Colorado - Denver, Aspen

Since Ray and I were born we have gone to Colorado almost every year. We'd travel there for "ski trips" when our parents and the parents our closest family friends would take turns watching us in the ski lodge between runs.

Soon after we were skiing in harnesses, then being shepherded away to ski school with balloons taped to our shoulders indicating the ski level we'd accomplished.

We hadn't been to Colorado as a family since 2011, when Lindsay, our life-long friend, married Nate, the coolest guy in Colorado.

The brothers give their congratulations to the Bride and Groom, September 2011.

And, famously from the dance floor of the wedding, because I can't resist--

For better or worse, the best moment of my life.

Finally, in 2014, we made it back to Colorado.

Ray, having only just gotten back from Argentina, quickly threw his warm weather clothes aside, stuffed a suitcase full of ski apparel and headed out the door with the rest of us.

People asked us why we'd go to such a cold place for early Spring vacation.

Ray and I love Colorado. It is both of our favorite state-- the place other than New York we've been the most and where both of us went to school in 2005 and 2007 respectively at the High Mountain Institute. For us, returning with the family was a true blessing.

The trip couldn't have come at a better time. Each of us felt like he/she had been working like a dog...

A day at the office for the McGaugheys

At times we had unseasonably bad weather

But fortunately we hadn't planned a beach vacation

Because bad snow meant good skiing

And we love skiing.

In all the years we've been going to Colorado we've never been to Aspen. We're traditionally a Copper Mountain family. Aspen has always seemed inaccessible to us-- too expensive, exclusive and far away. This time, however, we got an offer we couldn't refuse. Our dear friend Pat offered up her family's place, an unbelievable cabin five miles outside of town. 

The three story cabin may have been the most luxurious place we've stayed on vacation, complete with private rooms for each of us, a sauna and a creek in the backyard.

For anyone who hasn't been to Aspen, "town" looks like this--

If only a city block in Brooklyn ended with a ski mountain...

The best part about our trip to Aspen-- even better than the 20" of fresh powder that fell while we were there-- was getting to spend so much time together as a family.

Ray takes a "selfie"

Dave drinks mate

Family Unite!

All smiles as we return to the grind in NYC. Colorado was an amazing trip, from seeing our wonderful friends to spending quality time together as a family and, most importantly, to the McGaughey brothers shredding the "gnar"!

Sinai and Goodbye

The final chapter of our Egypt saga takes place on the Sinai Peninsula.  To make Dave happy after his whining about the beach in his Cairo post, we booked a resort hotel in the touristy town of Dahab—something we’ve literally never done before as a family.  

Our hotel view. Okay, not bad.

The idea was to relax and for the first 48 hours, we did just that.  

While Mom and Dave did this...

Followed by this...

I did this...

And saw this! Also not bad.

But by day two we were ready for an epic adventure.  And in Egypt, these are very easy to come by. 

Naturally, when people come to the Sinai Peninsula, they wonder about its eponymous mountain.  You know, the one that Moses climbed?  At the summit, he communicated with God and received…hmmm…either the 10 Commandments or the Bill of Rights…I, like much of America, keep getting them confused.  

Dahab’s promenade with its enticing mountains in the background. 

So we asked our hotel concierge, what about Mt. Sinai, can we go there?  Oh no, he said.  After recent “incidents” our hotel no longer organizes trips.  

Interesting…

Luckily the travel agencies in town didn’t seem to worried about these incidents.  They were more than happy to take our money and plan a trip for us. As we prepared for the excursion the next morning, a different hotel employee told us “Mt. Sinai, there’s ice up there!”   Well the McGaughey-Huntington Clan has never been intimidated by a little ice.  

We hopped in a microbus, speeding up vacant highways towards the center of the peninsula. As we gained altitude, the air thinned and the temperature dropped.  We received clearance from military checkpoint after checkpoint.  Bare mountains towered over us like skyscrapers as we passed miniscule Bedouin villages.

The road less traveled...

A shepherd keeping watch over his flock…very apt.

Just to be even more cliché… there were actually unmanned camels roaming around in the desert

Dave is forced to remove his Babushka scarf and wrap it around his body for warmth.  Note the SNOW in the background…

Presently we arrived at the St. Katherine Monastery, one of the world’s oldest Christian institutions.  It was built in the 6^th century around an even older chapel that marked the place of Moses’ Burning Bush.  Today there is actually is a bush here that might be a “descendent” of this scriptural shrubbery.  Sounds tenuous, but it sure helps to sell postcards.

4^th most famous Bush.  After the two Georges and the British 90’s band.

Dad passes the St. Katherine Monastery as we begin our climb of Sinai.

The path up Mt. Sinai begins in St. Katherine’s backyard.  Our guide Mohammad (I would estimate that half of the people in Egypt have this name) pointed to the approaching clouds and said “rain.”  But I think he too, like the hotel receptionist, didn’t know the word for snow.

Uh oh...

Dave returns to Babushka mode, this time with a Mexican poncho as a twist.

Soon the flurries began to fall and the wind picked up. How could I scuba dive by a coral reef one day and hike through a snowstorm the next? 

Sadly as we neared the top—a rugged section of some 700 steps—our guide informed us that the final leg was now closed due to snow.  Why didn’t he inform us when we hired him?  Probably because that would be terrible for business.  But he did invite us into a nearby hut/tent for some oregano Bedouin tea and crackers.

It seems this colorful tent is as close as this family will get to the summit of this legendary mountain

Ray and Mom on the way down as the sun peaks out for a few seconds…

Safely back at the hotel, we rendezvoused with our new friends, Jess, Jonathan and Anne from England.  In just a few days we became close with this family even got to enjoy a snorkeling escapade with them out on the Red Sea.  Jess works in the art world and lived in New York all fall, perhaps our family’s paths will cross again!  

It turns out Jess, like Dave, likes to dress up in giant scarves.  Since they are both practical people, here they have chosen to assemble here at an official Hotel Assembly Point. 

All travels must end at some point and work and school commitments finally called us back home.  At our layover in Rome, I parted ways with my family in order to go explore Italy.  What a trip Egypt was!  And yet, as with all travels, we are leaving unfulfilled, knowing that there is still so much more to see in this diverse country.  

Brothers Unite! To raise one eyebrow each.

Until next time, Egypt!