Day 1

Eric and I started out the funnest day we've had since our honeymoon by renting mountain bikes and taking Ella on a long run down the Vail River. First of all, the people in Vail are MUCH nicer and dog friendly than they are in Parker. I don't know what it is but people love dogs in Vail so much more than they do in Denver. Ergo, having Ella off leash but with her shock collar on was less stressful because people didn't mind! She was so obedient and loved running along the bike path. We took numerous stops in the river for a quick swim and cool off. The 6 miles we rode with Ella were the 6 funnest miles of our lives with her.

Us trying to get Ella to pose- by the end of the trip we had

passersby commenting on how well our dog poses.

We then took Ella home and let her onto the hotel bed. The hotel we stayed in was one of the few to allow dogs. It wasn't a fancy hotel but it served its purpose and we loved it. So did Ella. She was hesitant and awkward about being on the bed because she isn't allowed on our bed at home, but on this vacation she was treated like a queen.

After some delicious homemade sandwiches, Eric and I hopped on the gondola with our bikes. This was the first time we have ever been mountain biking. I was a nervous wreck inside. Eric was just so happy to try this new challenge. After braking all the way down the first 1/2 mile of the 7 mile descent I said "screw-this" and ripped it down the mountain, of course to follow Eric's suit. Mountain biking is the bomb! It rivals skiing it's that much fun. We were going so fast and the bumpy mountain was shaking our arms so hard that the underside of our elbows were indescribably itchy. But an itchy body and bruised palms were well worth the fun and exhilaration.

After our mountain biking we returned the bikes and got back on the gondola. We were headed to a BLUEGRASS CONCERT! For those of you who don't know me well, bluegrass is one of my FAVORITE music genres and I was in heaven hearing the music. There were hotdogs and hamburgers for $3 too- what more can you want in life, cheap food and good music. This was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Eric showing his disdain for pickles

The bluegrass band is under the yellow striped tent