In the morning we strolled the beautiful white sand beach in Puerto Morelos, enjoyed a refreshing swim in the Caribbean Sea, then returned to our condo for a delicious breakfast of fresh tropical fruits, yogurt and granola while enjoying the view from our terrace. The temperature would reach the mid-80’s under an almost cloudless sky on what would be the last day of our six-month winter trip through Costa Rica and Mexico. By noon we had made the short thirty-minute drive north to Cancun, returned our rental car and been dropped off at the airport for our flight to Denver. Later that evening we drove yet another rental car from the Denver airport, first through pouring rain, then slush as we gained altitude approaching the Eisenhower Tunnel and the Rockies, and, finally, a driving snow storm as we traversed Rabbit Ears Pass before descending into the Yampa Valley and returning to our home for the summer in Steamboat Springs. Yet again, we lamented that we had probably returned to Colorado too soon. But the snow dissipated and melted away the following day, temperatures rose gradually over the ensuing days and spring arrived to the high country. Tulips and crocuses poked their colorful heads above ground, hummingbirds found their way to our feeder, a mother moose has made the rounds of our neighborhood with her two newborn calves and the summer tourists haven’t begun pouring in – yet. It’s a nice time to be ‘home’.

We’ve already got plans for some smaller trips this summer – visiting family on both coasts in May and June, an Alaskan trip at the end of July (which will also mark the completion of visiting all fifty US states) and a week-long canoe trip to the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota in late August. Heather is also working on arranging a road trip centered around a visit to the Grand Canyon coinciding with a visit from her Mom. So, along with the usual paddling on nearby lakes, tubing the river in town, hiking and biking, it’s shaping up to be a busy summer. Oh, and of course, planning has already begun for next winter’s travels.