Not seeing our Colorado contingent as often as I’d like, I made plans for a long-weekend visit which brought me to the Raleigh-Durham Airport on a Thursday morning in mid-September. This time, I zipped through both the CLEAR and TSA PreCheck security screenings in just a few short minutes, leaving me plenty of time to stop by the United Club across from Gate D3. A very friendly agent greeted me at the entrance and I literally had the Club to myself being only one of six people in the entire space. What a treat! There were plenty of choices available on the breakfast buffet, including Fruit, Yogurt, Cereal, Eggs, Sausage, Breakfast Potatoes, Bagels, Toast and Muffins, along with several meats and cheeses. Surprisingly, I couldn’t locate any Orange Juice, but there were a number of Coffee and Tea options available to guests. It was very quiet in the Club on that morning and was an ideal way in which to spend some productive time while waiting for my Denver flight.
Boarding began promptly at 9:47 AM and we pushed back on time some 40 minutes later. I occupied aisle Seat D in Row 8 as no First Class mileage seats were available for these non-stop flights, but I was eligible for complimentary United Economy Plus seats both to and from Denver. One of the advantages of flying in Economy Plus is the additional legroom it offers. Seats in United's Economy Class cabin have 31 inches of legroom and a width of 17.3 inches. But, while United's Economy Plus seats have the same width, they have 37 inches of legroom, equating to six extra inches. Unfortunately, that did little to make for a pleasant flight. The young lady seated next to me in the middle seat repeatedly turned around, facing in my direction and brushing my shoulder to address the gentleman who was seated directly behind her in Row 9. She began every exchange with the words, “Hey Babe.” Besides the annoyance of her constant seat shifting and shoulder rubbing, I could hear the banality of her drivel quite clearly through my AirPods. And, if that weren’t enough, after a time, he would reach through the space between our seats in order to rub her shoulder. “Dear God, help me” I prayed, as I sorely missed flying in the forward cabin for what turned out to be a very long three-hours!
Thankfully, things improved dramatically after landing. We touched down early at 11:42, but my Peak One Express Shuttle to Frisco wasn't leaving until 1:00 PM. I decided to use the extra time and stop for lunch at the newly refurbished United Club on the B Concourse next to Gate 44, rather than wait outside for an hour. And I’m so glad I did. To my surprise, Oscar Munoz, former Chairman of United Airlines, was conducting a book signing right outside the Club entrance. Oscar was the Chief Executive Officer at United Airlines from 2015 until 2020 and then served as Executive Chairman of the airline’s Board of Directors until 2021. His recent book is titled Turnaround Time: Uniting an Airline and Its Employees in the Friendly Skies. We chatted for a few minutes and he then penned a thoughtful and personal message in my copy before kindly agreeing to pose for a photograph. After our exchange, I was smiling as I ascended the escalator up to the first level of the renovated Club. It’s now United’s largest airport lounge in the world, spanning 35,000 square feet across three levels featuring more than 600 seats. On the entry level, a beautiful, full-wall gas fireplace sets this Club apart from its peers. Its enhanced amenities include free, high-speed Wi-fi, self-scan entry gates for seamless Club access, agent-on-demand kiosks for any travel planning guests may require and wellness rooms. It also serves premium culinary offerings with local flair and features large lounges on two levels to accommodate guests. The new Club reflected some of the $1 billion in upgrades United has committed to Denver, which also includes the planned opening of 12 new airline gates in mid-2024.
The Peak One Express shuttle left the airport on schedule. After a quick one hour and 40 minutes, I was the first passenger to be dropped off when we arrived in Frisco at the AC Hotel. This 133-room service hotel caters primarily to business and solo travelers. Along with EDITION Hotels, the brand is part of Marriott's strategy to attract millennials, which was evident to me with the fluorescent-light vibe present throughout the public spaces like the AC Lounge and AC Kitchen on the Lobby Level. But, that didn’t much matter after checking in with the super-friendly agent at the front desk. I soon settled into my spotless 305 square-foot king-bedded room on the second of three floors. It featured complimentary WI-fi, a 55-inch LCD television, writing desk, in-room safe and plenty of outlets and USB ports near the nightstands. Unfortunately, the bathroom amenities like soap, shampoo and conditioner were affixed to the shower walls in a trio of multi-use plastic containers I just won’t use these as they’re easily opened and can fall prey to tampering. Luckily, the front desk receptionist supplied me with additional bars of soap and the extra clothes hangars I needed. Later that afternoon, I caught up with family and we enjoyed an evening meal together at the Uptown on Main Restaurant in Frisco as the sun was beginning to set over the Rocky Mountains. This local favorite has been family owned and operated for the past 26 years being originally converted from an old tire shop in 1997. It has since become a staple in the High Country offering mid-priced entrées in a relaxed and congenial atmosphere.
We drove over 100 miles in a southeasterly direction on Friday to Cañon City in order to take a ride on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. It was worth it. Our trip began at the historic downtown Santa Fe Depot, where we departed for a spectacular ride along with winding Arkansas River, complete with dramatic views of the 1,000-foot granite cliffs that towered above our train. The 1950s-era train made a two-hour excursion run of 24-miles round trip along a famous section of the former Denver and Rio Grand Western Railroad. We traveled right through the dramatic Royal Gorge beneath the famous Hanging Bridge, built in 1929 for visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of this geologic wonder. And to top it off, we had seats in the First Class Dining Car for a locally-sourced lunch with just the right amount of commentary from our knowledgeable server. On the return journey to Cañon City, we took in the scenery from the open-air observation car which soon stopped beneath America’s highest suspension bridge constructed some 956 feet above the Arkansas River. This excursion proved to be a fun family activity, which also helped to satisfy our eight-year old grandson’s love of trains and travel on the rails.
Our granddaughter was busy that weekend attending her first Homecoming on that particular Saturday, so she and our daughter-in-law busied themselves with all the necessary preparations. That left we three gents to spend the day together in the wonderful town of Breckenridge, known for its luxe ski resort, stunning mountain scenery and endless recreation. This former mining town is lined with hundreds of restaurants, shops, and saloons and attracts visitors from around the world on a year-round basis. It was quite a busy place as the Breckenridge Film Festival was taking place that weekend. While our grandson played in the parks and his dad kept watch, I found time to visit the Breckenridge Welcome Center Museum, which offered a variety of exhibits, interactive displays and short films highlighting the town’s colorful history from time of the Native Ute people to today’s Twenty-first Century residents. Later we stopped at The Crown, a comfortable, wood-accented coffee bar also serving baked goods, sandwiches and cocktails. We shared a hummus plate served with carrots, celery and flatbread that served to quell our afternoon hunger pains. That evening, before our daughter-in-law was called upon to act as chauffeur for the girls, the four of us dined at Frisco’s Nueva Vallarta Family Mexican Restaurant. Here we savored tasty meals from an extensive menu served by a friendly waiter providing excellent service.
The Blue Moon Bakery in nearby Silverthorne beckoned to us on Sunday morning. Their extensive menus made choosing breakfast entrées a rather difficult task, but once our selections were made, I understood why they’ve become so well known for their down-home good food and delicious baked goods. It was a beautiful sunny day with blue skies and mild temperatures in the 70s. We took advantage of the excellent weather and headed over to the Dillon Marina, where my family had made reservations for a two hour pontoon boat rental on the Dillon Reservoir, which is commonly referred to as Lake Dillon. The marina offers boaters an opportunity to explore the 26 miles of shoreline nestled in the Rocky Mountains from what they claim to be“the world’s highest deep-water marina.” The large, fresh water reservoir has an average depth of 79 feet and a surface elevation of 9,017 feet above sea level, which means it’s high, deep and cold. In the early 1950s, the Denver Water Board decided to use the town of Dillon to build what is now the largest water storage facility in the Denver area. The entire population of Dillon, Colorado had to relocate before construction began in 1961. Now, the Dillon Reservoir holds over 257,000-acre ft of water (1 acre ft. = 325,851 galons). That Sunday proved to be perfect day for a leisurely boat ride with family to explore that beautiful lake.
Sadly, it was time to depart for the airport on Sunday afternoon and my Peak One Express Shuttle was on time for departure, although we did hit a bit of bumper-to-bumper traffic near the Eisenhower Tunnel. I checked into the Westin Hotel at the airport for the evening in order to make the early morning United flight back to the Raleigh Airport. And so another first-rate family weekend came to a close with a host of great memories of fun times with loved ones.
Until next time…safe travels.
Next time we meet I am going to touch you on the shoulder and say "Hey Babe" just to remind you of this story ! Still, the trip sounds like it was worth the discomfort 😄
Sounds like a great time was had by all family members. Meeting Oscar must have been such a treat for you of all people! Glad your trips continue, and you can share them with us who travel so little!