Ever since, I have wanted to ride in one of those balloons.

Nearly 10 years later, I got my chance. A coworker invited me up for a ride with Fair Winds Hot Air Balloon Flights, and I jumped at the chance. Despite the fact that we had to be at the launch site at 5:45am. And despite the fact that Trent, my coworker, was a self-confessed acrophobe and this was his plan for “getting over” his fear of heights.

When we arrived at the launch site, in a field just west of Twin Lakes, there was a little table set up with pastries, coffee and juice. Families and couples milled around, alternatively smiling with anticipation and yawning. Jeff, the owner of Fair Winds, greeted all of us, had us sign release froms and divided us up among three crews on three separate balloons. He soon had several of us helping unfurl and inflate the balloons.

Our cheery pilot, Jeff

Before I knew it, we were all climbing in and lifting off the ground. To my surprise, my stomach did a little flip. I looked over at Trent, who had his eyes closed and was taking deep breaths. But then, as we lifted up higher and could look out over the trees and around at the other balloons rising (there were six or seven others), it was such a peaceful and beautiful scene that any twinge of fear I had subsided. Trent seemed to be having the same experience, now with his eyes open. The balloon floated up so gently that there was nothing to give me pause besides the breathtaking scenery.

Then we came upon the sight that I will never forget: the mirror-like Twin Lakes below, reflecting the two balloons at eye level in front of us, the sunlight filtering in behind the balloons from the East and lighting everything aglow. One of the balloons, a bright red one, dipped its basket into the water.

After that, we rapidly gained altitude, and the views expanded in all directions. Beneath us was all of Boulder Valley, the still-snowy mountains beyond and the Front Range to our east.

Jeff, one of the nicest and most exuberant people I have met, would give little exclamations of “yay!” and “all right!” as we ascended. He is masterful enough as captain that he can rotate the balloon to give each passenger a good look at the view they request.

We glided over farms, houses, mansions (lots of mansions), cows, prairie dog holes, Walden Ponds and the adjacent water treatment facilities, and several  little (and not-so-little) bodies of water that I didn’t know existed. I was shocked at how lush and green the lanscape was — not the mid-summer Colorado I thought I knew.

Up high, it was warm in the sun and next to the flame, and at times, we each fell silent to reflect on the views. Jeff noted that, looking out over the foothills and mountains, he sometimes imagines what it must have been like for early explorers who travelled by horse or wagon to come upon all this remarkable beauty. And from up high, it felt like we were discovering it anew ourselves.

Eventually, we drifted down south of Empire Road in Louisville, near the Colorado Tech Center. We had a fairly smooth landing, thanks to the chase crew who met us there and guided us in. Trent looked glad to be on solid ground again, but exhaled and said, “That was so much easier than I thought it would be.” I gave him a congratulatory pat on the back.

We all helped pack up and then were carted back to the launch site in a nice, big van. Everyone was giddy and talkative. Back in the liftoff field, we gathered round for goodie bags and a send off from Jeff and the crews. Looking around at the happy faces, it was clear everyone had a great time. I left grinning ear to ear, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.

Looks like GoLite is taking their sales on the road, with several “pop-up” events.

There’s one starting in Boulder tomorrow morning. Check it out.

1. Glide Around the Ice Rink at One Boulder Plaza

Each winter, the little courtyard at One Boulder Plaza becomes a delightfully old-timey ice rink, complete with music, twinkling lights and an oval shape. Okay, it’s no Rockefeller Center, but it’s usually not very crowded and is fun to hook arms with your sweetie and take a leisurely spin. On Tuesdays, if you bring a can of food to donate, you’ll get discounted admission!

2. Sip a Steaming Cup of Tea at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

Boulder’s lovely teahouse, located downtown (very near the Ice Rink at One Boulder Plaza), was a gift from our sister city, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. It was shipped here in pieces and assembled in the late 90s. Inside, trickling fountains, leafy plants and intricately carved and painted walls and ceilings make an exotic winter escape. Order a little pot of tea from the menu of more than 80 flavors, sit back and warm up as you admire the artwork that is this unique building.

3. Get Cozy Inside a Warm Brewpub

Much to the dismay of my waistline, wintertime always has me craving hearty fare. Maybe a big basket of onion rings, a batch of warm, freshly baked pretzels or a cup of cheesy soup. Boulder’s brewpubs are the place to go for this kind of stick-to-your-ribs sustenance. And best of all, you can wash it all down with a handcrafted beer. Perhaps a pint of Buff Gold at The Walnut Brewery, Java Porter at Mountain Sun or Feisty Fiddler IPA at the Boulder Draft House. Or you might opt to go on the Boulder Brew Bus tour to experience Boulder’s legendary microbreweries on a deeper level.

4. Stretch to New Limits with Hot Yoga

Boulder might just have as many yoga studios as Seattle has coffee shops. There’s one on every corner. And one winter-friendly trend among them is Birkram and hot yoga classes, where the room is typically heated to over 100 degrees. The warmth allows muscles to really stretch and your body to detoxify through sweat — which feels surprisingly wonderful in the middle of winter. Yoga Pod and CorePower Yoga are two Boulder studios that offer hot yoga.

5. Take Advantage of Sunny Days with Winter Hiking

Okay, let’s face it. Even though it can be a bit chilly here, Boulder’s average temperature during the heart of winter is somewhere around 46-49 — not exactly arctic conditions. There are enough mild days to make it possible to get out and hike or snowshoe just about anytime of year. One of my favorite winter trails is the Shanahan Trail, starting at the Cragmoor Road trailhead. A relatively easy loop takes you through open meadows and pine forests, with beautiful views of the Flatirons.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy Boulder in wintertime?

You won’t see any “Bless This Home” wooden plaques or teddy-bear adorned quilts at this particular craft market. Boulder’s crafters have really upped the hip factor on handmade goods, and the dozens of vendors at today’s Firefly Handmade Holiday Market (happening all weekend in the Boulder Co-Op space at Pearl and 19th) is proof.

The creativity and quality at this show was staggering. The only problem? These savvy crafters know they’ve got a good thing going, and consequently, the prices reflect it. But if you’re looking for truly unique, one-of-a-kind, locally made gifts — and you’re willing to drop a little more for quality — make sure you stop by tomorrow between 10am and 3pm.

I’m also eight months pregnant, and late nights in front of the laptop just don’t happen much anymore.

I’m hoping that my approaching new-parent status will inspire me to write more about my adventures in Boulder from new perspectives. In fact, I thought I’d start right now.

During this long, hot summer, during which I’ve swelled to the size of a hippopotamus, I have discovered new, pregnant-friendly places in Boulder (I now know all the best restrooms on Pearl Street, for instance).

I wanted to tell you about one special place, in particular, that tops my list: A Mellow Mood spa. Billing itself as a “family spa,” A Mellow Mood specializes in prenatal and postnatal spa treatments by miracle worker Heather Lynn. She’s one of those people who you’re around for one minute before you’re smiling and realizing her infectiousness has transformed your mood. Not only is she just a sweet gal, but her knowledge of the pregnant body and how to position it just right for a joint-relieving, muscle-reviving massage (LOTS of squishy pillows are involved) is also unmatched. She’ll even give baby an in-utero massage, if you choose.

What makes A Mellow Mood a “family” spa? On-the-spot childcare is available for parents who need some pampering but can’t find a babysitter. There are plenty of other special touches, too, including freshly baked cookies to top off your already delicious spa treatment.

In these last days of my pregnancy, I’m hoping to make it back to Heather Lynn for a final pampering session before, well, everything changes. I’m also hoping to make a few more blog posts, but if the little one has other plans, then I’ll see you sometime…on the other side.

Reminder: For the best deals, you need to get there first thing on opening day, Friday, April 23. See ya there!

Oh glorious spring! You’re finally here!

Saturday was the first day of the Boulder Farmers’ Market, a sure signal that spring has arrived and summer is just around the bend.

There were just a few people there to check it out.

Aside from a wee bit of wind, it was a lovely, sunny spring day. Vendors had lots of young seedlings, lettuce and other early crops for sale.

Abbondanza farms had a particularly large bounty, including a precious selection of eggs in unusual colors — aqua, powder blue, amber, brown and apricot. (Unusual, that is, to those of us who didn’t grow up around hens.)

They were steeply priced at $7 a dozen, but I’ve been searching for a small, local source for eggs (If you’ve read anything about the poultry industry, you know that “cage-free, vegetarian fed” doesn’t mean a whole lot when you’re talking about grocery store eggs), so I sprung for a half dozen to try them out. What the heck; it was the day before Easter!

Photo by Eric Gray.

Photo by Eric Gray.

The next day, I couldn’t resist snapping a few pics of the prized eggs before we fried them up for breakfast.

They were delicious and had bright orange yolks, just as promised by the Abbondanza fellow at the market.

I’m so looking forward to a long season of discovering more treasures at the farmers’ market!