50+ Lifestyles

Post-Pandemic Adventures

By Mary Schricker Gemberling

Tuesday morning, July 7th we ventured out on our first major post-pandemic adventure. As many of you know, Gary and I love to travel. Since the onset of Covid-19 and the cancellation of most nonessential travel, we have been staying pretty close to home. We did sneak out of Illinois for a couple of quick camping trips to the Quad Cities to see family and friends, but otherwise, we have been contentedly hanging out on our screened porch.

Our final destination for this adventure was the Smith family reunion in Aztec, New Mexico. There was some trepidation on our part about going to New Mexico, as it was one of the states that had not lifted their two-week quarantine for incoming travelers. We imagined them letting us in, but not out a few days later to catch our flight back home. We all agreed that there were far better places to spend sequestered than in a hotel near the Albuquerque airport. But after a few phone calls, we were assured that since we were staying in Colorado and merely passing through New Mexico, the quarantine would not affect us. Our flight, via Salt Lake City, was pretty uneventful. As advertised the middle seats on the plane were vacant to promote social distancing, and everyone had masks on throughout the flight and in the airports. Our choices for food was limited in both the Salt Lake City and Albuquerque airports, but we managed to not go hungry.

We traveled with Gary’s daughter and family out of Minneapolis. Within minutes of arriving in Albuquerque, we were settled in our rented van heading to Colorado. About 9:00 PM we arrived at our hotel within walking distance of downtown Durango. Gary and I visited Durango last year and knew that it was a very walkable town with much to see and do.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the usual self-serve continental breakfast offered by the Fairfield Inn was reduced to unappealing pre-packaged muffins and biscuit sandwiches. To broaden our breakfast choices, Gary and I ventured into Durango to see what we could find. One morning we had fresh bagels with coffee; another day we took a morning walk along the beautiful Animas River to Jean Pierre’s bakery where we indulged in sinfully delicious pastries and rich black coffee.

On Friday, the three families staying at the Fairfield Inn decided to drive up to Purgatory Ski Resort. Gary’s daughter-in-law, Crystal is hospitality manager of the resort so she arranged for our afternoon entertainment. We had a great time riding the chair lift to the top for some outstanding shots of the San Juan Mountains, including Engineer and Needles. A couple of brave members of our group rode the alpine slide while the rest of us leisurely enjoyed afternoon cocktails in the cool mountain air. Friday evening we were joined by Gary’s son and family for a meal in downtown Durango. It was great having children who live in town as they have insider information about where to eat and shop.

The reunion on Saturday was hosted by Gary’s brother-in-law Barry Smith and his wife Jenny. Including the host and hostess nineteen people attended. The menu included barbecue ribs, brats, beans, corn on the cob, several salads and homemade cornbread, a staple in that part of the country. Dessert was a decorated cake celebrating a wedding, a 50th birthday, and graduation from nursing school. As is typical of July in the Southwest, the temperature was an oppressive 100 + degrees. And, even though we were all plenty warm, I have to say it was certainly tolerable; maybe there is something to this ‘dry heat’ concept?

On Sunday morning, our entire group, minus two, was ready to venture to higher elevations, not only as a respite from the heat, but to see more of the mountainous area surrounding Durango. With Greg and Crystal as our guides, we drove north to Ouray, Colorado, known as “The jeeping capital of the World “. The mountains and canyons surrounding Ouray are filled with some of the West’s most unforgettable scenery. In the 1800’s people were attracted by the rich ore buried in the hard rock of the San Juan Mountains. Today, the town which sits 12,000 feet above sea level is a picturesque setting of Victorian buildings amid a steep mountain backdrop. It is also home to fine restaurants, breweries, music and art shows, rare bird species, meadows of beautiful wildflowers, and magnificent waterfalls. On cooler days, Ouray Hot Springs Pool, with nearly one-million gallons of naturally heated water from deep in the earth, is a destination for people worldwide. After a delicious lunch and our phones and cameras full of unforgettable images we headed to Silverton, another well-known mountain town. Silverton is a National Historic Landmark, part of the San Juan Skyway (with the Million Dollar Highway) connecting Silverton to Ouray. Its claim to fame is also the summer destination for the Durango and Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad train ride. Unfortunately recent forest fires have temporarily shutdown the railroad. Silverton was established in 1874 and quickly became the social and economic center of the surrounding mining district. The mining boom lasted until the 1910’s; after World War II, tourism took hold as people visited the town for its scenery and history.

As the culmination event of our reunion weekend, Crystal and Greg, who live at the outskirts of Durango, invited us to their home for dinner. Crystal is an amazing cook and once again she did not disappoint. The first course was a charcuterie board followed by salad, French bread, steamed mussels and seafood paella. We all raised our glasses, not only to our talented chef, but to a great weekend filled with adventure. Next year’s reunion will be hosted by Gary’s daughter and husband in Rochester, Minnesota. I told her as we landed in Minneapolis on Monday night that she had better start planning soon, as after this year, we all had high expectations for future reunions!

Mary, a former educator and Seniors Real Estate Specialist, is the author of three books, The West End Kid, Labor of Love, and Hotel Blackhawk; A Century of Elegance.