Denver Excursion

After watching the temperatures in Denver soar into the mid to high 60's for a few days, Andy and I decided that it was time to head down the mountain to experience some of the warmth for ourselves. I didn't have school on Monday because of the holiday and Andy also had off on Monday because he had worked on Sunday. So we piled in the car and started to drive. We didn't necessarily have a plan for the day but wide open, unplanned days typically turn out to be the best anyway.
An hour or so into our trip we pulled off and went to a small town diner for breakfast. So much fun!! The food was fantastic. Andy said that if it would have been in Vail he would have told everyone he knew to visit this diner.
With very full, but thoroughly satisfied, stomachs we returned to the road and continued our trek down the mountain. Next stop: Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater. As we drew near the entrance of the park we rolled down the windows and did not freeze as a result for the first time in months! Sunny and mid 60's, what more could you ask for on a morning in January? After driving around and admiring the scenery for a couple of minutes we decided to get out and take a walk around the amphitheater. No need for coats there!! I even traded in my tennis shoes for my chacos because I could! The amphitheater is absolutely amazing. It was huge and surrounded by beautiful red rocks. I could have stayed there in the sun staring at the scenery all day!
Eventually we did return to our cars in order to continue our journey to Denver. We have been to Denver quite a few times in the last couple of months but have never gone to simply hang out and experience the city. Besides interesting sights and shops we also discovered really cheap car washes and places to get your oil changed. These "luxury" services are through the roof expensive up in the mountains. For instance, the $3.99 machine car wash we found in Denver was a much better deal than the $12+ hand wash we can get here in town. Needless to say, people don't clean their cars much here during the winter.
After running some errands and grabbing a bite to eat we made our way back up the mountain. Right before pulling into town we stopped at a rest area at the top of Vail Pass to admire the stars. The sight was absolutely breathtaking!! There were so many stars we had a hard time locating the big dipper at first. It's amazing what you can see on a clear night out in the middle of nowhere! Wow!!
What a great day!!