“If you go looking for your heart’s desire, you need not go beyond your own backyard. Because if it’s not there, you never really lost it in the first place.” -Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz.” That may sound like an old, tired cliché, but oh, how true it is. Summit County has been my home over the last 30 something years. It’s been the place that, no matter how far away I’ve roamed, I always seem to come back to. Every time, I am always asked, “Why?” especially when the winters here can often be long and harsh and snow tires are simply part of the changing of seasons. I’ve come up with various responses over the years from missing the mountains to wanting to be back with family and friends. This time around, however, I’ve thought a lot about it and, after spending my first Fourth of July Holiday back in Summit County in three years, I have finally come up with a genuine answer. Simply put, despite all the changes and progress in the County, it’s still the same place and it just feels like home. As I walked Frisco Main Street, watched the parade, and enjoyed all the street vendors, my mind wandered back in time to the days when the traffic wasn’t so busy, the streets were a little quieter, and even on the Fourth of July, the parades were shorter, the venders fewer, and the crowds smaller. A photo caption on the front page of the Summit Daily News, July 5, 2008 issue described this year’s holiday weekend as: “Thousands gathered on Main Street Frisco to watch the annual Fourth of July Parade.” I remember when that number was in the few hundreds. This year’s holiday was certainly the largest one I’ve seen in several years. Despite the hustle and bustle, there still seemed to be that familiar sense of community. Walking from one end of Main Street to the other, or just hanging out in the Town park, you could still run into people you knew and haven’t seen in a long time. The Fourth of July seems to be the one time of the year when the entire community gathers together to play “catch up.” Again, the Summit Daily quoted various visitors as saying the holiday is all about “family and traditions.” While I’m sure this can be said of any all-American city or town, it is especially true of Summit County. It’s a very unique place, one that I’ve seen start out with only one grocery store and one stop light, that has since grown into the booming tourism community it is today. In the winter time, you can enjoy skiing and snowboarding, ice hockey, snow sculptures and many other winter activities, and in the summer months, everything from cycling and roller blading to sailing to fishing, hiking and camping. No matter what the season is, though, you can always enjoy . . . shopping, whether it’s strolling the shops along downtown Breckenridge or visiting the Outlets at Silverthorne. This is just the surface. Under all that, I think what truly makes Summit County unique is the people here and the sense of community we all have and share, and the way we make visitors feel while they are here. I’ve had a lot of people tell me over the years how comfortable they are here when they visit. They don’t feel like “tourists,” but rather, right at home. Many of my friends have also gone away and returned here, again, because it’s home. I have seen the County grow immensely over the years, and I could go on and on about the all the changes, but I’m saving that for future posts. So, stay tuned! I have been to a lot of different places and seen a lot of different things from the misty fjords and rainforests of Southeast Alaska to the high desert mountains of New Mexico, from the coasts of California to the naval ports of Virginia, from the small hayseed towns of Nebraska to the big city lights of Las Vegas. Yet, nothing compares to the pristine 14ners of the Rocky Mountains, the clean, fresh air, the bubbling brooks and rolling rivers, and most of all, the people. With all these things combined, it’s no wonder that when I am ready to return here again, all I have to do is click my heels three times and say: “Snow place like home. Snow place like home. Snow place like home.” And, well, here I am. My hat’s off to you, Dorothy. Blog By Christy Darling |
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