Denver Zoo with the Grandkids

Bobby is 5 (and a half, he'd tell you) and Rory is 2. That makes them a total of 7. Ron is 65 and I am 55. That makes us a total of 120. Imagine a 120-year-old pursuing a 7-year-old on a warm day at the zoo and you'll be able to figure out who was the most tired at the end of the day! Ron's daughter Michelle was there too, and like all young mothers has the stamina to keep up with the kids without breaking a sweat. More power to her!

One of our favorite exhibits at the zoo was the lowland gorillas. Behind that pane of glass was a mommy, a baby, and a daddy gorilla. All the kids (and their adults) enjoyed watching them up close. In addition to seeing other exhibits, we also got to ride the train, eat lunch, and see a trained animal show with lots of birds swooping around over the audience. A good time was had by all.

[Ron wants this added on June 15:] When we were looking at the orangutans, Joyce told Bobby that the word "orangutan" means "old man." He didn't seem to notice this bit of information until a little later when he asked Ron: "Pop, are you going to turn into an organutan -- 'cause you're an old man?"

Visiting Mount Evans

The Mount Evans Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in America. The parking area at the top is at 14,130 feet! We drove this road on Monday. The photo shown above is of Summit Lake at 12,830 feet. Yes, that is ice on the lake! And that ice is still there despite the record-setting high temperatures in Denver.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at Echo Lake Lodge on the way up the peak and then stopped again for pie on the way down. We watched many hummingbirds enjoying the feeders while we dined. Both the restaurant and the road opened to the public over Memorial Day Weekend.

In case anyone asks you: Yes, one can really feel the altitude! Huffing and puffing is the most common tourist activity.

Our Maiden Post

We have been thinking about different ways to communicate with friends and family and share some pictures along the way. This is our attempt at blogging. If is seems to work, I'll tell you about it and you can read this. If it doesn't seem to work, then you'll likely never see this!