Life has been crazy lately and shows no signs of slowing down. Aaron finished his ER stint in Espanola last week and is starting a new rotation today-- general surgery. Some major operational changes at my company are keeping me very busy, and it seems as though I am always writing discussion postings and papers for my current class, strategic management. Focused primarily on case studies of successful companies, it is an interesting class, but I am definitely looking forward to finishing my program next year. Add to that trying to cook healthier, stay fit, and keep our puppy Max occupied, and we definitely have a packed schedule on our hands. So, I was thrilled that we had an opportunity this weekend to get away from everyday chaos for a little while.
We decided to check out Colorado Springs, another city on our list of places to potentially call home someday. If you follow my blog, you may recall that we opted to leave Max at home when we visited Durango in early August. Actually, we put him up in the swanky Canine Country Club here in Albuquerque's North Valley. Based upon the activities we did during that trip, we were glad that we left him behind, but we also missed him terribly. So for this mini vacation, I was determined to bring him along.
The challenge was finding a hotel that would welcome our sweet Max, who-- despite being very soc
ial-- does not bark at all and is quite well behaved, especially for a 9-month-old puppy. Colorado Springs has been voted the most dog-friendly city in the U.S., and many of its hotels are purported to allow pets. My advice to other travelers, however, is to do your research. Carefully reading pet policies and calling about any ambiguity, I found myself on a bit of a rollercoaster. I kept getting excited when I'd find a nice hotel, such as the Doubletree, that appeared to allow dogs, and then my hopes would be dashed when I realized that Max was too overweight to join us there. I'm not sure how much Max weighs (70 pounds, maybe?), but I know he is more than 10, 25, or 50-- the weight restrictions I consistently encountered. I still can't figure out why large dogs are perceived as problematic. From my observations, a dog's behavior is more about personality and training than size. Anyway, we ended up staying at the Ramada by the airport; Max was a perfect angel even while several small dogs yapped obnoxiously in rooms nearby ours.
ial-- does not bark at all and is quite well behaved, especially for a 9-month-old puppy. Colorado Springs has been voted the most dog-friendly city in the U.S., and many of its hotels are purported to allow pets. My advice to other travelers, however, is to do your research. Carefully reading pet policies and calling about any ambiguity, I found myself on a bit of a rollercoaster. I kept getting excited when I'd find a nice hotel, such as the Doubletree, that appeared to allow dogs, and then my hopes would be dashed when I realized that Max was too overweight to join us there. I'm not sure how much Max weighs (70 pounds, maybe?), but I know he is more than 10, 25, or 50-- the weight restrictions I consistently encountered. I still can't figure out why large dogs are perceived as problematic. From my observations, a dog's behavior is more about personality and training than size. Anyway, we ended up staying at the Ramada by the airport; Max was a perfect angel even while several small dogs yapped obnoxiously in rooms nearby ours.We fell in love with Colorado Springs. Highlights of our short trip include hiking at Garden of the Gods, enjoying a picturesque view of the city from Inspiration Point at Seven Falls, driving through tree-lined historic neighborhoods, and eating brunch (twice!) at King's Chef Diner, about which I intend to write a glowing review very soon. Oh, and Max wants me to add that he made a new friend at Palmer's dog park and enjoyed all of the compliments he received from strangers.
