Fun in Vail with USAB Staff

We have been looking forward to our USAB staff gathering in Vail for a long time.  I picked Don up at the Denver airport Saturday evening and we spent the night in downtown Denver at the Brown Palace Hotel off the 16th St. Mall.  It was a beautiful time to be there with all the Christmas decorations.

On to Vail!  
Our first stop was at Frisco for tubing with the USAB staff.  What FUN!

We checked in to our beautiful Sonnelnap Hotel and relaxed a bit by the fireplace before the evening reception and then out to eat.

Monday was a day to do whatever we wanted.  Some went skiing, some off to alpine ski, some to shopping, and we took both gondolas to the top of the Vail skiing area.  We went up Eagle's Nest gondola and had lunch at the top.  

 Monday evening we all went bowling.  Jim Tooley, USAB CEO made teams and our team won both times.  It was a fun evening with food, drinks, and bowling.  

 

Thanksgiving in Iowa

A week of fun and activities in Iowa!  We flew to Iowa from NYC in time for a basketball game of Owen's team, then to the Bauer farm to make the traditional ice cream rolls with my sister Judy on Saturday.  Sunday we enjoyed treating the Kahlers to an Iowa basketball game.  Brent and family arrived late Wednesday night and then the Thanksgiving weekend started in full force.  The Kahlers came with the smoked turkey Thursday morning and stayed through the weekend.  Saturday was the Bauer "Thanksgiving/Christmas gathering at the West Chester school.

Boston & New York City

Our two week trip this time took us to Boston, then New York City and then home to Iowa for the Thanksgiving week.

First stop - Boston! 
USA Basketball is hosting Friday youth clinics and Sunday youth camps in the area so off we go to Boston on a Thursday morning from Denver.  We stayed in the Marriott Long Wharf where we stayed last spring when we were in Boston.  It's in a great location so I can have options of things to do and places to eat while Don works.  

Our first stop on Thursday was Legal Seafood across the street from our hotel for New England clam chowder.  Friday night after a delicious meal at the Chart House in the old historic building on the wharf we walked to TD Garden for a Boston Celtics game.  

The view from our hotel room.

Saturday was a day off from work for Don so with the rental car we drove to Plimoth Plantation which was about an hour south of Boston.  It is a living museum of the 17th century ways and it was so timely with Thanksgiving coming up soon.  We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Wampanoag Homesite, the fort/meeting house and the 17th century English village.  

Wampanoag Homesite