After we endured the endless ride through Kansas, we wondered weather the climb up to Denver would be gradual or would the highway have steep inclines and switchbacks? The answer was provided via a small app already installed in our iPhone that I previously did not know existed - the compass! About 2 hours from Denver I started to check, as the compass app also provided the altitude. Who knew? After our very gradual ascent we arrived in Denver only to be greeted with a massive traffic jam along I-70. An accident, no- this we learned was an everyday occurrence. Rush hour. But at 3:00 pm? Apparently, Rush hour begins around 3:00 pm until About 7:00 pm. The Denver region has major sprawl, and too few highways. We crawled along I-70 and finally reached our exit to I-25 south....more traffic! a relatively short crawl on I-25 to our exit for The Highlands neighborhood where our son Arik and his girlfriend Charlotte live. Denver, we learned, is similar to other major cities like Philadelphia and Chicago in that it is comprised of many unique neighborhoods- some no larger than a few blocks!

After a day to relax and partially unpack, we set out for Estes Park and a day hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. We were barely on the trail when we saw this huge deer/elk/animal just standing there. Climbed quickly to get closer and suddenly realized: one, it was huge and two, where was the oxygen ? That short climb left me breathless! We were at 8,830 ft! The rest of the hike was of course uphill, and the theme for the day quickly became "when is someone going to turn on the oxygen?" The views were spectacular! 360 degrees of mountains. No, we're not in New Jersey anymore........

Other day trips during our stay included Colorado Springs to see the Garden of the Gods (absolutely beautiful red rock formations in a canyon), Manitou Springs (at the base of Pike's Peak) for lunch and a walk around! Then onto the Air Force Academy. An impressive and humbling institution! Our visit Included a short movie on The life of Air Force Cadets, then a walk around campus and the famous Chapel. We were fortunate during our Chapel visit to meet Becky, a volunteer who was also the wife of a retired Air Force Pilot who also happens to be the musical director and organist for the impressive 1,000 plus pipe Chapel Organ. With few other visitors at the time, we spent about 1/2 an hour learning about the different Chapels housed within the building- Protestant (the most impressive of the Chapels with the soaring vault and suspended Cross with "wings" , and on the lower level was the Catholic, Jewish, and Buddhist Chapels. The Jewish Chapel had original paintings, Jerusalem stone floors (donated to the Academy by the Israeli Defense Forces), and a Torah rescued from the Holocaust. The Chapel sizes and locations were determined by a population survey of the cadets at the time of the Chapel design, and has remained until today. Unfortunately, more effort was placed on design and esthetics rather than practicality and structure, and the roof has leaked since day one. Becky noted that in a few years, the Chapel will be closed for major repairs for about four years to take care of the necessary repairs.

Other activities included a BBQ at the home of Nathan's business colleague in Littleton. It was a lovely evening with Bill and Rena and their adorable dog, Bogey, and one we will never forget! Thank you both for your wonderful Texas hospitality!

Our last adventure was to Eldorado Springs Canyon State Park to hike and watch the rock climbers scale the straight canyon walls. Do their mothers know they are doing this? Following our 2-hour hike, we drove the short distant to Boulder, home of the University of Colorado and Pearl Street Mall. The campus is absolutely stunning in and of itself, and add to that the spectacular mountains surrounding Boulder. This is where I want to go to college!! The downtown Pearl Street pedestrian mall was just my taste with restaurants, brewerys, cafes, ice cream shops, and unique shops. This would be a perfect summer retirement destination.
hmm...

Final day in Denver packing and organizing for the Mexico. A wonderful dinner at a tap and wine bistro in "LoHi" (another nice neighborhood) followed by homemade ice cream at "The Little Man"- blackberry and pineapple sorbet and creme fraiche ice cream. Wow.

On the flight now to Cancun, then a bus to Tulum, our home for the next three months. Hopefully we can get into a routine, learn some Spanish, spend time with Mia, our granddaughter, and enjoy the beach. Rented a 2-bedroom/2 bath house in a small gated complex with a pool and gardens. Get us a pair of bikes and we'll be good to go.