ranch.

We'll be back, hopefully with more of our family to enjoy it with us.

North Fork Dude Ranch Birthday Vacation II

We woke to the sound of the river rushing past as the sun rose. A cup of coffee on the porch before anyone else surfaced was a good way to start the day on the North Fork Ranch.

A healthy breakfast was set out on the lodge from 7.30am. even the yoghurt and granola combination showed the attention to detail that is prevalent at the ranch. We had the option of eggs Benedict, which we shared between us. Delicious!

Most of the group went on their first horse ride into the Rockies, after an orientation in the horse area. We watched them leave before Quinn took us on a hike into the mountains, to enjoy the 500 plus acres, across the river; also part of the ranch. we walked up hill for almost an hour before reaching an area used for the Tuesday brunch. We stopped occasionally for a sip of water or to enjoy the magnificent scenery. We enjoyed the quiet, the shade of the trees and the beauty of the area. Quinn was knowledgeable and enhanced the inclusive nature of the ranch hands. Thanks Quinn. we spent a short while relaxing before starting back to the ranch. Our two and a half hour hike was wonderful.

After a short while, lunch was served out on the patio. A Mexican array of fajitas, tacos and other dishes were laid out on the lawns. The fly fisherman had come in, dressed in their waders and telling tales of the fish they had caught and those that had got away. The sun was shining with a gentle breeze cooling the area. The food was really good. Second helpings were definitely required. The desert was wicked, but who cares; we're on vacation!

After lunch, Lara had an afternoon nap, while Ingrid and I sat on the porch reading and relaxing. In case we had not eaten enough, snacks were set out at 4pm, but they were healthy stuff; celery, carrots, fruit etc. We watched the fly fisherman battle the stream and the rocks to catch the rainbow trout, before throwing them back in again.

Dinner was again a delight, although this time it was a barbecue of chicken and ribs. Yum! The weather was cooperative. The rain stayed away. After dinner we gathered outside the lodge for a sunset hay ride. The tractor pulling the hay cart was an old Case tractor from the late 1940's. We were even joined by Karen and Dean's puppy.

When we got back to the lodge, we enjoyed cowboy Will Dudley, singing his ballads in front of the fire, while Karen and another ranch hand served steaming hot chocolate.

Sleep came easy!

North Fork Dude Ranch Birthday Vacation I

Hey Dudes!

We decided to spend the weekend doing something different while in Colorado. After considerable research, we focused on a dude ranch; definitely a change. The research showed that the best reviews were received by the North Fork Ranch in Shawnee, about an hour's drive from Stapleton in Denver.

We arrived just after 3pm on Friday, after an easy drive from Denver. The appearance of the ranch was an eye-opener. It was exactly as we would have imagined a ranch to look like, but the magnificent setting on the banks of the river looking at a mountain covered with trees and rocks was unexpected. The wooden buildings were immaculate.

We were greeted by a cowgirl, who turned out to be the daughter of the owners, Dean and Karen. We immediately felt the warmth and personal attention that was to become one of the highlights of the too short time we spent with them on their ranch. She gave us the tour, showing us their office/residence, our spacious, comfortable room in the main lodge, the open kitchen, the honor store and the rest of the facility. There were some others sitting on the porch overlooking the grass lawns leading to the river. We sat there enjoying a welcome cool drink, while waiting for our daughter and her husband to arrive from Denver. A sense of peace settled over us as we left the hustle of the city behind, even though we were only sixty miles away.

Once the rest of our family had arrived and settled in, with the usual tour, we took a gentle stroll around the ranch, getting to feed some of the horses in the paddock. We sat down for an early 6.30pm dinner. There were three tables set in the lodge. We were joined at the dinner tables by one of the ranch hands who acted as a very gracious host. Stephen answered all the questions we had about our stay with a sense of humor. We discussed our families, feeling very at home. The meal was delicious, being a "Thanksgiving Dinner" with turkey and all the usual trimmings. Dean joined us before dessert to explain all the activities over the next few days. he was relaxed and treated us all as if we were his honored guests.

The, lo and behold, out came the chef Stephanie, with a delicious birthday cake for Ingrid's birthday. What fun! It was a very pleasant surprise, making us feel even more welcome. Thanks dudes!

After dinner, we sat on the porch while the sun set, listening to the river rushing along, while drinking a hot drink. When darkness had set in, we returned to the lodge for a friendly board game before retiring for the night.

This is going to be a wonderful vacation!!

Costa Rica Birthday Vacation V

A hectic amazing day in Costa Rica.

Earle was picked up at 5.50am to go birding. After and early breakfast, the four of us (less Earle) were picked up at 8am to go to the rainforest for a guided walk. It was fascinating. We walked through the dense foliage and over eight suspension bridges. Some were among the forests, while others were above the jungle canopy. We saw many varied birds, incredible flora and a host of insects. The walk took three hours.

We met Earle at the walk entrance. After a light snack, we put on the necessary climbing gear to go on the zip line canopy tour. My mom stayed behind, relaxing and reading her book.

We traversed the fourteen zip-lines, hundreds of feet above the jungle floor. There was one line 600 yards long and another 1,000 yards long!! It was exhilarating while still affording us a beautiful view above the rain forest.

There was also an optional "Tarzan Swing", which is like a bungee jump. The other three opted out. I was the only one to take full advantage. As I am sending you this e-mail, I obviously survived.

We asked them to drop us off at the Quaker Cheese Factory. We had ice-cream there and then walked to the Chocolate factory. We got a free tour, which was very interesting. We drank cappuccino's there and then Gags (my mom) had a delicious empanada.

We walked to the CPI Spanish school. We met the lady that taught Lara and Daniel Spanish. She gave us a full tour of the school including its spacious comfortable on-site apartments.

We took a cab to town where the driver recommended a specific restaurant. It was slightly out of town. The food was the best we have had here. Although it was slightly more than normal ($60 for five of us), it was well worth it.

We returned at 8pm, a busy 12 hour tour.

Costa Rica Birthday Vacation IV

Today was a travel day.

We were picked up at 7.40am. We drove a short distance to Lake Arenal where we boarded a boat. The 30 minute ride across the lake was relaxing and enjoyable. There were about 12 people on the boat. We saw some interesting birds while on board.

We then got into a minivan to drive to Monteverde. The roads were horrendous. We could only make around 20mph. The scenery, however, was wondeful; rolling hills, green valleys, little towns, small forestsn coffee plantations and cool blue sky. We stopped after 40 minutes of bone jarring, bumpy travel for a bathroom break and some coffee. We also took the opportunity to buy some tours because we were told it would be less expensive there; BS, it was exactly the same! The coffe was made the traditional Costa Rican way through a standing filter. It was delicious.

We endured the next 40 minutes before we arrived in San Elena. We were dropped off at the wrong place. Earle and I had to wander down the hill to find our hotel. It wasn't far.

After settling in, we walked the short distance to the town centre. It is a backpackers' paradise. The Treehouse restaraunt is very pretty, but pretty expensive, so we had a look and left. On the advice of a local, we ate empanadas at a kiosk in the town. The food was amazing. We would never have thought to eat anything there.

We then walked to the small part of town where Lara and Daniel stayed. We decided to come back there for dinner at the Soda Sobar Tipico. We then walked back to our hotel, but stopped at a coffee bar where we saw them roasting the coffee beans. It turns out that the owner is an American expat, married to a Costa Rican. We will return to try the coffee.

We then went to a coffee tour at La Trapiche. I thought it was going to be a rip off and a waste of time. It was fantastic! It is a family owned and run coffe plantation. They showed us the entire process from growing the coffee to processing, grading and roasting the coffee. They also showed us the same detail for sugar cane. They gave us coffee, local foods made from other plants on their farm and juice. It was most informative and enjoyable.

We raced back to our hotel, where we were picked up for a wondrous night tour of the rain forest. In a small group we walked through the forest seeing birds, huge rodents, sloths, frogs, insects and even a baby python, which we got to pick up and handle.

We were dropped off at the Soda Sabor Tipico. We took with two young Americans we met on our adventurous drive that morning. The food was excellent, the service was friendly and the prices were considerably lower than in the main town. The entire meal for five of us with shared starters, a main course each, two beers and three mixed fruit drinks was $40!!

We took a cab back to the hotel and passed out exhausted!

Costa Rica Birthday Vacation III Celebration

Ingrid & I got up early to prepare the breakfast table decorations for Earle's birthday. The hotel even gave is Tres Leches birthday cake. It was a most enjoyable breakfast, sitting looking atthe beautiful scenery and flora.
After breakfast we took a cab to La Fortuna Catarata ( waterfalls). We walked down the 600 plus stairs. It was well worth it. The waterfall was magnifico. Earle and I swam in the pool under the waterfall. It was pretty wild. Ingrid and Jackie paddled in the edges of the calmer pools. As we got to the top of the steps on the way back up again. We saw some Toucans in the trees.

We walked a short way to a wonderful little "smoothie bar" where we had some refreshments.

The afternoon was spent relaxing at our amazing hotel, with great views of the volcano. We swam in the hot springs until a thunderstorm drove us out of the water.

The evening celebrations took place at a very different "steakhouse" called El Nuvillo. It was off the normal tourist route. It was basically a large shack without walls. The staff could not have been friendlier. The tipico (typical local) food was delicious. Again we celebrated Earle's birthday with cake and candles, except this time the cake was bananas foster, flambed with pineapple.

Another day in paradise.

Costa Rica Birthday Vacation II

We were picked up at 07.05am to depart for the Arenal Volcano. It was a huge good bus for about eight of us. The drive was pretty, but very slow and winding with heavily potholed areas.

We stopped at the Love Cafe, which turned out to be run by Israelis. It was vegetarian kosher. We had coffee there before proceeding to Arenal. We reached our hotel, the Arenal Springs, at about 10.30am.

As our rooms weren't ready, we went to the hot springs while Earle and Jackie wandered around the property looking for tropical birds.

In the afternoon, Gags (Adele), Earle and Jackie went for a guided nature walk. Ingrid and I walked up the road. We saw a sloth, many leaf cutter ants and some hawks.

In the evening we went into town, where we shad dinner at a Soda used by the locals, two blocks off the main drag. It was terrific.

We returned to the hotel where we swam in the hot springs before retiring for an earlyish night.

Costa Rica Birthday Vacation I

A good first day in Costa Rica. We got to the airport and found the security line was huge. Luckily we got through the Elite section in about ten minutes. Then I discovered I had left my laptop at home... Oops! Too bad.

Breakfast in the Presidents Club was good. The flight was excellent in a brand new plane.

We were met at the airport and escorted to our hotel, the Doubletree Cariari. Nice hotel. We dropped our bags and took a cab downtown. We negotiated a rate of $17 down from the listed $23.

We got off at the Mercado Centrale, where we wandered around. Eventually we found a Soda (small informal restaurant) in the market where we samples the local food, the Casados. It was fun.

We then walked through downtown for a while to the hotel El Presidente. We will be staying there on our return to San Jose. We negotiated a driver to take us to the orthodox shul. Security to get in was very interesting. After shul, the same driver picked us up and dropped us at our hotel.

We just made the free drinks and snacks in the executive lounge. It definitely pays to be a club member.

Early night before an early start to Arenal.