Lynn had a wonderful idea this morning. He decided that we needed to get out and explore the wonderful world of Colorado in hopes that it would help bring a little balance to the "Colorado vs. Arizona" scale. Don't get me wrong. This is a nice place, especially nice people but I'm used to having adventures and exploring often and with Lynn's school schedule it's virtually impossible, hence the "unlove" of CO. So we packed a lunch and Lynn's homework, strapped the kiddos in the car and were off to an old mining town called Central City we read about on the internet. Oh, I pictured similar towns I have known like Tombstone, Bisbee and Jerome in Arizona. All of these towns have brought exciting adventures and I pictured a day like one we'd had many times before in all of these towns.
Central City is located in the beautiful Rocky Mountains and when we got there I was in love with the 1800's architecture, masterfully built into the crevices of the hills. We parked the car, got out and started walking. But all we saw inside the awesome buildings were casinos... not exactly condusive to a Mormon family of children under 8. I decided we must be on the casino street and we needed to try another. I expected to see the ice cream shops, travel and trinket shops, antique stores, art galleries and mom and pop restaurants. Again, casinos. Then it started to rain. We walked up and down the streets hoping to find a great little tucked away mom and pop restaurant in an old refurbished building (we were going to save our lunch for dinner) and get out of the rain but alas we went back to the car. All the restaurants were in Casinos for people over the age of 21. Cora started crying, "We drove all the way here for nothing! For Casinos!"
We got in the car, the rain stopped, and decided to drive to the Rocky Mountains, find a picnic spot, eat our lunch and salvage the afternoon. We drove past a really great old cemetary (the highlight) and then found a spot we hoped we could picnic at. When we got there it said we had to pay $14 to enter (we just wanted a dang tree on the side of the road to make a lunch!) so we drove down another dirt road and found a spot to pull off. The kids happily got out of the car and ran into the forest to explore. We pulled out all the sandwich fixings and just then an explosive crack of thunder shook the car, followed by another bolt of lightning, clearly no more than a football field away and another earth-shattering crack. The children ran back to the car. I shuffled everyone in (having been told in childhood that a car is a safe place during a lightning storm because of the rubber tires and whether or not it's true, they were going to get into that car!) We decided to eat lunch in the car. They kids thought it was lame so we told them it was really, really cool, not that they bought it. Then just as we began to eat our sandwiches (it was two hours past eating at this point and everyone was VERY grumpy) golf-ball sized hail began pelting the car. It's August for goodness sake! Lynn said I had better move the car (I was driving because I get sick nowadays when he does) before the hail damaged the car. So we left in a hurry and had nowhere to go except back home.
I don't think this is exactly the day Lynn had in mind to help me truly LOVE Colorado. So far scale is not tipping...
Central City is located in the beautiful Rocky Mountains and when we got there I was in love with the 1800's architecture, masterfully built into the crevices of the hills. We parked the car, got out and started walking. But all we saw inside the awesome buildings were casinos... not exactly condusive to a Mormon family of children under 8. I decided we must be on the casino street and we needed to try another. I expected to see the ice cream shops, travel and trinket shops, antique stores, art galleries and mom and pop restaurants. Again, casinos. Then it started to rain. We walked up and down the streets hoping to find a great little tucked away mom and pop restaurant in an old refurbished building (we were going to save our lunch for dinner) and get out of the rain but alas we went back to the car. All the restaurants were in Casinos for people over the age of 21. Cora started crying, "We drove all the way here for nothing! For Casinos!"
We got in the car, the rain stopped, and decided to drive to the Rocky Mountains, find a picnic spot, eat our lunch and salvage the afternoon. We drove past a really great old cemetary (the highlight) and then found a spot we hoped we could picnic at. When we got there it said we had to pay $14 to enter (we just wanted a dang tree on the side of the road to make a lunch!) so we drove down another dirt road and found a spot to pull off. The kids happily got out of the car and ran into the forest to explore. We pulled out all the sandwich fixings and just then an explosive crack of thunder shook the car, followed by another bolt of lightning, clearly no more than a football field away and another earth-shattering crack. The children ran back to the car. I shuffled everyone in (having been told in childhood that a car is a safe place during a lightning storm because of the rubber tires and whether or not it's true, they were going to get into that car!) We decided to eat lunch in the car. They kids thought it was lame so we told them it was really, really cool, not that they bought it. Then just as we began to eat our sandwiches (it was two hours past eating at this point and everyone was VERY grumpy) golf-ball sized hail began pelting the car. It's August for goodness sake! Lynn said I had better move the car (I was driving because I get sick nowadays when he does) before the hail damaged the car. So we left in a hurry and had nowhere to go except back home.
I don't think this is exactly the day Lynn had in mind to help me truly LOVE Colorado. So far scale is not tipping...
(Cameo is a definitely going glass half empty on me-Lynn)
6 comments:
Yeah, seriously. The National Lentil Festival was supposed to do the same for me. So far it is not really that way. Oh well. i hope you guys keep trying though. This post was funny and well written. I hate that hail too. What the Hell?
Hang in there. I feel your pain. I was always a glass half full person until I moved and then I went a little loopy for awhile. I'm doing so much better now but it took nearly two years for me to get used to my new "normal". So if you're like me you'll be feeling better just as it's time for you to head back home. I hope you don't have to wait that long though.
You make me laugh Cameo! I hope you can laugh a little at your life. And, you know, you gotta hate those hormones!!! it'll be good to see you in a couple of weeks. Smile, girl!
What a day! That sucks because you and Lynn are so good at making something good out of a bad situation. That sounds like a pretty yucky trip! We can't wait to see you guys in 3 weeks!
LOL! Hang in there! Your trip made me laugh! Can't wait to see you guys!
So you found the casinos in Colorado.Whoops! There are some fun places too. Try Garden of the Gods or the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. See you sometime
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