living the resort life

so yeah - the day after the bean and MIL took off for texas, the hub and i headed out for an adventure of our own.  he'd been invited by a client on one of their annual appreciation weekends out in colorado springs at the broadmoor resort.  neither of us had ever been there, so we were excited for what would also turn into a nice weekend-long date...something we hadn't done in a VERY long time.

i finally got rid of a souvenir i'd been hanging onto for a week:

airplane selfie!

then we sat there for what seemed like forever, looking out the window at this:

and then something odd - neither of us had ever seen a car drive right up to an airplane before.  it was a commercial flight, so i couldn't imagine what sort of VIP it could have been delivering.

the flight was easy and uneventful, just like we like it.  and before we knew it, we were there.

after retrieving our luggage, we found our way to the resort's booth to check in and receive our shuttle tickets.  yeah, the place has its own designated spot in the airport.  fancy schmancy.

colorado is very green, yo.  we don't have this much green in drought-ridden cali.  and whenever you do spot green, you figure that either they've busted out the spray paint, or deserve to be smacked upside the head for using up precious water.

our first glimpse of the broadmoor resort:

we managed to arrive just in time to catch the tail end of the luncheon buffet that was laid out in one of the restaurants for us.  after an early morning and delays at the airport, we were pretty stinking hungry.

check-in was easy breezy, and in no time we were happily settling in to our fabulous room.

check this out, though - i pulled open a drawer in the bathroom and found this:

and when i pushed the power button and looked up...

that's right, people.  there was a TV IN THE MIRROR.  freaking genius, man.  i so want one of those in my house!  because who doesn't get bored as hell standing around drying one's hair, or brushing one's teeth?  so handy, right?  i thought so.  of course, the hub just rolled his eyes at me.  typical.

if you've read any of my previous posts about client outings like this, you'll know they usually entail some sweet perks - usually in the form of at least one visit to the spa.  and with a 4:00 massage appointment for each of us, we had time to stroll the grounds a bit before checking in.

i know i'm not supposed to take pictures in a spa, but i had to sneak a couple.  i made sure no one else was around, of course.  duh.

in case you needed instructions on how to spa:

i liked the comfy sandals i was given to wear.  yeah, baby.

here's where i spent the next 50 minutes, which went by in the blink of an eye.

and then i sat here for a few minutes afterwards to soak in a bit more relaxation.

the hub had just walked out of the men's locker room when i emerged, bleary-eyed and relaxed to the max.  we still had time before our group dinner, so we did a little more exploring.  the resort is really just gorgeous.

there's a library, where you can borrow a book to read in one of the many open lounges.

on a balcony overlooking the entry to our building, where we'd been dropped off by the shuttle earlier.  i bet it's like disneyland around christmastime, when they light up the trees and decorate the entire place.

as we strolled down the walkways and between the buildings, we found shops and a cafe to grab a snack.  the hub chose something with fruit in it, while i went straight to the donut covered in oreo crumbs.

i sat outside at this fountain and ate my donut while the hub explored in one of the shops.

they had some really cool merchandise in there - very much the hub's style.  he wanted to buy the whole store and decorate the cigar lounge (and our house) with their wares.  we both liked the antique flags - this one was made by mary todd lincoln's cousin.

the shop was a cool mix of old and new, with fun pieces like antique megaphones, trophies, and golf clubs along with cufflinks made from old typewriter keys and pendants from antique door keys.

we finally tore ourselves out of there to take in more of the beauty of our surroundings.

back in our room, we did a quick change for dinner.

i'd seen the list of attendees in our handy-dandy travel wallet, but it hadn't occurred to me that that list was really long - the area set up for us was pretty large.

as always, there was an open bar.  and since it happened to be national tequila day, i decided to go for a margarita.  i mean, you gotta celebrate, right?

dinner was phenomenal.  we sat with a few of the hub's co-workers and their spouses, chatting and laughing and munching.  the buffet that was set out for us was really extensive, from sushi to grilled veggies with carving stations offering prime rib and lamb and turkey and pans of chafing dishes full of several different kinds of chicken and tons of sides, plus dessert.  we stuffed ourselves silly and enjoyed the cool weather, and then found ourselves at one of the oxygen bars.  after experiencing altitude issues up in the mountains the week before, i figured it couldn't hurt.

after parting ways with our companions, we opted out of the bowling and games and bars and decided to go back upstairs to get some sleep.  it'd been a long day and our plans for the next morning involved getting up early-ish.  when we got to our room, we found that housekeeping had paid us a visit with turndown service.

holy moly, that bed was comfy.  and the pillows satisfied even my picky husband.  and man, that was the best night's sleep either of us had had in a really long time.  like the mirror in the bathroom, i want that bed in my house!  

bon-adventures

so as i mentioned last week, the monkeys pointed the wans in the direction of free hotel rooms over the last couple of weeks. this weekend is the last of the special (and WeeMo has already blogged it anyway), so i've got the all-clear to post with a bit more detail.

the bonaventure is also rather proud of the fact that a bunch of movies have been filmed there.

the bean loved going past this fountain, shouting "buuuuub-ohhh!" every time.

the teen and her friend totally wanted to crash this place.

she settled for a bit of silliness instead.

the morning after stay #1.

taking a tip from the monkey, we headed to nickel diner for breakfast. we decided to walk,and although everyone else grumbled, i really didn't think it was that far away.

the inside featured really cute retro decor.

can you say "maple bacon donut"? i'd stuffed myself silly with spicy pork bbq hash, but i wasn't gonna pass up the chance to try this. i took it in a to-go box with the last of four red velvet donut holes we were given.

(btw, it wasn't all that fantastic. a basic donut with a light maple glaze, topped with bacon bits. it was good, but i was expecting something more awesome.)

for last weekend's stay, i managed to get a second room for my brother and o. and then the hub got his hands on four tickets to see the clippers at nearby staples center.

when we checked in, we got another room on one of the "preferred" levels. whee!

the room was exactly the same as the last, although in a different section of the tower.

and, the view was a bit different.

i didn't realize how close we were to the elevators until later that night, as i was changing into my pajamas and turned around to see that the drapes were wide open. oops. hopefully my pink boyshort-clad big ol' butt didn't offend anyone.

i was tempted to call housekeeping and ask for one of each of the things on the extensive list of crap they provided for free:

but i didn't. my brother and o headed over and we took off for the game.

we were awed at the spectacularly close seats we had. too bad it wasn't a laker game! and then we were amazed to find that the clippers were killing the competition. the clippers!

the bean was slightly less impressed.

the clippers spirit dance team. they changed outfits every ten minutes, it seemed.

but we were far more entertained by the clippers jr. jam squad. they were really good! even the bean enjoyed 'em.

and the game went on, shockingly with the clippers widening their lead even further.

as they prepared to play again after halftime, o and i were completely amused watching this player get stretched in the middle of the damn floor.

we finally decided to cut out of there a little early. the bean wasn't having it anymore, as she was teething and grumpy and tired. i was happy that the clippers actually won the game for a change.

the next morning, the hub had a meeting, so the rest of us got together and headed out to the nearby IHOP. my brother had a hankering for some german pancakes, and i was only too happy to go along with it. i must admit, though, i think mine are actually better. *gasp*

of course, i had some of this:

the still-teething and grumpy bean wanted nothing to do with any food.

on our walk back to the hotel, we came across the building that houses the offices where our parents met. we decided to take a cheesy commemorative photo - if not for this place, we wouldn't have ever known each other! and that would be a real tragedy.

the hub was already back from his meeting, and he was hungry. and you know me - i'm always game for food. hell, i'd already walked off my breakfast. haha! so we bid goodbye to my brother and o, and struck off for an old favorite:

it was lunchtime, and even on a sunday, this place was super busy.

the bean's patience ran out quickly, but she hung in there like a champ.

so we took our food to go, and ate it in the car on the way home. in doing so, we learned that it's the best way to get a bigger serving of lemonade than when we choose to dine while seated on one of their picnic-style tables.

after two weekends in a row of staying downtown, we blew off the chance at a free room for the last go-round of the special. but it was mucho fun!

thanks to mr. monkey, i now have my eyes peeled for more fun travel freebies! maybe we can have a fun, low-budget summer vacay. here's to hoping.