A Wedding In The Clouds
GASP. Gulp. Gaaaaaaasp.
Have you ever woken up at 3am gasping for air? How about hearing Beyoncé blaring, begin to dance, only to sit down 45 seconds later? Been standing, minding your business when suddenly you realize you HAD to pee 3 minutes ago and now you're going to burst (we'll explain later). That's what 9k feet above sea level feels like. You look around and see everyone carrying on about their daily lives while you're like, "this is the end. this is how I die..."
Ok, we're being slightly dramatic but only slightly.
We just returned from a weekend wedding getaway in Winter Park, Colorado. Located about 2 hours from the city of Denver, Winter Park sits a full 9,000 feet above sea level. That would be fine if you live there but can prove to be a bit tricky ascending in a day from LA's 0 feet above sea level.
When you plan your travel, be smarter than us and try to stay at a medium elevation, like Denver's 5k feet, for a night to slowly acclimate. You'll maybe still feel the effects of altitude but there's less of a chance for a full blown panic attack.
Once you're there a few things to keep in mind, first - drink a lot of water! The altitude pushes water through you, literally. It's also more or less a desert climate. So you'll be dehydrated by the air and by your body freaking out about having no oxygen. All of this combined makes your pee schedule very unpredictable. Suddenly you're an almost to term pregnant person adjusting your entire day around where the nearest bathroom is.
Second, eat carbs. Yes, eat them! No time for swimsuit bodies here. Your body needs them to help transmit oxygen all around - if it makes you feel better, add in foods high in potassium like brussels sprouts (so healthy).
Third, GOOGLE. We survived, but we're also not doctors. Do us a big favsies and google actual information about altitude sickness and avoiding it.
ALL OF THAT ASIDE
Winter Park is a stunning place full of things to do, and beautiful things to look at.
For Food
We recommend the Mountain Rose Café. If you want to be healthy, you can get the eggs your way with a cup of greek yogurt (like Cristian) OR if you're paranoid about altitude sickness and need the carbs you can be like Corey and get the Aint Skairt of no Carbs (psa: it's not healthy)
For Fun
Depending on how you're feeling, re: altitude, you should rent some bikes and tour the town. There are also some pretty awesome biking trails in the area all of which requires fairly minimal energy output - so great if you're feeling a bit under the weather. MUST GO TO ALPINE SLIDE! It's only $20 and worth the ride up the chairlift. We were harassed by the guy at the top for being the oldest people on the slide, but...psh... we don't care. Fun is Fun and this was FUN.
Kudos if you ride your bikes to the alpine slide.
Note: the Children ^^
The Perk The Perk ended up being our go-to coffee spot in town. Full Disclosure... they have tiny straws.
All in all, if you play it safe, eat a lot of carbs and drink a lot of water (and don't mind the occasional "I can't breath" moment) then you'll love Winter Park, Colorado. If that's a little too intense, you could always just stay in Denver.... Word on the street is that's a pretty great city too! :P
