Denver, CO

Imagine the following scene playing out in our living room after work and before scouts one evening.
Hama: "Hey Drew, would you like to go see a soccer game? Mexico vs. New Zealand."
Drew: "That'd be cool."
H: "I found discount tickets online and they are playing in Denver next week. Let me know if this is something you would seriously want to do."
D: "K"

The next morning at work I receive a text message, "Let's go."

So we told our bosses, booked the flight, hotel, car, and bought soccer tickets. The next week we headed to the airport, flew to Denver, stayed a couple of nights, and enjoyed our time away from the norm.

In the short time we had to prepare and plan everything I found a "Real Pirates" exhibit by National Geographic about the Wyhdah, an honest to goodness pirate ship. The wreckage was discovered off the coast of Cape Cod and pieces were going to be on display in Denver. It did not disappoint. The only complaint I have is that we couldn't take photos inside the exhibit.

They had some really cool pieces on display for us to view. The Wyhdah's bell, cannons, guns, sword handles, socks, dishes, human remains, and of course pirate treasure. There were a few pieces on a table covered with glass and holes for your fingers to touch the treasure.

After exploring the Nature and Science Museum we ate a delicious lunch at a restaurant recommended by the gift shop cashier. Thank you locals who know good food!

And afterwords walked it off at the Art Museum. There was almost too much to handle - two buildings, a total of 8 floors, and SO much to see. I'll pick 3 that I liked: American landscapes (no surprise), the wild west of horses, cowboys, broncos, and buffalo, and the woven bamboo baskets.

Drew liked the totem poles and the one in the above photo was unique, just like my Drew. I was really impressed with the places we visited, there were several activities throughout to help children learn and play. There was a spot to dress like the old west, so minus the flip flops and glitter toes I was stylin' - old school.

If that wasn't enough for one day, we finished it off with an epic soccer game. Let's just say we were not disappointed. The skill level of Mexico's players was amazing, the game was intense and we won, and the crowd surrounding us was boisterous and fun-loving.

The fella sitting next to Drew didn't even hesitate and started up a conversation in Spanish. Yep, he's my Mexican lover and it's more pronounced with his summer tan.

The photo of the two of us is blurry but I love it anyway.

That's right we won 3-0! Awesome game from start to finish.

The next morning we woke up and got ready and checked out. We were able to participate in a session at the Denver temple and feel of the loving spirit that resides in the house of The Lord.

It was windy but the warmth felt good compared to the 60 degree highs in Utah. We ate lunch at Maggiano's and we've already planned a stop in Vegas this winter to enjoy some more of their delicious food. It may be a good thing that it's not in Utah because I may want to visit too often... one more is never enough...

After a little shopping we were on our way to the airport to return again to good ol' Utah. Would I go back? Yes, there were a lot of things that we didn't have a chance to enjoy. Driving through downtown was beautiful. They have so much architectural interest and good food and we didn't have a chance to visit the U.S. Mint. It was booked 2 months out. Would I vacation again that quickly? Maybe not. I really enjoy the anticipation factor of vacation. I like planning where we'll go and what we'll see and getting excited for it almost as much as actually vacationing.