In a Land Far, Far Away

In a Land Far, Far Away...

“Brr! It's so terribly cold. Snow is falling, and it's almost dark. But shops are open late here in Vail so we'll get checked in at the Lodge then hit some shops to find some skiing attire like I promised you, Meredith.”

“So glad we met up again collecting our gear at the carousel, Whitney. I'm registered at the Lodge, also, so I can ride the same shuttle. Don't want to go shopping with you but am willing to meet you for hot chocolate at the Gorsuch Ski Cafe. I've heard its the best place for cocoa.”

“You're correct there, Mark. The apparel prices are way too steep for us but we can get ideas. Sounds like a good plan. We'll co-ordinate the rest of our stay then, okay?”

>>>

“I think we got some smart bargains by going to the thrift shop, Whitney. I adore the outfits and this yellow parka. No sense paying retail prices when chances of needing winter clothes in the LA area are slim. The price tags at Gorsuch gave me sticker shock even with our new-found wealth from selling Mom and Dad's doughnut shop in Long Beach. If we're going into business together when I'm out of school, we need to always spend wisely.”

“You'll be a chic snow bunny out on the slopes now, Meredith. I'm lucky to have a sister with brains to help me navigate the financial side of business and the marketing. All I have is the aesthetics know how to flip houses. We'll make a dynamic duo once we start putting our heads together. Even though Mom inherited the doughnut shop from her uncle the neighborhood was deteriorating so wouldn't be right for us.”

“I was looking for practical warm clothing. I don't care to be a shallow snow bunny. This yellow parka is both though, I think, don't you? Wonder why one side feels so much heavier than the other?”

“Is that an inside zippered pocket on the left side?”

“Yes, you're right and it feels like something is inside. Look! It's a medal of some sort. Isn't it?”

“Wonder what's up with this? Oh! My! It's an Olympic Bronze medal! From 2010! In Vancouver. How could someone be so careless giving away a parka to a secondhand shop with a World Olympic Game medal still inside? Someone is absolutely missing this.”

“What do you think we should do, Whitney?”

“What else? Do some detective work and get this back to its rightful owner.”

“It's been fifteen years! Where do we start?”

“Here in Vail, of course. You know who makes her home here?”

“No.”

“Only the famous skiing gold medalist Lindsey Vonn. That's who!”

“But this is bronze. Did she win one of those, also?”

“Can't be so hard to find out, right? Look her posters are even up on the walls in this cafe. We'll ask around or look it up on our phones. Here comes Mark. Let's order our cocoa.”

“Wow! You look like a knock-out in that bright yellow parka, Meredith.”

“Thank you, Mark. We bought it at the Second-Run Shoppe and you'll never guess what we found in it. Look!”

“A Bronze Medal! How awesome!”

“We were about to do some research to see if Lindsey Vonn, who lives here, I believe, won a bronze in 2010. Then it's only a matter of seeing if she's in town or has family to leave it with. Anyone who misplaced it must be dismayed it's lost.”

“How can I help?”

“Help us find her.”

“Aren't these posters of her here on the walls. No wonder you two look famous to me. You both favor her a great deal. Long blond hair. Slim athletic builds and dazzling bright smiles. See the one across the room. She's even in a yellow jacket.”

“Oh! Could be this very one I'm wearing! Maybe we'll get to meet her!”

“Maybe, Mere. Says here she won a bronze medal in 2010 in the Super-G. Super-G is kind of a cross between the downhill and the slalom. She won gold that year in the downhill so maybe this one got lost in the excitement. At one time she held the record for the most World and Olympic medals in women skiing. Says this past weekend she qualified for another Olympic run in France. Her fifth Olympics. Started when she was seventeen. Now she's forty-one years old. So she might not be in town right now.”

“Here's our chocolate orders.”

“Thanks, Mark.”

“Oh, Miss. I can tell by all the posters of Ms. Vonn you're big fans. Do you know if she still makes Vail her home? Yes? Wonderful. Thank you. So there you go, Ladies. If she's not in town, we can leave her medal at the police station to deliver later.”

“Good idea. Mystery solved. Now do we want to co-ordinate how to spend our time here? What does everyone hope to do and see? Mark, you first since you're here on assignments needing to be fulfilled. We're here for pleasure and fun, maybe a little decorating inspiration.”

“I'm up for fun and pleasure, too. Hint, hint. Well, I need to capture on film the 10th Division Parade in honor of Vail founders who fought in WWII as it skis down the mountain dressed in winter whites and joins with the festivities in town for the tree lighting ceremony tomorrow night. Two nights later the colorful torch parade down the slopes perform spectacular formations then mingles with professional ice skaters at the main rink in the Village. May best be viewed from the Bahn Eagle Gondola above which hasn't been done before for a magazine feature. Otherwise, human interest photos around town capturing the spirit of the season in this Bavarian Alpine-like village. Bet you've already been enjoying the light displays.

“Something I didn't realize is Vail is not an old-west mountain town. A Mr. Vail wanted to turn a ranch into a ski lodge in 1962. He got permission from the the government to use the surrounding protected land in this bowl as ski runs. A friend from his war division helped him. The town itself wasn't incorporated until 1966.

“Anyway, if I have time, I'd like to go view the ghost town of Gilman about twenty minutes out of town. No one can enter the toxic site which closed down in the eighties but can photo spooky terraced deserted houses from the highway passing close by.”

“If we rent a car we might as well go to Glenwood Hot Springs to sooth newly discovered muscles and go see the Ice Castles in Dillon which isn't open yearly but will be this one. They aren't far away.”

“Great idea, Whitney. Maybe tour those on the last morning on our way to the airport where we can leave the car. Oh, and I definitely want to taste a little spirit at Tenth Mountain Whiskey and learn to snowboard. Maybe not in that order.”

“Meredith wants to snowboard instead of ski so I signed her up for a class tomorrow morning. I'll go have a relaxing spa treatment at the Hythe while she's there so I can unwind and enjoy the rest of my free time. Sometime I plan on joining the Winter Wonderland House Walk touring various mansions and homes to get decorating ideas. We want to have lunch one day up at Eagles Nest at the top of the gondola ride. Otherwise, I want to spend time on the slopes. I didn't drag those skis along only for meeting quirky young Michael J. Fox look-a-likes.”

“You think I look like him?”

“I do, too, Mark. I've seen 'Back to the Future' reruns hundreds of times and you're a ringer for him.”

“I'm gonna take however you meant it as a compliment. Hey, since I might not be able to get to a class, could you teach me whatever you learn about how to stay upright on a board? I'll never catch on to skiing.”

“The one thing I already know 'cause Whitney keeps telling me is you don't go into the woods, at least never alone. There are things called wells at the bottom of trees. If you stumble in, especially head first, you can't get out because the snow falls in around you. Beware!”

“Okay, Goldilocks. I won't go into the woods or eat porridge or sleep in strange beds, well, unless I get invited, of course.”

“'What happens in Vail stays in Vail' will be our motto, agreed?”

“Naturally, Whitney. Uh, there's also ice skating, bowling or snowmobiling to keep us busy.”

“Let's not forget s'mores around campfires. This chocolate is so decadent I want to do this nightly no matter how much girth I gird. This food guide I'm scrolling through is full of suggestions from Japanese to Mexican. I doubt three days is long enough to sample everything. No wonder you kept coming back here year after year with Conrad, Whitney.”

“Conrad! Who's he? My competition? Should I be concerned?”

“Oops, sorry, Whitney. Didn't mean to bring up bad memories from the past. He's nobody you need to worry about, Mark. Someone who didn't know a good thing when he had it. Don't make the same mistake.”

“If you're done getting your foot out of your mouth, Meredith, what do you think about heading over to the ice rink to get a few laps in then sampling the Japanese cuisine at Matsuhisa?”

“Isn't there a karaoke bar somewhere where you can belt out your rendition of 'I'm Every Woman', Whit.”

“Boy, I can see spending a few days with you two ladies will be a fairy tale come true. Can't wait for the happily ever after part.”