Our dear friends Ted and Caroline and their daughter Mae are visiting! They arrived yesterday, and after a brief delay at the airport thanks to a lost carseat debacle, soon enough we were at the West End Tap House, sipping Colorado beers, eating fries, and chasing two 14-month olds around the patio. Bliss. The evening that followed consisted of several more Colorado brews, wonderful conversation, many hugs, and a mini dance party to our love Josh Ritter.
Today, we headed out to show them some of the sights. When we had friends visit us in Seattle, there were so many places to go. Pike Place Market. The Space Needle. Golden Gardens Park. Ferries! But, here in Denver, we're sometimes not sure what to do with out-of-town guests. There are the usual city things, like parks and museums and shopping, but nothing earth-shattering. However, after a handful of visitors, we've finally come up with a good plan: drive to LoHi, park, and continue on foot through LoHi and LoDo.
It's kind of perfect. You start and end right by Masterpiece Delicatessen and Über Sausage, so if you need food either before or after the walk you're well taken care of. The route gives you views of downtown, the water of the Platte, and plenty of Denver brick. I love meandering along the pedestrian paths while discussing the merits of the bike share system and contemplating why everyone feels the need to walk over the grass in River Front Park despite the sign that very clearly asks you to go around.
Once in LoDo, you can stop at the Tattered Cover Bookstore, and debate the pros and cons of city infastructure as you check out the progress of the Union Station redevelopment. There's also a chance to stop at REI, because come on, we all need some overpriced outdoor gear at one point or another.
We were so happy to show Ted, Caroline, and Mae a little piece of our new home. Just a few years back, we were all kidless and living in Seattle. The four of us had so much fun during those years (lots of it involving rainy nights and red wine....) but it's so exciting to be where we are now. We're each blessed with beautiful baby girls, and new adventures in our new cities. We all wish this visit could be longer or we could live in the same place so we didn't have to squeeze so much into a long weekend, but we're making the most of it. Old friends are the best.
