And when we landed, it marked Husband's and my first return to the state in 20 years or so...and the boys' inaugural visit...so despite some fatigue, there was excitement about our impending explorations. That being said, the first order of business was locating some lunch, so we picked up our rental car and left the airport in search of sustenance. What we settled on was a little joint called Wahoo's Fish Tacos, which is apparently a chain, but it doesn't exist where we live, so it meets our minimum criteria of "local...enough". And you know what? The burritos, rice bowls, and kale/mango salad, served amid a surfer-chic decor, satisfied all hungry members of our gang. Win!
Then we could concentrate on the more important agenda--sightseeing in the city. First up: the Capital building and surrounding area, filled with serious-looking courthouses, halls of government, artsy fountains...and whatnot. We were suitably impressed by the grand marble structures (including the famous 13th step of the Capital, which proclaims itself to be exactly one mile above sea level)...even while we were melting in the blazing sun. That's right, you heard me correctly--the temperature in Denver today was a searing 96*. And although I kept trying to convince the children that it wasn't that bad, "because the humidity is so low", we were definitely...er...quite warm. Later my well-intentioned comment would come back to haunt me, however, since every time someone mentioned weather, in any context, either Derek or Riley would immediately interject, "Oh, it's okay--it's a DRY heat!" (Siiighhhhh....smart alecks....)
Anyway, if you think about it, we've kind of...cross-trained for this situation, if you will; what I mean is, having learned to tolerate NC Summers, we just...shrugged it off and powered through. Next we checked out a spot I'd read about, called the 16th Street Mall. It's a 1-1/4 mile long pedestrian corridor lined with restaurants and stores, encouraging people to stroll, shop, eat, and hang out. So we spent some pleasant time doing all of those things, and enjoying the cosmopolitan Denver vibe.
But after several hours on our feet, we were ready to rest and regroup, so we headed to our hotel to figure out a dinner plan. We ended up returning to the same retail mecca where we'd found our delightful afternoon meal, to introduce the kids to Mongolian barbeque (HuHot), which they had shockingly never experienced.
But there is one side note that I must share: you see, while driving along a fairly busy 4-lane highway, we had a THRILLING wildlife encounter. I'm talking about the prairie dogs that apparently just...live in the dirt-and-grassy swatches next to the interstate...and randomly pop up and scurry around as you drive by. They're absolutely adorable, no doubt, but also incredibly distracting to those of us unused to catching glimpses of them on a regular basis. Case in point: I had to remind Husband to pay attention to traffic several times until we were safely past them. I suppose if you live here permanently, they must become as uninteresting as squirrels are to us...but for now, we find them fascinating creatures. (Hey, Eyes. On. The. ROAD!)
So that's it for Day 1 in Denver. Tomorrow we travel a bit further north, where we will hike before rolling into Boulder, our second stop of the Colorado tour. Whatever time it might be, according to my body clock, it's time for bed. Peace out, Centennial State!
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