Colorado Rocky Mountain High

Denver.


I'll admit I was concerned about our summer vacation. Marie-Hélène and Callie had returned from Québec less than 48 hours before we set out for Colorado. Not one but two freeway closures caused us to be 10 minutes late to our 430am meeting with a taxi in El Segundo so thinking quickly, I decided to use Wally Park and hope my friend Dave could come through for me. If not, I'd pay the tab upon our return but at least there would be no way we'd miss our flight.


Soon after arriving at Denver Airport we drove our rental car off the Enterprise lot and were on our way. Knowing we'd be hungry, I'd picked out a restaurant on the Internet in Aurora, the Bent Fork Grill, which was on our way to Colorado Springs. The Bent Fork Grill came through with some delicious burgers and we were off to Garden of the Gods Park.

Garden of the Gods was beautiful. Many people were rock climbing, some up ridiculous sheer walls, but we stuck to the walking path. Amazingly this popular tourist destination is free. The jagged red-orange crags were mesmerizing. I felt like we should have paid at least $10 or $20 a person for admission. We were certainly quite a ways from Burbank and our vacation was underway for real.

From Garden of the Gods we drove to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. This did cost some money, $26.50 for the 3 of us. The Cliff Dwellings were fascinating and Callie had spent much of 3rd and 4th grade learning about Native Americans such as the Anasazi who had once lived there. Located right at the base of Pike's Peak, which was the inspiration for the song "America the Beautiful", the dwellings have been there for centuries and it's fun to imagine what people's lives must have been like there, the last outpost for travelers heading west who ran smack into the Rockies, above the fruited plain indeed.

After downing an icy snow cone to try and beat the formidable heat, we went to Old Colorado City to see if we could get an Old West feel. We were charmed by the main street lined with antique shops, bars, eateries, art shops, and dessert places. We were tempted to sample more of the town but we were due at our friends' Bill and Marie Nolan's house.

I met Bill my very first day working at Foto Kem 24 years ago. We hit it off immediately despite the fact Bill can be quite imposing. Well read, well spoken and chock full of interesting stories and experiences, one can see the rebel biker reflected in the myriad of tattoos on Bill's person but upon closer inspection, one soon realizes a good person exists underneath the layers of muscle. We grew close and ended up having so many conversations over the years, some light and airy and some serious as death, while we earned each others' trust and respect and I'm proud to say Bill became a mentor to me, a great person to learn from and a great friend.

Bill first married Marie in the early 90's but a love that was right had happened at the wrong time and the two of them drifted apart for a few years, both knowing they'd eventually reunite and they did, getting married a second time and relocating to Colorado Springs to be closer to Marie's family.

You can see some people after a while and it feels awkward whereas you can see other people and it's like you were never apart. Bill and I are like that. We immediately fell to talking and all the reasons why we love each other were renewed and reaffirmed right away. I grabbed a shower and Marie made the best meal we had the entire vacation, spaghetti with Italian sausage and salad, not surprising really when you consider Marie's Italian heritage.

After dinner, we set out for Seven Falls in nearby Cheyenne Canon. There was a long wait to get in letting Bill and Marie know for sure that tourist season was in full swing. Bill and I, two peas in a pod, calmed our inner selves while we inched forward at an unbearable pace, practicing our patience and meditation techniques so as not to blow our stacks at the slow progress. Once inside we were rewarded by the sight of the brightly lit waterfall. We all took an elevator up to an observation deck and soaked in the sight. Callie wasn't satisfied with the deck and declared she wanted to climb the stairs directly adjacent to the Falls so we did, very slowly and carefully we did, for it takes a little gumption to climb this staircase, so much so MH decided to stay at the bottom. We saw a live hummingbird in the gift shop afterward which in it's own way was as beautiful as the Falls.

We slept like logs and Marie fixed us a sustaining breakfast of bacon, eggs, and biscuits before our short drive north to Denver, the capitol of Colorado. Bill had told us it was clean and throughout our stay we remarked time and time again how clean the downtown area is. Even alleyways are void of any sort of wrappers or trash on the ground.

Our destination was the Warwick Hotel, home to Denver's only rooftop pool. After checking into the hotel, we went on a quick stroll part way down 16th St Mall. 16th Street Mall isn't really a mall. It's a long street, shop after shop, restaurants, cafes, markets, gift shops, specialty shops all serviced by a free mall shuttle which runs down the center of the street in both directions. This first afternoon we spent some time in Barnes N Noble and only walked a few blocks down the mall because our dear friends, the Biggs, were due to meet us at the hotel.

The Biggs family is made up of Lori, RJ and Hunter. Callie and RJ were kindergarten classmates at McKinley Elementary in Burbank. A close knit group of parents with kids in Mrs Olin's class started a bond and Lori, RJ, and Hunter have sort of become the glue. A couple of years ago they moved to Denver, where Lori is originally from but when they come back to visit, the party is ON. Callie said of Lori, "everyone loves her, you can't not love Lori" and MH and I agreed. A triathlete who diets and trains, she's one of the most positive people I know. Her boys are chips off the old block. RJ is cheerful, funny, and friendly all the time while Hunter is a little bit more rambunctious and playful but just as sweet on the inside.

RJ and Callie experienced none of the shyness a young boy and girl might feel around one another, especially after a separation. I missed their initial greeting because Callie insisted on running to the elevator when she heard they were on the way up. Lori told me the hugs were special. RJ and Callie basically started talking and didn't stop for the entire 4 days we were together. Hunter kept up with the older kids as he always does. Several times I remembered back to my early attempts to befriend Hunter. Day after day I'd have a comment or a gentle poke in the ribs for him. I truly believed I annoyed him into loving me but I'm so glad I did. His hugs, spontaneous bursts of love, and rides on my shoulders are some of my favorite memories of the vacation.

That lazy Sunday we hung around the rowdy pool at the Warwick which is located on the roof of the hotel. There was a barbecue with a bar and a broiling young crowd including one or two characters so intoxicated we kept a wary eye on the kids. The sun was blazing and the skyscrapers of downtown Denver were seemingly right next to us as we drank Coors lights and scarfed down cheeseburgers.

Later, we played some in-room volleyball with an inflatable ball, the 6 of us batting around the beach ball as many times as we could. I marveled at Hunter's athleticism, not so much in the volleyball portion of the game but in the way he scampered around the hotel room after the ball when we'd miss it. He was like a gymnast hopping on or vaulting over the beds, chairs and ottomans, landing softly and surely as if it were nothing and putting the ball back in play.

For dinner, we walked down 16th Street Mall looking for a place to eat. Again, we'd stopped in Barnes N Noble and the kids became so engrossed in books that we lost track of time a bit and left there hungry. We decided on Chili's because MH had never eaten at one. Dinner was good but Callie seemed to know it was going to rain and repeatedly asked us to move inside. When it did start to rain we finally took her suggestion.

I woke early Monday and took the shuttle down 16th Street Mall to Blake St and walked a few short blocks to Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies' home ballpark. I bought 6 tickets for that night's game vs the Arizona Diamondbacks, picked up a chunky strawberry at Jamba Juice for Callie and went back to the room.

The girls were up and waiting for me so we could head over to the Denver Botanical Gardens. Monday was a free admission day and we strolled along and through the paths, admiring the flora as well as the dinosaur reproductions located throughout the gardens.

From there we drove back toward downtown and the state Capitol building, Civic Center Park and the Public Library. On the 13th step of the Capitol building, there's an inscription letting you know you are exactly one mile above sea level.

A childhood friend of mine now living just outside of downtown Denver, Don Rhoades, stopped by to pay us a visit. Don and I chatted for a while in the library and he walked us outside to a hot dog cart where we bought some dogs for lunch.

After an afternoon rest, the Biggs' clan showed up just after 4pm so we could get to the ballgame. We rode the shuttle to Blake St and had a quick dinner at Noodles & Co before walking east down Blake toward Coors Field. Like Wrigley Field in Chicago, Coors Field has several bars along Blake St where Rockies' fans can whet their whistle and I convinced everyone to stop for a photo op and a quick cold one at the Celtic Tavern.


The game was all Rockies but we walked around the stadium eating almost anything in our path despite the pregame noodle meal. We had peanuts, ribs, hot dogs, nachos, and dippin' dots before we were through.

Coors Field was Callie's 22nd major league baseball park and she has a mini-helmet collection of each home team. These helmets are usually used to serve ice cream sundaes in. Coors Field is no different but the kids didn't want ice cream sundaes. They wanted dippin' dots (think little mini rocks of ice cream). While Lori waited in the dippin' dot line and MH waited at the seats with the kids, I channeled my inner Olga Suppa and managed to charm a man at the concession stand where they sold the ice cream sundae mini-helmets for a couple of helmets WITHOUT the ice cream. By the time I'd successfully completed my mission, Lori had already bought the dippin' dots but at least the kids also got Rockies' mini-helmets!

After the game, we walked back to our hotel. I walked Lori and the kids to their car and it started to rain. What started as a little drizzle becameone of the worst storms Denver had seen in the last 40 years. Callie, MH, and I were tucked away safely in our room but Lori got caught in the maelstrom on the way home. It got so bad her windshield was peppered with Lemonhead sized chunks of hail and at one point she took refuge under a freeway overpass for about 15 minutes. We'd learn the next day the tempest was a national story.


Despite what must have been a harrowing experience, Lori and the kids picked us up at 715am the next morning. Our destination was Rocky Mountain State Park. Driving through Boulder we ignored the gray clouds looming ahead and forged ahead despite a light drizzle. Miss Positive(Lori) didn't bat an eye and we arrived at Estes Park hungry for breakfast. After a bite at the Egg and I, we meandered down the sleepy streets of Estes Park. Lori had vacationed there with her parents as a child and we salivated over fresh strawberries being dipped in hot churning chocolate. I found the music store I'd been searching for and picked up a John Denver CD with "Rocky Mountain High" on it.

Finally, we entered the park and headed for Bear Lake. Broad expanses of land with the ever present mountains looming in the distance welcomed us as we rose steadily to a higher elevation. About 7 miles in, we came to a shuttle area which people use when the lot at Bear Lake is full. We turned in and our enthusiasm dimmed as we saw the length of the line of people waiting for the shuttle. Thankfully, it was a really well run operation and within about 15 minutes we were on the way. While we waited, a deer crept down near the waiting crowd on the other side of the parking lot.

The shuttle took us to Bear Lake and here words fail me. Bear Lake was THE most beautiful place I'd ever seen. The sun had come out and there was no longer any threat of rain. In fact, it was downright gorgeous. We took a lot of pictures as we walked along the trail circling the lake. In several spots you could step out on solid rocks jutting out slightly into the water. At one of these spots, MH's inner mama bear came out and as Callie climbed on a slippery rock, MH, in her excitement, exclaimed "Per....Don't...Tell her to come back". It came out like "Per, don't tell her to come back" and to RJ and Hunter, not used to MH's broken English, it was the height of hilarity.

After Bear Lake, we went back to Estes Park and stopped at a place for kids that had a couple of huge slides and bungee jumping among other activities. The kids went down both slides and Callie and RJ tried bungee jumping. They both had a great time but at the end of her time, the teenager helping propel Callie up into the air had his hand slip on the strap and whipped Callie's shoulder. I felt her pain but she bucked up and the Moms made me get the $8.00 bungee price refunded.

We had lunch at an Estes Park pizza joint, listening to music and showing Hunter how to catch quarters off the tip of his elbow like the Fonz or Chachi used to do on the 70's sitcom "Happy Days". After lunch we walked down the tourist filled street that is Estes Park one more time. We had ice cream, cookies, and lolled about the town without a care in the world but Denver was calling us and we piled into Lori's car and enjoyed the easy listening sounds of John Deutschendorf, that is Denver, on the way home.


Lori and the kids dropped us off as they had a dinner engagement so we relaxed in the room for a while. I went down to enjoy the happy hour at Randolph's inside the Warwick. The beer was cheap and ice cold and the appetizers were half price so I called to the room and had the girls come down and join me. Later on we went for our usual walk to 16th St Mall and hopped on the shuttle in search of the giant blue bear that peers into the convention center. We took some pictures and continued on to Larimer Square and ended our walk with some Oregon Blueberry frozen custard at Good Times.

Wednesday morning we slept in a while and met Lori and the kids at the Buckhorn Exchange, Denver's oldest restaurant, open since 1893 on 10th and Osage. I heard about the Buckhorn on the television show "Man vs Food" and I was determined to sample Rocky Mountain Oysters, one of the Buckhorn's specialties. All 6 of us enjoyed the thinly sliced, lightly breaded, deep fried cow testicles with cocktail sauce and horseradish. I don't think any of us will order them again but they weren't horrible and we managed to finish most of them. I guess RJ wasn't really sure what they were and upon learning what he'd eaten, his facial expression was priceless. Our lunches were quite good. Hunter wasn't a big fan of the decor which featured head after head of every type of beast which ever ate a bullet on the frontier.

After lunch it was back to the pool. Since it was now Wednesday, the pool scene was far more quiet than it had been on Sunday. We mostly had the pool to ourselves. We talked, we tanned, we snacked, we played as the sun beat down on us high above the streets of downtown Denver.

After a few showers we decided to return to Noodles and Co for dinner. We LOVED Noodles and Co to the point where we considered opening a Burbank franchise. The Wisconsin Mac and cheese is yummy!! After dinner we showed RJ and Hunter the blue bear statue and took them to Good Times for frozen custard.

Back at the hotel we said good bye to our dear friends, consoled slightly by the fact the Biggs' are coming to Los Angeles in a couple of weeks. We can't thank them enough for showing us around Denver and sharing our vacation experience with us. After four wonderful days together we were really more like one family than two.

Our flight the next day was in the afternoon so we slept in, grabbed a couple of subs from Fontano's, checked out of the hotel and left Denver behind. We all agreed it was our best vacation ever not because of the many sights we'd seen but because of the good friends we'd seen, from Bill and Marie Nolan to Don Rhoades to Lori, RJ, and Hunter. The only casualty might have been John Denver. I don't think Callie wants to hear "Rocky Mountain High" again for a long time.