So what's an extra 2 hour flight to Denver on my way back to Toronto? Hard to argue against such logic since I knew I would be in travel-mode with a 14 hour flight from Korea anyway. Even though my time in Denver would be short, I anticipated a good break visiting with a few friends while drinking-in the Colorado countryside. Amazing how fast time flies: many of these friends and old haunts I haven't seen on a regular basis since moving from Denver in 2002.
On the to-do list was a trip to Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs for a visit down memory lane and a taste of their deep-dish pizza. It didn't take long to find friends willing and ready to go with me!
Idaho Springs is such a great little mountain town not far from Denver, typical of many small settlements in the state with a flavor reminiscent of the old west.
Many thanks to my good friend Terry who put me up (or should I say
put up with me) during my stay. It was not only good to catch up with Terry in person but his place acted as a perfect centralized launching pad for me when meeting other friends. Although I didn't get to see everyone I had hoped or visit all my favorite spots, I was able to reacquaint myself with the city and catch the mountains in all their splendor.
You might say I got to experience all weather conditions and several seasons in one visit: hot, cold, fog, clear, cloudy, sun, dry, rain. The further up the mountain on our Sunday drive to Echo Lake, the more it appeared as the dead of winter. Coming down from the higher elevations toward Estes Park brought spring and then summer again as we drove into Denver. I forgot how the weather changes so frequently in Colorado; a common saying by the locals:
If you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes.
