2023: Mountains or Beach?
Mountains or Beach? What brings you a sense of peace, a sense of adventure, a sense of calm, a sense of joy, and a perfect vacation? I’ve asked this question before, but now it’s two years later and we have new people reading the blog so it should be asked again. While I certainly love to relax at a beautiful beach for a few hours, to look at the sunset or sunrise over the ocean, eventually I’ll get bored. There’s only so much sitting and relaxing I can do. For me, the mountains are IT, and that’s why I escaped to Colorado for an 8 day vacation in June. We basically spent 6 full days there, three days in Rocky Mountain National Park and three days in Colorado Springs (plus 2 half-days traveling). We hiked several amazing beautiful trails, we explored, we drove on Trail Ridge Road in RMNP, we drove to the top of Pikes Peak, we went to natural hot springs, and we climbed 2768 steps up the Manitou Incline. And guess what? It was FUN!
I love being able to see different scenery, see the snow at the top of the mountains, climb up rocks, hike over snow, fall in snow, jump over creeks, see wildlife and so much more. I told my son he should “take pictures with his eyes” and appreciate the views (which I know he did). While the eyes make a permanent memory, I certainly filled up my cell phone and Nikon camera (300mm zoom lens) with plenty of great photos as well.
While in Estes Park we ran in a 5k race, running around a beautiful lake (at 7500+ feet elevation) and did plenty of hiking and walking during the week as well. I was a little bit concerned going into the vacation since I wasn’t sure how my knee would feel. Many of you know that I’ve spent 40+ years doing triathlons & running, but have really cut back the past two years, somewhat due to knee pain and also due to just being busy. However (knock on wood), my knee felt strong and I felt no pain. I was (am) so relieved.
I know a big part of that is because of the strength training I have done during the past two years, just lifting weights, doing yoga and isometric exercises, and keeping my running to no more than 30-45 minutes. I’ve been getting massaged every month & getting adjusted every week. I know that keeping my body healthy and moving is what’s helping, along with healthy eating as well. Always remember that taking care of your body should be (has to be) a priority in your life. If you don’t take care of your body now, where are you going to live later?
Mountains or beach? Let me know! If you want to see photos, check out our social media pages on Sunday as that’s where they will be posted.
Dr. Pam
