You know the trip is over when you turn in the rental car. Dianne and the Mustang we rented at the Denver Airport's rental car facility.
August 18
Upon awakening, I noticed a big change in our room. It no longer had the stale heat that had been present every other morning. Instead, the temperature had dropped substantially. A look outside showed why. The previous day’s storm had left a solid cloud cover over Denver, making things much cooler. It was still warm enough to not need a jacket. But, that day wouldn’t see the 90s and 100s that we had experienced during the rest of the trip.
We packed up our belongings and checked out of the hotel. The Radisson –Stapleton Plaza was an okay choice. The room was nothing special, but its west side, top floor placement gave it an ambient temperature that was unbearable, even with air conditioning. That, combined with a location that’s near nothing brings me to the conclusion that I will look for other accommodations if I’m ever in the Denver area again.
We still had a few hours to kill before meeting Gary and Jennifer for lunch. So, we decided to plan our pre-lunch activities over a bit of breakfast. We went across the street from the Radisson to the Pantera Bakery. Dianne had a muffin and coffee, while I had just a cup of hot chocolate. My preflight jitters were kicking in, thereby suppressing my appetite.
After our abbreviated breakfast, we set off for downtown Denver. We decided to make the Mint our first stop. But, upon arriving at the Mint’s front gates, we found that it is no longer open to “off the street” visitors. Thanks to the events of 9/11, there are now strict security measures in place. Anyone wishing to visit the Mint has to request visitation rights from their Congressional Representative. Only upon receiving a letter of recommendation from the Representative and passing a background check can a person can go on a guided tour of the Mint. Since we had met none of these prerequisites, we just took a couple of pictures of the building’s exterior and went in search of the Mint’s gift shop.
The gift shop was across the street from Mint’s the north side. This shop turned out to be as disappointing as our attempts to visit the Mint itself. The shop was very small, no bigger than 15X15. Thus, it was very crowded. The merchandise being sold could be considered little better than “trinkets.” Dianne found a couple of things, but less than she thought she would. Personally, I couldn’t wait to get out of this claustrophobic tourist trap. I would recommend avoiding it at all costs.
Having been thoroughly disappointed with our efforts at the Mint, we drove a few blocks east to our next attraction: the Colorado State Capital building. This turned out to be a much more interesting attraction. The architecture was superb, the sense of history was palpable, and (best of all) there was very little security to ruin the experience. We even lucked on a tour group, whose guide was explaining the mystery of the “Mile High” reference on the building’s west steps. When the Capital was built, surveyors determined that one of the steps was exactly 5,280 feet (or 1 mile) above sea level. They were so impressed by this fact, that they noted the altitude on the step itself. However, a later survey team determined that the original surveyors were wrong. So, they put a brass circle on the step where the real “Mile High” mark was located. But, recent surveyors (using satellite technology) have determined that both surveying parties were wrong, and that the “Mile High” mark is actually on a different (higher) step. There are plans to note this new mark in the near future. While I’m sure this new mark will also be determined to be inaccurate someday, part of the Capital building does lie at the “Mile High” mark. We took pictures next to the two incorrect markings just to show we’d been at the Capital building.
By now, it was noon…which meant that we needed to be leaving in order to make our lunch meeting with Gary and Jennifer. We had just enough time to poke our heads inside the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, which is just a block from the Capital Building. This white Gothic structure was just as impressive on the interior as it was from the exterior. We only had time to take a quick look inside and snap a couple of pictures. But, it’s a building in which we will spend some more time if we are ever in Denver again.
After our brief stop at the Cathedral, we drove off to the Cool River Café in Greenwood Village. We got there ahead of Gary and Jennifer, so we went inside to get a table for all of us. No sooner had we sat down, then Gary and Jennifer appeared at the door. We enjoyed a great lunch with good friends, all the while catching up on events outside of the hectic atmosphere of the wedding. While the conversation was ongoing, I took note of the restaurant. My conclusion: the atmosphere is extraordinary, the service is prompt, and the food is just as memorable. But, all this atmosphere and good food comes with a price. Gary picked up the tab, so I don’t know what everything cost. But, my notes indicate that there were no entrees under $8.00. And that was the lunch menu! I would recommend the Cool River Café on the basis of its food, but it’s definitely not for travelers on a budget.
We said goodbye to our friends and began making our way back to Denver International Airport. After a twenty minute drive, we pulled into the Hertz parking lot to turn in the car. The Mustang had been a great choice for our trip. We both enjoyed it, but Dianne enjoyed it so much that she didn’t want to give it up. However, the reality that we couldn’t take it on the plane set in and we reluctantly gave up the keys.
We got our boarding passes and went through screening. About two hours later, we were boarding our plane. By this time, the weather had turned dicey. The cloud cover that had blanketed the Denver area earlier in the day had evolved into a set of rolling thunderstorms. As we walked across the tarmac, I couldn’t help but notice how cold the air had become. “Great, it finally gets cold just as I’m leaving”, I thought to myself. I strapped myself into one of the plane’s seats. My usual fear of flying was ramped up a bit, because I knew that it would be a bumpy ride for the first hour or so. My fears proved to be temporarily unfounded, because we were forced to park on a taxiway while a thunderstorm moved across the airport. After the brief, but intense, shower passed, we launched off into the air. The ride over the Rockies was as bumpy as I had imagined. Still, we made it into Fresno without incident.
So, what did I think of Colorado? I generally enjoyed it. I wouldn’t be too upset if I didn’t make it to Denver again. But, I would like to spend more time in Boulder, Colorado Springs, and the Rockies. I would probably go in the early fall next time, to avoid the oppressive heat. And, I would definitely try to attend another concert at Red Rocks.
That’s it for another travelogue. As for my next destination, there may be another visit to Europe in the near future. But, it’s still very uncertain whether that will come to pass or not. Regardless of where I end up, I will be sure to write about it once I’ve returned. Thanks for reading this travelogue!
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