Do you ever discover something so awesome that you want to tell everyone you know about it, but then at the same time you don't want to tell anyone because you want to keep it just for yourself?
That's how I feel about the house rental we found in Dillon, Colorado.
We try to go away for a weekend in the mountains every winter, and this year my sister, my brother-in-law, and my mother-in-law (not to mention our dogs) all were keen for a weekend away as well, so we needed a couple few beds. We decided to try to keep it close to Denver so we didn't have to spend too much time in the car. We looked at ski condos in Breckenridge, Keystone, and Beaver Creek, but everything was either lackluster or super expensive.
But then I stumbled upon a house that was a bit farther from the ski resorts, all by itself on lots of acreage. It had the perfect number of beds for our group, so we decided to just book it.
It was the best decision. The house, "Moonrise Mine," was PERFECT. It's about 6 miles from Keystone, up a country road and a crazy driveway. We felt worlds away from the city, even though it took less than 2 hours to drive there. The owner, Erik, and his wife built it themselves over a few years, and everything has that one-of-a-kind charm.
We enjoyed a weekend of snowshoeing and sledding on the property, making delicious meals in the well-equipped kitchen, playing many of their numerous board games, strumming musical instruments, and just relaxing on the comfortable furniture and beds.
Willa spent a lot time outside playing in the snow and exploring the property. One morning, she hiked with Dan all the way to the top of a ridge to see the view. I wish I could go back in time and tell an earlier version of myself not to worry that she didn't want to play in the cold snow. Times change!
We all really enjoyed spending time outside. The views were breathtaking you you truly felt like you were in the middle of nowhere. Dan and I got out one day to ski/snowboard at Keystone, which, as I mentioned, was just down the road. It was a really cold, cloudy day, so we didn't stay out as long as we might have in different conditions, but it was still so nice ski.
As always seems to be the case with these types of trips, it went by much to quickly. I can't wait to go back to this house someday...maybe in the summer for hiking. It was truly a special place!