Colorful Colorado

Everyone,

This hotel does have high speed internet but I can't figure it out.  So I'm just going to type this online and post it when I get the chance.  Like yesterday's post.  Edited: my dad got it working.

Today was our big driving day.  We went over 700 miles today and made it to Denver around 7pm.  I was excited about getting here for two reasons.  One, mountains!  I love to see the mountains and this is a skyline I know well.  Two, I lived in the Denver area until I was 12.  Well, a month away from being 12.  We got a hotel room near my old house and were able to go by it.  I saw my old elementary school and a few of my old haunts.  My old house looks old.  My parents built it when I was a baby so I guess it's almost 30 years old.  Still, it looks run down.  The trees my dad planted are still there.  And I still remember where all my friends lived. 

Things are also a lot smaller there.  I think I grew a little.

We talked about where we wanted to go for dinner and one place jumped to my mind.  Casa Bonita.  This is a really fun place to eat.  They have cliff divers, mexican dancers, and a mariachi band.  They also have Black Bart's cave which is just a little path through a man made cave.  They have a bunch of scary stuff in it now (which I don't remember) but you can walk through the dragon's mouth, past it's heart (which was beating when I was there...poor Ignacio must have kicked the bucket) and out the other side. 

I remember being terrified of going through the dragon's mouth.  I always took it at a run so I wouldn't be caught in his mouth when he decided to close it.  And I was sure he was going to do it at any second.  I also remember my dad pretending to drop me into the world's largest abyss.  It's a black floor with a bridge 6 inches above it but I was convinced that it was really the abyss and I was going to fall and fall and fall until I grew up and then hit the ground.  Funny what you remember.

Butterfly had a grand time.  She barely ate anything because she was too busy watching the cliff divers, listening to the music or talking about going to the cave.  This could be the reason why she went to bed tonight complaining that her tummy hurt.  Sorry kid...dinner has to be eaten.  She was terrified of the dragon and walked the last half of the cave with her head buried in my back.  She also got a flasher, and watched a puppet show.  Dad wanted to get pictures done in the old picture place but I figured the boys wouldn't let me put them down for one.  I can probably figure out how to do one in photo shop anyway.

The boys were okay.  Considering it was late (after 8pm MST which is like after 10pm for them) and we woke them up to get them inside.  Professor decided half way through dinner he was scared of all the people and the noise and the clapping and curled up in my lap with his head on my chest.  Pirate's eyes were as big as saucers at everything and he just soaked it up.  I'm sure it was a nice change to being in the car all day.

I just fell asleep typing that last sentence so I think I need to go to bed.  Good night!

Safire