Pivot. Defined as a verb that “completely changes the way in which one does something.” It’s a nice way of saying throwing away what you had and starting a new. After the debacle that was Jamaica, we pivoted from our initial thought of going to Oaxaca, Mexico, and settled on something domestic in Denver, Colorado.
Ripley was joining us because it’s Valentine’s weekend, and we all wanted to feel the love. Going from 74 in San Diego to 18 in Denver was a shift, but one that I think we all were excited about. Especially because with temperatures being that low, snow was a possibility!
We flew Frontier Airlines and had zero problems. Smooth sailing. The only issue was Ripley being a bit fussy, which was to be expected. I think we are at that time when he needs his own seat. When we deplaned, we quickly found out how cold it was because the plane didn’t have a bridge connected to the terminal, so we left outside and walked to the gate. That’s when I, oblivious to its presence beforehand, noticed it had started to snow. So Ripley had his first snow experience.
We got our rental car, grabbed a quick bite at Jimmy John’s, and made our way to the Residence Inn Downtown Denver. We chose this place because it had a bedroom downstairs and another loft-style bedroom up a flight of stairs. Ripley and I took the bottom, while Prince Grant had his own kingdom up top. I don’t know who was more excited about this place— Grant or Ripley. Both of them share a love of hotel rooms!
When planning for this trip, we knew we wanted to go to Casa Bonita. For those that don’t know about it— it was featured in an episode of South Park and is evidently legendary in the Denver region. Casa Bonita is a vibrant dining experience that transcends the typical restaurant. Casa Bonita features an elaborate interior decorated to look like a Mexican village, complete with waterfalls, cliff divers, and various stages for performances.
We arrived early and met up with Amanda, Grant’s former colleague turned friend. After being screened, checking out coats, and getting our IDs checked— we were in! This place was as epic as it was described in the episode of South Park that helped launch this place on the national level.
We were given one of the best tables in the restaurant and ate some okay Mexican food. This place is notorious for having bad food and I was preparing for way worse. The sopapillas, fried pastry with honey drizzled on it, were delicious! We scarfed down the food and then wandered around. I can see why the food is secondary in a place like this as there is so much to look at and see. Who wants to sit and eat food when they can go through a haunted house or watch actors blow up a mine or watch a puppet show.
We eventually saw everything, said goodnight to Amanda, and returned to the hotel. We hadn’t traveled with Ripley in a minute, but we expected him to continue to utilize his portable tent. I guess we should have checked with him as he objected to his accommodation. The child fell asleep in my bed, and then proceeded to kick me all night in his sleep. I know there is a natural inclination to worry about rolling over and injuring your child, but I was truly worried about him injuring me with his thunder thighs!
The next morning, I was a bit groggy but excited to start our day. Our first stop of the day was Meow Wolf. It’s located in a very weird spot and kind of hard to get to. When Grant was driving he pulled into this parking lot to turn around. I didn’t see and I am assuming he didn’t see either— was a worker in an orange vest. When we turned around she was flagging us down. Grant rolled down his window and said, “Hi. I am sorry, I am just so lost. We are trying to get to Meow Wolf.” Then this lady who clearly was on a power trip started to barrate Grant. “What do you think these orange vests mean?” As if the orange vest gave her special powers. It was hysterical. He drove off and yelled, “Thanks for nothing.” So I teased him mercilessly about “having an orange vest.”
Eventually, we made it to Meow Wolf, an immersive art experience that combines interactive installations, vibrant visuals, and engaging storytelling. This unique attraction features a series of themed rooms and environments that transport visitors into fantastical worlds filled with art and creativity. We had already been once for Grant’s birthday a few years back, but this was the first time we were going with Ripley. He sorta liked it. I Definitely looked around quite a bit and wanted to touch everything. We didn’t stay long and left for Cici’s Pizza.
Cici’s had its highs and lows. The stuff that was out was terrible. But they let you design your own pizza, so it was fresh and delicious. I scarfed that down. This was Ripley’s first Cici experience, and he seemed to enjoy it. We ate everything that was put in front of him. Next door was a resale shop so we were able to buy a used sled to go down a nearby hillside that had snow on it. Unfortunately, the snow had mostly melted off it from the morning, but it was still fun to do.
That evening, Grant found that the 13th-floor Denver was having a haunted house on Valentine’s Day. Ripley was technically allowed in, but we thought it better to expose our child to another haunted house this soon. His first experience went fine, but we didn’t want to create a negative memory about this stuff. Grant went first, and Ripley and I hung out in the car. When he was done— we swapped, and he stayed in the car while I went through. I enjoyed it more than he did. I was excited about the idea of a haunted house in February, and it did not disappoint. It wasn’t as good as the haunted house in Houston at Christmas, but it was still fun. Dinner was at Fire on the Mountain, a local bar and wing joint, and then an early evening for our early morning flight.
It was a quick trip, fun trip, and uneventful, which is something nice to say after some recent duds. Denver is not the prettiest of cities, but it's a fun, quick trip to visit the snow.