Our original plan to meet Jen and family in Crested Butte was thwarted when Czarek got called for jury duty. Jen chose to come alone with Ela. Not wanting her to make the 4 hr drive from Denver to CB by herself, we volunteered to pick her up in Denver. The plan became more complicated as she had to return her rental car. We left Basalt at 8 am consolidating our luggage to make space for Jen, Ela (with car seat) and their bags.
The 3 hr drive went quickly as we passed much of the same road we had covered in the last week.
Arriving at her hotel downtown, I stayed with Ela while Ray went with her to gather the car seat and load up the car. We waited a couple of hours in the room and lobby as she drove to the Denver Airport and returned by train. Packed to the roof, we set off on what felt like an eternity. Driving long distance with a baby, we realized, is not like a couple’s roadtrip. Making stops prolongs the drive and the altitude changes made Ela’s ears uncomfortable. She was a trooper but the last hour was difficult for her and we all felt so sad for her. We stopped for dinner at a pizza pasta restaurant in Gunnison and she became her cherry self again.
We finally arrived at the vrbo at dusk. Ela at 9 months is a total delight, crawling with glee around exploring all the rooms. We had a few hitches- the house did not have ac, but we were able to cool it down by opening windows. The pack and play turned out to be a large playpen without sheets, but we made do and called it a night.