Weekend Colorado Treks, More Doctors and a Real Vacation

After returning to Colorado, life went back to normal with work and semi-daily calls home so the family knew all was well with me. The only difference now was that I was waiting with great anticipation for July to come so I could take a vacation and rest from all the therapy and running around from trying to make life livable in my new world.

Everything seemed to be alright. Walking with the cane proved to be wonderful compared to the walker or the four point cane. Time spent with my friends, was as close to it had been before as it could be. I was driving my car and aside from a little pain while sitting, it was like it had been before as well. My mom had made my apartment very livable for my new special needs, and I was able to adapt easily.

Mom came out in July to see me and to help me get ready for vacation in Hawaii. With the couple of weeks we had, we used the weekends to tour Colorado a little and show mom some new things about the state I live in. First, mom and I took off for the western slope of Colorado. We headed out Hwy 50 with stops at the Royal Gorge and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison before heading north to Grand Junction for the night. The next morning we headed to the Colorado National Monument for a little tour. Then, we hit the road east heading home to rest and get ready for work the next day again. We packed a lot into a two day trip, and it was satisfying to have accomplished things that I hadn't even done before. It was exciting, but I was beginning to really pay a heavy price for all this fun.

The next weekend, I had never been on the Cog Railroad so we made our reservations and took off up the 14er (short for 14,000 ft. mountain top). We had a very bumpy ride. So much so, that my little pain while sitting in my car was now a big pain and constant. But, the view from the top of the mountain was beautiful and the air was cool and crisp.

I worked a couple more days of the week before it was time to head to the airport for my long awaited vacation. I was off to Hawaii again, but this time I didn't have a surgery looming over my head, just PET Scans and X-Rays for a check-up. I was going to be able to enjoy this trip, or so I thought.

Mom and I got to California, where dad picked us up at the airport. We were going to stay for a couple of days and then all of us were going to fly over to Hawaii together. First, I had to see my doctors and get those six month tests out of the way. All went very well and we were happy being on our way to Maui.

My cousins were going to come along this time too, with my little cousin (just married) coming over for a couple of days without her husband (how did that go over?).

I really like Maui. It is a great place to relax and unwind with the sounds of the ocean waves rolling in to shore, the cool trade winds blowing through the palm trees and the smell of freshly picked pineapples from the local fields on trucks heading for the processing plant. Plus, I get to spend a lot of time in the water to take the pressure off my hip area. It really is great therapy for me. I get a lot of exercise in the water just floating around for hours at a time.

My time out of the water this trip was mostly spent laying in bed on my stomach to give my tailbone a rest. I thought that my tailbone had been bruised from the Cog Railroad, but it turned out that wasn't the case. We went through two weeks of a great vacation with me on my stomach for half the time. I'd have to find out what was going on with my tailbone area and why the pain seemed to escalate. That would have to wait until I was back in Colorado and working again, because my test all came out clear.

I also spent my 40th birthday in Maui. we had a great dinner out at a place called the Lahaina Fish Company. It was a lot of fun having an ocean side table and being able to see the sunset for our dinner entertainment (aside from my families antics).

Time ended in Maui, and it was back to reality of the daily grind.

Next...a side journey to present day..."The Tide is High."

Question:
What is your favorite vacation spot to forget about your daily chores or work?