Jefferson County – Live Laugh RV

Gosh, I can’t believe summer is over and our stay in the Denver area will be coming to an end. Although I’m looking forward to hitting the road soon, I don’t relish saying goodbye to our daughter.

I find myself reviewing my photos from the summer and realize, we had one heck of a good time. And because we were having so much fun, I didn’t take the time to post about it all. Here’s some of our highlights……

Daughter and I go stand up paddle boarding at Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood, Colorado. I had wanted to try this for a long time so when the opportunity presented itself, I was all in. An hour was enough for me for starters, but Ashton and her friends stayed out for two hours. I’m hooked and can’t wait to go again.

Rockies baseball — this player is probably why the Rockies lost!

Our son flew in from Phoenix for a week. We took in a baseball game.

Now mind you, I’m not a fan of baseball but there is something fun about attending a game in person.

And especially when it’s teams from two of our home towns. Rockies vs. Cubs at Coor’s Field.

I’m sure all our friends and family in the Chicago area were cheering as the Cub’s spanked the Rockies 6-1.

I’m just glad the game didn’t go into overtime. Yep, that comment from me received a few chuckles 😉 Shows ya how much I know about baseball.

Logan, me, Ashton, and Al at Breckenridge Brewery, Denver

Labor day weekend – Taste of Colorado. This was held in Denver at the Civic Center. It was a day of eating, shopping, and listening to live music.

Gigi’s Cupcakes-yum

tasting away

carnival near the state captial building

Sorry Chicago, but Denver’s ‘taste’ was tons more enjoyable than the Taste of Chicago and much more reasonably priced.

shopping in Denver — of course there was a purchase made!

Hiking and exploring; Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge. I found myself hiking here a few times partly because it was only 12 miles from our home at the Westminster Elks but mostly because the lay of the land is flat 😉

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Army transformed the area from grazing plains into a chemical weapons manufacturing facility. The bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima was actually manufactured at this site.

In the early 1980’s a massive clean up of the area ensued and a transition to a National Wildlife Refuge took place.

Today there are no signs of a weapons facility, just some lingering residential buildings. Bison were reintroduced to the area several years ago.Another place I found myself hiking was White Ranch Park northwest of Golden, Colorado. This park is a former working ranch and full of history.

One of the trails leads through a meadow dotted with all kinds of farming equipment. Along side each antique farm implement is a plaque outlining its use. This is a popular park for photography classes….. although I wouldn’t know anything about these classes because they meet before sunrise, which certainly won’t work for me. Thus, I decided to explore this park at a more reasonable hour… say 9:00 a.m.

The unsinkable Molly Brown – the Molly Brown House Museum was a fun little stop. We learned about this fascinating woman and her survival on the Titanic.

In the movie “Titanic” staring Leonardo DiCaprio; Kathy Bates portrayed the brassy outspoken American Molly Brown. Her life entailed a rags to riches story full of philanthropy and travel. She was one tough cookie!Just a reminder, anytime I post any text in BLUE it is linked to a corresponding website. To return back to this blog, just hit the return arrow….. upper left on laptops.
Heroine of the Titanic: The Real Unsinkable Molly Brown

Inflatable 10′ 10″ SUP Stand Up Paddle Board w/ 3PC Paddle

After a pleasant two-hour drive north on Friday, we arrive at our destination; the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. This was not my first or even second choice of campgrounds in the Denver area, but since we’ll be staying over the 4th of July holiday, it was the only place with a last-minute opening.

The location is very convenient for the activities we plan to do. The amenities and RV sites? Well, let’s just say it’s an ok place to crash in a pinch.

We squeeze into one of the tight pull-thru sites and proceed to set up home. I think the back-in sites are preferable (pictured above), but again due to the up coming holiday, we didn’t have too many choices. Our pull-thru site shown below.

Our daughter swings by after work and we enjoy dinner together. We discuss tomorrows plans which were scheduled before our house sold. Yep, I’d say good timing on the closing. Daughter had bought Colorado Rockies tickets as a Father’s Day gift for Al. However….. surprise, surprise, surprise….she bought three tickets. As I’m briefed on the third ticket, I tilt my head quizzically. “YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT? WHY?”

I’m not much of a sports fan. I usually understand enough to get by. Al and Ashton think it would be fun for the three of us to go to a professional baseball game together. Really? Hum, Saturday was my first day as a full-time RVer. I figured as part of the adventure, I should try new things, even if I’m not exactly interested. The word boring was probably the first thought that came to mind, “Maybe I’ll take a note pad and pen to write a blog post”.

Rockies Game — Ashton and Ingrid enjoying mimosas before the game

Daughter picks us up Saturday around 11:00 for a 2:00 game and we head into Denver. We park across the street from Coors Field and next to Jackson’s Bar and Grille. It’s time for a little lunch and a few drinks before the game.

Well, low and behold – there’s that Gomer Pyle voice again…..surprise, surprise, surprise. I had a great time and actually look forward to attending another Rockies Game. I was not bored and did not use that note pad. Also turns out, I was a cause of entertainment for my husband and daughter as my knowledge of the game was a little questionable.

As I was rooting for our team and yelling (in a reserved, lady like manner of course), “He’s out”….my hands were making the motion indicating he’s safe.

The game entered the ninth inning tied. I say to Al and Ashton, “If we go into overtime, I’ll buy ice cream served in one of those little baseball helmet cups”. For those of you unfamiliar with the rules of baseball…..there is no overtime…..it’s extra innings until someone wins. “Yeah, yeah….whatever….do you want ice cream or not?” As we debate my lack of game knowledge, a young Rockies batter, in his second month as a pro, drove in the game winning run……the place goes wild……Rockies WIN !!! Let’s celebrate with ice cream 🙂

It was a great game; Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants and Rockies win. The weather was perfect with overcast skies and a light breeze. We shared laughs, yelling, singing, and perhaps even a little dancing. After the game, we walked around the area and Ashton pointed out some of her favorite establishments for hanging with friends.