Denver is starting to feel like home. Well, except for the occasional REALLY cold blasts. Yep, winter's coming for real and it's time to move on. The campgrounds that were too crowded to get into in the summertime became impossible in the winter, as many of them either shrink down to bare bones or close up altogether. We've been pretty creative and had to exercise some significant flexibility skills to stick the landing this long.
Lance's foot is finally ready to travel, it looks like we might be able to avoid the predicted last round of surgery with some magic shoe inserts so we're trying that next.
When I look back on our time in Denver, almost three months - our longest pause since we started this adventure over a year ago - we still managed to experience a whole lot while working around the foot appointments. Most of it was spent with close friends from LA who moved here recently.
First adventure: we had a special request from Victoria to see the zoo, and I'm glad we did. The Denver Zoo is hands-down the best zoo I've ever visited. Bring your comfy walking shoes because it is huuuuuuge. In fact I'd recommend seeing it over a couple of days so you don't miss anything. The unexpected bonus here was the landscaping. Check out these flowers - they're bigger than your face!
The Brown Palace high tea was a singular luxury experience in downtown Denver. The tea is served in the middle of the hotel which has a stained glass ceiling, the whole effect is sort of ethereal.
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| Don't let the drab exterior deter you, the Brown Palace is stunning on the inside. |
Lance and I got a private tour of Old Colorado City from local historian Leiloni, who, despite the silly picture below, takes history quite seriously. Around here most of that history centers around gold, brothels, hauntings, shootings and even more gold. Leiloni volunteers at the Old Colorado City Historical Society & History Center, where they do costumed reenactments - the volunteers tell stories in first-person and it is an experience not to be missed.
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| It's easy to be silly with Leiloni |
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| Our October houseguest |
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| Crutches and a cast in the snow. He handled it with grace. |
We experienced our first snow in the RV. Apparently typical for this time of year, it didn't last long but it's an experience I'm glad we had once. Winterizing the rig wasn't as difficult as we expected, and we were cozy and warm inside with hot beverages, Hulu and a puzzle.
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| Post-Brunch snowfight at John, Ana & Victoria's place |
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| Within a few days the snow melted right off the bus |
Doing a haunted house is an annual girls' night out tradition, and the 13th Floor did not disappoint. There was one very long line at the entrance, then once you're in you stay in for what seems like forever, going from one terrifying room to another. One room was canted sideways so it felt like you were climbing the walls, another room restricted your movement from the waist down so it truly felt like the stuff of nightmares - where you are trying to run but you can't. Awesome.
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| We dragged Leiloni along for this one. She had no idea what to expect. |
When the boys went to the Lemons car race, the girls went hiking. There's no shortage of hiking to be done in the Rockies.
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| Shawna, Ana and Victoria at Evergreen Lake |
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| "Mountain Man" at the Evergreen Spillway |
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| The Three Sisters, we did the hike in a little over 5 miles which was a bit much for the toddler. There are trails that loop all around here and they are shared with mountain bikes and horses. You could easily make this into a 10-mile day or more without repeating any sections of the trail. |
We've been spoiled beyond repair by Ana's fabulous Brazilian cooking, and for our last dinner Victoria serenaded us beautifully.
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| "Tia Shawna... Listen!" |
But the storms are coming, the road is calling, and we must roll. Thank you Bieberlys for the warm love in Denver.
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| Bye Bye Bieberlys |
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